INTRODUCTION
Introduction to the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA)
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization that works as a solutions broker to catalyze action and support for adaptation solutions, from the international to the local, in partnership with the public and private sector, to ensure we learn from each other and work together for a climate resilient future. Adapting to impacts of climate change provides a “win-win” for livelihoods, food security, water supply, health, security, and economic growth. The work of the GCA elevates the visibility and political importance of climate adaptation and facilitates solutions, such as smarter investments, new technologies and better planning to become more resilient to climate related threats. GCA is a rapidly growing organization with offices in Abidjan, Beijing, Dhaka, Groningen, and Rotterdam. 

The GCA’s ambitious 2020-2025 business plan and strategy have three pillars:

• Programs: Food Security; Using Nature for more resilient infrastructure; Water for Urban Growth and Resilience; Climate Finance; Youth Leadership.
• Knowledge: Building adaptation knowledge globally through cutting edge products such as the State and Trends in Adaptation Report and the Adaptation Knowledge Portal.
• Advocacy and Awareness: Formulating policy messages to move the global, regional, and local adaptation agendas forward.

Program Background Information
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), in collaboration with the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford and supported by UK International Development, unveiled a groundbreaking global-scale spatial and financial analytics tool at a consultation at the University of Oxford on ‘Scaling Investments in Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Climate Resilient Infrastructure’.

The new tool Infrastructure Risk Assessment, is an open-source tool designed to support investments in NbS, available online, offering risk assessments, and investment-ready insights to drive adaptation action at scale. As the first global-scale tool of its kind, it represents a transformative leap in how investors and governments can assess and prioritize NbS for climate-resilient infrastructure. These analytics enable investors and governments to identify and prioritise investments in NbS where they can deliver a viable financial return and measurable social benefits.
 
Nature-based solutions, such as mangrove restoration, floodplain revegetation, and slope reforestation, are critical for enhancing the climate resilience of infrastructure systems. The tool aims to catalyze financing by bridging the gap between policymakers, financial institutions, and private investors, showcasing the value of integrating NbS into national and sub-national infrastructure planning.
 
GCA is commissioning the services of a qualified Transaction Advisory Firm to support the mobilization of development and private capital into Nature-based Solutions (NbS) aimed at increasing infrastructure resilience across Africa.
The goal is to secure commitments from 3 to 5 relevant Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and/or private investment funds to channel USD 1 billion towards NbS interventions. This financing envelope includes both capital and operational costs over a 15-year period, covering large-scale implementation of: Floodplain restoration, Slope stabilization and Mangrove rehabilitation

The total targeted surface for interventions spans approximately 2 to 3 million hectares, identified using the NbS Global Opportunity Screening Tool co-developed by GCA and the University of Oxford.

This assignment is performance-based, requiring tangible investment commitments from financiers and alignment with national and regional adaptation strategies.

Within this context, GCA is seeking a qualified Transaction Advisory Firm to support the mobilization of development and private capital into Nature-based Solutions (NbS) aimed at increasing infrastructure resilience across Africa

HOW TO EXPRESS INTEREST
If you are interested in participating in this Request for Proposal, you are requested to submit your proposal in PDF format to the link indicated in the RFP document.

The closing date for submissions is 16 June 2025, 16:00:00 hours (04:00:00 p.m. o’clock), Central European Time (CET).

Please download the full RFP on this page for more information