FASB Profile

The Southern Bahia People Fund (FASB) is a joint initiative of Forum Florestal da Bahia, NGPTA and Kirkbi. Established in 2020, the Fund promotes local actions focused on sustainable development such as facilitating agroforestry farming systems and restoration of the Atlantic Forest. The overall goal of FASB is to build climate-resilient and adaptive ecosystems and communities with people as a central element. 
  
The Fund operates in the South and Extreme South of Bahia, in an area where 23 municipalities are located, and where 1.1 million people live. This region stands out for economic activities such as cocoa, eucalyptus, and coffee growing, as well as agriculture and entertainment, cultural and ecological tourism. 
  
Through partnerships with local, indigenoustraditional communities and institutions, FASB offers a new model for forest landscape restoration, shifting away from business-as-usual top-down to growing land restoration stewards from the ground-up. The implementation of FASB is facilitated by Forum Florestal da Bahia as the multi-stakeholder platform, NGPTA providing the technical support to the development and implementation processes and the Danish investor, KIRKBI, providing financial resources. 

Aim of FASB

The primary goal for FASB is to collaborate with local communities to restore and expand the Atlantic Forest in Southern Bahia. 

The Fund mobilizes family farmers, producers, cooperatives, local associations and organizations of traditional and non-traditional peoples, together proposing solutions to the environmental, landscape and social-economic challenges. 

FASB supports projects such as forest restoration, agroforestry, sustainable land use and climate-resilient food production at a landscape scale and through a systems approach. The activities include: planting trees to restore riparian forests zones, environmental and climate change education, capacity building and implementation of best practices for sustainable timber production. 

FASB’s Objectives

The duration of the Fund is 2021-2024 with the potential to expand beyond this timeline.

FASB adopts an innovative bottom-up approach that supports locally-led projects through a stepwise approach: from providing technical assistance and initial funding to support people develop their ideas, to incubating promising projects and enabling them to scale up by attracting commercial investment. With this approach, FASB aims to restore: 

Restaurar 750ha de Mata Atlântica.

750ha under sustainable land use and management (sustainable agriculture + sustainable forestry) 

FASB is localizing the achievement of sustainable development in Brazil by contributing to the following UN-SDGs.

FASB’s Progress

In the first 2 years, FASB has invested 1,180,000 Euros in 23 different projects.
These projects cover a range of activities, supporting forest restoration and sustainable agriculture:

Forest restoration
  • 782 hectares d​e contratos celebrados
  • 1.482 hectares em levantamento topográfico
  • 6.660 hectares de conexões de corredores ecológicos contratadas
  • 2.992 hectares de conexões em levantamento topográfico 
Sustainable agriculture
  • 399 hectares de contratos celebrados
  • 368 hectares em levantamento topográfico
  • 1.606 famílias impactadas diretamente e mais de 2.500 indiretamente

FASB has also supported other projects to access financing from third parties. This additional funding has delivered:

  • 200 hectares of forest restoration
  • 470 hectares of sustainable agriculture

The year 2023 was a milestone for FASB. The project has consolidated itself in the territory and has become a recognized brand with a total of 45 projects implemented by 34 different institutions.  
Below are the indicators (2021-23) taken from the monitoring reports delivered for the project categories totaling 330ha currently executed against the 1,229ha contracted (27%). 
With a total investment of €2,600,000 in funds received, €1,392,850 has already been invested and €1,567,150 remains to be allocated to complete the first investment cycle for all the projects approved in the six calls for proposals that began in April 2021. 

Forest restoration 
Sustainable agriculture 
Total trees planted 

During this period, 224,789 trees of 190 different species were planted, of which ~170 were native and ~20 exotic. 

Social 

We put communities at the center of our work. As a result, several families and workers have been involved in the project's actions, both directly and indirectly (by taking part in training and learning from examples). Both in the implementation of the project and in the improvement of actions, training, courses and meetings. 

FASB's Projet

The map below shows the FASB projects in the different areas of implementation.

 FASB also operates through operational, local and advisory committees. Frequent meetings are held with all partners in a participatory way to ensure the smooth running of the Fund and projects thereof.

