Phase 1 · Discovery · Clarity Begins Here
Mission-Aligned Governance Design
The governance of a social enterprise is the infrastructure of its integrity — the structures and processes that ensure the mission is protected when commercial pressure, leadership change, or funding stress would otherwise compromise it.
Mission-aligned governance design is the development of the board composition, the governance structures, the decision-making frameworks, and the constitutional provisions that ensure the social enterprise's mission is protected, its accountability to stakeholders is maintained, and its leadership is effective through the challenges that every growing organisation faces. We design the governance that makes the mission permanent rather than dependent on the founding leadership's continued commitment.
The Pain We Solve
You may recognise yourself in one of these.
Three audience scenarios · because the same service produces a different transformation depending on where you are in the business journey.
Scenario 1
The social enterprise whose governance has not kept pace with its growth and where the board is no longer providing the strategic oversight and mission protection that the organisation's scale requires
The board was appropriate when the organisation was small. It was built on personal relationships and informal commitment rather than the systematic governance that a larger, more complex organisation requires. The skills gaps, the independence gaps, and the process gaps are becoming visible in the decisions that are and are not being made.
Scenario 2
The social enterprise founder who wants to step back from executive leadership and needs the governance structures in place to ensure the mission survives the transition
The founder has been the mission guardian. The succession is planned. And the governance structures that would ensure the mission is protected by the organisation's structures rather than by the founder's personal commitment have not been built — because they were never needed while the founder was in post.
Scenario 3
The CIC or charity that has received funding that requires it to demonstrate robust governance and is uncertain whether its current governance would withstand scrutiny
The funder or investor has asked for evidence of robust governance — board minutes, conflict of interest policies, financial controls, and mission lock provisions. The governance that exists is informal, incomplete, and would not satisfy a serious scrutiny process. The gap between what is required and what exists needs to be closed before the funding relationship can proceed.
The Impact It Creates
The Moment You Will Feel the Difference.
Board composition and skills aligned to the governance the organisation's stage requires
Mission lock provisions embedded in the constitution so the mission survives leadership change
Decision-making frameworks appropriate to the risk profile and accountability requirements
Governance audit-ready — able to demonstrate robustness to funders, regulators, and investors
What You Receive
The Specific Deliverables.
Tangible outputs · documented, dated, and yours to keep.
- Governance assessment — current state vs best practice for the organisational type and stage
- Board composition review and skills gap analysis
- Board recruitment plan
- Constitutional mission lock provisions
- Governance policy framework — conflicts of interest, financial controls, and delegation
- Board effectiveness review and improvement plan
The Outcome
Where You Will Be on the Other Side.
The social enterprise has governance that is appropriate to its stage, protective of its mission, and demonstrably robust to the funders, regulators, and investors whose confidence in the governance quality is a condition of their continued engagement.
Primary Focus
Designing mission-aligned governance structures that protect the social mission, ensure stakeholder accountability, and provide the board effectiveness the organisation's stage requires.
KPI Measurement
- Board skills coverage vs requirement
- Governance audit score
- Mission lock provisions completeness
- Board effectiveness self-assessment
- Funder governance satisfaction rating
Investment & ROI
Pricing Engineered Around the Value You Create.
Every engagement is sized against the value we believe we can create with you · the fee is always a fraction of the outcome. Four tiers · so the investment matches your stage of business.
Tier 1
Foundations
£5,000 – £15,000
Right for
Pre-startup, startup, and micro-business founders ready to build on evidence rather than instinct.
Typical Value Created
£50K – £500K avoided in misdirected launches and bad bets
Engagement
4 – 8 weeks
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 2
Acceleration
£15,000 – £50,000
Right for
Growing SMEs and established small businesses ready to scale a working model into the next revenue band.
Typical Value Created
£250K – £2M of better-informed launch decisions and faster market traction
Engagement
8 – 16 weeks
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 3
Transformation
£50,000 – £250,000
Right for
Medium enterprises and scale-stage businesses ready to commit to a multi-quarter, organisation-wide shift.
Typical Value Created
£1M – £25M in strategic pivots de-risked and new categories validated
Engagement
3 – 9 months
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 4
Enterprise
£250,000 – £2M+
Right for
Large enterprises, global operators, and complex organisations ready for a multi-year strategic partnership.
Typical Value Created
£5M – £100M+ in optimised market entry, M&A diligence, and category positioning
Engagement
12 months and onward
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Why We Price This Way
Every engagement is sized around the value we believe we can create with you. The fee is always a fraction of the outcome · typically 10 – 20% of the expected first-year return.
This is how we make sure pricing aligns with results. The conversation is never “what does this cost?” · it is always “what is this worth to your business?” We answer that together in the first call, transparently, and decide the right tier from there.
If we cannot articulate a credible 5–10× return for your specific situation, we will tell you in the first call. That honesty is part of why our clients trust us with the work that matters most.
Why This Conversation Matters
“The mission that survives leadership change, funding stress, and commercial pressure is the one that is protected by structure rather than dependent on personality. We build the governance that provides that protection — so the mission is institutionalised rather than personal.”
A 90-minute structured strategy session · produces a usable roadmap whether you engage further or not.
More in Phase 1