On July 2, 2026, a landmark new $5.2 million U.S. development grant was officially launched to drive grassroots community improvement projects across Belize, marking the 11th funding cycle of the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF), a core initiative managed by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). The investment will be administered through the Belize Social Investment Fund (BSIF), which has already finalized a list of targeted projects set to receive financing in the latest round of support.
Carlos Tun, Executive Director of BSIF, noted that the successful delivery of the 10th BNTF funding cycle laid the groundwork for securing this new tranche of support. All projects funded under BNTF 11 fall into two priority sectors: education and water infrastructure. In the education space, four projects have been earmarked for funding: a new preschool facility in Corozal, the construction of Saint Paul’s Anglican Primary School also located in Corozal, the expansion of Pete Lizarraga Preschool in San Estevan, and upgrades to Saint John Baptist School in Saint Joseph. For the water sector, two community projects will move forward: improving the water distribution network in Fire Burn, Orange Walk District, and building out the Otoxha water system in the Toledo District.
Dr. Issac Solomon, CDB Vice President of Operations, emphasized that the BNTF has long served as the bank’s flagship community impact program, centered explicitly on supporting the most vulnerable populations across the Caribbean region. Solomon explained that the program aligns directly with CDB’s core mandate of transforming lives by ensuring that national development efforts are both equitable and inclusive, leaving no community behind as regional economies progress.
Over its 25-year history of operations in Belize, the BNTF has injected more than $23 million U.S. in targeted development funding into local communities across the country. Unlike traditional large-scale infrastructure investments, program leaders frame the BNTF’s success not by the total dollar amount allocated or the number of facilities built, but by the tangible improvements it delivers to individual lives, the strength it builds within local communities, and the new economic and social opportunities it unlocks at the grassroots level. This announcement comes from a transcript of an evening television newscast, with original Kriol-language commentary adapted to a standardized spelling system for the online publication.