Permira, the European private equity warhorse with €11bn ($14bn) of firepower, is best known for its participation in megadeals, such as the buyout of TDC, the Danish telecoms group, and UK housebuilder McCarthy & Stone.

But the firm has a softer side, committing €1m to fund a two-year pilot project in social entrepreneurship called Breakthrough. In association with the Community Action Network, the initiative aims to help social enterprises develop their potential.