Selected projects will join the first cohort of Rio Changemakers and help shape the platform connecting locally-led solutions with investors and funders. The priority deadline is 22 August 2026
Bonn, Germany (July 30, 2026) – The Government of Luxembourg and the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) have opened a call for high-impact climate and nature projects to join the first cohort of Rio Changemakers.
Rio Changemakers is an AI-enabled, science-guided global marketplace being developed to connect investors and funds with high-integrity, locally-led climate, biodiversity, landscape and seascape solutions.
Projects selected through the call will be among the first to use the platform. Their experience and feedback will help improve the onboarding process, better understand the information projects can realistically provide and refine how they are connected with relevant investors and funding opportunities.
The first cohort will contribute directly to the development of Rio Changemakers’ minimum viable product (MVP), which will be unveiled at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, in November.
The call is open to established companies, small and medium-sized enterprises, cooperatives and other project developers seeking at least USD 300,000 in finance. Locally-managed investment funds with a minimum fund size of USD 1 million are also invited to apply.
Eligible projects may work across biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, regenerative agriculture, forests and sustainable land use, freshwater, seascapes, blue carbon and other climate and nature solutions.
Applications from initiatives led by women and youth are strongly encouraged, including projects led by or working closely with Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Priority will be given to projects based in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Selected projects will benefit from early visibility among investors and funders while helping build a marketplace that reflects their needs and circumstances.
“This first cohort will play an important role in shaping Rio Changemakers. We want to build the platform with projects, not simply for them, so that credible, locally-led solutions are easier to find, understand and connect with the right financial opportunities,” said Kamal Prawiranegara, Director, GLF.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with a priority deadline of 22 August 2026.
Projects are invited to apply at https://globallandscapesforum.typeform.com/to/V1OchkzC
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NOTES TO EDITORS
- For more information, please contact Apoorva Bose, Strategic Communications and Partnerships Officer for Sustainable Finance, GLF (a.bose@landscapealliance.org)
- Download the photo “New era” and find more images to illustrate your reporting on the GLF Flickr
- Explore more GLF updates in our media room
About Rio Changemakers
Rio Changemakers is an AI-enabled, science-guided global marketplace developed by the Government of Luxembourg in partnership with the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF). The platform connects investors, financial institutions and corporations with locally-led climate and nature projects, including nature-based and nature-positive solutions.
About the GLF
The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) is the world’s largest knowledge-led platform on integrated land use, connecting people with a shared vision to create productive, profitable, equitable and resilient landscapes. It is led by Landscape Alliance – CIFOR & ICRAF in action, in collaboration with its co-founders UNEP and the World Bank, and its charter members. Learn more at www.globallandscapesforum.org.
