The Amazon Bank and the French Development Agency launched the AMABIO 02 Call, allocating up to US$ 1.5 million to boost the bioeconomy, innovation, and sustainable development in the Legal Amazon.
The agenda for sustainable development and environmental conservation received a significant boost for entrepreneurs in the North region. In a strategic announcement made during COP 31, the Amazon Bank, in cooperation with the French Development Agency (AFD) and with technical support from Expertise France, officially launched the AMABIO 02 Call.
The initiative will provide US$ 1.5 million in non‑reimbursable funds aimed at strengthening socio‑biodiversity businesses across the nine states of the Legal Amazon. The focus is on accelerating clean production, process innovation, and access to new markets for those directly involved in preserving tropical forests.
The funding covers micro and small enterprises, start‑ups, associations, and cooperatives, allowing each selected project to receive financing of up to US$ 60 k to expand its operational and commercial capacities in the clean‑energy sector and forest products.
Areas of focus and international cooperation
The call is organized around three strategic pillars: production and processes; products and innovation; and market and commercialization. Thus, the program covers everything from basic supply‑chain structuring to the development of advanced solutions that reach new global consumers.
International cooperation combines the financial capacity of the Amazon Bank with the French government’s commitment to promoting the bioeconomy and environmental protection. According to Luiz Lessa, president of the Amazon Bank:
More than financing projects, our goal is to turn the Amazon’s potential into reality for those who live there. By investing in the bioeconomy, we give sustainable businesses the push to innovate, scale, and generate real development.
For Janaina Galvão, head of the AMABIO Program at Expertise France, the partnership strengthens local arrangements and drives new market opportunities for the region:
The AMABIO 02 Call reaffirms the Franco‑Brazilian partnership’s commitment to strengthening an inclusive and sustainable Amazonian bioeconomy. Under the leadership of the Banco da Amazônia, the initiative combines financial resources, technical assistance, and local knowledge so that regional enterprises can enhance their productive capacities, innovate, and access new markets.
Proven Impact in Amazonian Territories
The new public call builds on the positive results achieved in the previous edition of the program, which selected 27 initiatives in the states of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Maranhão and Pará. The first phase directly benefited more than 1,500 people, highlighting the leadership of women, indigenous peoples, and community youth.
Previous innovations supported include the implementation of solar energy in community agro‑industries, the use of technology and drones for territorial monitoring, and the sustainable management of products such as pirarucu, açaí, guaraná, and eco‑tourism activities.
In Paragominas, Pará, community leader Oenice Barbosa, president of the Association of Small Rural Producers of the Alto Icoaraci community, highlights the transformation experienced in practice:
We are serving as an inspiration for other producers, who come to our areas to see the improvements and replicate these practices on their own plots with their own resources.
Applications and Outlook for the Bioeconomy
Funding directed at sustainable development in the Legal Amazon consolidates the creation of economic models based on renewable energy and the conscious use of natural resources, generating income while keeping the forest intact.
Enterprises interested in scaling their activities and that have technical feasibility can submit their proposals between November 10 and December 18, 2026. All guidelines, requirements, and necessary documentation are available on the official page of the AMABIO Program on the Banco da Amazônia website.