Smart Kolektiv and the Sidro Foundation participated in Impact Days 2026, Europe’s leading event dedicated to impact investing, held on 9–10 June in Brussels and organized by Impact Europe. The conference brought together more than 250 representatives of foundations, impact funds, financial institutions, companies, European institutions, and policymakers, all with a shared goal: identifying new ways to mobilize capital that drives positive social and environmental change.
One of the conference’s central themes was systemic change and the role of different sources of finance in developing sustainable solutions. Discussions focused on models that combine grants, philanthropic capital, and private investment to improve access to finance for organizations and enterprises creating social impact.
Neven Marinović, Director of Smart Kolektiv, and Jelena Savanović, Manager of the Sidro Foundation, presented an innovative blended finance mechanism that Smart Kolektiv is developing in partnership with Impact Europe and with the support of the European Union. Through this mechanism, social enterprises will receive grants totaling EUR 300,000. The Sidro Foundation is also contributing to the development of the mechanism through a partnership that has secured an additional EUR 300,000 for impact investments, making a total of EUR 600,000 available to social enterprises and impact-driven businesses in Serbia.
During the conference, particular attention was given to the potential of the Smart Impact Fund and its future development within the Western Balkans, where the impact investing market is still at an early stage. Innovative financial instruments such as this play an important role in strengthening the region’s local impact investment ecosystem.
Participation in the conference provided an opportunity to showcase the development of the impact investing ecosystem in Serbia and the Western Balkans, exchange experiences with European investors, foundations, and policymakers, and establish new partnerships. At a time when a significant share of European impact capital is being directed toward markets in Africa and Asia, the presence of representatives from the Western Balkans at events such as Impact Days is essential for increasing the region’s visibility and strengthening its integration into the European impact investing landscape.
Alongside the main conference programme, Impact Days also featured the Impact Measurement and Management Peer Lab, a programme designed to strengthen practices in measuring and managing social impact throughout the entire investment lifecycle—from strategy and due diligence to portfolio management and exit.
Smart Kolektiv’s participation in the conference is part of the Invest for Change project, implemented by Impact Europe in partnership with Smart Kolektiv and partners from the Western Balkans, with the financial support of the European Union.
