Nordic Climate Facility

Organizational profile: The Nordic Climate Facility (NCF) is a challenge fund set up in 2009 to finance early-stage climate change projects in developing countries. NCF aims to build a portfolio of innovative business concepts which have been tested, proved viable and are ready to be scaled-up and replicated. NCF is financed and managed by the Nordic Development Fund (NDF). NDF is the joint development finance institution of the five Nordic countries i.e. Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. 

Financing Instrument: Grants

Project scale: NCF project ideas can receive a grant between €250,000 and €500,000.

Recipient countries regions/country groups: NCF can finance projects in the following 21 countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Bolivia, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Recipient categories: Eligible applicants must be registered legal entities, such as for-profit companies and organisations, non-profit organisations and social entreprises, civil society organisations (CSOs), and research institutes and universities.

Eligibility Criteria:  NCF finances innovative climate change projects in developing countries. 

Application guidelines: NCF financing is allocated on a competitive basis with calls for proposals arranged annually. The NCF application process is a two-stage process with a concept note and full proposal. The application in the concept note stage is intended to be brief, focusing on the fulfilment of the basic eligibility criteria as well as the following key aspects: business concept viability, climate change relevance, development impact and innovativeness. The highest scoring concept note proposals will be invited to submit a detailed full proposal, including a detailed project budget and a project specific results framework. After the final evaluation, selection of shortlisted projects and a due diligence process, NDF will approve the final shortlist and grant agreement negotiations will commence between the lead Nordic partner and NDF. Approximately 20-25 project proposals will be shortlisted at the concept note stage and invited to submit full proposals. The aim is to finance between 12 and 15 projects per call.