Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA)

Enriched multilateral · Found: 2026-03-14 20:41

UNFCCC mechanism. Up to USD 250K micro/small grants. Locally-led climate adaptation. Rolling submissions via NIE. 44 awards to date.

Source: https://www.adaptation-undp.org/afcia

Funding Details

Funder

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) / Adaptation Fund / European Union

Funding Goal

Micro and small grants to locally-led organisations to expand and accelerate innovative climate change adaptation solutions. Funded activities focus on designing, piloting, and scaling promising locally-developed adaptation approaches for the most vulnerable communities. Thematic areas include ecosystem-based adaptation, coastal adaptation, livelihoods, water resource management, food security, and climate resilience.

Funding Amount

Maximum grant funding of USD 250,000 per award. Programme total: USD 20 million (financed by Adaptation Fund and European Union). (up to 250.000 €)

Deadline

Unknown (periodic)

How to Apply

Apply through UNDP-AFCIA and/or UNEP CTCN-AFCIA pathways. See adaptation-undp.org/afcia/about-us for UNDP grants and ctc-n.org for CTCN pathway. Contact: afcia@undp.org.

Target Region

Global — 100+ countries eligible. Focus on most vulnerable communities in developing countries.

Contact

afcia@undp.org

Last Checked

2026-04-21 06:25

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Applicant must be a locally-led organisation (CSO, NGO, women entrepreneurs, youth organisations)
• Organisation should be based in or directly serving communities in Adaptation Fund-eligible developing countries

Project Scope

• Proposed solution must address climate change adaptation in a vulnerable community
• Solution should be innovative, scalable, and replicable across similar contexts

Required Documents

• Must demonstrate community-level implementation track record or clear plan for accessing relevant expertise
• Impact measurement and monitoring framework required

Constraints

• Maximum grant size is USD 250,000 (micro or small grant category)

Summary

The Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA) is a UNDP-led programme financed by the Adaptation Fund and the European Union, with a total of USD 20 million available. It operates within the Adaptation Innovation Marketplace (AIM) platform launched in 2021 to advance scaled-up locally led adaptation. Thematically, AFCIA covers climate change adaptation across multiple areas: ecosystem-based adaptation, coastal adaptation, livelihoods, food security and agriculture, water resource management, climate information and early warning systems, climate urban resilience, and climate health. The programme specifically values innovative, locally developed adaptation solutions. Eligible activities include designing, piloting, and scaling promising adaptation approaches at the community level. Both a UNDP pathway (micro and small grants) and a UNEP CTCN pathway exist. Awards range up to USD 250,000 per organisation, categorised as micro or small grants. Geographically, the programme is global with 100+ countries eligible, with a strong focus on developing countries where the most vulnerable communities are located. To date, awards have been made in 33 countries. Eligible applicants are locally-led organisations including civil society organisations, NGOs, innovative women entrepreneurs, and young people. The programme targets non-governmental actors rather than government bodies, and emphasises organisations with community-level implementation experience. Target beneficiaries are the most vulnerable communities facing climate change impacts, particularly in developing countries. Previous grantees have operated in sectors including agriculture, fisheries, and coastal livelihoods. Grants are awarded through periodic calls, not a single fixed deadline. The programme has completed multiple rounds since 2021 and continues to accept applications through both the UNDP and CTCN pathways.

Historical Context

UNDP-AFCIA was launched in 2021 as part of the Adaptation Innovation Marketplace (AIM) platform by UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. To date, it has granted 44 micro and small awards to locally-led organisations in 33 countries. A five-year impact report was published in January 2026. The programme is supported by the Adaptation Fund (USD 10 million) and the European Union (EUR 10 million).

Why it was added

grant-scan-2026-03-14-alternative-finance

Sources

• https://www.adaptation-undp.org/afcia

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