Author: Hüseyin Yilmaz

Sunshine of Şanlıurfa Project Continues with Final Beneficiary Trainings!

Activities of the Sunshine of Şanlıurfa project began in February 2023 under the ENHANCER project. ENHANCER is financed by the EU and implemented in coordination with the General Directorate of Development Agencies of the Ministry of Industry and Technology by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).

The project, conducted in collaboration with TGMP by EYDK, aims to create sustainable partnerships among local and national stakeholders in Şanlıurfa, enhance the capacity of entrepreneurial institutions, and include women from Syrians under Temporary Protection status and the local community in the entrepreneurship ecosystem. It also seeks to strengthen social cohesion through scalable actions.

Within the scope of the project, Training of Trainers (ToT) was provided to 10 staff members of the Türkiye Grameen Microfinance Program, which is active in 65 provinces in Türkiye, with the aim of capacity development for TGMP personnel. After the completion of the Training of Trainers (ToT) program, the final beneficiary trainings has begun, hosted by the ŞUTSO (Şanlıurfa Chamber of Commerce and Industry) on October 6-7 and continue throughout the month of October. The goal is to reach a total of 150 women through the final beneficiary trainings.

 

“Demystifying Urban Healing and Advancement: Instruments and Strategies” Report!

A new report titled ‘Demystifying Urban Healing and Advancement: Instruments and Strategies‘ has now been released. The report, launched on September 7, serves as a fundamental document to activate place-based impact investing in Turkey. It’s based on consultations with international, public, and private sector representatives and a thorough literature review. The report focuses on effective approaches and financial instruments available in the country and highlights the importance of catalytic capital.

This report is part of the ‘Scaling Catalytical Capital Deployment to Address the Informal Settlements Crisis’ Project, a collaboration between The Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG) with support from the Catalytic Capital Consortium (C3). The project was based on the important “Informal Settlements: No Longer Invisible” report, which was launched by the GSG policy team in July 2022. The report aimed to increase awareness about urban resilience and the role of the private sector. It also intended to create a transparent and action-oriented knowledge hub for impact investing in specific places and lay the foundation for this field by bringing different areas of expertise together. This report is a global call to action, motivating efforts to implement effective and scalable solutions. 

C3, launched in 2019, is an initiative created and led by the MacArthur Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Omidyar Network. They jointly fund the $10 million C3 Grantmaking program, which focuses on engaging investors, advancing research, networking, peer learning, and other activities to promote the use of catalytic capital globally.

 

The fourth event of the Startups Meetings Series:”Impact Investment and Tourism.”

The fourth event in the Startups Meetings series, in collaboration with the Social Impact Agenda, took place on Wednesday, September 13th, with the theme “Impact Investment and Tourism.”

 

The opening remarks and moderation of the event were conducted by Ceren Zeytinoğlu, Co-Founder of Beginning Node. During the event, presentations were given regarding the business processes of The Hab and Wonderful Italy, and we heard details about the current situation in Italy and Türkiye from Mine Güneş Kaya and Paolo Ottaviani.

– Ceren Zeytinoğlu, Beginning Node, Co-Founder
– Mine Güneş Kaya, International Federation for Information Technologies and Travel & Tourism (IFITT) Türkiye Chapter
– Paolo Ottaviani, Innovation & Corporate Venturing Consultant, ARGO, Italian Tourism, and Traveltech Accelerator
– Maurizio Giambalvo, Wonderful Italy, Social Impact & Special Projects Manager
– Suha Özcan Afacan, The Hab, Co-Founder

 

 

Impact Measurement and Management Summit: Time to Act in Türkiye

 

The “Impact Measurement and Management Summit: Time to Act in Türkiye,” organised in collaboration between TED University and the Impact Investing Advisory Board (EYDK), has achieved significant success!

The “Impact Measurement and Management Summit: Time to Act in Türkiye,” organized in collaboration between TED University and the Impact Investing Advisory Board (EYDK), has successfully concluded. The summit emphasized the importance of Impact Measurement and Management in the transition to the impact economy and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Turkey. During the summit, experts discussed various standards and frameworks in Impact Measurement and Management, social value, Social Return on Investment (SROI), and the use of SDG Impact Standards in impact management, as well as insights from data for impact.

