Project Development Facility

The Project Development Facility has three broad blocks of project preparation resources, each with a ceiling for funding. The objective of a PDF is to ensure that:

• Small amounts of funds are utilized carefully for promising but essentially high risk ventures in a first stage, without unnecessarily committing large resources
• Funding increases for project preparation in parallel with the likelihood that the proposed project will be included in the work program for approval by Council.

PDF Block A. These are preparatory grants used at the very early stages of project or program identification and cover in-country expenditures. Approval of individual Block A grants rests with the Implementing Agencies, in conjunction with the national government. Implementing Agencies are responsible for ensuring that submissions are for eligible countries and activities, and correspond to the strategic and operational priorities of the GEF. Block A proposals are circulated to the other Implementing Agencies, the Secretariat, and STAP for comments within a 5-day period. The Implementing Agencies report the approved Block A proposals to the Secretariat on a quarterly basis.

PDF Block B. These are preparatory grants that are considered for projects or programs which are already clearly identified. Proposals are expected to fit clearly into the GEF's operational strategy and to be considered technically, scientifically, and environmentally feasible. Grants should support tasks associated with the completion of project or program preparation leading up to approval by the Council and subsequent appraisal. Each Block B funding proposal is submitted by an Implementing Agency or Executing Agency under the policy of expanded opportunities.

PDF Block C. These are preparatory grants normally limited to projects which have been approved by Council, and for which all pre-conditions of project preparation have been met, including national consultations, technical and engineering pre-feasibility work, and country commitment. However, these projects may be large scale projects which require considerable technical design and engineering feasibility work. Each Block C proposal is submitted by an Implementing Agency or Executing Agency under the policy of expanded opportunities.

Learn more about these funding options