Spreading the cyber message with social enterprises and the voluntary sector

BAE Systems is proud to actively support the UK government’s Social Value initiatives. We understand firsthand the impact of breaking down barriers to opportunity, as across the UK, 14,900 of our employees reside in a ‘disadvantaged community’.

Within the BAE Systems Digital Intelligence business, we wanted to create a Social Value initiative with impact and think outside the box. How could we support a wide range of causes while staying true to our core roots as a technology and cyber business?

Using the UK Government Social Value model to understand where we should focus our efforts, we created a structured programme to roll out across the country with the aim of getting Voluntary, Charity, and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) Cyber Essentials accredited.

We specifically targeted the VCSE sector, which is regularly overlooked by corporate social value activities and provides an opportunity to support a range of causes.

This specific project tried to solve the following problem: In some instances, when a VCSE applies for UK Government grant funding, the application form has made it a prerequisite that the VCSE has the Cyber Essentials accreditation before they can use it. Cyber Essentials costs c£300 (tiered depending on employee head count), a price that a VCSE may struggle to justify. Social enterprises are dynamic, innovative, and diverse, making a difference in the UK both societally and economically. Blockers that stop social entrepreneurs from applying for funding could harm both their business and the important work carried out within our communities.

We worked with Lancaster University, our strategic partner, to deliver this programme at various locations across the UK throughout 2024 and 2025.

Delegates from each VCSE are trained through an in-person workshop, which gives them the chance to learn about cybersecurity fundamentals. The workshop covers a range of threat types and threat actors, how businesses can protect and defend themselves, and the NCSC Cyber Essentials Scheme.

BAE Systems Digital Intelligence then funds the cost of the Cyber Essentials applications, with Lancaster University providing 121 sessions with each VCSE, supporting them through the process to attain the accreditation.

Our biggest challenge when rolling out this programme was finding the proper communication mechanism for promoting the workshops and generating interest. As a large organisation, we have a limited understanding of the VCSE sector, and learning how to reach out to that community has been challenging.

We’re proud to highlight the importance of cyber security across all sectors while raising the profile of the causes these VCSEs are tackling and supporting social impact across the country.

“We’re seeing grant holders increasingly looking for reassurance that we have the right security measures in place. Funding is a critical part of our business, so that made me think we need to get our cybersecurity in order and ensure we are safe. From an awareness and respect, the course has been valuable. For example, I didn’t realise how many different hacking motivations there are, and I’m now far more wary of things like cookies when I go to a new website. This was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down, and I’m keen to ensure it has the biggest possible impact for our organisation.”

“I’ve always been conscious about getting cybersecurity right. Even though we’re a small organisation, we still have to protect people’s confidentiality and show our clients that their information is well looked after. This course has made me feel much more confident and aware, and the fact that it was free is very important, as otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to do it. That’s why large companies like BAE Systems investing in the community through these programmes is so valuable. This means we can do a lot more and provide a comfort blanket to let you know that support is available if needed. I’ll proudly display the certificate on our website, which I’m sure will give us an advantage in reputation and trustworthiness.”

Paula King, Founder and Director, FikaWelie Caribbean and African Mental Health (CIC)

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Spreading the cyber message with social enterprises and the voluntary sector

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