Free legal support for your social enterprise from the world’s best lawyers.
The Social Finance Hot Desk
The Social Finance Hot Desk (SFHD) is a unique service assisting top-tier city law firms to provide free pro bono and low cost support to social enterprises and charities.
SFHD is run by Prime Advocates, a not-for-profit, law firm and social finance consultancy with a passion to help social enterprises flourish. Prime builds partnerships with social enterprises and with law and professional services firms, enabling us to provide tailored pro bono opportunities for firms and high-quality legal support for enterprises.
The Social Finance Hot Desk acts as an intermediary between the enterprises and law firms by gathering information from both parties about their needs and preferences. Law firms communicate their preferred types types of pro bono legal work and social enterprises submit specific legal issues or questions through SFHD. Prime then matches enterprises with firms willing to take on their queries.
Our intermediary role provides firms with impactful pro bono work that meets their requirements, whilst at the same time ensuring firms do not have to worry about onboarding social enterprises.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the team at Prime Advocates - from their subject matter expertise to their professional approach. The Hot Desk has supported us during our recent investment round, and the continued relationship has resulted in both first-class support and big cost savings. ”
Eligibility
To apply for pro bono and low cost legal work you must be a social enterprise with proof of concept and asset or mission lock. We define eligible entities as:
A for-profit company with a defined social or environmental mission (meaning a commitment to allocate a percentage of its profits and assets to its mission)
A non-for-profit company with 100% dividend lock
A Community Interest Company (CIC)
Only rarely do we accept very early stage businesses. Demonstrating feasibility & viability of your business is essential.
To apply for legal support, send an email to the address below and our team will provide you with an application form.
How we work
How does SFHD work?
Prime Advocates, a registered non-profit law firm, manages the SFHD and acts as an intermediary between social enterprises and firms.
Both parties engage with Prime through the SFHD and benefit from expertise and efficient query management process.
Prime acts as the law firm’s only client, on-boarding and conducting due diligence on the enterprises, which removes inefficiencies of on-boarding several new pro bono clients.
Prime then provides curated legal matters to the legal teams based on the firm’s pro bono criteria and areas of capacity or thematic focus.
Finally, Prime shares the pro bono advice or support provided with the social enterprises.
How long does it take to receive a response to a query?
Response times vary based upon the nature of the legal query but normally take between 1-3 months to complete. SFHD sources queries that are not time-sensitive to ensure the most appropriate lawyers can take on the case. Most urgent matters are not suitable for this service.
What types of legal support and advice are undertaken?
Examples of legal support and advice may include:
Equity finance:
Drafting investment documentation such as term sheets, investment agreements, investment readiness legal support, new articles, convertible note instrument
Debt:
Documenting and advising on straightforward bilateral / syndicated and other lending facilities (Loans); including for acquisition finance transaction, leveraged buyouts, real estate and residential and commercial development and project and infrastructure financing
Sustainable or impact capital markets issuance and product development (e.g. charity bond, Green/ Sustainability Bonds or sustainable/ ESG securitization etc.)
Impact Investment Funds:
Advising impact investors and intermediaries on the formation and investment into impact funds, joint venture and downstream investments
Energy & Infrastructure:
Financing and investment documentation
Clean energy supply/client contracts or infrastructure development contracts, distribution agreements, emission reduction purchase agreements
Social Impact Bonds:
Negotiating with stakeholders on behalf of the client such as sponsors, investors, government bodies to determine the structure
Provide advice on the structure of social impact bonds
Preparing and negotiating outcomes contract and any other documents such as government backed guarantees
Charity Bond:
All documentation and negotiation involved in raising money on the bond market
General Corporate (limited capacity)
Legal audit risk review
General commercial work (i.e. service level agreements, governance support, NDAs, fee arrangement letters; amending legal structure from limited by shares to community interest company and transparently show commitment to repurposing profits for social purpose in articles)
Can I choose which firm I’d like to work with?
No. Part of the service that Prime Advocates provides to clients is to ensure they are best placed with the firm and solicitor most suitable for their case. We also discuss subject matters and practice areas in advance with the law firms to ensure that we are providing them with cases that suit their expertise.
Our Firm Partners
“The Social Finance Hot Desk saved our business a substantial amount of money, as a socially focused startup that was extremely valuable to us.”
Beneficiary Spotlights
Light Education Training
Light Education Training (LET) is a social enterprise dedicated to transforming mental health and wellbeing in schools and those not in school due to acute mental health. Their mission is to equip children, young people, and school communities with life skills that build emotional resilience, improve mental health, and enhance learning outcomes. They deliver evidence-based programmes using neuroscience; that integrate mental health and wellbeing into the core of school culture through staff training, direct student interventions, and whole-school development strategies.
Their vision is a future where every child - regardless of socioeconomic background - has the emotional and social skills needed to thrive academically, socially, and personally. Read below our exclusive interview with them.
