The Asia Climate Solutions (ACS) Design Grant 2026 is now accepting applications from organizations and consortiums developing innovative blended finance solutions that can mobilize private capital for climate action across Southeast Asia. Delivered through Convergence Blended Finance, the programme combines catalytic grant funding with acceleration support to help promising climate finance solutions progress from early-stage design and feasibility work toward implementation, investment readiness, and scale.

Supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the current funding cycle focuses specifically on solutions addressing climate-resilient agriculture, food security, and nature-based solutions in eligible Southeast Asian markets.

Selected organizations can access catalytic grants of up to AUD 350,000, depending on the maturity and type of project proposed. In addition to financial support, successful applicants can receive technical guidance, connections to investors and ecosystem partners, access to blended finance knowledge and data, training opportunities, and peer learning through the Convergence network.

The deadline to submit concept notes is September 28, 2026 at 9:00 PM ET, corresponding to September 29, 2026 at 9:00 AM SGT.

About the Asia Climate Solutions Design Grant

The Asia Climate Solutions Design Grant is part of Convergence’s regional blended finance accelerator initiatives. Its overarching objective is to catalyze innovative financial solutions capable of mobilizing substantial private investment into climate mitigation and adaptation activities in developing Asian markets.

Blended finance can play an important role in addressing investment barriers by strategically combining public, philanthropic, and private capital. Through the ACS Design Grant, Convergence aims to support commercially viable models that can use this approach to unlock investment while delivering measurable climate and development outcomes.

For the current funding cycle, particular attention is being placed on climate-resilient agriculture and nature-based solutions across Southeast Asia.

Agriculture remains critical to Southeast Asia’s economies, livelihoods, employment, and food security. It accounts for approximately 10% of regional GDP and employs roughly one-third of the workforce. At the same time, Southeast Asia holds around 30% of the world’s potential for nature-based solutions.

However, climate change, environmental degradation, and persistent financing gaps continue to limit investment in resilient agricultural systems and natural ecosystems. Women farmers can face additional challenges, including barriers to finance, productive resources, and markets.

The ACS Design Grant seeks to address these challenges by supporting innovative blended finance models capable of attracting capital into solutions that strengthen resilience while creating environmental, social, and economic benefits.

Who Supports the Asia Climate Solutions Programme?

Asia Climate Solutions is a multi-donor funded programme.

Its supporters include:

• Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
• Olayan Group
• UBS Optimus Foundation
• The Rockefeller Foundation
• Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)

DFAT is supporting the current funding cycle focused on climate-resilient agriculture and nature-based solutions in Southeast Asia.

What Does the ACS Design Grant Offer?

The Accelerator provides two major forms of assistance to selected organizations:

1. Catalytic Grant Funding
2. Acceleration Support

Together, these components are intended to help organizations develop stronger blended finance structures, overcome early-stage barriers, engage potential investors, and move promising financial vehicles toward launch and scale.

1. Catalytic Grant Funding of Up to AUD 350,000

Eligible organizations can seek catalytic funding to support the development of blended finance solutions from feasibility and early-stage scoping through proof-of-concept activities.

Depending on the stage of development, funding may support activities such as:

• Financial structuring
• Legal structuring
• Market scoping
• Investment pipeline development
• Stakeholder consultations
• Investor outreach
• Fundraising
• Piloting
• Governance framework development
• Impact measurement framework development
• Refinement of investment models
• Preparation for potential vehicle launch

Funding levels depend on whether an applicant is seeking support for a Feasibility Study or a Proof-of-Concept.

2. Acceleration Support

Successful applicants will receive more than grant funding. Convergence also provides acceleration assistance intended to strengthen the investment model and help teams progress toward mobilizing capital.

Acceleration support may include:

• Ongoing technical feedback and guidance to refine investment models and strategies
• Opportunities to connect with Convergence’s network of investors and ecosystem partners
• Support in expanding partnerships and identifying opportunities to mobilize resources for climate action
• Access to Convergence member training
• Access to blended finance data
• Market insights and intelligence
• Peer-learning opportunities

This combination of capital and technical assistance can be particularly valuable for organizations attempting to take an innovative climate finance concept and develop it into an investable and scalable structure.

Types of Asia Climate Solutions Design Grants

Applicants can apply under one of two principal grant categories based on the maturity of their proposed blended finance solution.

