Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0005953
The Forest Finance and Investment Incubator (Funding Opportunity Number SFOP0005953) is a U.S. Department of State funding opportunity, managed by the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, focused on strengthening forest and landscape climate action by unlocking private sector capital. The program is structured as a discretionary cooperative agreement, which typically means the awardee would work closely with the agency during implementation and align activities with shared program goals. The central idea is to move beyond broad climate or forest strategies and translate them into practical, finance-ready investment plans that can attract real investment for on-the-ground forest and land-use activities.
At its core, the Incubator is designed to help countries or jurisdictions use their existing national or sub-national climate strategies and in-country planning frameworks to evaluate whether they are actually ready to build credible, concrete forest and landscape investment pipelines. That readiness assessment is meant to identify gaps that commonly prevent financing from flowing, such as weak enabling conditions, unclear project structuring, limited financial modeling, insufficient governance or safeguards, or a lack of defined investment mechanisms. Based on those findings, the program supports the development of detailed financial investment plans for forests and other landscapes. These plans are intended to be actionable and investment-oriented, rather than purely policy documents, with the goal of creating a clear pathway from strategy to finance to implementation.
A key feature of the opportunity is its emphasis on mobilizing private sector financing, particularly by identifying mechanisms that can connect U.S. forestry and agriculture sectors with downstream forest-related activities and projects in developing country contexts. In practice, this suggests the program is looking for approaches that can translate forest and landscape priorities into investable opportunities, while also defining how capital could be deployed through specific instruments or channels. The word "incubator" signals a hands-on, developmental model: helping partners shape investment concepts, structure them into bankable plans, and outline financing mechanisms that could bring in resources for implementation at scale.
The opportunity was released on June 6, 2019, with an original closing date of August 2, 2019. The award ceiling was $4,305,700, and the program anticipated making one award, which indicates a single lead implementer would likely coordinate a portfolio of activities, partners, and geographies under one cooperative agreement. The funding activity category is Environment, and the listed CFDA number is 19.017. Eligibility is described broadly as "Others" with additional clarification expected in the full eligibility text, implying the program may have been open to a range of organizational types depending on the detailed requirements in the full announcement.
Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a targeted effort to bridge the gap between forest and landscape climate ambition and the financial and investment planning needed to mobilize private capital. Rather than funding isolated projects directly, it emphasizes building the investment framework, pipeline, and mechanisms that can drive sustained financing into forest and land-use activities over time.Apply for SFOP0005953
- The Department of State, Bureau of Oceans - Int. Environmental - Scientific in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Forest Finance and Investment Incubator" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.017.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 06, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 02, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,305,700.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Forest Finance and Investment Incubator?
The Forest Finance and Investment Incubator is a U.S. Department of State funding opportunity focused on strengthening forest and landscape climate action by helping unlock private sector capital. It is designed to move from broad forest or climate strategies into practical, finance-ready investment plans that can attract real investment for on-the-ground forest and land-use activities.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is SFOP0005953.
Which U.S. government entity is offering and managing this opportunity?
This is a U.S. Department of State funding opportunity, managed by the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.
What is the primary goal of the Incubator?
The primary goal is to bridge the gap between forest and landscape climate ambition and the investment planning needed to mobilize private capital. The program emphasizes building investment frameworks, pipelines, and financing mechanisms rather than funding isolated projects directly.
What type of award is being offered?
The program is structured as a discretionary cooperative agreement. This typically means the awardee would work closely with the agency during implementation and align activities with shared program goals.
What kinds of outcomes is the program trying to produce?
The program aims to produce actionable, investment-oriented financial investment plans for forests and other landscapes. These plans are intended to create a clear pathway from strategy to finance to implementation, making forest and landscape priorities more investable and attractive to private sector capital.
Does the Incubator fund on-the-ground projects directly?
Based on the description provided, the emphasis is not on funding isolated on-the-ground projects directly. Instead, it focuses on developing the investment planning, pipeline, and mechanisms that can drive sustained financing into forest and land-use activities over time.
What does "moving beyond broad strategies" mean in this context?
It means translating broad climate or forest strategies into practical, finance-ready investment plans. The intent is to turn high-level plans into concrete, credible investment pipelines that can attract financing and lead to implementation.
What is meant by assessing "readiness" to build an investment pipeline?
The program helps countries or jurisdictions evaluate whether existing national or sub-national climate strategies and in-country planning frameworks are ready to support credible forest and landscape investment pipelines. This includes identifying gaps that prevent financing from flowing.
What types of gaps or barriers to financing does the readiness assessment look for?
The readiness assessment is meant to identify common gaps such as weak enabling conditions, unclear project structuring, limited financial modeling, insufficient governance or safeguards, and a lack of defined investment mechanisms.
What happens after the readiness assessment?
Based on the findings, the program supports the development of detailed financial investment plans for forests and other landscapes. These plans are intended to be actionable and oriented toward attracting investment.
What makes the investment plans different from policy documents?
The investment plans are intended to be actionable and investment-oriented rather than purely policy documents. The goal is to define a clear pathway to financing and implementation, including how capital could be deployed through specific instruments or channels.
Why does the opportunity emphasize mobilizing private sector financing?
A central feature is unlocking private sector capital for forest and landscape climate action. The program specifically looks for approaches that translate priorities into investable opportunities and define mechanisms for deploying capital at scale.
How does the program connect U.S. sectors to forest-related activities in developing countries?
The opportunity emphasizes identifying mechanisms that can connect U.S. forestry and agriculture sectors with downstream forest-related activities and projects in developing country contexts, suggesting a focus on linkages that can help mobilize investment into forest and land-use activities.
What does the term "incubator" imply for this program?
It implies a hands-on, developmental model that helps partners shape investment concepts, structure them into bankable plans, and outline financing mechanisms capable of bringing in resources for implementation at scale.
When was this funding opportunity released and when did it close?
The opportunity was released on June 6, 2019, with an original closing date of August 2, 2019.
What is the maximum funding amount available under this opportunity?
The award ceiling was $4,305,700.
How many awards were anticipated?
The program anticipated making one award, indicating a single lead implementer would likely coordinate a portfolio of activities, partners, and geographies under one cooperative agreement.
What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category is Environment.
What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The listed CFDA number is 19.017.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described broadly as "Others," with additional clarification expected in the full eligibility text. This implies the program may have been open to a range of organizational types depending on the detailed requirements in the full announcement.
What geographies or levels of government does the program focus on?
The program is designed to help countries or jurisdictions using existing national or sub-national climate strategies and in-country planning frameworks, suggesting it can operate at national and sub-national levels depending on context.
What is the overall purpose of building an investment framework and pipeline?
The overall purpose is to create sustained financing into forest and land-use activities over time by establishing credible pipelines and defined investment mechanisms that can attract private sector capital and lead to implementation.
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