Call for Proposals: The Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator for climate adaptation innovations (up to USD 150,000 in support awarded)

Ednah Carrick 4 weeks ago

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Closing Date: 7 October 2026

Call for Proposals: The Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator for climate adaptation innovations (up to USD 150,000 in support awarded)

The United Nations Climate Technology Centre & Network (CTCN) has launched a new Call for Proposals under the Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA), supporting transformative and locally led climate adaptation innovations across the region.

The Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA) is seeking innovative climate adaptation solutions from across the Asia Pacific region.

The call for proposals will be open until 7 October. All countries in the region are eligible, but Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States are especially encouraged to apply. Through the AFCIA programme, UN CTCN provides technical assistance to organisations developing innovative approaches to climate adaptation. The programme focuses on supporting transformative and locally led solutions solutions.

Up to 10 projects will be selected through the new regional call. Each project can receive up to USD 150,000 in technical assistance support for piloting innovative climate adaptation solutions. Projects that can demonstrate excellence in innovation and sustainability will be prioritized. Rather than transferring grants directly, UN CTCN’s programme provides technical assistance support designed to strengthen institutional capacity, facilitate knowledge sharing, and connect projects with specialised expertise and resources.

Modalities

Through AFCIA, UN CTCN provides technical assistance (TA), not grants. Consequently, applicants should be requesting technical support rather than direct funding. The budget available for each TA will be awarded to a UN CTCN Network Partner (more than 1,000) through a competitive bidding process following UN rules and procedures.

Example: You are a private-sector entity, a university, an NGO, a government institution, or another body with an initiative that aims to address climate adaptation hazards. Your entity faces technical, technological barriers and you are looking for support to understand the root of the problem (diagnose), identify solutions (benchmark), pilot the innovation (procurement) and monitor the impact (generate evidence).

UN CTCN’s AFCIA programme could support you in:
a) identifying a partner that has the expertise and capability to help you. This partner, selected through a UN bidding process, will receive the budget to conduct diagnosis, benchmarking, procurement and monitoring of the improvement.
b) benefitting from an operational system at the end of the TA.

Governmental engagement

The UN CTCN modalities for AFCIA funding require endorsement of the request by a National Designated Entity (NDEs) and the Adaptation Fund Designated Authority (AF DA).While endorsement from the NDE and/or AF DA is encouraged at the time of submission, it is not mandatory. For promising requests aligned with the four pillars — adaptation, innovation, financial sustainability, and National Systems of Innovation — UN CTCN may seek endorsement directly if it has not yet been provided. Only requests endorsed by both the NDE and AF DA will be considered eligible.

Who Can Apply?

Organizations based in eligible developing countries in Asia and the Pacific that have officially nominated a NDE to the UN Climate Change Technology Mechanism. Eligible applicants include governmental institutions, universities, research centres, NGOs, private-sector entities, and other organizations. LDCs and SIDS are especially encouraged to apply. The programme seeks projects that demonstrate:

Innovation in climate adaptation
Sustainability and scalability
Strong local impact and institutional strengthening

Application Process

Before completing an application, you must read carefully the guiding questions and selection criteria, which can be found here.
After reading these documents, please complete the template below and send it to UN CTCN at: [email protected]

Application template
Within 6 months after the closure, the list of the successful partners, project titles, and goals will be published. Applications must be received before 23:59 time in Denmark on October 7th 2026