Press Release

A First in Türkiye: Social Impact Bond Launched!

Free software training will be provided to young people in Istanbul to ensure their employment.

Istanbul Development Agency (ISTKA), operating under the coordination of the Ministry of Industry and Technology’s Directorate General for Development Agencies, has launched a $1.25 million Social Impact Bond to train and employ young unemployed individuals. Through the Social Impact Bond, young individuals entering the software sector will be equipped with future skills through an educational program and will be employed.

First Social Impact Bond: “Istanbul Coding” Project Has Begun!

The Istanbul Coding Project aims to enhance the talents and skills of young people by providing them with software training. Young individuals who successfully complete the software training programs will gain opportunities in the software sector. With this project, 550 unemployed young people will be employed, equipped with future skills. Additionally, the demand for trained human resources in the software field by companies will be met.

 

Press Bulletin

GLM 2023 Istanbul Inaugural Event – Watch Now on Youtube!

The GSG Leadership Meeting (GLM), organised in collaboration with the Impact Investing Advisory Board (EYDK) and The Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG), will take place in Istanbul on May 30 and June 1, 2023. Path to Impact Economy: Bridging the Global North and Global South in Türkiye’s Centennial Year” is the event’s theme, where 150 impact investment leaders from 50 countries will come together with their counterparts in Türkiye.

Opening Ceremony and Speeches

  • Şafak Müderrisgil, President, Impact Investing Advisory Board, EYDK
  • Ahmet İhsan Erdem, CEO, Istanbul Financial Center
  • A. Burak Dağlıoğlu, President, Investment Office of the Presidency of Türkiye

Dialogue with Sir Ronald Cohen on Impact Leadership

  • Sir Ronald Cohen, President, The Global Steering Group for Impact Investment, GSG
  • Şafak Müderrisgil, President, Impact Investing Advisory Board, EYDK

Unlocking Impact Capital Roundtable

Speakers:

  • Elizabeth Boggs Davidsen, Vice President, Office of Development Policy at U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
  • Sahba Sobhani, Director, UNDP Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development
  • Ahmet Şimşek, Deputy Director General, Development Agencies, the Ministry of Industry and Technology
  • İbrahim Öztop, CEO and Board Member, the Development and Investment Bank of Türkiye, and the Chair, the Turkish Capital Markets Association
  • Laurie Spengler, Founder and CEO, Courageous Capital Advisors, Global Ambassador to the GSG
  • Fatma Çınar, Director, TKBB, Participation Banks Association of Türkiye
  • Ebru Şenel Erim, Corporate Affairs & Communications Director, Unilever NAMETRUB, Chairperson, Sustainable Development Working Group, YASED

Moderator:

  • Serdar Turan, Editor-in-Chief, Harvard Business Review Türkiye

Unlocking Impact Capital Showcases

Speakers:

  • Louisa Vinton, Resident Representative, UNDP Turkey
  • Ali Şahin, Genel Manager, Founder One
  • Can Atacık, Member of the Executive Committee, Etkiyap
  • Cem Baytok, Managing Partner, idacapital
  • Ayşe Sabuncu, Co-founder, Impact Hub Istanbul
  • Hakan Ertürk, General Manager, Kızılay Impact Investmentand Consulting

Moderator:

  • Serdar Turan, Editor-in-Chief, Harvard Business Review Türkiye

High Impact Opportunity: Women Empowerment Panel

Speakers:

  • Ibukun Awosika, GSG Trustee, Founder and CEO, The Chair Centre Group
  • Zeynep Bodur, President and CEO, Kale Group of Companies
  • Ebru Özdemir, Chairperson, Limak Group of Companies
  • Handan Abdurrahmanoğlu, Director, Regional Marketing, Business Transformation & Growth South Asia, Arçelik Global

Moderator:

  • Serkan Valandova, Secretary General, YASED, International Investors Association

Scaling Impact Measurement and Management Roundtable

Speakers:

  • Fabienne Michaux, Director, SDG Impact Standards, Deputy Chair and AFRC Chair,Housing Choices Australia,
  • Chul Woo Moon, GSG Trustee, Professor in Strategy, the School of Business, Sungkyunkwan University –
  • Seçil Sayın Kutluca, Deputy Head, Strategy Development Department, Capital Markets Board of Türkiye
  • Hale Özsoy Bıyıklı,Director, Türkven PE, Vice President,Impact Investing Advisory Board, EYDK
  • Ceyda Özgün,Social Impact Coordinator, and Member of the Executive Committee, Etkiyap
  • Gonca Ongan, Managing Director, Koç University Social Impact Forum (KUSIF), Founding Member, Turkish Social Entrepreneurship Network

Moderator:

  • Onur İlhan, Secretary General, Impact Investing Advisory Board, EYDK

The “Impact in the Neighbourhood” conference was organised in Tbilisi, Georgia!

