Biovilla is growing

Agritourism, market and organic garden in regenerative community.

Investment overview

Impact category

Social economy

Investment type

Loan

Yearly interest

4.75

Term

months

Risk level

B-

What will you be financing?

Biovilla is a cooperative for sustainable development, that was created more than eleven years ago with the mission of promoting a regeneration culture to create a healthier, more harmonious, and fairer ecosystem. Its founders and cooperative members believe that it is possible to meet the needs of all people without compromising the future, in an economically viable, socially responsible, and environmentally positive way.

The cooperative intends to increase its regeneration capacity by investing in the expansion of its agrotourism, grocery store, and organic vegetable garden. By expanding its infrastructures, the area of intervention will double. This will allow to receive and impact more people and expand Biovilla’s mission.

The overall investment required to develop this program is 1 million euros. You can check this presentation (in Portuguese) to learn more about it.

One-fifth of this amount, 200.000€, will be raised through Goparity, and this is the first campaign to do so. These funds will be used to co-finance the following projects:

Biovilla Market expansion

The Biovilla's grocery store will have 30m2 for organic, fair, and local products, increasing the number and variety of available products. With this expansion, the Cooperative will own the first organic and bulk market in the Palmela region, offering its visitors the possibility to discover alternative products for a more sustainable lifestyle. From all organic food, personal hygiene, and household products, this project will promote circular and local economy, and production, following zero waste principles as much as possible. In addition to the physical store, an online store will also be opened, and a person will be hired to work exclusively in the Market.

Expansion of the Nature Tourism

The tourism accommodation capacity will double with the construction of four more family rooms, including private bathrooms and mini kitchenettes. This suite format will allow adapting the space to the new safety and privacy needs of the covid pandemic and reinforcing the guests' feeling of comfort. The lecture room will be broadened to more than 100 square meters allowing space for more retreats and workshops. A grey and black water recycling system will be installed in order to reuse water for toilets and landscaping irrigation. More water in the system also means more water for the vegetable garden and larger production of organic food. This expansion will make it possible to host more people, with better conditions and increased environmental sustainability.

This is Goparity's first convertible debt campaign.

A convertible loan is the act of lending capital (money) with the option of converting it into equity or shares of the borrower entity (in this case, Biovilla). You can learn more about the concept here.

This means that all investors with a minimum investment of 2.000€, in this campaign, will be able to convert this amount into shares/equity in Biovilla Cooperative. In Biovilla, one bond/share costs 500€. In other words, the conversion of 2.000€ is equivalent to four shares in the Cooperative. Above the minimum amount, investors can convert multiples of 500. Investors who make this decision will join the group of eleven cooperative members. The conversion option can be exercised one year after the signing of the loan agreement.

Biovilla believes that the space will be so wonderful that investors will want to convert their investment into equity in the cooperative to enjoy this community in its various forms.

Biovilla cooperative members have special discounts and advantages:

Discounts on products and services (tables to be presented soon),
Possibility of co-living during low season.

Additionally, Biovilla will offer one night of free accommodation, each year of the contract, for every investment starting at 1.000€. This translates to five nights in five years.

What is the impact?

Direct:

Promotion of sustainable production and consumption patterns: more than 100 organic products will be sold at the Market, promoting circular and local economy, and zero waste principles, whenever possible. The products come from 30 partnerships, hoping to boost the local production of sustainable products. This will be the first organic and bulk market in the Palmela region, and it will include an online store, encouraging conscious consumption.
Job creation: One full-time job will be created as a result of the project.
Promotion of sustainable tourism and nature: eight people are involved in working with sustainability, cooperatives, and nature tourism. Counting the four available lodges, and four under construction, Biovilla will be able to receive 3.750 visitors per year.
Organic food production: one hectare planted using an agroforestry system and organic vegetable garden, which creates 5.500 organic meals per year. Due to the greater water abundance, 60% of the food consumed at Biovilla comes from the vegetable garden during the winter months.
Efficient and sustainable management of natural resources: 100% of the Biovilla property is supplied by renewable energy, and 80% of the rainwater is used for watering the vegetable garden.. This efficient system allowed the creation of a reservoir that serves as a swimming pool for guests, and at the same time can be used as a water supply for firefighting.

Indirect:

Conscious waste management: Biovilla is committed to zero food waste in the kitchen and eating areas, the cooperative buys in bulk and composts any leftovers. In addition, 80% of the greywater is recycled, equivalent to 7.000 liters of recycling per week, which will be used to establish a new water circuit for plant irrigation and sanitary use.
Promotion of regenerative and personal development activities: at Biovilla, over 500 people have participated in retreats and training on sustainability and regenerative practices. Through the VER program, they have offered training to 105 participants, of which 84 have obtained new job opportunities or increased income after participating in the program.

Impact indicators
‍

CO2 avoided per year

clean energy

created by our projects

of sustainable

4269

impacted

Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals
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About the Promoter

About

BVLL - COOPERATIVA PARA O DESENVOLVIMENTO SUSTENTÁVEL CRL

Direct:

Promotion of sustainable production and consumption patterns: more than 100 organic products will be sold at the Market, promoting circular and local economy, and zero waste principles, whenever possible. The products come from 30 partnerships, hoping to boost the local production of sustainable products. This will be the first organic and bulk market in the Palmela region, and it will include an online store, encouraging conscious consumption.
Job creation: One full-time job will be created as a result of the project.
Promotion of sustainable tourism and nature: eight people are involved in working with sustainability, cooperatives, and nature tourism. Counting the four available lodges, and four under construction, Biovilla will be able to receive 3.750 visitors per year.
Organic food production: one hectare planted using an agroforestry system and organic vegetable garden, which creates 5.500 organic meals per year. Due to the greater water abundance, 60% of the food consumed at Biovilla comes from the vegetable garden during the winter months.
Efficient and sustainable management of natural resources: 100% of the Biovilla property is supplied by renewable energy, and 80% of the rainwater is used for watering the vegetable garden.. This efficient system allowed the creation of a reservoir that serves as a swimming pool for guests, and at the same time can be used as a water supply for firefighting.

Indirect:

Conscious waste management: Biovilla is committed to zero food waste in the kitchen and eating areas, the cooperative buys in bulk and composts any leftovers. In addition, 80% of the greywater is recycled, equivalent to 7.000 liters of recycling per week, which will be used to establish a new water circuit for plant irrigation and sanitary use.
Promotion of regenerative and personal development activities: at Biovilla, over 500 people have participated in retreats and training on sustainability and regenerative practices. Through the VER program, they have offered training to 105 participants, of which 84 have obtained new job opportunities or increased income after participating in the program.

Promoter website

https://biovilla.org/

Business Model
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