MAZE Impact (MAZE) is an impact investing company, founded by Nova SBE’s Corporate Partner Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and headed by our Alumnus and Professor António Miguel. MAZE accelerates and invests in solutions that have a positive impact on society. They work with startups, companies and governments to solve social and environmental problems.

Together with MDV - Movimento Defesa da Vida, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Banco Montepio e Portugal Inovação Social, MAZE worked for 4 years on Projeto Família (Family Project).

Projeto Família® was part of the first edition of Social Impact Bonds (TIS) whose investment was led by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and contracted through the Portugal Inovação Social Mission Structure. This TIS took place in the Porto region between July 2017 and October 2020.

Projeto Família® is implemented by the IPSS Movimento Defesa da Vida and its intervention promotes the preservation of children and youth at risk of institutionalization, through the development of parenting and relational skills and preparation for autonomy within the family. The institutionalization of children and young people at risk affects around 7,000 children in Portugal and, according to OneValue, represents a minimum monthly cost for Social Security of €700 per child or young person.

Projeto Família® worked with 180 children and youth at risk divided into 9 administrative groups for the purpose of measuring results. The contractual result was the preservation within the family of at least 12 children and young people per group of 20 (about 60%). The overall project success rate was 91% and all administrative results were met. The total investment in the project was €433,276.00 and it is expected that around 98% of this amount will be paid to investors for achieving the results.

This content is sourced from the project’s official report, which can be found here bit.ly/RelatóriosTIS (soon available in English)

Our alumna Inês Charro moderated the debate that discussed the results.

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