Country readiness

Overview of the Readiness Programme

The Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme (the Readiness Programme) supports country-driven initiatives by developing countries to strengthen their institutional capacities, governance mechanisms, and planning and programming frameworks towards a transformational long-term climate action agenda.

The Readiness Programme provides grants and technical assistance to National Designated Authorities (NDAs) and/or focal points (FPs). Readiness funding can also be deployed to strengthen Direct Access Entities. The objective is to enhance the capacity of national institutions to efficiently engage with GCF. Dedicated readiness funding may also assist countries in undertaking adaptation planning and developing strategic frameworks to build their programming with GCF.

All developing country Parties to the UNFCCC can access the Readiness Programme. GCF aims at least 50 per cent of the readiness support goes to particularly vulnerable countries, including Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and African States.

Data on this page as of  30 April 2024

Readiness: A new approach

GCF’s Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme (the Readiness Programme) has approved USD 627.3 million to 142 countries over the past 10 years since the programme started operations. Through it, GCF has supported countries to strengthen their institutional capacities, coordination  mechanisms and planning and programming frameworks (including NDCs and NAPs) to build transformational climate action agendas.

Managing the world’s largest climate action capacity building program has taught us many lessons. GCF has welcomed and valued your feedback, and we are now beginning the rollout of a new approach to Readiness. We’ve communicated that it’s coming previously: the new 2024-2027 Readiness Strategy was adopted at B.37 (our Board meeting in October 2023), and we have held consultations with countries and partners over the past year. The new strategy and its operational modalities build on the successes and lessons from implementation in the past years, representing a transition to a programmatic approach to readiness.

Over the next few months, we will be hosting webinars, sending out information to our network of contacts (NDAs, focal points, active observers, AEs and DAEs), and operationalising the new modalities. It is a work in progress, and we will keep this page updated so that you know where we are up to. We expect that the new modalities will be fully operational and supported by appropriate systems by end of 2024. In the meantime, we encourage you to work out how you plan to utilise readiness resources under the three key objectives, in close collaboration with the Secretariat.

We know that countries and partners have sometimes implemented new guidance from GCF that has then changed again. This has required a lot of effort and re-learning on your part. We want to assure you that the new Readiness approach, whilst in its infancy, is long-term.

It responds to your concerns, and observations about what is working and what wasn’t. In developing it, we’ve held the following principles close:

1. GCF must become simpler and easier to access. We want to reduce  transaction costs and time to access readiness support. That’s why we are moving from a yearly grant cycle to a 4-year programming cycle. This improves funding predictability with 4-year budget allocations. It promotes systems thinking in addressing capacity gaps and encourages a structured progression path to 'being ready'.
2. GCF exists to support countries in tackling climate challenges and meeting global climate objectives under the Climate Convention and the Paris Agreement and, to originate and manage your own climate action priorities. Readiness will now more intentionally support national coordination when designing, requesting, and implementing readiness support. Countries will be able to design specific terms of reference and then competitively appoint the most qualified and best suited delivery partners (DPs) from a list of pre-qualified specialist service providers. We will put the latter in place to cut procurement timelines and provide fast access to the world’s top-tier expertise and fit-for-purpose experience, including from local service providers, leaving the ultimate choice to countries and entities.
3. Ensuring that we add value and utilise readiness resources efficiently and impactfully. Readiness is a programming tool. The new modalities are intentional about supporting the development and impact of country programmes. That’s why 60% of the Readiness funding will be dedicated to building a country-originated investment pipeline to unlock finance from GCF .
4. Growing local capacity and expertise. We know that local capacity is important to effective ideation, programming and implementation. That’s why GCF will provide an option to request placement of a GCF expect directly within a country agency.
5. Moving beyond one size fits all. As the world’s largest climate fund, we’ve been devoted to ensuring the public funds we’re entrusted with have been disbursed as quickly as possible. Over the next few months, we will also consider specific contexts and environments that will benefit from a more tailored, bespoke approach.
6. Growing in our understanding. GCF has a critical role to play in sharing what is working and not in climate action capacity building. That’s why a portion of readiness funding will be provided to countries and DAEs to share their own knowledge and experience, to contribute towards better outcomes for all.

The new Readiness approach will focus on three main objectives:

1. Effective country-led climate finance coordination and sequencing for countries’ climate investment planning and execution, including strengthening the enabling environment. The readiness portfolio target is set at 30% to provide fit-for-purpose support that lays the foundations for country programming capacities and direct access;
2. Strong focus on paradigm-shifting pipeline development and implementation of adaptation and mitigation initiatives. The readiness portfolio target is set at 60% to signal the reorientation to programming capacities and direct access, and to ensure adequate resources;,and
3. Better use of knowledge-sharing and learning  for capacity-building, particularly for solving climate challenges that are common and shared by neighbouring countries and peer stakeholders. The readiness portfolio target is set at 10% to encourage  laser-sharp focus on impactful and carefully crafted activities.

Countries will be able to access a total envelope of up to USD 7 million per country over 4 years for integrated planning and implementation of adaptation and mitigation measures. This includes the previously available NAP formulation support, available to countries that have not yet fully utilized it. Further, LDCs and SIDs will have access to an additional USD 320,000 over 4 years. In addition, countries will be able to access up to USD 3 million for NAP implementation, if the main envelope has less than USD 250,000 remaining in committed funds and based on mutually agreed clear need and demonstrable impact on NAP implementation. DAEs will be able to access a total envelope of up to USD 1 million over 4 years.

Opportunities to learn more

Periodic information sessions

Next webinar: to be confirmed for the start of June 2024. The announcement will be made here.

Soft launch of the operational modalities for the Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme

April 2024

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) held the virtual soft launch of the operational modalities for the Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme. The session provided an overview of the implementation details of the readiness strategy for 2024-2027, with the objective of initiating and piloting approaches that facilitate learning and refinement in the first year. The soft launch was conducted at two different times to accommodate the participation of representatives from National Designated...

FAQs

Coming soon! FAQs will be posted here shortly.