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Strive Czechia

A woman kneels down to view a piece of machinery on a table. A bright red light is illuminating her face.
Women’s Entrepreneurship

Strive Czechia unleashes the power of Micro and Small Enterprises in the Czech Republic to succeed in the digital economy.

Overview

Strive Czechia promotes inclusive growth by supporting local micro and small enterprises (MSEs) to grow their businesses and succeed in the digital economy through digital skills and tools, access to finance, critical skills strengthening, and mentoring and networking.

By engaging a network of local partners, including financial service providers, we can leverage existing MSE support services and design or adapt accessible financial products and services, specifically tailored to MSEs, with a focus on women. By demystifying digitalization, we aim to create demand for digital business growth solutions among MSEs in Czechia.

Our approach aims to fill existing gaps in the enabling environment and will bolster MSE financial resilience and business growth, while strengthening the entrepreneurial support ecosystem. Through the program we aim to work with those in the ecosystem to influence and improve policies impacting micro and small enterprises.

Interested in partnering with Strive Czechia? Contact us at strive@care.cz

 

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Who are we targeting?

Strive Czechia targets all MSEs in the country to succeed, with a specific focus on underserved women entrepreneurs and displaced Ukrainian entrepreneurs.

Female entrepreneurs are deeply under-represented in business ownership in Czechia and have needs that are neither fully discussed nor covered within the current environment and require targeted actions that help women thrive.

In the context of the current crisis in Ukraine, the program will also provide dedicated support to displaced Ukrainian-led MSEs to start or restart their businesses in Czechia and support their economic independence and stability.

Two women peer into a display tray to view croissants and other pastries.

The opportunity

MSEs are the most powerful drivers of economic activity across the European Union. Owning a successful business can change the trajectory of entrepreneurs’ lives, the lives of their families, and the lives of everyone who works for them.

In the Czech Republic, MSEs make up approximately 95.4% of all active business entities, serving as the backbone of the Czech economy. Despite this, more attention and support is focused on large and medium-sized enterprises, creating additional barriers for micro and small businesses.

Strive Czechia aims to change this by strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem through developing support systems tailored for MSEs and offering recommendations and guidance to improve the policy environment.

Core activities

  1. Providing access to critical support services leading to business digitalization and growth
  2. Providing access to tailored financial products and services for underbanked entrepreneurs (particularly women-led MSEs)
  3. Strengthening the Czech entrepreneurial support system
  4. Promoting gender-inclusive strategies for women-led MSEs

Strive Czechia is part of Mastercard’s Strive Community, a global initiative focused on strengthening the resilience and growth of small businesses.

Striving to Thrive: The state of Czech Micro and Small Enterprises, 2022

A New Report | Release Date

The Strive Czechia barometer, a survey of micro and small enterprises in the Czech Republic, captures the state of the market in 2022.

Read the report