FASB also participates in NGP study tours including one in 2021 and one in 2022 where we highlight the progress, lessons and solutions to challenges in implementation and monitoring.

Partnerships

Local, Traditional and non-traditional communities, associations and organisations are the main stakeholders of FASB mobilised through the Forestry Forum of Bahia. NGPTA is a technical facilitator and supporter, while KIRKBI, a Danish investor provides the financing.

The Bahia Forestry Forum (FFBA) is a multi-stakeholder platform that promotes dialogues between local and indigenous communities, local and regional government agencies, universities and the private sector since 2005. The FFBA strategic plan will help classify and prioritize the proposed projects according to regional importance, considering social and environmental aspects. The FFBA will ensure that local landscape stakeholders are fully engaged in the identification, development and monitoring of the projects the Fund supports.

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NGPTA is the responsible for providing technical assistance to the projects financed by FASB. NGPTA is a company dedicated to projects implementation, providing coordination and technical support to communities, organizations and other land users, to originate and implement forest landscape projects towards a circular bioeconomy.

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KIRKBI A/S is the Kirk Kristiansen family’s private holding and investment company, which owns 75% of the LEGO Group. KIRKBI is committed to a long term and responsible investment strategy to ensure a sound financial foundation for the owner family’s activities as well as contributing to a sustainable development in the world.

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FASB Team

Neuza de Jesus Souza

Field Tecnician

Karina Gerin 

Communication Especialist

Marcio Braga

General Coordinator

Raony Palicer de Lima 

Origination Coordinator

Which projects can be submitted

Projects can be submitted by communities and organizations that work for the protection, recovery and improvement of the socioeconomic development of the Atlantic Forest in Bahia. The selected projects will receive technical and financial support.

Submit your project

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Questions and Answers

What are the FASB's goals?

The FASB intends to achieve the following results:

a) 1500 hectares restored;

b) 1500 hectares of sustainable land use;

c) Support the development of 5 proposals so that they can progress to stage 3.

Therefore, it is expected that the proposals submitted to the Fund will act to achieve at least one of these goals. 

What are proposals submitted to stage 1 and stage 2? What are the diferences?

Proposals applied to stage 1 are smaller or at an early stage and can receive support of up to R$120,000.00. For stage 1, proposals are expected to perform:

a) One-off interventions in relatively small areas: the stage 1 proposal can be a self-contained project, as long as it has a significant impact commensurate with the requested value and is aligned with the objectives of the FASB;

b) Initial prospecting, diagnosis and mapping of areas that provide subsidies for future proposals: the stage 1 proposal can be a research with a view to identifying points and possibilities for future intervention. In this case, it must clearly indicate which possibilities for future interventions will be measured and how their effectiveness can be achieved in an eventual proposal to be submitted to stage 2; or

c) Initial interventions that can be expanded and expanded: stage 1 projects can start an intervention in a small area, but with future expansion perspectives, in this case, it must clearly indicate the possibilities of expansion in an eventual stage 2 project.

Proposals applied to stage 2 can receive support of up to R$1,200,000.00, therefore, they are larger proposals, which are consistent with the amount requested from the FASB. For stage 2 proposals are expected that:

a) Act in an expressive area, previously defined and mapped, generating significant socio-environmental benefit: proposals applied to stage 2 must, necessarily, have a well-defined scope of work, identify and map the areas where they intend to intervene, articulate partnerships with local organizations and mapping challenges and risks of the proposal;

b) Demonstrate potential to advance to stage 3: Stage 2 projects must be economically viable, that is, demonstrate that they can be maintained or expanded when the FASB investment ends.

Unless the proposal is a continuation of an action whose history is undeniable and relevant, having concrete and reliable data in relation to the area of intervention, it is recommended that the proposer starts with a stage 1 proposal.

What is a Stage 3 Project?

The project advances to stage 3 when the contribution of FASB resources is no longer necessary, that is, the project manages to become economically autonomous, managing to maintain itself, or attract new investments. At this stage, the FASB will not make direct investments, but may act as a facilitator to attract investment, whether on favorable terms loans or approvals in larger public notices. Therefore, it is expected that submitted proposals (mainly in stage 2, but not exclusively) demonstrate the potential to reach stage 3, in order to ensure their financial viability after the end of FASB funding.

