In its 2026 edition, Emprendedores por Naturaleza (ExN, Entrepreneurs by Nature) will have a budget of S/4.8 million, which will enable it to co-finance approximately 83 initiatives, generating a positive impact on more than 500 families in different regions of the country. Among the main new features of this edition is the incorporation of ACR+, a new category aimed at strengthening productive initiatives and business plans developed in 14 Regional Conservation Areas (ACR) located in seven regions of the country: Amazonas, San Martín, Tumbes, Piura, Lambayeque, Tacna, and Cusco.
The Regional Conservation Areas are managed by the Regional Governments, which, in coordination with local actors, implement actions aimed at fulfilling the conservation objectives of the area, including the promotion of sustainable productive activities. In this context, ACR+ emerges as a response to the challenges faced by the populations living in these territories, where environmental pressures such as deforestation, illegal activities, and limited sustainable economic opportunities persist.
Through this category, aimed at individuals, community organizations, associations, and cooperatives, non-reimbursable funds of up to S/60,000 will be awarded for business ideas in the initial stage or sustainable ventures already underway that are developed within a Regional Conservation Area.
The incorporation of ACR+ is part of the trajectory of Emprendedores por Naturaleza (ExN), a competition that, since 2020, has been developed in coordination with the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (SERNANP), with the support of Profonanpe, Peru’s environmental fund, and with the support of the Ministry of the Environment (MINAM). To date, the competition has co-financed 212 ventures nationwide, with an investment of over S/10.5 million, generating a direct impact on more than 6,000 families, with 33% of the initiatives led by women.
Throughout its six years of implementation, ExN has established itself as a first major step for individuals and organizations seeking to start or consolidate ventures linked to the sustainable use of natural resources, combining financing, technical support, and learning processes that strengthen local capacities through responsible practices that benefit communities and nature.
Emprendedores por Naturaleza continues its process of continuous improvement thanks to the joint work between the Ministry of the Environment, SERNANP, regional governments, and Profonanpe, reaffirming that generating opportunities for sustainable development from the territories is a concrete way to conserve biodiversity and protect the environmental, social, and economic future of the country’s families.
Interested individuals and organizations can find the rules, requirements, and application schedule on the Profonanpe website, in the Contests section (here). Applications will be open from January 30 and will be accepted until March 10, inclusive. For specific inquiries about the ACR+ category, please email [email protected].
