GCF Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme

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Enriched multilateral · Found: 2026-03-14 17:45

Rolling programme providing up to $1M per country per year for climate action capacity building. Organisation can approach NDAs in Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Indonesia, Vietnam. No fixed deadline. Works through country NDA or delivery partner list.

Source: https://www.greenclimate.fund/readiness

Funding Details

Funder: Green Climate Fund (GCF)
Funding Goal: Build the capacity of developing country governments and direct access entities (DAEs) to engage with the GCF, develop national climate strategies, build an investment pipeline of climate projects, and strengthen institutional capacity for climate finance programming and implementation.
Funding Amount: Up to USD 1 million per country per year (under the new 2024-2027 Readiness Strategy, funding is structured as 4-year programmatic allocations rather than annual grants) (up to 1.000.000 €)
Deadline: Rolling basis (Rolling)
How to Apply: Countries access Readiness support through their National Designated Authority (NDA) or focal point. NDAs submit readiness proposals to the GCF. Delivery partners are competitively selected by the country from a pre-qualified specialist panel (to be operational by Q4 2024). NGOs and implementing organisations must work through a GCF-accredited entity or NDA.
Target Region: Global developing countries (priority to LDCs, SIDS, African States, Pacific island states)
Contact: https://www.greenclimate.fund/contact
Last Checked: 2026-05-07 01:20

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Access requires going through the country's National Designated Authority (NDA) — direct applications from NGOs not accepted
Primary recipients are developing country governments and GCF-accredited Direct Access Entities (DAEs)
NGOs can participate as delivery partners appointed by NDAs from a pre-qualified panel

Project Scope

60% of Readiness funding must be directed toward investment pipeline development linked to GCF project proposals
Activities must relate to climate action: NDC/NAP development, institutional capacity, climate finance programming

Constraints

Rolling submissions — no fixed deadline; approach the NDA of target developing country

Summary

The GCF Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme provides resources to developing country governments and direct access entities to strengthen their capacity to engage with the GCF and develop climate action investment pipelines. The programme is structured around three objectives: building institutional foundations (30% of portfolio), developing country-originated investment pipelines and funded activities (60% of portfolio), and knowledge sharing and learning (10% of portfolio). Thematic scope under the Readiness Programme is broad climate action capacity, including: developing and updating Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and Long-Term Strategies (LTS); strengthening NDAs and DAEs to programme and implement GCF-funded activities; developing country investment pipelines leading to GCF project submissions; and supporting policy and regulatory reform for climate finance. Under the 2024-2027 strategy, countries receive 4-year programmatic budget allocations rather than annual grants. This improves funding predictability and reduces transaction costs. Countries can competitively appoint delivery partners from a pre-qualified specialist panel, including local service providers. Geographic focus is global developing countries, with priority for Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), African states, and Pacific island states which receive fee waivers. Eligible recipients are developing country governments through their NDAs or focal points, and Direct Access Entities (DAEs) accredited by the GCF Board. NGOs and other organisations typically access Readiness support as delivery partners appointed by NDAs or through their DAE accreditation pathway. There is no fixed application deadline — Readiness support is available on a rolling basis. Organisations interested in accessing readiness support must approach the NDA of the relevant developing country.

Historical Context

GCF's Readiness Programme is described as the world's largest climate action capacity building programme. The new 2024-2027 Readiness Strategy was adopted in October 2023 (B.37), transitioning from a yearly grant cycle to a 4-year programming cycle. The strategy focuses 60% of funding on investment pipeline development.

Why it was added

grant-scan-2026-03-14

Sources

https://www.greenclimate.fund/readiness

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