May 8, 2014

• An amount of up to R$ 70 million will be made available to projects that develop and incorporate Territorial and Environmental Management Plans on Indigenous Land

On May 8, 2014, at the Ministry of Justice in Brasília, the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) launched a public call-to-submission to select projects aimed at developing and implementing Territorial and Environmental Management Plans on Indigenous Land.

Up to R$ 70 million in non-reimbursable funds will be made available by the Amazon Fund. Among those present at the launch ceremony were the Minister of Justice, José Eduardo Cardozo; the Interim Minister of the Environment, Francisco Gaetani; the president of the National Indian Foundation (Funai), Maria Augusta Assirati; and the Managing Director of the BNDES’ Environmental Division, Guilherme Lacerda.

The rules for the public call-to-submission allow the indigenous associations themselves to present projects. The call-to-submission is also open to other organizations, such as private foundations and/or civil associations – indigenous, environmental and socio-environmental organizations – provided that they have experience working with indigenous people and/or people traditionally from the Amazon and that they have been legally established for at least two years.

The public call-to-submission is the result of a joint effort between the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), the Ministry of Justice, the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI), the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) and the team working on the Amazon Fund, managed by the BNDES.

Proposals and supported activities should meet the principles and guidelines of the National Policy for Territorial and Environmental Management Plans on Indigenous Land (PNGATI), which was developed by Funai, and should generate direct benefits for indigenous people in the Amazon region. They should also contribute to environmental management, emphasizing protection, environmental restoration besides combating deforestation; as well as fostering the sustainable use and management of natural resources, respect for the indigenous people’s way of life and their cultural expression.

Proposals cannot be estimated at less than R$ 4 million nor more than R$ 12 million, and the deadline to complete the projects should be no longer than 42 months. Each applicant should submit only one proposal and assume responsibility for the full development of the project. The BNDES will receive proposals until November 7, 2014.

More information is available at the Amazon Fund’s website: www.fundoamazonia.gov.br. Created in 2008 to support efforts towards preventing, monitoring and combating deforestation as well as fostering the conservation and sustainable use of the Amazon Biome, the Amazon Fund has approved R$ 859 million for 54 projects.