New opportunity to grow your rural business

• Apply by July 20 to the sixth ACTIVA-CATIE call and gain access to non-reimbursable seed capital

If you are an entrepreneur or business owner located in any rural area of Costa Rica, this is a great opportunity to strengthen your business proposal. The sixth ACTIVA-CATIE call, funded by the Development Banking System (SBD), is now open and will remain available until Sunday, July 20.

"Since 2021, through the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab: ACTIVA-CATIE, we have supported approximately 170 businesses located in diverse places like Yorkín—an Indigenous Bribri community in the Southern Caribbean—or Los Chiles in Upala," shared Vladimir Valera, Director of ACTIVA-CATIE.

ACTIVA-CATIE is part of the Forests and Biodiversity in Productive Landscapes Unit (UBBPP) of CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) and is an SBD-accredited agency that provides non-reimbursable seed capital to small and medium-sized businesses that operate in harmony with nature.

Who can apply?

To participate, applicants must own a small or medium-sized business, be Costa Rican or have legal residency, and be over 18 years old.

Additionally, businesses must primarily operate in the following areas:

• Rural and nature-based tourism
• Agriculture, livestock, coffee, and beekeeping
• Bio-inputs, biomaterials, and forestry
• Technological innovations and the cocoa sector, among others.

"The training processes and national outreach strategy were designed to ensure an inclusive application process across all communities involved in rural development in Costa Rica," commented Ricardo Padrón, incubation specialist at ACTIVA-CATIE.

"Participation is especially encouraged from population groups that have historically had fewer opportunities, providing them with real support to strengthen their initiatives through funding and personalized guidance," added Padrón.

Benefits for selected businesses

Participants will receive various benefits, including non-reimbursable seed capital provided by SBD. The amount ranges from ₡4 million to ₡13 million, depending on the category their business qualifies for.

"They also receive training and mentoring from ACTIVA-CATIE’s team of specialists. Drawing from years of experience, we cover key topics essential to strengthening their businesses," said Juan José Serrano, mentor at ACTIVA-CATIE.

"We focus on both technical and administrative topics, and we also emphasize soft skills such as leadership, communication, and teamwork," Serrano explained.

Other benefits include expanding their network and participating in events and fairs that offer visibility.

For instance, in 2025, two promotional spaces have already been offered where entrepreneurs had a stand to sell and showcase their products and services. 

"The first was AGROMIRA, an international event held in May on CATIE’s campus that welcomed people from over 18 countries," said Jeannette Sánchez, administrative assistant at ACTIVA-CATIE, who also provides support and guidance on these matters. She added that the second event was CATIE’s International Fair, which brought together hundreds of people during the first weekend of June.

Categories based on the type of business

There are three categories available in this sixth call:

1. Inclusion: aimed at early-stage businesses. Funding: ₡4 million.
2. Transformative-Rural: for rural businesses with legal status (SA or SRL) and registered as MIPyME or PyMPA. Funding: ₡7 million.
3. Transformative-Acceleration: for rural businesses with legal status (SA or SRL), registered as MIPyME or PyMPA, and operating for more than 96 months. Funding: ₡13 million.

Apply now!

Don’t miss the chance to be part of this call, which aims to support more rural businesses across Costa Rica. Apply before July 20 at this link: 2025 Call – ACTIVA-CATIE: Driving Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Nature in Central America