Transform Together Fund
Social innovations for fair green and digital transition.
Project description
It is observed that key target groups of social economy are left behind green and digital transition in Europe. It is particularly true for the most vulnerable : microentrepreneurs, low-income people, migrants, women. They lack knowledge and skills to introduce digital and/or green solutions which could expand their business and/or make them more resilient to climate change and environmental threats. The Transform Together Fund project addresses this by supporting social finance actors in ideating and implementing solutions, that will help the target groups to bridge the gap.
Project status: Active
Project duration: August 2023- July 2025
Project partner: Cerise+SPTF (France)
Project regional focus: EU Member States (and their overseas countries and territories), Norway
Project Objective
The heart of Transform Together Fund is all about supporting positive change in the field of green or digital among the vulnerable groups!
MFC and Cerise+SPTF will issue up to €50,000 grants for social finance actors. With support of the grants, the social finance actors will develop and test a variety of innovative solutions – each of them should aim at helping the target group to improve their knowledge or practices in green or digital area.
The Programme will provide up to 90% co-financing (on the grant contract basis) for the projects approved by MFC and Cerise+SPTF.
Apart grants, MFC and Cerise+SPTF will provide opportunities for grantees to participate in trainings and peer exchange related to green and digital solutions.
Social finance actors
Social finance actors include microfinance institutions, national microfinance associations, NGOs working on financial inclusion as well as clients/beneficiaries of those institutions with focus on low income: micro entrepreneurs, migrants, women.
Key Activities
The selected social finance actors will have a chance to develop and test exciting new ways to embrace green or digital solutions among their clients. To achieve this, the project will facilitate the following key activities:
- testing innovative solutions by selected social finance through grants (each up to €50,000 of value).
- raising awareness activities (webinars, local meetings, dissemination activities).
- capacity building (trainings on digital and green), expert mentoring, peer to peer learning meetings among project grantees .
Our goal is to see at least 10 social finance actors successfully testing new digital and / or green solutions, directly benefiting the people they support. Depending on the grant activities, up to 10,000 beneficiaries, including micro-entrepreneurs, low income individuals, migrants, and women, will be positively impacted. Together, with our partners, we’ll gain valuable knowledge to be shared with broad social economy sector and create a greener, responsible digital world, where businesses thrive responsibly and income opportunities flourish!
For more information, please contact ttfgrants[at]mfc.org.pl
Call for Proposal
We invite organizations passionate about green and digital technology to be part of a groundbreaking initiative. Through our Call for Proposal, we’re offering grants ranging from €20,000 to €50,000 to support projects that empower vulnerable microentrepreneurs. If you’re a legal entity in an EU country or Norway, and you’re focused on social finance, this is your opportunity to make a meaningful impact. Join us in shaping a greener, more digitally inclusive future.
Call for Evaluators
The Call for Evaluators has just opened. If you would like to become the evaluator of the proposals, submit your application.
Join Our Webinars
1. Transform Together Fund & Digital Skills Building among vulnerable groups
Join the webinar to learn more about grant opportunities for social finance actors and to discuss the example of the MFI testing innovative approach in digital skills building of their clients. During the webinar, you will get to know the details of announced Call for Proposal, which offers up to €50,000 as co-financing of innovative solution in green and digital. You will be able to ask questions about the application process, required documents and types of projects financed. Click here to register.
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Time: 11:00 am CET
2. Transform Together Fund & Green Skills Building among vulnerable groups
Join the webinar to learn more about grant opportunities for social finance actors and to discuss the example of the MFI testing innovative approach in green skills building of their clients. Click here to join it.
Date: Friday, September 29, 2023
Time: 11:00 am CET
Transform Together Fund timeline
About Cerise+SPTF – Project Partner
Cerise+SPTF, a French nonprofit created in 1998, has been a long standing partner of MFC, pioneered the implementation of social performance management. As a social innovator, Cerise+SPTF works with actors in inclusive finance, social business and impact investing to co-create social standards and social assessment tools that are free to all. Cerise+SPTF is a pioneer in Social and Environmental support for microfinance.
As the developers and champions of interdependent and complementary tools and products, Cerise has worked closely with SPTF, the Social Performance Task Force, since the mid-2000s. Cerise have formalized a formal cooperation with SPTF via a Memorandum of Understanding in 2021, and now both organizations operate under a common strategic plan.
Cerise+SPTF has significant experience in training and supporting microfinance actors to assess green practices, develop environmental strategies and policies, and propose green products. Cerise+SPTF is also working with vulnerable groups to propose solutions adapted to the needs and preferences of low- income customers, women, microentrepreneurs in the informal sector.
About Cerise – Project Partner
Cerise, a French nonprofit created in 1998, has been a long stand partner of MFC, pioneered the implementation of social performance management. As a social innovator, Cerise works with actors in inclusive finance, social business and impact investing to co-create social standards and social assessment tools that are free to all. Cerise is a pioneer in Social and Environmental support for microfinance.
As the developers and champions of interdependent and complementary tools and products, Cerise has worked closely with SPTF, the Social Performance Task Force, since the mid-2000s. Cerise have formalized our cooperation via a Memorandum of Understanding in 2021, and now operate under a common strategic plan.
Cerise has significant experience in training and supporting microfinance actors to assess green practices, develop environmental strategies and policies, and propose green products. Cerise is also working with vulnerable groups to propose solutions adapted to the needs and preferences of low- income customers, women, microentrepreneurs in the informal sector.
MFC and Cerise+SPTF role in the project:
MFC as the project leader is responsible for overall implementation of the project, as well as for digital dimension of the project. Cerise+SPTF is responsible for green dimension, including delivering capacity building activities and technical support related to green topics.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.