Marc Impact Programme for Social Enterprises

Marc is a free scaling programme for impact enterprises in Central and Eastern Europe, run by ERSTE Foundation, Erste Social Finance, IFUA Nonprofit Partner and SIMPACT with local partners in seven countries. Selected social enterprises, impact startups and nonprofits with a business arm get around seven months of training, one-on-one mentoring and introductions to impact investors, with the aim of becoming ready to raise finance.

What you get:

• Free participation in a programme of roughly seven months
• Group trainings or a two-day growth camp on impact measurement, financeability, business modelling and sales
• 15 to 30 hours of one-on-one mentoring over 3 to 5 months, with mentors matched to your needs
• Pitch coaching and a place in a participant brochure shared with regional impact investors
• A chance for the best participants to pitch at the international re:Marc event and to receive a catalytic grant from the programme
• Long-term access to the Marc alumni network across seven CEE countries

What you'll do:

• Complete a detailed online application and, if asked, a short online interview
• Attend the obligatory mentoring sessions, bootcamps, workshops and trainings once admitted

• A legally registered entity based in at least one of Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia or Slovakia
• Social or ecological impact as a core part of the business model, or a for-profit able to evidence commitment to building an impact arm
• A real business activity: nonprofits with no business model behind them are not accepted
• Already generating sales revenue, or with a solid go-to-market plan; no fixed revenue threshold
• A team of at least 2 to 3 people
• No public debt, no activity in restricted sectors, and no political party share in revenue or governance
• Willing to commit time to the programme; attendance at mentoring and trainings is obligatory