The Czechoslovak Group, formerly Excalibur Group, is a Prague-based Czech industrial-technological holding encompassing over 100 companies with over 14,000 employees worldwide. Its Endowment Fund has just completed its first year of operation.
The fund supports more than thirty students in the Czech Republic and abroad, hundreds of volunteer-firefighter projects and other charitable activities. It has simplified its application and selection processes. In future, it plans to strengthen its activities abroad. “We want to have a stronger presence in the regions and be closer to local communities, especially where the group has large production facilities,” says fund manager Adam Valenta.
The CSG Foundation has completed its first year of existence. How would you assess it?
Definitely positively. We managed to get a number of things off the ground just as we wanted. Along the way, we have learnt a great deal and adjusted our programmes and processes as we went. We have supported excellent projects and, at the same time, we have managed—which I believe is one of the biggest tasks for any foundation in its first year—to work out how we want to do things in future and how we want to expand in the coming years.
Do you know what to strengthen and what to scale back?
It will not mean cancelling any programmes or abandoning specific topics, certainly not. Rather, we have learnt a great deal about efficiency, the administration of our foundation grants and communication. A good example is our grant call for volunteer firefighters. We have just wrapped up the third round, and this programme has grown at a truly explosive pace over the course of a single year.
In the first round, we hoped to receive 100 applications; in the end there were more than 500, for which our system was not fully ready at the time. We modified the application system and automated it. We now have a simple form that firefighters can complete in ten minutes.
How many fire departments applied for the third round, and how many of them can you support?
A total of 1,372 applied. The selection process has already taken place, and we shall support more than 130 projects. The financial allocation for each round is approximately CZK 10m. In the third round, however, we exceeded that slightly; fortunately, we have a tolerant founder who allows us to do so.
Volunteer firefighters often do not get enough credit
Do you plan to increase the amount this year?
We have one more round this year, and we are planning the same amount. We shall not be changing that at this time; we shall see in 2027.
What do fire departments request most frequently?
They mostly request equipment such as protective gear, various rescue tools and response equipment. Statistically, this accounts for just over half of the requests.
Not vehicles?
Not vehicles very often. Funding for fire departments has limits. The maximum grant per project is CZK 100k, and CZK 250k per unit. For the latter, though, we also require co-funding from the local municipality. Vehicle purchases typically involve much higher sums, where our grant would not make a significant difference. We do receive such requests, but they represent at most 10 per cent.
The CSG Endowment Fund places great emphasis on supporting volunteer firefighters. Why them specifically?
There are several reasons. The firefighting community—both volunteer and professional—is naturally close to the CSG Group; several companies within the group supply equipment to fire departments, and there are longstanding partnerships, so we have a good sense of what concerns firefighters. We also have a surprisingly high number of volunteer firefighters among our employees; this is partly because the CSG Group has a presence in regions outside the major metropolitan areas, where the role of volunteer firefighters is more significant than it might seem from Prague, for example. We also believe that volunteer firefighters do not always get enough credit due, yet they are often the cultural heart of their communities.
It is probably no secret that these units are underfunded and often work with outdated equipment; our grant call will help at least some of them. But it is not just about these grants; we are also a partner in the Volunteer Firefighter of the Year poll and collaborate with professional firefighters as well.
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The fund aims to strengthen activities both domestically and abroad. Do you already have a specific plan?
Our plan is almost complete, but I shall not reveal the details just yet. We want a greater presence in the regions, especially where the group has large manufacturing plants overseas. We are interested in helping with whatever is needed directly in each region.
Will you replicate the Czech model, or do you have a different vision of how the fund should operate abroad?
Our international plans will be tailored to the local context and needs. We hope that decisions regarding which issues we address in each location will involve the group’s employees, local management and partners who are on the ground and know what is required. The foundation, of course, has its founding documents, which define the scope of topics we can tackle; however, it is broad enough to allow us to work flexibly and address specific needs.
Can you be more specific?
One of our main pillars is education; the second pillar is employee assistance and support for various employee projects. The third major pillar is fire departments. Abroad, however, this will be more in the sense of crisis preparedness.
Being where the CSG Group is
Where are you planning to expand with the foundation?
CSG is growing rapidly; the group is already present in the United States, Germany, Serbia, Italy and Spain, as well as in Greece and Hungary. In a year, there could be five more countries, and we would like the foundation to be wherever CSG is. But we shall naturally set priorities. The group is very large in the United States, so that will probably be one of the first countries.
