instructions-for-applying-for-the-readiness-package-grant

Instructions for applying for the Readiness Package grant

Under the Readiness Package grant, developing countries that do not yet have an accredited NIE may receive support from an Intermediary that is an accredited NIE of the Adaptation Fund to undertake the following activities:

• Support to the DA to nominate a suitable NIE candidate to navigate the accreditation process of the Fund. This includes workshops, meetings and other relevant stakeholder consultations as relevant.
• In-country support by the intermediary to an NIE candidate for the preparation of an application for accreditation. This includes travel to the candidate country and on-site support and travel of NIE candidate staff to the intermediary host country.
• Technical support through experts to develop and/or put in place policies, procedures and other institutional arrangements to support the accreditation process with the Fund. Whilst the experts could provide support for the development of policies, procedures and institutional arrangements for accreditation, it is the responsibility of the NIE candidate to demonstrate how such policies, procedures and institutional arrangements have been applied in order to meet the accreditation requirements.
• Organization of local, national or regional consultations/workshops to assist in the preparation of applications for accreditations from several NIE candidates. The costs set aside in this case could include travel and accommodation costs for the participants and other workshop related costs.
• Following consultations between the intermediary and NIE candidate, at the time of submission of the grant proposal, a portion of the grant should be set aside to provide further in-country or remote support to address and respond to feedback provided by the AP during assessment of the NIE candidate application for accreditation.

It is expected that implementation of a combination of the above activities through peer support delivered through South-South Cooperation (SSC) will effectively lead to obtaining accreditation with the Fund in the shortest possible time. Such SSC could also help build national capacity and sustainability.

When completing the grant application, and in consultation with the recipient country(ies), accredited NIEs should describe the activities to be undertaken to support the accreditation of NIE candidate(s) in the target country(ies) and provide the estimated budget to implement such activities.

Eligibility and selection criteria to engage in South-South Cooperation for the Readiness Package Grant

All developing country Parties to the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that wish to have an NIE accredited with the Fund are eligible to receive the Readiness Package grant, including those that had previously accessed the SSC grant. The grant is available as a once off grant per country.

Eligibility to receive accreditation support

All applicants should meet the following criteria:

In cases where the DA has not yet identified a suitable NIE candidate/applicant to navigate the accreditation process of the Fund:

• The country must be a developing country Party to the Kyoto Protocol or Paris Agreement that does not have an NIE accredited with the Fund;

In cases where an NIE candidate/applicant has already been identified:

• The NIE candidate must be located in a developing country Party to the Kyoto Protocol or Paris Agreement that does not have an NIE accredited with the Fund;
• The country of the NIE candidate must have a Designated Authority (DA) to the Adaptation Fund;

All Readiness Package Grant proposals must be submitted together with a letter of endorsement by the DA of the NIE candidate country seeking accreditation with the Fund.

Eligibility to provide Intermediary services

The NIE intermediary should have tangible achievements with the Fund in programming adaptation finance through the preparation and implementation of concrete adaptation projects and programmes and should demonstrate experience providing peer support through either the Adaptation Fund or autonomously to other countries to access climate finance. Accessing the Readiness Package through an intermediary that is an accredited NIE of the Fund is encouraged to strengthen SSC and learning between NIEs.

All Intermediaries have to meet the following eligibility criteria:

(i) must currently have an “Accredited” status with the Adaptation Fund

(ii) must have experience advising or organizing support relevant to accreditation or capacity building to institutions, organizations or other entities in developing countries at the national, sub-national or local level to receive climate finance for adaptation projects and programmes

(iii) must have experience implementing a concrete Adaptation Fund project or programme and have submitted at least one project performance report (PPR), hence demonstrating commitment to adhere to the fund’s fiduciary standards, operational policies and guidelines

Record of request for support on behalf of the government

When submitting the grant application(s), Intermediaries must provide a letter on behalf of the government that has the NIE candidate that will navigate the Fund’s accreditation process, duly signed by the country’s Designated Authority to the Adaptation Fund. In cases where an intermediary submits proposals for NIE candidates from different countries, then each proposal should be accompanied by a letter of endorsement by the DA of each country that will receive support.

Implementation arrangements

The intermediary should ensure to have undertaken an initial assessment or dialogue with the NIE candidate/applicant and/or DA that includes a discussion of the Adaptation Fund accreditation application form and for clear articulation of initially identified gaps, the methods to fill in such gaps, and expected timeframe for the NIE candidate to meet the related accreditation criteria and obtain accreditation with the Fund.

The intermediary will be responsible for implementation of the readiness package grant and management of all aspects of procurement, financial and non-financial reporting, including submission of a final completion report to the secretariat. Upon approval of the grant proposal by the Board, the intermediary would execute the readiness package and deliver on-the-ground support and technical assistance to the NIE candidate seeking accreditation with the Fund. The intermediary would manage the day to day activities of delivering capacity and technical support for the NIE candidate to navigate the accreditation process. This includes among other things, procurement, contracting and management of experts/consultants and the delivery of specific outputs and products as agreed together with the secretariat

Upon approval of the grant proposal by the Adaptation Fund Board, the NIE candidate would be expected to drive the process of its accreditation and to work with the intermediary to put in place the necessary institutional arrangements, policies, procedures and capacities to adequately meet the requirements of the Fund’s accreditation criteria and process. This includes making the necessary management decisions, inter-departmental/organizational coordination, and availing the necessary human and financial resources to actively drive the accreditation process within the entity. The NIE candidate will be responsible for submitting its own complete application for accreditation to the secretariat and will ultimately be responsible for the application process.

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