To help fill the significant climate finance gap in Africa, the African Development Fund (ADF) established a Climate Action Window under its 16th replenishment cycle and it is proactively rallying partners from the public and private sectors around its operationalization.

The resources mobilized under this dedicated Window will be allocated through three sub-windows:

• 75 % will finance Adaptation action in line with Africa’s most urgent priorities;
• 15 % will support Mitigation, and
• 10% will be used to deliver Technical Assistance

The Mitigation and Adaptation Investment Sub-windows will support projects across six thematic sectors: agriculture and food security; water security; climate information and early warning; green transport and infrastructure; green energy and energy efficiency; and green finance. The Technical Assistance component will help countries develop national climate policies and strategies, enhance the environment for climate investments, and prepare the way for investment-ready projects.

The Climate Action Window is unique in three respects. First, it will enhance the capacity of low-income African countries to efficiently attract quality climate finance from existing sources. Second, it will allocate most of its resources to adaptation. Third, it will offer a large grant component, minimizing the risk of debt distress due to climate investments.

The CAW is structured to accelerate climate action in Africa’s least developed countries, aligning projects with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. It is divided into three sub-windows: adaptation, mitigation, and technical assistance (TA), with funding allocated as follows: 75% for adaptation, 15% for mitigation, and 10% for TA. Each sub-window is rolled out through separate calls for proposals.

Following the launch of the Third Call for Proposals (CfP3) of the Climate Action Window (CAW) at COP 29, eligible beneficiaries are invited to apply for grant funding under the Technical Assistance (TA) Sub-window.

Objective :

The CAW’s Third Call for Proposals will focus on the Technical Assistance (TA) Sub-window, which aims to support project preparation, capacity building, and expanding green finance initiatives. The objective is to enhance the bankability of climate projects and promote the development of Paris-aligned strategies, such as Long-Term Strategies (LTSs), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). These projects should integrate gender considerations and target underserved and fragile communities.

Projects funded through the CfP3 Technical Assistance Sub-window of the CAW must be Paris-aligned, emphasizing readiness for climate finance and investment. The CAW will prioritize activities that remove barriers to project bankability, such as gaps in knowledge, technology, and capacity, or that prepare climate projects for implementation. Technical assistance should be the primary objective of the proposals.

This call for proposals represents an important step toward mobilizing resources for climate action in Africa, addressing critical preparation needs in key sectors such as agriculture, forestry, land use and fisheries; water access and wastewater management; energy access and renewable energy; transport and infrastructure; and green and sustainable finance.

Eligibility criteria : 

Who are the eligible beneficiaries?

External beneficiaries:

• Governments and government entities of ADF countries
• Regional or sub-regional intergovernmental bodies and other intergovernmental vehicles including climate centers, river basin organizations, regional economic communities.
• Non-sovereign entities (such as NGOs, Community Based Organizations and UN Agencies) that fulfil the eligibility criteria. Private sector entities are not eligible to apply for CAW funding.
• Proposals from consortia are allowed if all members of the consortium are eligible beneficiaries.

Internal beneficiaries:

• African Development Bank departments: Bank departments may submit proposals directly or may work with eligible external beneficiaries to support them in preparing high quality project proposals.

Countries concerned : 

Only the following 37 African countries are eligible to obtain CAW funding:

Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Can an NGO or CBO based outside of Africa apply?

Only NGOs or CBOs legally registered in Africa are eligible. If the headquarters of an NGO/CBO is registered outside of Africa but has a subsidiary/branch/office with legal registration in an African country, the subsidiary/branch/office is eligible to apply.

NGOs, CBOs will be asked to provide evidence of valid legal registration under the laws of the African country in which they operate, as well as evidence of a certificate to carry out development work in the African country in which they intend to carry out the activity (if different from the place of legal registration).

Application deadline :

February 05, 2025, at 23h59 (GMT).

Grant amount :

Financing for individual projects may range from US$ 260,000 but not exceed US$ 1,300,000 for Technical Assistance. Funding allocation decisions will be made based on recommendations from the Independent Evaluation Panel.

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