Feasibility Study Grant

The Feasibility Study Grant is designed for solutions at an earlier stage of development where organizations need to explore and validate whether a proposed blended finance vehicle is feasible.

Applicants should already have an initial design and structure for their proposed blended finance vehicle, an impact and investment thesis, and evidence of early stakeholder engagement.

What Can Feasibility Study Funding Be Used For?

Activities can include:

1. Scoping and refining the design of the proposed vehicle
2. Developing or refining the financial structure
3. Developing or refining the legal structure
4. Conducting market scoping
5. Building an initial investment pipeline
6. Conducting stakeholder consultations
7. Developing draft impact assessment frameworks
8. Developing governance frameworks

Feasibility Study Funding Amount

Organizations applying for a Feasibility Study Grant can seek up to AUD 200,000.

The funding is provided as a non-repayable grant.

Proof-of-Concept Grant

The Proof-of-Concept Grant targets solutions that have progressed further in their development.

At this stage, funding can support the design and structuring work necessary to prepare a blended finance vehicle for its possible launch.

Applicants should generally have already refined areas including their:

• Financial model
• Capital structure
• Impact analysis
• Governance approach

They should also demonstrate advanced engagement with potential investors.

What Can Proof-of-Concept Funding Support?

Examples include:

1. Advancing fundraising activities
2. Conducting investor outreach
3. Refining the blended finance vehicle’s design
4. Refining the vehicle’s legal structure
5. Strengthening governance arrangements
6. Refining impact frameworks
7. Developing the investment pipeline
8. Undertaking other structuring work needed to prepare the vehicle for potential launch

Proof-of-Concept Funding Amount

Proof-of-Concept applicants can seek up to AUD 350,000.

Funding may be provided as either a non-repayable or conditionally repayable grant.

What Types of Blended Finance Solutions Are Eligible?

Proposals must demonstrate a clear need for catalytic grant support for the design and/or launch of an innovative blended finance vehicle.

The proposed solution must be a financial instrument incorporating a blended finance structure.

Examples of potentially eligible structures include:

• Funds
• Project finance vehicles
• Private companies
• Bonds
• Results-based financing structures
• Financing facilities
• Other suitable financial instruments incorporating blended finance

Importantly, proposed vehicles must demonstrate the potential to mobilize private investment at scale while generating development impact in Southeast Asia.

Solutions must also target climate mitigation and/or climate adaptation within the eligible sectors for this funding cycle.

Eligible Countries for the ACS Design Grant 2026

Proposed solutions must target one or more of the following Southeast Asian countries:

• Cambodia
• Indonesia
• Lao PDR
• Malaysia
• Myanmar
• Philippines
• Thailand
• Timor-Leste
• Vietnam

A solution may operate within a single eligible country or across several eligible countries.

An important feature of the programme is that the applicant organization itself does not have to be domiciled in one of these countries.

However, the end beneficiaries and activities targeted by the proposed solution must be located within the eligible markets.

This means organizations based outside Southeast Asia may potentially participate provided their proposed blended finance solution satisfies the programme’s geographic and other eligibility requirements.

Priority Sector 1: Climate-Resilient Agriculture and Food Security

One of the major priorities for this funding round is developing financial models capable of improving resilience throughout agriculture and food systems.

Eligible areas include:

Climate-Smart and Regenerative Agriculture

Solutions may address climate-smart agricultural practices, regenerative agriculture, sustainable aquaculture, and related approaches that increase resilience while reducing environmental impacts.

Agricultural Value Chains

The programme can support blended finance solutions targeting agricultural value chains, including processing and improved market access.

Farmer, Cooperative and Agri-SME Finance

Solutions can focus on improving access to finance for farmers, agricultural cooperatives, and small and medium-sized enterprises operating within agricultural systems.

Agricultural Insurance and Climate Risk Management

Innovative financing structures that improve agricultural insurance or help communities and businesses manage climate-related risks may also qualify.

Agri-Tech and Smart Farming

The programme also identifies agricultural technology, biotechnology, and smart farming as eligible areas.

Priority Sector 2: Nature-Based Solutions

The ACS Design Grant also seeks innovative financing approaches that can unlock capital for nature-based solutions.

Eligible areas include:

• Sustainable forestry
• Landscape restoration
• Ecosystem management
• Carbon markets
• Natural capital finance
• Biodiversity finance
• Blue carbon
• Biodiversity conservation
• Ecosystem restoration
• Coastal protection
• Watershed management
• Ecosystem resilience

Applicants proposing solutions within these areas should demonstrate how blended finance can overcome investment barriers and help mobilize public, philanthropic, and private capital.

