Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme

Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme

The Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme (the Readiness Programme) is a key initiative established under the GCF Governing Instrument. It provides resources for capacity-building activities and technical assistance to enable countries to directly access GCF funds. Operational for nearly 10 years, the programme has supported countries in strengthening their institutional capacities, coordination mechanisms, and strategic frameworks, including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), to develop climate action agendas.

Readiness support is provided to countries through National Designated Authorities (NDAs) and/or focal points (FPs). Readiness funding can also be deployed to strengthen Direct Access Entities.

Building on the successes and lessons learned over the past years, the GCF has revised the Readiness Strategy 2024-2027 to align with the broader GCF Strategic Plan for 2024-2027 .

Readiness Photo

The new GCF Strategy has simplified how developing countries can access support for climate action over a four-year period.

There are two main support modalities:

1. Country Support Modality

Countries can receive up to USD 7 million over four years to:

  • Strengthen national climate planning and institutions
  • Develop and implement climate policies and projects
  • Prepare and implement National Adaptation Plans (NAPs)
  • Share knowledge and improve coordination across government

This funding is flexible and allows countries to submit one or more proposals for integrated planning and capacity building. Funding can be delivered by national or international partners, chosen based on expertise.

2. Direct Access Entity (DAE) Support Modality

National organizations (DAEs) can receive up to USD 1 million to:

  • Complete GCF accreditation
  • Strengthen their ability to design and implement climate projects
  • Improve reporting and safeguards (e.g., gender, social inclusion, environment)

DAEs can request this funding directly, in coordination with their governments, through strategic, long-term proposals.

Readiness Support for North Macedonia

Readiness project # 1: "Support for the management of an effective national coordinative mechanism regarding the Green Climate Fund”

  • Readiness area: NDA Strengthening and Country Programming
  • Implementation period: September 2018 - October 2019
  • Status: Completed

In 2017 the Republic of North Macedonia through its NDA requested an initial grant from the GCF Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme (the Readiness Programme). The project “Support for the management of an effective national coordinative mechanism regarding the Green Climate Fund” implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as GCF Accredited Entity, under the guidance of the NDA, aims at enhancing country ownership and strengthening the institutional capacities of the NDA to efficiently engage with the Fund.

The project focuses on strengthening the institutional capacities of the NDA to effectively fulfill its roles and responsibilities related to the GCF, to create needed national participatory and stakeholder engagement processes, and to initiate preparation of a GCF Country Work Programme, aligned with the national adaptation and mitigation priorities, the Sustainable Development Goals and the GCF investment criteria.


Achieved outcomes:


  • Raised awareness and understanding of relevant stakeholders about the GCF and the Readiness process in the country;
  • Established country coordination mechanism and stakeholder consultative processes led by the NDA;
  • Priority sectors for climate action identified and criteria established for prioritizing project proposals developed in North Macedonia for GCF funding;
  • Established ‘no objection’procedure to guarantee country ownership of GCF climate projects;
  • Developed initial procedure for the monitoring, oversight and streamlining of climate finance in North Macedonia;
  • Raised awareness among national stakeholders on the Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) and gender standards to meet the GCF requirements;

Project Factsheet
North Macedonia
2020

Readiness project # 2: “Strengthening country capacities for climate change adaptation and mitigation and finalization of Country Work Programme for the Republic of North Macedonia”

  • Readiness area: NDA Strengthening, Country programming, Direct access to climate finance, Climate finance accessed
  • Implementation period: June 2020 - December 2021

This was the second project of the Republic of North Macedonia under the Green Climate Fund Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme, implemented by FAO under guidance and leadership of the Cabinet of the Deputy President of the Government of North Macedonia, as National Designated Authority (NDA) to the GCF. The project was based on the progress achieved under the country’s first GCF Readiness project implemented in 2019, particularly on the discussions to develop a system for tracking, monitoring and streamlining climate finance in North Macedonia, and on the development of a National Coordination Mechanism on GCF and other climate finance matters and the prioritization procedure for GCF proposals in the country.


Achieved outcomes:

  • The first GCF Country Work Programme of North Macedonia was developed and submitted to the GCF. It includes a pipeline of country-led projects addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation actions in the priority sectors, aligned to the broader national development and climate finance priorities, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the GCF investment criteria.
  • Based on the progress achieved under the first Readiness grant, a Procedure for Tracking, Monitoring and Streamlining of Public Climate Finance was drafted and piloted as proposed mid-term solution, until a national climate budget tagging is introduced.
  • Capacities of the NDA and different national stakeholders on strategic engagement with the GCF were strengthened, with a particular attention on increasing the private sector engagement in innovation and investments for climate action in the country’s priority sectors.
  • The project supported transferring knowledge and experience at institutional level regarding the GCF accreditation process to enable the country to directly access the GCF. This included identifying and prioritizing the most potential national institutions for GCF accreditation. As a first step, the Government nominated the Fund of Innovation and Technology Development (FITD) to be the first national entity to initiate the GCF accreditation process.

Project Factsheet
North Macedonia
2022

Readiness project # 3: "Building capacity towards sustainable human capital development in North Macedonia’’

  • Recipient country: North Macedonia
  • Project budget: USD 820 076
  • Delivery partner: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
  • Readiness area: Capacity building; Strategic frameworks
  • Implementation period: February 2022 - February 2025
  • Status: Completed

This GCF Readiness project was implemented by GIZ, under the guidance and leadership of the Office of the President of the Government of North Macedonia, as National Designated Authority for the GCF. It complemented the previous and ongoing readiness efforts by targeting human capital development through a sectoral approach. More specifically, the project supported building the capacities and creating an evidence-based and enabling environment in the health, education, and labor & social protection sectors, which deal with the socially vulnerable and marginalized groups that are often overlooked in climate change agenda and finance, aiming to address lack of consistent and transparent data and low levels of climate change mainstreaming into the three specified sectors.


