Seed Capital Assistance Facility: Unlocking private finance for forest and landscape restoration (SCAF-FLR)

The project unlocks private investment into forest landscape restoration in developing countries by setting up the Restoration Seed Capital Facility which will co-fund pre-investment costs with fund managers or investment advisors. This model combining reimbursable and non-reimbursable grants ensures efficient use of public capital while also leveraging private capital. Outcomes support the achievement of the Bonn Challenge and contribute to objectives of climate change adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods. Direct beneficiaries include fund managers, investors and project operators. Indirect beneficiaries include local communities as well as national and local governments that benefit from supported projects in meeting their goals and commitments. The project leverages the insights gained to stimulate additional investment in restoration through outreach to financial institutions, NGOs, governments and other stakeholders.

Project data

IKI funding: 20,000,000.00 €
Included preparation phase: 202,648.00 €
Duration: 12/2019 till 04/2027
Status: open
Implementing organisation: United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment)
Implementing Partner: Frankfurt School of Finance & Management gGmbH
Online: https://www.restorationfacility.org/

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State of implementation/results

The Restoration Seed Capital Facility (RSCF) was publicly launched on October 27th 2020 through a public webinar aimed at fund managers, investors and other stakeholders in the field of private investment in forest landscape restoration (FLR).
In November 2025, the RSCF expanded its eligibility to include project developers for support under Pipeline and Project Development support lines. The expansion was announced at the 8th GLF Investment Case Symposium at COP30 to investors and in a webinar by the RSCF.

To date, the Facility has onboarded eight approved partners (fund managers and project manager) receiving support. Seven of the partners are receiving Pipeline (SL2) and Project development (SL3) support. These are Arbaro Advisors for the Arbaro Fund, Ecotierra for the Urapi Sustainable Land Use Fund, New Forests for the Tropical Asia Forest Fund 2, Shared Wood Company, and Impact Earth for the Amazon Biodiversity Fund, Natural Investments and Hummingbirds. One partner, Campo Capital, is receiving Fund Development support (SL1) to develop the Campo Capital Impact Fund. Of these, the facility is currently supporting five projects, in Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Thailand and Uganda under its Project Development support line (SL3).
12 projects that have benefited from RSCF support in their development have successfully reached financial close. These projects are in Brazil, DRC, Ecuador, Guatemala (2), Honduras, Laos, Paraguay, Peru (2), Solomon Islands, and Vietnam. The combined investment in these projects exceeds USD 170 million.