Eligibility Requirements for Applicant Organizations

Applications are only accepted from organizations or consortiums of organizations.

Potentially eligible organizations include:

• Asset owners
• Asset managers
• Advisory firms
• Foundations
• Not-for-profit organizations
• Private enterprises
• Consortiums comprising eligible organizations

The lead organization must be capable of providing:

1. Proof of incorporation
2. Financial statements for the previous fiscal year

Individual applicants are therefore not the target applicants for this funding opportunity.

Beyond organizational eligibility, applicants must demonstrate that their proposed solution meets the programme’s purpose, geographic, sectoral, and blended finance requirements.

How Applications Will Be Evaluated

Convergence evaluates eligible proposals against seven major areas. Organizations preparing concept notes should carefully consider each of these criteria because they provide a strong indication of what assessors will be looking for.

1. Development Impact and Gender Considerations

Proposed blended finance solutions should deliver inclusive, measurable, and significant environmental and social impact.

Gender considerations should be intentionally integrated into areas such as:

• Design
• Governance
• Implementation
• Stakeholder engagement

Applicants should establish clear key performance indicators and include gender-related indicators where appropriate.

Recognized global standards should also be used to measure, monitor, and report impact.

2. Track Record and Capabilities

Evaluators will consider the applicant organization’s ability to successfully develop and manage the proposed solution.

Considerations include:

• Relevant experience designing investment vehicles
• Experience managing investment vehicles
• Commitment of the core project team
• Local presence within target markets
• Partnerships within eligible countries

Applicants should therefore clearly demonstrate that their team has the experience, resources, partnerships, and commitment required to move the proposal forward.

3. Additionality

Applicants need to explain why blended finance is necessary.

The proposal should demonstrate:

• A clear market gap
• A strong rationale for using blended finance
• Potential to unlock capital in the targeted markets
• Potential to create new investable opportunities
• Strategic use of ACS catalytic funding
• Strategic use of ACS acceleration support

The grant is intended to address genuine barriers rather than simply replace capital that could readily be obtained elsewhere.

4. Scalability and Replicability

Convergence is seeking solutions with the potential to grow beyond a small pilot or isolated intervention.

Applicants should demonstrate:

• A clear capital structure
• A credible fundraising strategy
• Potential to mobilize significant private capital
• A realistic pathway to reach the proposed target size
• Potential to scale the solution
• Opportunities to replicate the model across additional markets

Solutions with a credible pathway to expansion and replication can potentially generate a broader demonstration effect across the climate finance ecosystem.

5. Innovation and Demonstration Effect

The proposed solution should have the potential to generate useful lessons for the broader blended finance field.

Innovation could involve creating an entirely new financing model or applying an existing model within a new market or context.

Evaluators will consider whether other practitioners could learn from, adapt, or replicate the approach.

6. Likelihood of Achieving Financial Close

Applicants should demonstrate that the proposed structure has a credible pathway toward financial close.

This includes consideration of:

• Bankability
• Alignment with potential investors’ risk-return expectations
• Progress already made toward financial close
• Clear next steps
• Appropriate risk management
• Robust governance arrangements

A strong proposal should demonstrate not only an innovative idea but also a realistic pathway toward becoming an operational and investable vehicle.

7. Stakeholder Support

Applicants should demonstrate support from relevant internal and external stakeholders within the target country or region.

Proposals should show:

• Engagement with important local partners
• Support from key stakeholders
• Clearly defined roles
• A credible stakeholder engagement strategy
• Appropriate partnerships to support the proposed launch

Local relationships can be particularly important in demonstrating market understanding and implementation capability.

Importance of Gender Considerations

Gender inclusion is specifically incorporated into the programme’s evaluation framework.

Applicants should consider how women and other relevant groups may experience different barriers within agricultural, financial, environmental, and climate systems.

For example, women farmers may encounter constraints in accessing finance, productive resources, and markets. Proposed financing solutions should therefore consider whether their design can address these barriers and produce inclusive outcomes.

Where appropriate, proposals should include measurable gender-related indicators and explain how gender considerations will influence the solution’s governance, implementation, and stakeholder engagement.

Asia Climate Solutions Design Grant Information Session

Convergence and Australia’s DFAT will host a virtual information session on September 10, 2026 for prospective applicants.