Achieved outcomes:


  • Strengthened capacity of the NDA and the Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC) to guide and advise on climate finance and project implementation with an integrated dimension of sustainable development of human capital.
  • Enhanced capacities and coordination of the key ministries (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy) relevant public institutions, civil society, academia and private sector with regard to mainstreaming climate change aspects in the health, labor & social protection and education sectors.
  • Enhanced data, knowledge and policy frameworks to support decarbonization of the health sector; integration of climate change at different levels in the education systems; and promotion and integration of climate / green jobs into state employment programmes and incentives.

Readiness Project #4: “’Strengthening capacities and developing strategic frameworks for building low carbon and climate resilient society in the Republic of North Macedonia’”


This Readiness project aims at enhancing the institutional capacity of public and private institutions in North Macedonia to ensure the long-term and sustained coordination, design and implementation of projects in support of low-emission and climate resilient development of the country. This will be achieved through introducing tools to support institutional knowledge as well as continuous capacity development of the NDA and the members of the GCF country coordination mechanism. The project will ensure the strategic involvement of the private sector in climate action, build the capacity of a direct access entity and support the identification and development of good quality project ideas and concepts that are reflected in and in line with the updated GCF Country Work Programme.

Expected outcomes:
  • • The NDA and the networks/systems that enable it to fulfill its roles, responsibilities, and policy requirements are operational and effective.
  • • Direct access applicants and accredited entities (DAEs) have established the capacity to meet and maintain the GCF’s accreditation standards; accredited DAEs also have the capacity to develop a pipeline of projects and effectively implement GCF-funded activities.
  • • The GCF Country Work Programme, reflecting North Macedonia’s development priorities and national climate strategies, is updated; it is endorsed by the GCF Country Coordination Committee (CIC) and nationally endorsed by the Government.
  • • High-quality national project concept notes for prioritized climate change interventions are developed and submitted to the GCF.

Readiness Project #5: “Improving Resilience in North Macedonia by Integrating Adaptation into Planning Processes”

  • Recipient country: North Macedonia
  • Project budget: USD 1,946,505
  • Delivery partner: United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
  • Readiness area: Adaptation planning
  • Approved: October 2024. Duration: 3 years
  • Status: Implementation

This Readiness project will support North Macedonia in developing its first National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to better respond to climate change impacts like heatwaves, drought, and water stress. The plan will focus on five priority sectors: transport, agriculture, water, forestry, and cultural heritage. It will involve national and local institutions, civil society, youth, and the private sector to ensure inclusive planning. Special attention will be given to gender equality and the needs of vulnerable groups. The project will gather data on climate risks, apply a nexus approach to link sectors, and set up a system to track progress. Once finalized, the NAP will be validated nationally and submitted to the UN, helping guide long-term, transparent climate action.

Expected outcomes:
  • • Adaptation planning governance and institutional coordination strengthened
  • • Evidence basis produced to design adaptation solutions for maximum impact
  • • Private sector engagement in adaptation catalyzed
  • • Climate change adaptation in the country advanced

„Support from the GCF to enhance capacities to access climate finance“

As part of the national efforts to achieve low-carbon economy and climate resilient development, the Cabinet of the Deputy President of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, acting as the National Designated Authority (NDA) to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), received support from the GCF to enhance capacities to access climate finance.


The support included:


1. Economic risk assessment for the agricultural sector involving analysis of potential costs and benefits of climate change effects on the agricultural sector including:

  • Creating an overview of the economic risks associated with climate change;
  • Development of project concepts to support climate change adaptation in the agriculture sector;
  • Development of financial and economic models / tools which could be used to analyse investments / feed into Annexes of GCF project proposals or other funding proposals.

2. Support to the prioritization of projects for the selection of projects, which involves:

  • Using already established criteria for ranking potential GCF projects to evaluate the potential /level of priority of projects for agriculture sector adaptation and for energy sector mitigation.
  • Estimation of climate financing needs based on these project ideas.

3. Capacity assessment for climate information services being undertaken to gain an in-depth understanding of the current situation regarding Climate Information Services (CIS) in North Macedonia, to identify the knowledge and information gaps and to propose recommendations on how to address these gaps. The capacity assessment will be based on the framework for assessment of capacities adopted by the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) and will focus on the following key questions:

  • Who are the main users of the climate information services and what climate information services do they use?
  • What do the users need from the climate information services to maximize investments and address vulnerabilities?
  • What specific components can the National Hydro-meteorological Service provide at present?
  • What other institutions play a relevant role in the provision of meteorological and hydrological services?
  • What are the gaps and opportunities for improvement?

This support programme was implemented from February 2020 to September 2020.

Contacts

Office of the President of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia
National Designated Authority (NDA)/Focal Point for interaction with the Green Climate Fund

  Mr. Dame Dimitrovski, Primary Focal Point for interaction with the Green Climate Fund, Special Advisor to the President of the Government of Republic of North Macedonia

  Ms. Sandra Andovska, Secondary Focal Point for interaction with the Green Climate Fund, Head of Department for Regional and Sustainable Development

Green Development North Macedonia

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