Mastercard Strive | Czechia
Supporting 250,000 small businesses to succeed in the digital economy
Our Focus
The Mastercard Strive in Czechia program, funded by the Mastercard Impact Fund with support from the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and implemented by CARE Czech Republic, is designed to provide micro and small businesses with the support they need to achieve sustainable growth and financial resilience, bolstering the resilience and growth of Czech micro and small businesses through digitalization, peer mentoring, and financial services.
Our Approach
We help small businesses to overcome three common roadblocks:
Get capital
By funding community financial institutions including local banks, minority depository institutions, and credit unions, we make it easier for businesses to get the funding they need, when and where they need it.
Go digital
We connect small businesses with mission-driven technology partners and essential digital tools that eliminate bottlenecks and enable access to lending and investment.
Grow networks and know-how
Through local and national partnerships, we connect small businesses with expert organizations to develop new skills and grow their capabilities.
Our Goal
Supporting 250,000 small businesses to succeed in the digital economy
By the Numbers
Our Programs
Featured Program
Mastercard Strive in Czechia: supporting 250,000 small businesses to succeed in the digital economy
How is Mastercard Strive in Czechia supporting 250 000 small businesses to help them succeed in the digital economy.
Our Partners
Articles & Insights
Featured Article
Striving to thrive Part 3: Czech MSEs in 2024
A closer look at how MSEs access, use and think about financing: A closer look at how MSEs access, use, and think about financing, highlighting the need to build financial awareness, simplify access to finance, and develop gender-responsive financial products to improve growth and resilience for Czech micro and small businesses.
Barbora Florková
National Director of CARE Czech Republic
“CARE considers supporting women’s entrepreneurship a key tool for achieving economic justice and gender equality. Globally, women still face systemic barriers that prevent them from fully realizing their entrepreneurial potential – from gender bias to limited access to finance and education. Experience from CARE’s programs for support of women entrepreneurs, which operate in more than 50 countries around the world, shows that supporting women’s entrepreneurship has a multiplier effect – not only on their families, but also on the prosperity of entire communities. We are pleased that the Mastercard Strive in Czechia program provides women in the Czech Republic with specific tools such as mentoring and education that help overcome these barriers.”
News & Updates
Breaking the debt barrier: New research explores external financing in Czech entrepreneurship
Report
Digitalization of Small and Micro Enterprises in the Region
Tailored support is needed to advance the digitalization of MSEs, with regional ecosystems – comprising universities, innovation centers, and local entities – playing a crucial role. While EU and central government funding exists, regional collaboration ensures effective implementation. MSEs with growth ambitions benefit most from digital tools for marketing and process efficiency. Insights from selected Czech regions highlight disparities, emphasizing the need for localized strategies and motivation.
Report
Striving to thrive Part 3: Czech MSEs in 2024
A closer look at how MSEs access, use and think about financing: A closer look at how MSEs access, use, and think about financing, highlighting the need to build financial awareness, simplify access to finance, and develop gender-responsive financial products to improve growth and resilience for Czech micro and small businesses.
Report
Striving to thrive Part 2: Czech micro and small enterprises in 2023
A closer look at technology, gender, and perceptions of MSEs: Support from public and private institutions is required to enhance trust in technology, improve status of business owners, and to deal with unique challenges faced by women entrepreneurs.
Report
Striving to thrive: The state of Czech micro and small enterprises, 2022
Throughout the Czech economy, digitalization is a trend that is here to stay. However, the benefits of digitalization have not been equally realized.
Report
Entrepreneurship as a man's world? The utilization of competences in entrepreneurship of self-employed women and women micro-entrepreneurs in the Czech Republic
Women entrepreneurs face challenges in balancing work and caregiving, perceive lower prestige in running a business than men, seek more public support, and define success beyond financial gains.
