The National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) and the Water and Sewage Company of Rio Grande do Norte (CAERN) have signed a contract for the structuring of the state's sanitary sewage project in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.

The project structuring involves conducting studies to develop a public-private partnership (PPP) to deliver sewage services to achieve universalization across 48 municipalities CAERN serves by 2033. As per the National Sanitation Information System (SNIS, 2021), the current sewage service accessibility in the project area stands at only 33% of residents. The project structuring plan encompasses recruiting specialized consultants to assist the Bank in modeling the project. It also entails assisting CAERN in organizing hearings, public consultations, investor roadshows, and the preparation and execution of the auction. With the contract signed, BNDES now includes seven out of the nine states in the Northeast region in its sanitation project structuring portfolio: Rio Grande do Norte, Alagoas, Paraíba, Maranhão, Sergipe, Pernambuco, and Ceará.