Mastercard opens applications for Strive EU Innovation Fund

Mastercard has today opened the application window for its Strive EU Innovation Fund – a new initiative aimed at accelerating the development of solutions to support European small businesses on their digital journey.

The Strive EU Innovation Fund will provide up to 20 projects from EU member states with equity-free grants of up to €500,000, as well as any technical assistance and mentoring they may need to accelerate the development of their solutions.

Applications are open to entities of all sizes – from startups to those that are more established – provided they are soliciting innovation that helps Europe’s small business community to:

1. Unlock working capital and credit through embedded finance;
2. Go digital safely by bolstering cybersecurity;
3. Navigate evolving consumer preferences & regulatory expectations around environmental sustainability;
4. Harness artificial intelligence (AI) to save time and make money.    

“Small businesses are the backbone of the European economy and – now more than ever – it is critical that they receive the support they need to join the digital economy,” said Mark Barnett, President of Mastercard Europe. “We are excited to open the application window for the Strive EU Innovation Fund and to hear about some of the best projects coming from Europe’s most innovative minds over the coming months.”

The Innovation Fund is the latest development of Mastercard’s global Strive programme – and the first dedicated activity for Strive EU, which was launched in November in the European Parliament last year and will be implemented by Caribou Digital.

Initially launched in 2021 – and supported by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth – Strive is a portfolio of philanthropic programmes aimed at supporting more than 10 million small businesses around the world to thrive in the digital economy.

Through Strive EU, Mastercard aims to further boost the resilience and growth of Europe’s small business community by supporting new innovations across the EU that help small businesses get capital, go digital, and gain networks and know-how.