From Strategy to Implementation: Next Steps for Capacity Building (Members Version)

Singapore, 15 December 2025 — Members of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) gathered today for the organisation’s 7th General Assembly, marking a landmark year of progress in collective responsibility, accountability, and member-driven sustainability across the natural rubber value chain.

A major milestone in 2025 was the launch of GPSNR’s risk-based Assurance System, which sets clear sustainability expectations, introduces independent verification, and promotes continuous improvement beyond compliance. Developed collaboratively over several years, the system provides a credible, globally relevant framework for advancing sustainability in the sector. At this GA, End User companies reaffirmed their support and agreed on a structured pathway toward full implementation in their category.

“This year marks a turning point for GPSNR,” said Stefano Savi, CEO of GPSNR. “The Assurance System gives our members a shared and trusted foundation for demonstrating progress across the value chain.”

Members also marked the first year of the Shared Investment Mechanism, an innovative model enabling manufacturers to equitably share the costs of large-scale capacity-building projects, ensuring long-term benefits for upstream actors, particularly smallholders.

“Sustainability cannot be achieved by one part of the value chain alone,” Savi added. “By investing together, our members are enabling more inclusive and impactful outcomes worldwide.”

Looking ahead to 2026, GPSNR will support implementation of the Assurance System through data gathering, member learning, and cross-stakeholder dialogue to ensure the system reflects on-the-ground realities and diverse business models.

The Assembly concluded with renewed commitment from members to advance equitable, resilient, and sustainable natural rubber supply chains.

About GPSNR:

The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) is a multi-stakeholder, member-driven initiative working to advance sustainability across the natural rubber value chain.

More at sustainablenaturalrubber.org

Media contact:

Bani Bains, Communications Director
bani.bains@gpsnr.org | +65 9726 8165

IMPORTANT UPDATE NOTICE

Submission Deadline Extended to 25 June 2026
Proposals and budget templates must be submitted by 23:59 SGT on 25 June 2026. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Applicant Webinar Materials
GPSNR held an applicant webinar to walk through the SIM 2027 application process, requirements, and assessment criteria on 8 June 2026. If you missed the session or would like a refresher, the materials are available here: Presentation slides & Webinar recording

A few important reminders before you submit:
–  Proposals are assessed against the SIM funding principles, the open market criteria, and overall quality. Please review these carefully to ensure your project is aligned.
–  Proposals must follow the guidance provided in the proposal template, budget template, and FAQ document. Submissions that do not follow this guidance may be rejected, so we encourage you to check your documents against these references before submitting.

The GPSNR Shared Investment Mechanism (SIM) is now accepting project proposals for the 2027 funding cycle.

SIM is a joint funding framework under which GPSNR Ordinary Members (currently mandatory for Manufacturer Members) co-fund sustainability and capacity-building projects across the natural rubber value chain. Through this call, organisations and individuals are invited to submit project proposals that align with the SIM Funding Principles.

This call is open to both GPSNR and non-GPSNR members. Proposals that successfully pass the technical evaluation conducted by the evaluation panel will be included in a list of approved projects. Manufacturer Members will then review this list and decide which projects to fund.

Submission Window: 21 April – 15 June 2026 (Extended to 25 June 2026) 

Deadline: Proposals and budget templates must be submitted by 23:59 SGT on 15 June 2026 (Extended to 25 June 2026). Late submissions will not be accepted.

Submission Instructions

1. 1. Download the required documents:
      • GPSNR SIM Project Proposal Template_V4.docx
      • GPSNR SIM Project Budget_V1.xlsx
   2. Read the GPSNR Call for Project Proposals FAQ V4.docx  prior to preparing your submission.
   3. Complete both documents and submit them to cheewei@gpsnr.org using the following subject line:
      [SIM 2027 Proposal Submission] – [Your Project Name]

For more information, please contact cheewei@gpsnr.org