ASIF is a 5-year program to support 100+ SMEs globally to build, validate, and accelerate solutions that help climate-vulnerable communities adapt and thrive.
Most climate finance still flows to mitigation. Yet the communities most exposed to floods, droughts, heatwaves and rising seas are also the least funded. The Adaptation SMEs Innovation Facility (ASIF) exists to close that gap by backing the entrepreneurs building practical adaptation solutions for those communities.
Over five years, ASIF will support 100+ SMEs to develop, deploy and scale innovations that strengthen the resilience of at least 70,000 climate-vulnerable people, half of whom are women. We pay particular attention to founders integrating AI into their solutions: both AI-first companies (those who provide AI-based services), and AI-embedded (those who use AI to sharpen design, testing and operations) across sectors like agriculture, water, energy and supply chains.
Three quick questions to match you with the program that fits where your company is today. Answers stay on this page, nothing is submitted.
Where you are in your journey decides which program fits. Both run regional cohorts in Africa, Latin America and Asia.
Have a prototype but haven't tested it with real users yet.
Have a product in market and a credible path to scaling adaptation impact.
You can express interest at any time and will be notified when the application window for your region and program is active. Below: all 12 cohorts across the life of the facility.
How focus areas work: Each cohort focuses on one of ASIF’s focus areas (below), chosen based on what’s most critical for the region at that time. Focus areas are confirmed roughly one month before each application window opens.
Takes less than 2 minutes · No commitment required
Every cohort works in one of these areas. ASIF does not currently support solutions outside this list, and excludes any work involving fossil fuels, weapons, harmful labour practices, or other categories listed in the exclusion criteria. You can view these in the FAQs.
Know a founder who should apply? Refer them in 2 minutes — we’ll reach out to invite them.
Six of the most common questions we get. The full list is on the FAQ page.
You must be located in a country eligible for Adaptation Fund support across Africa, Asia or Latin America. This is a defined list of developing countries that are Parties to the Kyoto Protocol or Paris Agreement and have a Designated Authority (DA) for the Adaptation Fund. The full list of eligible countries is available on the Adaptation Fund’s Designated Authorities page. If your country has a DA listed, then you are eligible.
No. ASIF aims for cohorts that are roughly half AI-first companies and half AI-embedded companies. If you’re not currently using AI, that’s fine, you’ll learn how to use it during the Ignite cohort to validate your product faster. The bar is that you’re willing to engage with AI tools, not that you’ve built with them.
Yes. We assess whether the team can deliver on the solution, not whether it ticks a particular composition. Solo founders, non-technical founders, and small teams are all eligible. The Ignite cohort, with workshops, peer support and specialist office hours, is designed to compensate for capacity gaps that a small team faces. Similar for Propel, the venture-building will be tailored to support your needs.
We target cohorts that are at least 40% women in leadership positions, 35% of those being women-led or co-led across both Ignite and Propel. We run targeted outreach for women founders in every region, and Ignite workshops can be recorded to support founders with with caregiving or other commitments to learn asynchronously. Propel is designed to allow founders to remain in their base location and have Propel specialists travel to meet them while the rest of the support is structured online, enabling founders to manage their priorities more easily.
No. The two programs are for different stages: Ignite for pre-validation, Propel for in-market companies scaling. The self-check on this page will route you to the right one. If you’re genuinely between stages, apply to Ignite, get validated, then apply to a future Propel cohort.
ASIF is built on the work of founders and the networks that surround them. Two ways to engage.
If you’re building an adaptation solution, find your fit using the self-check, then apply or express interest to Ignite or Propel for your region. Expression of interest forms are open year-round and we will notify you as soon as your application window opens.
Take the self-check →Working with adaptation-focused founders in your portfolio, accelerator, or network? Refer them to ASIF. The form takes 2 minutes and we’ll reach out to invite strong candidates to apply.
Refer a startup →Other ways to partner: We also work with mentors, co-host events with ecosystem programs, and collaborate on research and knowledge work. Reach out to UNIDO Climate Tech Innovation on LinkedIn.
