A total of 26 projects were selected in the Ecos Fund call for proposals, aimed at supporting initiatives from civil society organizations (CSOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) in the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes.
O 45th notice (no. 2 of 2025) It supports proposals that seek to promote sustainable socioeconomic practices, contributing to the well-being of communities and generating global environmental benefits. The selected initiatives value socio-biodiversity chains and promote the conservation of territories, cultures, and traditional knowledge.
The call for proposals included two support categories. In the small projects category, 15 initiatives will receive up to R$ 150 each, aimed at organizations in the initial stages of development that need resources to strengthen their actions. In the consolidation projects category, 11 initiatives will receive support of up to R$ 250 to expand the scale of operations of organizations that already show proven positive results and impacts. See the results below:
SMALL PROJECTS
| Name | Proposing Organization | Status | Biome |
| Agroforestry system: ACOMAF-TABOCA | Community Association of Residents and Family Farmers of the Taboca Village | Alagoas | caatinga |
| Productive Agroecological Backyards | Maracajá Residents Association | Ceará | caatinga |
| Roots of the Sertão: Productive Backyards and Agroforestry Systems for Sustainability in the Canindé Valley | Association of Small Rural Producers of the Estreito Locality | Piaui | caatinga |
| Nourishing the land, feeding the people: Xukuru-Kariri practices and knowledge in strengthening the Caatinga. | Indigenous Association of the Wpyra-Swpirá Group | Alagoas | caatinga |
| Ethnoecological Regeneration of the Quilombo of Serra Negra and Requalification of its Archaeological Site in the Surroundings of the Chapada Diamantina National Park | Palmeiras Environmental Group | Bahia | caatinga |
| Women in Network: Strengthening Women's Groups and Agroecology in Babassu Palm Territories | Community Association for Health and Agricultural Education | Maranhao | Cerrado |
| Sowing resilience: Strengthening and defending modes of production to ensure that families and young people can remain in their places of origin with dignity. | Community Association of Small Farmers of Baixa Grande and Surroundings | Bahia | Cerrado |
| Weaving Stories: Identity, Knowledge, and Resistance of the Spinners and Dyers of Talismã | Jungle Angels Association | Tocantins | Cerrado |
| Zum, Zum, Zum Ecológico. “Young Beekeepers of the Cerrado. Cultivating the Future with Bees”. | Ribinha Rego Community and Educational Association | Maranhao | Cerrado |
| Project Sun that Transforms: Women of the Cerrado - Sustainable Production, Clean Energy and Bioeconomy - The Path to Securing the Future | New Discovery Farmers Association | Maranhao | Cerrado |
| Babassu Delights: Strengthening the Community-Based Agro-industry of Rural Quilombola Women in Pedrinhas | Rural Quilombola Working Mothers' Club Lar de Maria | Maranhao | Cerrado |
| Women of Peneira – Dona Nair's House of Flour and Quilombola Memory | Quilombola Community of Our Lady of Aparecida | Goiás | Cerrado |
| Ró Tsoreptuna: Map the territory, conserve the Cerrado, and consult the A'uwé Xavante. | Flor de Ibez – Institute of Integral Life | Mato Grosso | Cerrado |
| Sustainable Production of Biogas and Biofertilizers from Cassava Waste in a Low-Cost Biodigester as an Energy and Environmental Alternative for Family Farmers | Fundação de Apoio Científico e Tecnológico do Tocantins | Tocantins | Cerrado |
| Pedagogical Sands of the Cerrado | Union of Associations of Agricultural Family Schools of Maranhão | Maranhao | Cerrado |
CONSOLIDATION PROJECTS
| Name | Proposing Organization | Status | Biome |
| Living Earth, Abundant Table: Sustainable Farming with Food Security | Association of Small Rural Producers of the Vereda Community | Piaui | caatinga |
| Caatinga that Produces: Youth, knowledge, and socio-biodiversity strengthening the JOCA association and the territory. | Slow Food Association of Brazil | Rio Grande do Norte | caatinga |
| Pajeú Agroecological | Diaconia | Pernambuco | caatinga |
| All for the Mosquito River – Phase II: Weaving Networks for Well-being | Rural Workers Union of Porteirinha | Minas Gerais | Caatinga and Cerrado |
| Route Paths of Agroecology II – Guaranteeing the rights of Traditional Peoples and Communities | Alternative Technology Center Association | Mato Grosso | Cerrado |
| Organizational Strengthening of Indigenous Women in the Cerrado: Sustainable Production and Territorial Management for Food Security | Association of Traditional and Indigenous Peoples of the Laranjeiras Community | Piaui | Cerrado |
| Strengthening and expanding Sustainable Productive Initiatives developed by rural communities in Environmental Protection Areas in the Cerrado of Tocantins. | Onça D'água Association for the Support of the Management and Handling of Conservation Units in Tocantins | Tocantins | Cerrado |
| Kalunga Quilombola Cuisine: Knowledge, Flavors, and Women's Autonomy for the Conservation of the Cerrado | Kalunga Quilombola Association | Goiás | Cerrado |
| Our Plants, Our Health | Caritas Diocesana de Goiás (CDG) | Goiás | Cerrado |
| IÊ Baru: Economic and Ecological Intelligence of the Baru Supply Chain in the Cerrado | Knight of George Cultural Center | Goiás, Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso do Sul | Cerrado |
| In Chapada das Veredas: women who transform! | Vicente Nica Alternative Agriculture Center | Minas Gerais | Cerrado |
Check out more information about the selected projects.
“The selected initiatives are focused on strengthening traditional peoples and communities, family farming, and sustainable production practices in different territories, with women and young people playing a leading role. Emphasis is placed on themes such as agroecology, productive backyards, agroforestry systems, strengthening socio-biodiversity supply chains, and cultural appreciation,” explains Rodrigo Noleto, coordinator of the ISPN Community Initiatives program.
The call for proposals allocates approximately R$ 5 million to projects within the scope of the Eighth Operational Phase of... Small Grants Programme (SGP) in Brazil, with resources from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Next Steps
The selected organizations will receive communications from ISPN to guide them through the necessary procedures and the mobilization of the focal points responsible for the initiatives. The projects will also participate in initial orientation workshops and will be monitored by the Ecos Fund team during the implementation of the actions, which may last up to 18 months.
About the Ecos Fund
The Ecos Fund, ISPN's financial mechanism, is a fundamental part of the organization's strategy for promoting Productive Eco-social Landscapes, serving as an instrument for democratizing access to resources for community projects.
Implemented more than 30 years ago by ISPN, the Ecos Fund supports initiatives that strengthen community leadership, promoting sustainable livelihoods, environmental conservation, and climate change adaptation strategies. Throughout its history, it has supported more than a thousand projects, with disbursements exceeding 31 million dollars directly to community-based organizations.
Learn more about the Ecos Fund. here.
