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Partner Description:

NESsT is a nonprofit organization that supports social businesses in emerging market countries with seed funding, business advisory services, access to business mentors and performance management tools. NESsT operates in Central & Eastern Europe and Latin America, with global headquarters located in the United States.

NESsT believes that all people have the right to live and work with dignity. It works to alleviate poverty, income inequality, and other social challenges through entrepreneurial solutions. Since its launch in 1997, NESsT has gained vast experience developing social businesses that provide employment to at-risk communities—either through job creation, job placements, or sustainable income streams generated by improving production processes and market access. NESsT’s portfolio has generated more than 30,000 employment or income opportunities for people with disabilities, disadvantaged youth, ethnic minorities, low-income women, small farmers and producers, and other marginalized communities.

NESsT selects the businesses it supports based on their social impact, leadership, replicability, sustainability, and overall mission fit. It provides financing and support to businesses to develop and validate business ideas, execute their business plans, and increase their social impact through replication or scaling.

A unique lending approach:

Through Kiva, NESsT will supply loans ranging from $20,000 to $100,000. The interest rates will range from 1.5% to 8% depending on the NESsT cost of providing the loans. Loan terms will be between 6 and 120 months. 

NESsT is looking to increase the number and size of its investments to meet the growing needs of the social businesses in its portfolio. Kiva capital will be particularly useful for early-stage, growing businesses.