With 10 years’ experience in the industry, can you tell us about some lessons learnt along the way?
The Power of Collaboration: Creating long-term change in mental health education requires meaningful partnerships with schools, local authorities, and other social impact organisations. Collaboration amplifies impact and helps scale innovation.
Adaptability is Key: The educational landscape is constantly evolving due to changes in government policy, school funding, and public awareness of mental health. We've learned to remain flexible and responsive while staying true to our mission.
Data-Driven Storytelling: It's essential to gather both qualitative and quantitative data to demonstrate impact. Personal stories from children, teachers, and parents make our mission relatable, while hard data makes it measurable and scalable.
Sustainability Matters: Balancing our social mission with financial sustainability has been a critical learning point. Establishing a robust business model has enabled us to reinvest in growth while staying impact-driven.
Could you tell us a bit about the mental health education industry, and its future outlook?
We operate at the intersection of mental health, education, and social impact.
In recent years, mental health education has shifted from being a ‘nice-to-have’ to a critical priority for schools, driven by rising rates of mental health issues among young people. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this shift by highlighting the importance of emotional resilience in children’s learning and development. Next year we will see the 5th anniversary of COVID-19 and really see first hand the impact national lockdowns and COVID-19 have had on children.
Some key changes we've noticed are...
Policy Focus: The UK government has introduced policies like mandatory Relationships, Sex, and Health Education (RSHE) and funding for mental health support teams in schools.
School Prioritisation: Schools are increasingly adopting a whole-school approach to mental health, recognising that student wellbeing is inseparable from academic progress.
Parent & Community Engagement: Parents and carers are more engaged in conversations about mental health and wellbeing, pushing schools to invest in better support systems.
The future of mental health education looks promising but will require sustained investment and innovation.
We see several key trends shaping the sector:
Integrated Mental Health Systems: Schools will adopt more integrated models where mental health support is embedded into the school day through curriculum, pastoral care, and partnerships with external providers.
Data & Tech-Driven Interventions: Technology will play a larger role in delivering scalable mental health support, such as digital counselling services and AI-driven wellbeing tracking tools.
Trauma-Informed Practice: We expect wider adoption of trauma-informed teaching practices to better support students affected by adverse childhood experiences.
Early Intervention & Prevention: There will be increased emphasis on early intervention to prevent mental health issues before they escalate, aligning with LET’s focus on life skills education.
Equity in Access: Bridging the gap between well-funded schools and those in deprived areas will be critical to ensuring equal access to mental health and wellbeing resources.
How has the SFHD helped you along your journey?
The Social Finance Hot Desk (SFHD) has been instrumental in LET’s growth and development. It provided tailored, high-level pro bono legal and business advisory services, helping us build a stronger foundation as a social enterprise.
SFHD supported us with a range of work, including:
Legal Structuring & Governance: Helping us navigate complex legal issues related to our social enterprise model.
Contracts & Partnerships: Assisting in the drafting and reviewing of partnership agreements with schools and local authorities.
Impact Measurement & Reporting: Supporting us in developing frameworks to better communicate our social impact to funders and partners.
Our partnership with Prime Advocates has extended far beyond the SFHD programme. Their Women of Impact Initiative has provided invaluable mentoring, leadership development, and access to a supportive network of mission-driven women leaders.
Prime Advocates has also connected us with experienced law firms who have helped us with professionalising which led to building better business strategy, scaling, and impact reporting. Their multi-disciplinary support has enabled us to grow our organisation in a sustainable and scalable way.
We would highly recommend the SFHD programme and Prime Advocates as a whole. Their support has been game-changing, and their team genuinely cares about advancing social impact.
What advice would you give to any organisations looking to use the SFHD programme?
Be Clear on Your Needs: Identify specific challenges your organisation is facing before engaging with the programme, so you can make the most of the support on offer.
Engage Actively: Be proactive, open, and responsive. The more you engage with the Prime Advocates team, the more tailored and impactful their advice will be.
Be Ready to Implement: Come prepared to action the advice and recommendations you receive. The programme can accelerate growth, but only if you commit to applying the guidance.
Something you wish you had known...
The range of services available is broader than we initially realised. From legal advice to business strategy, fundraising, and social impact measurement, Prime Advocates has supported us in unexpected but transformative ways.
Some suggestions to get the most out of the programme:
Be Transparent: Share your organisation's challenges openly to receive the most relevant support.
Engage Long-Term: Build an ongoing relationship with Prime Advocates beyond the initial engagement.
Leverage the Network: Take advantage of networking events, mentorship programmes, and leadership development opportunities they offer.
Any final thoughts you’d like to share?
Prime Advocates has been an incredible partner on our journey. Their support has strengthened our organisation, broadened our network, and enabled us to scale our impact more effectively.
We are deeply grateful for Prime Advocates’ continued partnership and look forward to achieving even greater social impact together.