New Opportunity for Those Working with Bananas, Abacá, Plantains, and Other Musaceae

• March 28 is the deadline to apply for the call that will provide non-repayable funds of up to ₡7 million for small or medium-sized enterprises.

If you work in the Musaceae sector in Costa Rica, this is your chance to boost your business by participating in the call, which offers benefits such as access to non-repayable seed capital, training and mentorship from professionals, opportunities to establish partnerships, and increased visibility.

This call is part of the TRANSFORMA-INNOVA Program: Transformative Low-Carbon and Climate-Resilient Pathways in Costa Rica, Climate-Smart Agriculture, and Value Chains. It is promoted with the support of the Development Banking System (SBD) and executed by the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Laboratory: ACTIVA-CATIE, within the Forests and Biodiversity in Productive Landscapes Unit at CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center).

Target Audience

The call is open to anyone working in the Musaceae sector, whether in production, processing, or marketing of native bananas, guineos, plantains, abacá, or any other Musaceae on a small or medium scale. However, priority will be given to businesses led by women, young people, Afro-descendants, or Indigenous persons.

Vladimir Valera, Director of ACTIVA-CATIE, emphasized that "it is essential for people to take advantage of this opportunity since the Musaceae sector rarely has options for strengthening itself in Costa Rica. This is a unique occasion to access non-repayable seed capital."

Participation Categories

Entrepreneurs can apply in one of the following three categories:

• Prototyping: An idea in the early stages of becoming a business. Benefit: ₡2 million.
• Inclusion: Entrepreneurs or rural businesses with an idea or at the initial stage of operations. Benefit: ₡4 million.
• Transformative-Rural: Rural businesses legally registered as MiPYMES with the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEIC) or as PYMPA with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), operating for less than 96 months. Benefit: up to ₡7 million.

Application and Contact

Interested individuals can apply until Friday, March 28by visiting the ACTIVA-CATIEwebsite. For more information, they can also contact musaceas@catie.ac.cr .