Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme (RPSP)
The Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme (Readiness Programme) supports country-led efforts to build institutional capacity, improve governance structures, and enhance planning and programming frameworks. All developing countries party to the UNFCCC are eligible to this support, with the aim of advancing a long-term, transformational climate action agenda. Support under the Readiness Programme is delivered through National Designated Authorities (NDAs) and/or focal points (FPs). As of February 24, 2025, there are a total of 812 Readiness Programme requests approved, covering a total of 142 countries and 656.7 million US dollars. The details of the Readiness Programme can be found in the “Readiness Strategy 2024-2027” published by GCF in October 2023.
The Readiness Programme has five objectives:
- Capacity Building: Establish human, technical, and institutional systems that enable developing countries to effectively engage with the GCF and pursue their climate goals.
- Strategic Frameworks: Develop and strengthen policy frameworks, sectoral expertise, and enabling environments to support effective GCF programming.
- Adaptation Planning: Support the development and implementation of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and related adaptation planning processes.
- Pipeline Development: Build a robust pipeline of high-quality concept notes and funding proposals, particularly from least developed countries (LDCs), small island developing States (SIDS), African States, and direct access accredited entities, aligned with strategic frameworks and entity work programmes.
- Knowledge Sharing and Learning: Promote the exchange of knowledge and lessons learned to support the design and implementation of low-carbon, climate-resilient development projects.
The amount of support for each purpose and the percentage of the total amount that are approved by 30 April, 2023 are shown in the table below.
| Readiness Programme objectives approved as part of the 2019-2021 readiness strategy | Actual spent 2014-2023, for completed grants | |
|---|---|---|
| Objective 1: Capacity-building [target: 10%] | USD 25.9 million | 38% |
| Objective 2: Strategic frameworks [target: 20%] | USD 22.7 million | 34% |
| Objective 3: NAP and the NAP process [target: 50%] | USD 11.9 million | 18% |
| Objective 4: Pipeline development [target: 50%] | USD 5.7 million | 8% |
| Objective 5: Knowledge-sharing and learning [target: 5%] | USD 1.4 million | 2% |
| Total | USD 67.6 million | 100% |
Source: GCF, Readiness Strategy 2024-2027
The individual tables reveal the weighting assigned by the GCF to each objective under the 2019–2021 Readiness Strategy and how the approved projects actually aligned with those priorities. While support for NAP and NAP processes was initially given the highest weighting at 50%, followed by strategic framework support, the largest share of approved funding was allocated to capacity-building initiatives—which originally had the fourth-highest weighting. NAP support, in practice, ranked third in terms of funding allocation. This suggests that the weightings served more as guidelines rather than strict targets, and that project approvals were ultimately influenced by a balance across countries and regions, with a strong emphasis on the quality of proposals. The table below presents the funding amounts and proportions allocated to each objective.
| GCF Readiness Programme: Theory of Change Statement |
|---|
| IF GCF provides support to countries and direct accessentities that is (1) based on strategic planning and deploying of readiness resources that reflects progressively strengthened and deepened capacities, (2) clearly focuses on enhancing capacities to successfully programme and implement climate investments, and (3) through streamlined modalities, objectives and processes increase speed, ease of access and predictability of readiness resources. |
| THEN developing countries will be better equipped to translate their nationally determined contributions, national adaptation plans and long-term strategies into low-emission, climate-resilient, catalytic investments to advance the implementation of the United Nations Frmework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement. |
| BECAUSE developing countries will have predictable resources for longer-term planning, simplified and responsive readiness support that addresses multiple challenges in a structured, coherent manner and support that is focused on the development of the necessary programming capacities and enabling environments to increase the flow of impactful, country-owned mitigation and adaptation investments ready for funding from a variety of sources of finance, including GCF. |
Source: GCF, Readiness Strategy 2024-2027
For the Readiness Programme, it is important to show the Theory of Change (ToC) Statement as indicated in the Strategy 2024-2027. The Theory of Change statement in the figure envisions that by 2027, developing countries will have strengthened their programming capacities and enabling environments to support the implementation of NDC, NAP and LTS. This includes improved investment planning and greater access to GCF resources, also contributing to advancing the implementation of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.