The “Impact in the Neighbourhood” conference was organised in Tbilisi, Georgia, under the scope of the Collaborate for Impact project led by EVPA, on June 28-29.

The primary objective of this conference was to delve into innovative financing mechanisms that drive systems change and foster the growth of social entrepreneurs. With a strong emphasis on long-term sustainability and resilience, the conference aimed to strengthen enterprises and communities.

Mr Onur İlhan, the Secretary-General of EYDK, shared his insights during the panel discussion titled “Alliance for Impact with Public Authorities – Challenge or Opportunity?” Under the moderation of Mr Gevorg Poghosyan, CEO of Impact Hub Yerevan, the panel featured esteemed speakers such as Ms Atieno Otonglo, Market Development Manager of The Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG), and MS Björn Vennema, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Social Finance NL.

 

GLM 2023 Inaugural Meeting: Türkiye Gearing Up for Regional Impact Investing Hub Status

The GSG Leadership Meeting (GLM), organised in collaboration with the Impact Investing Advisory Board (EYDK) and The Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG), took place in Istanbul on May 30 and June 1, 2023. ”

Path to Impact Economy: Bridging the Global North and Global South in Türkiye’s Centennial Year” is the event’s theme, where 150 impact investment leaders from 50 countries came together with their counterparts in Türkiye.

 

Press Release 

Photos

Sunshine of Şanlıurfa Project

The Impact Investing Advisory Board (EYDK) started the activities of the Sunshine of Şanlıurfa project in February 2023 under the ENHANCER project, which the European Union funds through International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).

We are pleased to support women empowerment and refugees’ livelihoods as part of EYDK’s data-driven thematic areas.

ENHANCER is financed by the EU and implemented in coordination with the General Directorate of Development Agencies, the Ministry of Industry and Technology, and ICMPD. The budget of ENHANCER is 32.5 million euros, and it is implemented in 11 provinces (Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa, Gaziantep, Adana, Mersin, Konya, Şanlıurfa, Kayseri, and Hatay).

In October 2021, EYDK partnered with the Turkish Grameen Microfinance Program (TGMP) for capacity development in implementing the ENHANCER Project. The project has a budget of approximately 30,000 euros, with 90% covered by the ENHANCER grant.

Through the TGMP, the ongoing project aims to create sustainable partnerships among local and national stakeholders in Şanlıurfa, enhance the capacity of entrepreneurship institutions, and include women from Syrian refugees with temporary protection status and the local population in the entrepreneurship ecosystem. The project also aims to promote entrepreneurship at the grassroots level and utilize entrepreneurship for social cohesion.

Under our project with contract number ICMPD/2023/ENHANCER-353-1230010, we have reached the stage of designing, preparing, and finalizing training materials for the training trainers and training materials for the final beneficiaries.

The training of trainers will be provided to TGMP personnel, aiming to enhance their capacity through this training. TGMP will have the implementation capacity for the project in 65 active provinces in Turkiye. After completing the training, trained individuals will provide entrepreneurship training to 150 women ultimate beneficiaries in Şanlıurfa. The training materials will be published for the public, and a final report of the project will be shared with the public. This way, it aims to reduce the budget by half for implementing similar projects by different institutions.

 

 

The 1st Board Meeting of the Impact Investing Advisory Board for 2023

📢 The 1st Board Meeting of the Impact Investing Advisory Board for 2023 took place online on March 30!

At the meeting, the details of the global interventions were shared, and the activities planned for this year were discussed.

As EYDK, we remain actively engaged in the impact investment ecosystem on a global scale through our partnerships and collaborations with stakeholders to maintain our catalyser role. #etkiyatırımı #impinv #EYDK