Earlier this month, the CEE4Impact Day brought together trailblazers in social finance across the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region, diving deep into how intentionality, additionality, and measurability shape the future of impact investing.
From Principles to Practice: A Snapshot of the Day
At the heart of discussions was how social finance in CEE can move from buzzword to bankable. We explored the core pillars of effective impact:
- Intentionality – aligning impact with genuine needs and strategic goals.
- Additionality – ensuring impact is not just additive, but also scalable and sustainable.
- Measurability – grounding decisions in robust data and real evidence.
But it wasn’t just theory. Erste Bank gave a compelling example of how its foundation, social finance, and finance branches work hand-in-hand — not just to remain viable as a financial institution, but to drive systemic impact in the social economy.
We also heard about the powerful role of family businesses like Swarovski, showing how family-led capital can align for purpose by pooling their assets and shared values to create real social change.
The Impact Entrepreneurs
A highlight of the day was the live pitching session, where social entrepreneurs took the stage to present their ventures to investors and an engaged audience. Among them were nine inspiring entrepreneurs from Croatia and Slovenia, part of the Impact SEED pilot cohort.
These entrepreneurs are at the forefront of our initiative — having gone through an investment readiness journey that included e-learning modules, personalized mentoring, and culminated in the pitch opportunity in Budapest.
But this is only the beginning.
What’s Coming in 2026: Why You’ll Want to Stay Tuned
The Impact SEED project is building toward a pivotal year in 2026, where several key developments will unfold:
Revealing the Region’s Financial Landscape
We will present the results of our in-depth mapping exercise on the demand and supply of financial instruments across the Western Balkans. These insights will be explored further in a transnational focus group session, bringing together voices across the CEE to reflect and contextualise the insights.
Scaling the Investment Readiness Platform
Our proven investment readiness platform will be opened up to a wider audience, empowering more social entrepreneurs to prepare for investment and growth.
More Entrepreneurs, More Impact
We’ll welcome a new wave of social entrepreneurs from Croatia and Slovenia, guiding them through the full Impact SEED journey and giving them the chance to pitch for financial investment as part of the project.
A Best Practice Guide for the Ecosystem
All project insights and learnings will feed into a Best Practice Guide, tailored for investors, ecosystem builders, policymakers, and social entrepreneurs — setting a benchmark for inclusive and effective social finance in the region.
Stay Connected
The momentum from CEE4Impact Day is just the beginning. 2026 will be a defining year for the Impact SEED project, and for the social economy in the Western Balkans and beyond.
Follow us for updates as we prepare to scale what works, share what matters, and support the changemakers building the future of social finance in the CEE region.
