ICAO Finvest Hub is an ICAO-led initiative that connects sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project developers with financiers, governments, and industry partners. It provides some basic project screening, technical assistance, and networking opportunity to accelerate financing support for SAF projects worldwide.

Finvest was established to provide support for a critical financing gap between promising SAF projects and financing. While some financing is occurring today, it is not at the scale required and generally considered challenging. By linking vetted projects with capital and expertise, Finvest hopes to help bridge that gap and support ICAO's climate goals.

Finvest engages financiers (banks, funds, development finance institutions), SAF producers, airlines, governments, multilateral organisations, and technical experts. Primary participation is aimed at those seeking to develop a SAF project and those aiming to invest in, or finance aviation decarbonisation projects.

Finvest Hub is an initiative of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialised agency of the United Nations. ICAO is governed by international treaty (the Convention on International Civil Aviation, signed in Chicago in 1944) and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. All activities are conducted within ICAO's governance framework.

ICAO Finvest Hub is not a private entity seeking revenue generation. It is an initiative of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), established to support the global aviation industry's transition to sustainable aviation fuels. As an ICAO initiative, Finvest operates as a facilitator and matchmaker, connecting SAF projects with financing sources, rather than as a commercial investment platform.

Finvest will endeavour to provide capacity building for developing and least-developed states, helping them prepare bankable SAF projects, access finance, and benefit economically from SAF production and supply chains. Some of this support will be directly linked and complimentary to the ICAO ACT-SAF program.

Opportunities could include being matched with equity and debt financing, blended finance, green bonds, and risk-sharing mechanisms. Matchmaking hubs including the IRENA partnership [Finvest@ETAF] will help facilitate this.

No. Finvest does not directly finance projects. Instead, it connects vetted projects with potential financiers and partners, via matchmaking hubs. It can also offer capacity-building support and resources to support project readiness.

As Finvest Hub is a newly launched initiative (September 2025), completed financing transactions are still in pipeline. The platform currently has 24 projects across various development stages, with several projects in Finvest@ETAF platform. Specific case studies with investment amounts, timelines, and returns will be published as projects reach completion and parties agree to disclosure. Visit the Finvest Hub website for the latest project updates and success stories.

Projects can be submitted through the ICAO 'submit project tab' and undergo a preliminary sustainability and technical readiness screening aligned with ICAO standards and best practices. This helps assess whether projects should seek additional capacity building or whether they are at a readiness stage to move to a 'financing hub'. It is expected at the financing hub stage, deeper financial due diligence will occur, potentially under a non-disclosure agreement.

Finvest considers sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) projects and other clean energy aviation initiatives. For financing, we work with development finance institutions, multilateral banks, climate funds, commercial lenders, and private equity funds focused on aviation decarbonisation. Projects must meet or have a pathway to meet CORSIA Eligible Fuel Sustainability Criteria, and must be seeking to produce a fuel with a technically approved pathway.

Finvest Hub does not set minimum or maximum investment thresholds, as it operates as a matchmaking platform rather than an investment fund. Investment amounts are determined by individual financiers and project developers during negotiations. SAF project requirements can range from hundreds of thousands USD to hundreds of millions. Financiers on the platform include institutions with varying capacity from development banks providing concessional finance to commercial funds requiring market-rate returns.

Finvest conducts an initial sustainability and technical readiness screening based on preliminary data collected via the submission form. This preliminary screening helps determine whether projects should pursue capacity building or are ready for introduction to financing hubs. Detailed financial, legal, and commercial due diligence is then conducted by participating financial institutions.

Finvest Hub does not hold, manage, or custody investor funds. All investment transactions occur directly between financiers and project developers. Each financing institution implements its own risk management, due diligence, legal structuring, and fund monitoring processes according to their internal policies and regulatory requirements.

The ETAF platform supports Finvest with infrastructure for project evaluation and matchmaking. This leverages ETAF's screening tools and network, allowing SAF projects to be assessed consistently and connected efficiently with financiers.

ETAF currently works with 14 international financial institutions. These include multilateral development banks, climate funds, and commercial lenders and this will serve as the initial matchmaking hub for SAF opportunities under Finvest.

Yes, if going through ETAF, however, it is possible that other platform relationships will be established which could include other financial institutions. The proposed IRENA/ETAF platform is not intended to be exclusive.

ICAO will largely act as a collector and organiser of key data. ICAO will assess for alignment with some core criteria such as sustainability criteria (CORSIA Eligible Fuel). The bankability assessment will primarily be conducted by financial institutions. Maximum transparency will be pursued where feasible.

The Finvest Resources tab hosts an array of different information including partner reports and practical tools. In addition, visit the ICAO ACT-SAF for additional guidance, data, and training materials.

Interested financiers can register through the Finvest Financiers contact form. Visit the ICAO Finvest Hub website to access the project submission portal and partnership registration forms.