Blue Invest: A Facility for Caribbean SIDS’ Financial Expansion

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Brief Description

A technical assistance and investment facility - Blue Invest - will support blue economy projects
in waste management, environmental protection and biodiversity, fisheries and aquaculture,
sustainable energy, and tourism in the Eastern Caribbean.

Results

A pipeline of investible deals has been identified and assessed along with public and private
partners.

Why

Oceans offer tremendous potential for economic sectors, livelihoods and food security. Despite
opportunities, the challenge of attracting private investments in the blue economy has been
exacerbated by skill and capacity gaps, lack of coordination, high costs of capital and collateral
requirements, elevated investors' perception of risks, and a limited number of investment-ready
projects. ‘Blue Invest’ addresses these challenges head on by building a robust blue economy
pipeline of bankable initiatives and unlocking the necessary investments towards them.

What

Through a robust pipeline of investible projects, the proposal anticipates new investment in high-
impact areas to create a resillient and sustainable blue economy in the Eastern Caribbean. The
initial pipeline of projects already identified will expand marine protected areas, build
sustainable fishing value chains, improve fishery business models, and create innovative and
environmentally friendly waste management and energy solutions. The programme will also
create decent jobs, combat food insecurity, reduce poverty, and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. The programme will also generate green employment opportunities, especially for
women.

How

Each project supported by Blue Invest will receive tailored technical assistance and financial
support with the aim to increase the market success rate, thereby contributing to sustainability
and economic resilience. Concessional loans and performance grants will de-risk high-impact
projects and crowd-in private financing. The pre-identified pipeline focuses on 6 areas: waste
management, biodiversity conservation, fisheries and aquaculture, energy, marine transport
and tourism.
Financial instruments

Blue Invest will deploy concessional loans and performance grants on a project by project basis.
Blue Invest will leverage financing from development partners and private investors co-investing
in the pipeline. Blue Invest aims to leverage US$29 million to over 20 investable blue economy
projects.