In 2019, the Adaptation Fund launched the Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA I) to foster innovation in adaptation in developing countries at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Madrid.
Two of the Adaptation Fund’s accredited Multilateral Implementing Entities (MIEs), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), were selected as implementing entities of the AFCIA. The Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) works in conjunction with UNEP, and received USD 5 million to administrate and aggregate 25 micro-grants projects (up to USD 250,000 each).
The primary objective of AFCIA I, administrated by UNEP-CTCN, is to support developing countries to test, evaluate, roll out and scale up innovative adaptation practices, products and technologies. Based on technical assistance services, 25 micro-grants projects have been implemented to enhance climate resilience and adapt to climate change in developing countries. Moreover, the AFCIA has facilitated knowledge sharing and the exchange of best practice, strengthening opportunities of South-South and triangular cooperation on innovation in adaptation among the countries.
Adaptation innovation and associated sectors
The following three elements were considered in identifying and assessing innovation in adaptation technologies.
* Soft technology: capacity and processes involved in the use of technology, knowledge and skills, etc.
Innovation in adaptation technology – 3 elements
Example of adaptation sectors in the AFCIA includes:
Sectors of adaptation technologies
Innovative approaches to support developing countries to pursue their strategies for climate change adaptation (e.g. ecosystem-based adaptation, urban adaptation, water and sanitation, etc.) and/or address their challenges to environmental resilience (e.g. natural disaster risk management, COVID-19 pandemic, etc.) were implemented through the AFCIA I.
Eligibility
The AFCIA I has provided small grants to developing countries to support innovation for effective, long-term adaptation to climate change and is part of the Adaptation Fund’s Innovation Facility (please click here for more information). Since 2020, UNEP-CTCN has conducted technical assistance and implemented micro-grants projects in developing countries on a competitive basis.
The eligible countries in the AFCIA included developing countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and Caribbean under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which do not have National Implementing Entities (NIEs) accredited with the Adaptation Fund (approximately 113 countries in total). Among them, priority were given to Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). A list of eligible countries including LDCs and SIDS is presented below:
| Category | Country (alphabetical order) |
|
LDCs (30) |
Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Yemen, Zambia |
|
SIDS (25) |
Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Cabo Verde, Cuba, Dominica, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago |
|
Both LDCs and SIDS (8) |
Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Sao Tome and Principe, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu |
|
Other (50) |
Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Congo, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, State of Palestine, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Viet Nam |
For developing countries with the Adaptation Fund’s accredited NIEs, the Adaptation Fund provides an innovation grant funding window, and more information can be found by clicking here.
Application process
There were three opportunities to submit an application (technology concept) to UNEP-CTCN since 2020.
In that process, an applicant (e.g. government, non-governmental organisation, community group, young innovator and other groups) filled out a Technology Concept Submission Form (English, Spanish or French version) in close consultation with its national focal points to the Adaptation Fund (Designated Authority) and the CTCN (National Designated Entity, NDE).
The application was endorsed by the Designated Authority and the NDE of the country prior to official submission and the NDE submitted the application.
Management of the AFCIA
The same operation and management process of the CTCN technical assistance was adopted in the AFCIA. Overview of the innovation micro-grants mechanism for 5 years has included:
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Submission of technology concepts (technical assistance requests in the CTCN technical assistance process) from developing countries
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Selection of 30 technology concepts and development of associated project concept notes (technical assistance response plans in the CTCN technical assistance process)
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Selection of 25 project concept notes for implementation of micro-grants projects (technical assistance in the CTCN technical assistance process)
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Selection of Network Members of the CTCN to implement 25 micro-grants projects in collaboration with stakeholders of developing countries
Innovation micro-grants mechanism
Below is a list of what the selection process entailed:
1. Submission of technology concepts
2. Selection of technology concepts
Evaluation criteria used in screening technical assistance requests in the CTCN technical assistance process were adopted, selecting the top-scoring technology concepts in each round. An additional point was given to the technology concept submitted by LDCs and SIDS, and the regional balance (Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and Caribbean) is taken into account in selecting technology concepts.
3. Development of project concept notes
30 project concept notes in total were developed by selected Network Members of the CTCN. They were endorsed by the NDE (or NDEs) of the country (or countries) prior to final submission to UNEP-CTCN. The scope of activities that the selected Network Members of the CTCN carry out includes:
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Initial scoping assessment (adaptation needs & gaps in the sector, feasibility of the proposed technologies)
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Stakeholder consultations (including youth and gender representatives) on the proposed technologies
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Development of the draft project concept note including a list of activities and deliverables
4. Selection of project concept notes
25 project concept notes in total were selected to implement the micro-grants projects. The same evaluation criteria applied in selecting technology concepts were used, selecting the top-scoring project concept notes in each round.
5. Implementation of micro-grants projects
Open tender process proceeded to select Network Members of the CTCN implementing the micro-grants projects. The monitoring and evaluation (M&E) strategy for the micro-grants projects included:
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(Beginning period) Detailed work plan, M&E plan and impact statement, and minute of inception meeting
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(Implementation period) Deliverables (e.g. report, dataset, etc.) of each activity
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(End period) Project closure report
6. Timeline of the innovation micro-grants mechanism
Draft timeline of the innovation micro-grants mechanism
Download template for the technology concept (application) English version
Download template for the technology concept (application) Spanish version
Download template for the technology concept (application) French version