Growth programmes
We assist organisations in achieving sustained financial and impact performance by strengthening their skills in the areas where they struggle most. We use a cohort-based approach and sprint methodology that is time-bound to achieve these objectives.
Since our foundation in 2013, one of our main objectives has been to provide capacity-building support to organisations pivotal to the social and environmental impact ecosystem, such as startup founders, non-profit organisations, and employees.
Our Growth Programmes serve foundations and corporates interested in accelerating the growth of specific groups of people they want to benefit. These groups often face common challenges, such as difficulty achieving financial sustainability and a lack of motivation or knowledge to manage and report impact.
How do we tailor growth programmes to your needs?
The compound experience of having supported +200 organisations to date has taught us three important things:
- There is no one-size fits all approach. Different organisations face different challenges. While we approach them as a group, we design each programme to their specific needs. For instance, startup founders at a given stage could be struggling with their go-to-market strategy while others struggle with fundraising. Both startups aim to fulfil their financial and impact ambition. A non-profit organisation's main challenge can be inefficient data-management processes, while another struggles with the adoption of digital tools. Both non-profits aim to free their time from administrative activities to spend more time with their beneficiaries.
- Community is queen. Despite their differences, they all improve their performance when working alongside their peers. Therefore, an essential part of our offer is centred around community building. Working with our peers allows us to see challenges from multiple angles and be more supportive of ourselves and others when times get rough. This approach has allowed us to build engaged and supportive communities that outlive the duration of the programmes we offer.
- The fastest and most effective way to achieve their goals is through a time-bound cohort-based approach and sprint methodology. This approach ensures accountability and helps manage their motivation throughout the programme.
What type of growth programmes do we offer?
Given the flexible and customised nature of our growth programmes, we can adapt them to the specific needs of the group being targeted. Below are two examples:
Blue Bio Value
A startup acceleration programme launched in 2018 by the Fundação Oceano Azul and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation to bring ocean-based, sustainable solutions to a new, blue bio-economy. Maze was contracted to implement the programme where we have already support +30 entrepreneurs scale businesses that leverage marine bioresources and aim to protect the oceans.
Gulbenkian Digital Shift
In 2022, maze was contracted to launch Gulbenkian Digital Shift, where we supported 12 social organizations through a personalized 14-week capacity-building program, split into four stages: Diagnosis, Action Plan, Implementation, and Evaluation. Financial support of up to €20,000 was provided to each organization to support digital transition costs.
So what?
A growth programme is a structured way for foundations and corporates to access innovation and contribute to developing an ecosystem that is strategic to them.
By partnering with maze, foundations and corporates can design and implement a growth programme in several verticals according to their needs and vision.
maze delivered exceptional and above target KPIs throughout the entire Blue Bio Value acceleration program. The intense and meticulous scouting and selection processes and the customized program, designed to meet the different needs within the cohort, were complemented by highly efficient project management tools and an outstanding approach to manage partners, participants, and mentors. Filipa Saldanha at Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in 2021