CNO Future Fund Relaunches as Vanuatu’s Gold Standard CIIP Option

The CNO Future Fund has officially relaunched under Vanuatu’s revised Citizenship by Investment regulatory framework, reinforcing its role as the leading option under the Capital Investment Immigration Plan (CIIP). Operated by VIMB Services Limited, the Fund is one of the few fully compliant entities confirmed by the government following an extensive review of all CIIP agents.

The regulatory amendments, now in effect, require a minimum contribution of USD $165,000 for a main applicant with spouse and two dependents, inclusive of government due diligence fees. This includes a USD $60,000 direct government fee and a USD $50,000 five-year redeemable investment into a designated, government-approved fund. In addition, all designated agents must now submit quarterly and annual investment reports, financial statements, and employment data as part of enhanced compliance and transparency standards.

Daniel Agius, Managing Director of VIMB Services Limited and architect of the CNO Future Fund, welcomed the relaunch, emphasizing the fund’s alignment with government reforms and long-term development goals.

“The CNO Future Fund was purpose-built to deliver transparent, high-impact investment outcomes,” said Agius. “This relaunch validates our structure and reinforces investor confidence in both the fund and the program.”

In its first full year of operation, the CNO Future Fund raised USD $6.25 million, which was deployed in strategic investments, and achieved 32.62% Net-Asset Value (NAV) growth, despite a severe earthquake in December 2024 that disrupted much of Port Vila’s infrastructure. Seventy percent of the Fund’s operations were restored by Q1 2025, with all damages fully insured and repair work underway.

In addition to its financial growth and post-disaster resilience, the CNO Future Fund has translated capital into tangible national impact. Over its first full year, the Fund processed 144 CIIP citizenship applications and generated $8.2 million in direct government revenue. One of its hallmark investments was securing a 30% equity stake in Vanuatu Baskets, the country’s leading producer of coconut oil, reinforcing the nation’s value-added exports and agricultural self-sufficiency.

To safeguard and scale this sector, the Fund also acquired a new coconut plantation on Malekula Island, ensuring long-term supply. It established copra hubs across Epi, Ambrym, and Malekula, with further expansion underway in the Santo islands. Infrastructure upgrades at the copra mill have since improved both production capacity and workplace safety. The Fund now boasts a production capability of over 230 tons of coconut oil per month — enough to fuel 2MW of renewable energy — and has launched exports to New Zealand and New Caledonia.

Beyond production, the Fund invested in rural logistics with the delivery of four 7-ton trucks and created over 55 new jobs, while also fostering financial inclusion by opening more than 65 rural bank accounts.

“We’re proud to be recognized not just for compliance, but for delivery,” Agius added. “Our NAV performance and infrastructure investments are directly contributing to Vanuatu’s energy independence and rural development.”

The Fund has also advanced key national priorities, including support for Vanuatu’s 2030 goal of 100% renewable energy generation. Ongoing negotiations with UNELCO and global partners explore the use of coconut oil biofuel for grid power and maritime use. Plans are in motion to install 2x1MW biofuel-powered generators, further establishing Vanuatu’s renewable credentials.

The Fund’s upcoming value-adding investment focus includes transforming old coconut plantations into high-value timber products, expanding supply chain activity into the kava and cocoa sectors,  developing land projects with accredited processing centers to support local communities and streamline agricultural exports and integrated end-use supply in the Agri-Tourism Sector.