• The area to be restored is equivalent to 543 soccer fields
• Proposals will receive R$ 8.2 million to implement environmental restoration initiatives through the creation of ecological corridors in areas of Bahia and Espírito Santo
• The public call for proposals is part of the Floresta Viva initiative, which has already allocated R$ 331.1 million to support restoration projects across the country

Eight projects focused on ecological restoration and strengthening the production chain in the Atlantic Forest were selected during the second round of proposal submissions for the “Conectando Paisagens” public call for proposals, a match-funding initiative between the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) and iNovaland. The initiative is part of “Floresta Viva,” a BNDES program that supports ecological restoration projects using native species.

The projects will receive total funding of up to R$ 8.2 million to restore 388 hectares of Atlantic Forest, with the goal of creating ecological corridors between Bahia and northern Espírito Santo.

Among the projects in Phase 1—which provides support for small-scale restoration efforts and the strengthening of small local organizations—proposals were selected from the Muvuka Institute, the Ribeirão Community Rural Producers Association (Aprucr), the Association of Women Farmers (Amag), and the Rural Producers Association of the Pau Brasil Settlement Project. Each project will be eligible for financial support of up to R$ 200,000, with plans for restoration planting on at least 5 hectares, to be completed within 12 months. This category includes smaller-scale projects that had not yet received support from Floresta Viva, and this support represents a crucial effort to prepare nonprofit organizations for the advancement of the restoration sector.

For Phase 2, which provides support for larger-scale restoration initiatives that generate more significant impacts in the region, the selected proposals were submitted by the following organizations: Grupo Ambiental Natureza Bela, Instituto Ciclo da Terra, Instituto Marinho para o Equilíbrio Socioambiental (Marés), and Cooperativa Mista de Trabalho: Prestação de Serviços e Produção (Canteiros). These projects involve restoration planting in areas totaling at least 50 hectares, as well as initiatives to strengthen production chains associated with restoration, with a minimum duration of 36 months and a maximum of 48 months, in accordance with the maximum duration limit set by the Floresta Viva Program.

“BNDES has been working to make Brazil the world’s largest restoration hub, through initiatives that contribute to carbon neutrality while promoting the bioeconomy and sustainable forest management,” emphasized BNDES President Aloizio Mercadante. “Floresta Viva is one of the initiatives of BNDES Florestas, a program of the Bank that has already mobilized R$ 7 billion in investments across the country. 280 million trees are already being planted, which will result in the creation of 70,000 green jobs and the sequestration of 54 million metric tons of carbon,” he added.

The public call incorporates the FASB Program methodology, created by iNovaland Brasil for the incubation and acceleration of projects. “This methodology was introduced into Floresta Viva through the Conectando Paisagens calls for proposals. For the past five years, FASB has followed a multi-phase project cycle—an approach that reduces risks, ensures high quality, and guarantees long-term sustainability,” said Márcio Braga, general director of iNovaland Brasil.

He highlighted the initiatives of three institutions. “Comunidade Ribeirão, for having submitted a Stage 2 project during the first call for proposals and, even though it was not selected, did not give up and resubmitted the project, which was selected during the second call. Natureza Bela, as a regional institution with proven expertise, had two Stage 2 projects approved, one in each call. Finally, Marés, which had a Stage 1 project approved in the first round and a Stage 2 project approved in the second round.”

In the first call for proposals, issued in 2024, the “Connecting Landscapes” has selected seven proposals, which were contracted between March and April of last year, for a total of R$ 8.2 million. Of this amount, approximately R$ 2.3 million has already been disbursed to the projects.

Partnerships – The Floresta Viva initiative aims to form partnerships with private or public supporting institutions to invest in ecological restoration projects involving native species and/or agroforestry systems (SAFs) in Brazilian biomes, through a managing partner and implementing institutions. The current total projected funding is R$ 470 million.

Ecological restoration projects in the country’s various biomes are selected through public calls for proposals, with notices issued by a managing partner, and are evaluated by representatives of the BNDES, supporting institutions, and invited parties—such as the Ministry of the Environment (MMA) and state environmental secretariats—based on previously agreed-upon technical, environmental, and social criteria. The managing partner for Floresta Viva, also selected through a public call for proposals, is the Brazilian Biodiversity Fund (Funbio).

“Connecting funders with environmental impact initiatives is central to FUNBIO’s mission. We are leading the financial management of this latest call for proposals, which selected eight projects with the potential to strengthen restoration efforts in the Atlantic Forest in Bahia and Espírito Santo,” said Manoel Serrão, FUNBIO’s program superintendent.

Funds from the BNDES Socio-Environmental Fund account for 50% of the total allocated to Floresta Viva. In addition, more than R$ 236 million comes from donations already committed by 14 supporting institutions and up to €15 million from the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the German development bank, in the form of non-repayable funds contributed to Funbio following the publication of calls for proposals approved by KfW.

To date, 15 Floresta Viva calls for proposals have been issued, providing a total of R$ 331.1 million in support of restoration projects in various biomes and ecosystems across all regions of Brazil, covering a total of 9,000 hectares to be restored by the selected projects from the calls for proposals that have already been concluded.

Abordagem inovadora – O FASB é um programa de incubação e aceleração de projetos, desenvolvido e aplicado no sul baiano e norte do Espírito Santo pela iNovaland. Este programa segue um ciclo de projeto em várias etapas, fornecendo assistência técnica desde a origem até sua implementação completa, apoiando a evolução do projeto desde os estágios iniciais até sua conclusão. Essa abordagem reduz riscos, permite alta qualidade e acelera a expansão.

As ações são baseadas na mobilização das comunidades locais e tem como objetivo construir ecossistemas resilientes tendo as pessoas como elemento central, impulsionando ações locais focadas no desenvolvimento sustentável como agroflorestas, produção de madeira e alimentos, bem como a proteção e restauração de áreas degradadas para conectar fragmentos da Mata Atlântica. Desta forma, o FASB constituiu-se como uma plataforma de multistakeholder, formada por seus desenvolvedores de projetos: comunidades indígenas, quilombos, assentamentos, agricultores familiares e ONGs regionais, acarretando a formação de uma rede que visa a troca de conhecimento, insumos e mão de obra.

Learn about the selected: projectshttps://fasb.inovaland.earth/en/conectando-paisagens/ https://fasb.inovaland.earth/conectando-paisagens/