What is Project Origination Coordination?

The Origination Coordination is the body responsible for monitoring and assisting the proponents in the preparation and submission of projects, in line with the objectives of the FASB. It can be activated through the email originacao.fasb@gmail.com

What is Project Monitoring Coordination?

The Project Monitoring Coordination is the instance responsible for following up, monitoring and auditing the proposals approved in a given FASB call and which started to receive the investment for the execution of the project. It is responsible for contacting project developers, monitoring and verifying that objectives are being achieved throughout the development of the project, approving partial reports and final report, releasing the disbursement of the resource provided for in the proposal every 4 months. The coordinator can be contacted by e-mail: monitoring.fasb@gmail.com

How many proposals can I send for the same call?

There is no limit to the submission of proposals in each call, however, it is worth noting that the proposals will be evaluated according to their feasibility and the presence of the same team in different projects points to an accumulation of functions not consistent with the proper execution of the projects.

Which institutions can be applicants? Where can projects be developed?

The FASB accepts proposals from associations, cooperatives, non-governmental organizations and rural landowners that demonstrate working in the municipalities covered by the Forestry Forum of Bahia accompanied by monitoring of land use, as listed in the Guide for Project Application (2021-2023) , and the proposals must provide for interventions in these municipalities.

If the bidder is an institution operating nationally or internationally, it is recommended to articulate partnerships with local institutions for the implementation of projects, thus also aiming to promote the development of these organizations. It will be considered a differential if the institution with national or international operations articulates so that the submission of the proposal to the FASB is made by a local organization.

 Attention: the FASB does not finance projects in protected areas under government responsibility, nor in areas of large companies.

What characterizes a partnership in the proposal? How should I present it?

Partners are people or institutions that will work together with the proponent in the execution of the project, and may be professionals, companies, universities, CSOs, among others. The FASB encourages and values projects carried out with partnerships, as long as the partner's role is well defined and described in the project; if he is responsible for donating or selling some equipment/input or for performing some service, such amounts must be included in the budget or in the project's counterpart. In addition, it is recommended to send, along with the proposal, a Letter of Intent for Partnership, with the definition of the partner's responsibilities in the proposal, if there will be a transfer of resources, among other possibilities.


What are deliverables? How should I describe them in the proposal?

Deliverables are the tangible results of projects. They must be described and measured in accordance with the technical objectives set out in the Project Application Guide (2021-2023). It is necessary that the proposal has at least one deliverable, and the more deliverables, the better the proposal can be evaluated, as long as they are coherent and feasible. If the proposal is approved, the deliverables will be detailed in partial reports and a final report to be sent to the FASB.


Can I attach photos, videos and maps about my proposal?

Yes, although there is no specific space in the form for this, you can, for example, create a Google Drive folder with the complementary files and share the link of this folder in some descriptive field of the proposal. Just make sure that the link is functional, that it does not have files of excessive size and that they are important documents, which will help in the evaluation of the development of the future project, without overloading with unnecessary information, as objectivity is also part of the analysis of the proposals.

How should I fill in the budget and Work Plan? Can I attach a detailed budget worksheet?

The budget and the Work Plan must be completed in a complete and detailed manner, but succinctly, that is, with objectivity and clarity. It is necessary to demonstrate which items will be used and what their expected costs are, as clearly as possible.

For example, instead of just one item described as “Human Resources”, it is recommended that each employee is visible, with working hours related to each one (eg General Coordinator, x hours, R$ xx,xx). In addition, it is essential to keep in mind which budget items will not be funded by the FASB. If necessary, a detailed spreadsheet can be attached to a Google Drive link, as well as photos and other complementary documents, however, this does not exempt the need to correctly fill in the specific budget of the form.

The FASB will carry out disbursements every 4 months, so it is recommended that the budget be thought and designed considering an entry installment to start the project and the subsequent installments transferred every 4 months.

What budget items does the FASB not fund?
The FASB does not finance the purchase of vehicles or heavy machinery and equipment. For projects in which the use of these items is necessary, it is suggested that the value for their lease be budgeted.

What can be considered a counterpart in the proposals? How to prove it?

