Fifth Eco Invest auction mobilizes fifty billion reais and Bradesco leads the round

The fifth auction of the Eco Invest program mobilized R$ 50 billion for the energy transition, with Bradesco playing a leading role by securing more than half of the thematic funds focused on sustainable innovation in Brazil.

The National Treasury revealed this Wednesday the impressive results of the fifth round of the Eco Invest program, a federal initiative designed to unlock foreign investment in sustainable fronts.

The bidding process will inject approximately R$ 49.95 billion into six strategic production chains for the green economy.

The standout of the process was Bradesco, which secured three of the six thematic funds up for grabs, totaling a potential of R$ 28.5 billion in investments—equivalent to 57% of the total volume generated in the round.

The program’s model is based on the concept of blended finance, combining subsidized public capital with private resources to dilute risks and boost clean infrastructure projects.

The Mechanics of Catalytic Capital and High Demand

To enable the operations, the National Treasury will contribute R$ 13.2 billion at a rate of 1% per year, divided between equity investment funds and corporate credit.

The winning financial institutions committed to raising the remaining amount in the private market, achieving an average leverage of 3.8 times.

The competition far exceeded government expectations.

Six banks submitted 23 proposals that, if fully accepted, would total R$ 181.3 billion.

The fiercest competition took place in the advanced fuels, biogas, and biomethane segment.

Rogério Ceron, executive secretary of the Ministry of Finance, highlighted:

“This was a more difficult auction, with a more complex structure. We pushed it to the limit, forcing stricter counterparts and higher-risk investments. We were prepared to have one or two empty funds. All of them received at least two proposals.”

How the Distribution Among Banks Shaped Up

Each financial institution concentrated its efforts on specific fronts of the ecological transition, defined by rigorous leverage criteria and technological innovation requirements.

Bradesco won the green fertilizers, biomaterials, and waste circularity fronts.

Itaú secured the fund focused on automation and productive artificial intelligence.

Santander stood out in critical minerals and batteries, while HSBC won in the sustainable aviation and maritime fuels category.

In addition to the financial focus, the institutions were required to direct non-reimbursable contributions to technological entrepreneurship, totaling R$ 250 million in the first year alone.

The success of this round reinforces the appetite of the national financial sector for the clean energy market, consolidating Brazil as an attractive hub for long-term investments in sustainability and the decarbonization of the economy.