The session will provide an opportunity to learn more about:

• Convergence’s Blended Finance Accelerator
• The Asia Climate Solutions Design Grant
• Current funding priorities
• Grant eligibility requirements
• Evaluation criteria
• The application process

Participants will also have an opportunity to ask questions.

The session is scheduled for September 10, 2026 at 10:00 AM Singapore Time (SGT/GMT+8).

Prospective applicants are encouraged to participate, particularly organizations that need additional clarification about the programme’s requirements before preparing their concept notes.

For detailed evaluation criteria and scoring, refer to the Evaluation Criteria document

Application Deadline

The deadline to submit concept notes for the Asia Climate Solutions Design Grant is September 28, 2026 at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (ET), equivalent to September 29, 2026 at 9:00 AM Singapore Time (SGT).

Organizations interested in applying should avoid waiting until the final day, particularly where consortium partners, supporting documentation, financial information, and internal approvals need to be coordinated.

How to Apply for the Asia Climate Solutions Design Grant 2026

Interested organizations should review the full eligibility and evaluation requirements before beginning an application.

Applicants should particularly ensure that:

1. The applicant is an eligible organization or consortium.
2. The lead organization can provide proof of incorporation.
3. The lead organization can provide financial statements for the previous fiscal year.
4. The proposed solution incorporates a genuine blended finance structure.
5. There is a clear rationale for catalytic grant funding.
6. The solution targets climate mitigation and/or adaptation.
7. Target activities and beneficiaries are located in one or more eligible Southeast Asian countries.
8. The solution falls within climate-resilient agriculture, food security, or eligible nature-based solution sectors.
9. The proposed vehicle demonstrates potential to mobilize private capital.
10. The team can demonstrate relevant capabilities, partnerships, and a credible pathway toward implementation and scale.

Applicants should then prepare and submit their concept note through the official ACS Design Grant application platform.

APPLY NOW

Official programme and application page:
https://www.convergence.finance/accelerator/acs

Information session:
https://www.convergence.finance/calendar/3TJSC0ZOZnYpgy5kYMy3dP/view

Applicants should rely on the official Convergence website and application materials for the final requirements, documentation, terms, and any programme updates before submitting.

Why This Opportunity Matters for Climate Finance in Southeast Asia

The Asia Climate Solutions Design Grant addresses one of the most significant challenges facing climate action: transforming promising ideas and climate solutions into investable structures capable of attracting capital at meaningful scale.

Agriculture, food systems, forests, coastlines, watersheds, and natural ecosystems are deeply connected to economic development and community resilience across Southeast Asia. Yet investment gaps can prevent promising solutions from reaching the scale required.

By combining catalytic funding with technical assistance, investor connections, market knowledge, and blended finance expertise, the ACS Design Grant aims to help bridge the gap between early-stage financial innovation and commercially viable investment vehicles.

The emphasis on private capital mobilization is particularly significant. Rather than relying exclusively on grant funding to finance climate activities, the programme seeks to use catalytic resources to develop financial structures capable of attracting substantially larger pools of investment.

For organizations already developing innovative climate finance vehicles, the programme therefore offers an opportunity not only to secure funding for design and structuring but also to strengthen the foundations needed to reach investors and eventually achieve financial close.

Conclusion

The Asia Climate Solutions Design Grant 2026 offers a significant funding and acceleration opportunity for organizations developing innovative blended finance solutions addressing climate-resilient agriculture, food security, and nature-based solutions across Southeast Asia.

With Feasibility Study Grants of up to AUD 200,000 and Proof-of-Concept Grants of up to AUD 350,000, the programme can support organizations at different stages of developing their blended finance vehicles. Successful applicants can also benefit from Convergence’s technical expertise, investor and ecosystem networks, training, blended finance data, market insights, and peer-learning opportunities.

Strong proposals will need to demonstrate meaningful climate and development impact, intentional gender considerations, organizational capabilities, additionality, scalability, innovation, a credible pathway toward financial close, and strong stakeholder support.

Organizations do not have to be headquartered in the eligible Southeast Asian markets, but their proposed activities and end beneficiaries must target Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and/or Vietnam.

Interested organizations should carefully review the programme requirements, consider attending the September 10 information session, and begin preparing their concept notes well ahead of the September 28, 2026 at 9:00 PM ET / September 29, 2026 at 9:00 AM SGT deadline.

Visit the OFY website for more Grant Opportunities.