Accreditation
Partnering with GCF, Accredited Entities convert concepts into action. Learn more about accreditation and how your organisation can get accredited.
Overview
Access to GCF resources is through entities accredited by the GCF Board (Accredited Entities or AEs). To access funding, these institutions will go through a process of “accreditation,” designed to assess whether they are capable of strong financial management and of safeguarding funded projects and programmes. Accreditation is the initial part of the entire suite of GCF’s due diligence placed across an AE’s lifecycle of engagement with GCF, including accreditation screening, concept note and funding proposal review, monitoring, and project implementation and closure.
Organizations with specialized capacities in driving climate action may apply to become GCF Accredited Entities. They can be public, private, non-governmental, as well as sub-national, national, regional, or international bodies. Applicants should have clear, detailed and actionable climate change projects or programmes to present to GCF for mitigation and/or adaptation. They must also meet GCF fiduciary standards, environmental and social safeguards, and gender requirements.
Accredited Entities develop funding proposals for consideration by GCF and are responsible for overseeing, supervising, managing and monitoring their respective GCF-approved projects and programmes.
Role and responsibilities of AEs
AEs play a critical role for the delivery of financing to developing countries to meet national mitigation and adaptation priorities while also meeting relevant GCF standards and safeguards. AEs may serve as implementing entities and/or intermediaries in respect of GCFfunded activities. A diverse set of AEs provides recipient countries with a range of programming partners to meet their needs and priorities in addressing climate change. For more information on the role of AEs
please refer to the Section III of the Accreditation Framework.
The revised Accreditation Framework
At its 42nd meeting, the GCF Board approved the revised Accreditation Framework (RAF) as part of a comprehensive set of reforms to improve GCF’s accreditation model. The purpose of the revision is to make the framework more fit for purpose, transparent, responsive, and efficient, while increasing fairness and country ownership.
The RAF, together with the updated Monitoring and Accountability Framework (MAF), the Policy on Fees for Accreditation, and the revised approach to legal arrangements with accredited entities adopted under the same decision, modernizes the GCF’s accreditation model and strengthens the full partnership lifecycle between GCF and its AEs.
Key enhancements under the RAF
Screening requirements
Accreditation has been refocused as a fit-for-purpose institutional due diligence process. All AEs must meet the relevant fiduciary and environmental and social standards (ESS). Under the RAF, however, the accreditation process focuses on a defined sub-set of these standards and related policies known as “screening requirements” while other applicable standards and policies are now assessed during the project cycle. These represent a subset of GCF’s fiduciary standards, environmental and social safeguards (ESS), and other relevant policies.
Re-accreditation process repealed
The re-accreditation process for Accredited Entities, adopted through decision B.24/13, has been repealed, and the fixed, five-year accreditation term is no longer applicable. Accreditation is now granted for an indefinite period with AEs subject to compliance and funded activity monitoring in accordance with the updated MAF.
Specialised standards assessed during project review stage
Accredited Entities will no longer apply for, or be accredited against, specific specialized fiduciary standards such as grant award and funding allocation or on-lending and blending, or for a maximum project size. Instead, GCF will review these capacities later in the process, during project appraisal (concept note and/or funding proposal review), improving flexibility, alignment with country needs, and eliminating duplications in reviews.
Accreditation completion and confirmation
Previously, accreditation included signing and making effective an Accreditation Master Agreement (AMA). Now, the accreditation process under the RAF is considered complete once the GCF board approves an application, and accreditation is confirmed through a confirmation/certificate issued by the Secretariat.
Two accreditation cycles per year
Under the RAF, the accreditation process operates on two cycles each year. Each cycle includes a two-month application window and a nine-month review period by the Secretariat and Accreditation Panel, excluding applicant response time.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Effective date: Accreditation Framework, Policy on fees for accreditation, Updated Monitoring and Accountability Framework, revised approach to legal arrangements | 31 Oct 2025 |
| Pre-screening questionnaire is available at all times | 17 Nov 2025 |
| First window for application submissions opens | mid Jan 2026 |
| First new applicants under RAF | Jun/Jul 2026 (B.45) |
| The second window for application submissions opens | Jul 2026 |
| First new applicants under RAF | Oct/Nov 2026 (B.46) |
Expansion of fast-track programme
The fast-track accreditation process has been extended and updated under the RAF. The process, adopted through decision B.08/03, is applicable to entities accredited by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Adaptation Fund, and those that have been pillar assessed by the European Union’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (EU DG INTPA). It has been revised to align with the RAF screening requirements.
Eligibility for the fast-track accreditation process may also be expanded to other institutions with accreditation processes or due diligence systems that are aligned to the GCF fiduciary and/or environmental and social standards. Initially, entities such as the World Bank (WB) and African Development Bank (AfDB) were found to have areas of alignment in respect of some GCF fiduciary standards assessed under the screening requirements. Fast tracking the organizations that have successful and relevant experience with the WB and AfDB will be operationalized under RAF in 2026.
Revised fee structures
The updated Policy on Fees for Accreditation simplified the fee structure to promote cost recovery and make the cost of applying more equitable. It defines the payments required from entities seeking accreditation, taking into account the access modality of institutions. The fees paid by applicants are intended to partially cover the administrative costs incurred by GCF’s during the accreditation process. The policy also includes waivers for applicants from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to ensure fairness and inclusivity.
Standards & criteria
The RAF maintains GCF’s rigorous fiduciary standards, environmental and social safeguards (ESS), and other key policy requirements, including policies on gender. To enhance efficiency, the assessment of certain requirements is strategically distributed across GCF’s engagement lifecycle, including at the project review stage. This approach streamlines the process while upholding GCF’s commitment to robust, high-quality institutional due diligence.
For more information on these policies, visit policies and strategies section..
Updated Monitoring & Accountability Framework (MAF)
The updated MAF aims to strengthen GCF’s results-focused approach by introducing fit-for-purpose and adaptive monitoring processes that better align with the diverse contexts of Accredited Entities (AEs) and funded activities.
Revised approach to legal agreements
In its decision of B.42/13, paragraph (e), the Board adopted the revised approach to legal arrangements with accredited entities (the Revised Approach). The Revised Approach focuses on project implementation, with legal arrangements that are adaptable, risk-based, and, where possible, aligned with applicable market standards.