Catalyzing Climate Finance for the Southern African Development Community Since 2016, the Southern Africa Climate Finance Partnership (SACFP) has coordinated knowledge sharing and capacity enhancement efforts amongst key institutions from six focus countries in southern Africa (Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia & Zimbabwe). The project aimed to encourage and support the development of country—owned and –managed climate finance project portfolios that attract finance from the likes of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and which mobilise private sector investment where possible, to address country climate change priorities. Through the support of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) SSN is initiating a third phase to the SACFP, commencing in April 2020 and extending for a further three years. The new phase will expand the focus of the project, looking at catalysing climate finance for the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Drawing lessons from prior phases, the project has refined its focus to provide targeted knowledge brokering support across three activity areas: 1. Applied Research - Identify knowledge gaps pertaining to barriers and enablers for accessing and implementing international climate finance and avenues for overcoming these through knowledge brokering; and sharing of emerging lessons through a suite of academic research papers and practitioner-targeted knowledge products. 2. Enhancing Capacity - Build the capacity of practitioners to develop and implement financially feasible and socially responsive climate related projects through the piloting of a formal practitioner-training programme with a partner academic institution, facilitating peer-to-peer learning exchanges, and the further piloting of a youth internship programme. 3. Targeted Technical Assistance – Facilitate learning engagements between institutions and technical experts to understand emerging policy and process constraints and collaboratively develop solutions through the adoption of innovative tools, resources and strategic approaches; informing on-going research. A targeted selection of SADC-based Nominated and Accredited Direct Access Entities to the Green Climate Fund, National Designated Authorities to the Green Climate Fund & a range of climate project co-financiers.