And will you start this year?
We hope to get a large part of the work done this year.
What financial allocation will this require, and what will the fund’s total budget be this year?
I shall not comment on the amount regarding our international plans yet. We have CZK 60m allocated for foundation grants in this year’s budget. However, we have a generous founder, and last year the budget was adjusted according to urgent needs — it is not set in stone.
To what extent did CSG’s IPO affect the budget, and will its size depend on periods of success?
That decision is not up to me. We have a board of directors, a supervisory board and a founder who decide on the fund’s long-term strategy and financing. The truth is that we have enormous potential for growth, and I believe our governing bodies are also aware of how much good we can accomplish.
The fund’s supervisory board is chaired by CSG Group owner Michal Strnad. To what extent does he influence decisions regarding whom the fund awards grants to?
He does not interfere in the decision-making process itself, but we have quite a lively debate about the fund’s activities and strategy with all members of the board of directors and the supervisory board, and therefore also with Mr Strnad.
What types of projects have the best chance of success in the selection process, and how can one apply for support?
We shall launch the fourth round of the grant call for volunteer firefighters in mid-August. We shall again post a simple online form on our website, csgfoundation.com, which applicants can complete and upload several required documents; the entire process takes no more than 20 minutes.
What about students interested in scholarships?
The application process works very similarly. There will again be a form on our website. We are opening the call on 13 April.
Does the foundation support students both domestically and abroad? How many people are currently supported?
We have a total of 38 students: six are abroad, and 32 are in the Czech Republic. Given the fields in which the CSG Group operates, we focus on technical or so-called STEM fields. However, this is not exclusive; we also have several students who fall outside these categories. We strive to respond to trends, and at the moment interdisciplinarity is a major focus. For example, abroad we are supporting one student who is studying law with a focus on artificial intelligence. Law is a traditional field, but law in relation to AI is something we see as the future.
What other fields are you interested in?
From purely physical and mathematical fields through IT to classical engineering. We are also interested in mechanical engineering. At the same time, we have to consider fields that are emerging, responding to trends or will be key for industry in future.
Do students sign a commitment stating that, for example, they would join CSG after graduation?
No, they do not. Our goal is not—and cannot be—recruiting for the group; that is not the foundation’s role. Rather, we are striving generally to reverse the declining interest in these fields and to contribute to making the Czech Republic a global player in industry and manufacturing once again. That is also why we have expanded the scholarship programme starting this year, and we shall strive to arrange internships and practical training within the CSG Group for scholarship recipients.
How do the scholarships work? Are there any financial limits?
The scholarship is good for one year. We do not have a set limit for scholarships abroad, but we take into account local cost of living, tuition fees and accommodation costs. We also require a minimum contribution from the student or their family and consider their financial situation. For scholarship recipients in the Czech Republic, the maximum amount awarded is CZK 15k, or €620, per month; here, too, we take into account the social situation, extracurricular activities and, of course, academic performance and interest in pursuing a career in the field.
You mentioned that you are announcing the next round for students on 13 April; how many people do you plan to support?
Approximately 40 to 50 students. We also plan to expand the number of international students, including those who do not hold Czech citizenship.
How do you assess young people’s current interest in technical fields?
From my position, I am not able to assess this directly; however, from colleagues who handle human resources at both company level and at the CSG Group level, we know that we face a major problem in the Czech Republic, particularly regarding skilled positions. Surveys also show that over the past decade the number of graduates in technical fields has dropped by about a third.
Does the fund also support projects by CSG Group employees? Are they very active in socially beneficial projects? What do they focus on?
These include various volunteer and charitable organisations, as well as cultural events in which the group’s employees are actively involved. We have supported children’s sports clubs, work with people with disabilities and repaired playgrounds. There is really a lot going on, and our support extends far beyond the Czech Republic. We can support each project with up to CZK 50k, €2k or the equivalent in local currency. If it is a long-term project that makes sense, we shall support it repeatedly.
Is this the only programme for employees?
We also have a programme for employees in need. It has been operating informally within the group for a very long time; the foundation has essentially taken over its administration and given it slightly clearer guidelines. We provide targeted assistance to CSG Group employees in various unforeseen crisis situations, such as serious illness or injury in the family, dealing with the aftermath of natural disasters or housing problems. We handle each case on a highly individual basis, directly with the board of directors. In the year since we were established, we have already helped nearly two dozen applicants.