The services, equipment and inputs that will be used in the project will be considered as counterpart, which do not involve the expenditure of the resource granted by the FASB, that is, paid with the developers' own resources or by other sources.

For example, if the proposing institution has a vehicle or machinery that will be used in the project at no additional cost, this use can be described as a consideration of car-hour or machine-hour; collective efforts can be considered as a counterpart for labor, etc.

It is important to keep in mind that the counterpart must be proven, as well as the other project costs, that is, the project developer must present unequivocal evidence of its use, according to the amounts and amounts described in the proposal applied to the FASB.

What is Resource Optimization? How should I describe it in the proposal?

If the proposal is the continuation of a project already executed and closed or part of a project that is in progress, the proposer must express this condition in the field “Optimization of resources” of the form, in which he can briefly describe the project to which he is involved. ally and which products will be optimized with the new proposal.

Which documents should be attached to the application?

Statute of the organization, curriculum of the team and proof of performance in the area covered by the FASB are mandatory at the time of registration. Only the CND is not mandatory at this time and will be requested later, however, if available, it is recommended that it be submitted as an attachment, as it allows for a more in-depth assessment and demonstrates the status of the bidder's organization.

How is the selection of proposals for funding made?

The FASB is a private fund and the selection of projects is made directly by investors, according to their own criteria. All submitted proposals are evaluated concurrently by two bodies, the FASB Support Committee, linked to the Bahia Forestry Forum (composed of representatives elected by the FFBA plenary, representing the following segments: Civil Society Organizations - CSO, Traditional Communities, Educational Institutions and Forestry Companies) and by the New Generation Plantations Technical Assistance (NGPTA).

The FASB Support Committee is responsible for assessing the local relevance of the proposals, while the NGPTA is responsible for the technical analysis. Both instances are consultative, that is, they do not have a decision-making character regarding the proposals that will be selected. They only frame the proposals in relation to the FASB's objectives and goals and provide elements and highlights for investors. The NGPTA makes a technical analysis on the feasibility of developing the proposal in relation to the expected deliveries and the requested resource.

Finally, after the evaluation of the two instances, the proposals considered aligned with the FASB are forwarded to the funders with observations and comments. Funders then meet and decide which proposals will be approved in a given call.


Can I appeal the FASB's decision regarding the funding of my proposal?

No, the investors' decision is final and there is no appeal against the decision.

Additional recommendations will be made to the approved proposals for the smooth running of the project's execution. Non-approved proposals are sent an individualized feedback, with observations and possible suggestions for improvements, or with an indication of the impossibility of financing a certain type of project, and in the first case, they may be forwarded in a new FASB call.

It should also be noted that each call is a competition, which implies that the proposals are evaluated according to their own merits, but also in comparison with the other proposals submitted in that call.


How is the document analysis done once my proposal is selected?

If the proposal is selected by investors, an email will be sent with the announcement of the result. This communication will already include the next steps, such as sending the bidder documents necessary for the preparation of the contract, after which the contract will be signed between the parties. A relevant item is that the proponent will need to open a specific bank account for the project's financial movements. This stage of document analysis, preparation and signing of the contract will take place within a period of up to 60 days after the communication of the approval of the proposals.


My institution already has a bank account, do I need to open a new account to receive the project funds?

Yes. The FASB requires the opening of a specific bank account for each project. In case the tenderer has approved more than one proposal, each project must necessarily have its own bank account. This facilitates auditing processes and transparency on the use of the resource invested in a given proposal.


How is the project monitored, once the execution starts?

From the selection of the proposal, the project developer will be accompanied by the FASB Project Monitoring Coordination, which will monitor the development of the projects monthly, verifying the deadlines for delivery of the monitoring reports that, once approved, will guarantee access to the next disbursement. to be made by the Fund. A new installment will only be released once the activities planned so far have been effectively carried out.


How is the accountability of executed projects carried out?

Accountability will be provided both by sending partial reports describing the activities carried out in the period of 4 months (every four months) and by sending cash flows with statements of financial transactions for the same period. Once the FASB Project Monitoring Coordination assesses and approves the completion of the stage, a new portion of the resource will be released for project continuity, which will be repeated every 4 months until the completion of the project.


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