"Amazonia Forever" is the IDBs multidimensional, holistic, umbrella program that aims to promote innovation in financial instruments; exchange and increase strategic knowledge for decision-making; and encourage coordination and collaboration to promote the sustainable, inclusive, and resilient development of the Amazon region.

The program "Amazonia Forever" addresses six priority areas: local population; sustainable agriculture and forestry; bioeconomy; infrastructure; sustainable cities; and connectivity and focuses on: promoting the inclusion of women, indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, and local communities; climate and forest conservation; and strengthening institutional capacities and the rule of law.

The Bioeconomy is a sustainable economic approach that aims to take advantage of biological and renewable resources to generate products and services that meet human needs without compromising their availability for future generations. It is an economy based on the use of biological and renewable resources such as agriculture, forestry, fishing, aquaculture, biotechnology and food and energy production, with the aim of promoting sustainable economic, social and environmental development. The bioeconomy focuses on creating innovative and sustainable solutions related to food security, energy, health, climate change and the conservation of natural resources.

A Biobusiness responsibly integrates biodiversity into its processes, incorporates strategies and tools for climate change mitigation and adaptation, strengthens the inclusion of local communities, indigenous peoples and traditional knowledge, and internalizes the costs of sustainable use and conservation of resources.

Due to the diversity of biological, terrestrial, and water resources in the Amazon, the bioeconomy provides the ideal framework for the development of sustainable and productive models and practices in agriculture, forestry, and other land uses (AFOLU) in the Amazon. Switching to production models, technologies and practices that adopt a more sustainable use of the natural capital and forests of the Amazon (biobusinesses) can contribute to reducing the impacts of climate change by reducing deforestation, restoring the soil and reducing GHG emissions. .In parallel, being aware of the risks and vulnerabilities in incorporating more sustainable practices into AFOLU can help increase the region's resilience to future climate-related shocks that are already unavoidable to this day.    

The green investment sector has been growing rapidly since 2015, with increased capital and investments in the bioeconomy. However, bioenterprises are not yet ready to absorb the available investment due to various constraints, such as capacity problems, technology deficits and inadequate access to markets. There is an opportunity to transform the Amazon economy towards inclusive and sustainable growth by supporting business models that use natural capital and forest assets sustainably.

The Amazonian private sector has a unique opportunity to benefit from the financial support available to continue carrying out an adequate management of renewable natural biological resources with innovative technologies and processes that follow the bioeconomy approach. Potential investments could focus on: 

• Advisory and extension services in good business practices, growth strategy, marketing and logistics,  
• Measurement and monitoring systems for socio-environmental impacts. 
• Alignment with international standards and norms (including the adoption of certifications). 
• Technological updating in priority value chains. 
• Access to local and international markets. 
• Development of commercial agreements with anchor companies.  
• Bioprospecting. 
• Identification of regulatory challenges, among others. 

This challenge is aligned with the IDB Group's commitment to support greener economies in the Latin American and Caribbean region to respond to the challenges of the climate crisis, the loss of biodiversity, and related environmental problems.

IDB Lab may consider the applicants whose proposals are selected to receive non-reimbursable financing (up to USD 500.000) to implement the proposed business model in one or various of the six target countries.

Additionally, selected applicants will be included among IDB Lab's network of global innovators working in LAC to exchange knowledge, experiences, and best practices, and may have opportunities to participate in networking events organized by the IDB Group and its partners.

The proposed solutions must:

• Focus on the development and adequate implementation of adaptation and mitigation activities to reduce the negative impacts of climate change.  
• Be able to protect natural capital in any of the seven sectors:  
  1. Perennial agriculture 
  2. Agroforestry 
  3. Aquaculture 
  4. Forestry plantations 
  5. Non-timber natural forest products, 
  6. Nature-based tourism 
  7. Other ecosystem services 
• Promote the social and economic inclusion of poor, low-income, and vulnerable populations; local indigenous and afro-descendant populations or peasant communities, and emerging economic units, including SMEs with innovative business models geographically located in the Amazon basin in any of the target countries (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname). 
• Contemplate a path for scalability or replication, as well as financial sustainability. 

Please refer to the following information for partners who can submit proposals: 

• Proposals should be submitted by early-stage bio-business, entrepreneurs, and other innovation ecosystem actors. Applicants can be startups with “ready-to-implement” solutions (an innovation that can demonstrate successful deployment of a prototype/Minimum Viable Product-MVP), small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and NGOs, and others with expertise in the topic of this challenge that support entrepreneurship and/or innovation.  
• If your organization is legally registered in one of the six target countries where the project will be implemented, you can apply to the Challenge. 

If your organization is legally registered in one of the 48 members countries  of the IDB Group, other than one of the six target countries where the project will be implemented, you may apply only in partnership with an organization registered and located in one of the six target countries where the project will be implemented.

To apply please complete the online application available on this site by clicking Start Proposal, within the deadlines.

Please consult the Guidelines for more detailed information.

You can choose the language to fill out the application by clicking on the drop-down menu on this page, in the upper right margin.

Proposals will be received on a rolling basis, beginning June 12, 2023, with eight quarterly reviews until May 15, 2025. Each round will consider proposals submitted until the dates indicated below:

• 1st round: August 18th, 2023
• 2nd round: February 15th, 2024
• 3rd round: June 15th, 2024
• 4th round: October 15th, 2024

Currently, we are not accepting new applications. We will announce the availability of future rounds after concluding the ongoing evaluation and resource assessment from previous rounds.

The selection process, applicable to all rounds, consists of three phases:  

Phase I

After completing the application via the online platform, the technical team will review, analyze, and pre-select applications.

Phase II

Due diligence visits or interviews will be conducted to analyze the ability of the model of the pre-selected applications. Subject to the outcome of the due diligence, pre-selected applications will proceed to Phase III.

Phase III

BID Lab will select applications according to the defined evaluation criteria. This process may last up to six months, depending on the maturity of the proposed model and the implementing capacity of the selected Applicants.

Final approval is subject to internal IDB/IDB Lab procedures with the understanding that for the project to be selected to receive financing, it must have been approved by all those directly involved in IDB/IDB Lab´s approval process. Likewise, a legal agreement must be signed which sets forth how the financing and the counterpart resources will be used to implement the model. 

Dates are approximated and subject to change.

Please send your questions to amazonbiobuilders@iadb.org