Applications for the Advanced track are open!

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MARC IMPACT PROGRAM

A personalised investment-readiness program for social ventures and organisations

Marc is your co-pilot for getting real investing opportunities

Why Marc?

Marc Impact Program empowers startups and companies to achieve investment readiness while scaling their impact.

Marc offers financial readiness training, impact scaling support, and community building, as well as introductions to a pool of relevant impact investors

A joint initiative by ERSTE Foundation, Erste Social Finance Holding, Impact Hub Vienna, IFUA Nonprofit Partner and SIMPACT, Marc bridges gaps in business know-how and funding to foster growth and sustainability.

What does the program offer?

Our program is designed to prepare impact startups and companies  for financing and scaling. Since every venture is unique, Marc program offers a tailored experience with 1-on-1 sessions to meet the specific needs of each venture.

Individual mentoring

One size doesn’t fit all. That’s why the support is tailored to each need, focusing on business success and growth. The mentoring sessions are 1:1 and happen over 1-5 months.

Top-notch experts

We work with top-notch social enterprise developers and business experts to make a wide range of expertise available to you.

Roadmap to financeability and scaling

Showing where you currently are and how you can improve. Hands-on support to attract external funding to turn your ambition into a reality.

Visibility & Awards

Being part of a portfolio of carefully selected enterprises and strong endorsement by Erste Group and ERSTE Foundation. Best of CEE awards and access to exclusive events.

Impact scaling

Help to define, plan, measure, communicate, and increase your social or environmental impact.

Network

Long-term access to an intersectoral community of like-minded impact entrepreneurs and corporate partners in seven CEE countries.

Who can apply?

Our programme is for everyone who contributes to the common good through entrepreneurship, whether it is social, cultural, environmental or any other positive impact. We call these organisations simply High Impact Enterprises.

How do you know the program is for you?

Our program is for everyone who contributes to the common good through entrepreneurship, whether it is social, cultural, environmental or any other positive impact.
We select our participants carefully and accept only those who can realistically scale their impact through this program, so if you get in, you can make it. Your time invested pays off.

You can apply if:

  • You aim to scale your existing impact model or transform your for-profit-business into a high-impact-business;
  • You have a registered legal entity based in Austria;
  • You are financially sustainable or have a glidepath to get there;
  • You are willing to invest your time into the development process over the next 3-7 months.

How does it work?

Our program is designed to prepare impact enterprises for financing and scaling. Since every venture is unique, our program offers 1-on-1 sessions and two main tracks: Base and Advanced. Each track features tailored options to meet the specific needs of each venture.

Base

20 ventures
5 Expert hours per venture
Dedicated coaching hours per venture
2 day Bootcamp
Introduction to a diverse expert pool

Advanced

20 ventures
20+ Expert hours per venture
Dedicated coaching hours per venture
Introduction to a diverse expert pool

Main stages of the program:

June 24, 2024
Start of Application
01
October 2024 - March 2025
Advanced Support Program (on a rolling basis)
02
April, 2025
Event for the best participants from all CEE countries in Vienna
03
From May, 2025
Alumni activities start for the participants of the first year, preparing the second year of the program and the extension to further CEE countries
04

Program partners

Investors pool

As a part of your Marc Program journey, you will be introduced to a pool of relevant investors to help you shape your financials and receive funding opportunities.

With 40+ individual and institutional investors, Marc Program investors pool includes:

  • Family offices 
  • Angel investors 
  • Impact Venture Funds
  • Crowdfunding possibilities 
  • Erste Social Banking financing tools

News

Learn more about your country programme:

Austria

Hungary

Romania