New Delhi, India – The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM)–City Climate Finance Gap Fund Partnership teamed up with GIZ India and ICLEI South Asia in delivering a training to strengthen the capacity of Indian cities to develop bankable nature-based solutions and climate-resilient infrastructure projects.

The training was held as part of the two-day Dissemination Conference for the Sustainable Urban Development – Smart Cities II (SUDSC II) and the EU Action on Sustainable Urbanisation, organized by GIZ India from 21–22 April 2026 in New Delhi. The conference aimed to consolidate and share key learnings from these flagship projects, while equipping cities with the tools to translate climate ambition into investment-ready projects.

Knowledge Exchange and Dissemination of Best Practices

The SUDSC and the EU Project Support to Sustainable Urbanisation in India — commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-funded by the European Union (EU), in partnership with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) — have played a pivotal role in supporting policy frameworks, strengthening partnerships, advancing digital innovation, and fostering multilevel knowledge exchange.

Day 1 of the conference focused on current policy discussions and the dissemination of project results, providing a platform for stakeholders to reflect on progress and share lessons learned. Day 2 shifted into a capacity-building format, featuring a dedicated training session, co-organized by ICLEI South Asia, led by international experts on how cities can turn early-stage project ideas into investment-ready proposals.

Building Blocks of a Strong Climate Project Proposal

Jazlyn Lee, Regional Engagement Lead for South Asia and Southeast Asia for the GCoM-Gap Fund Partnership, walked the participants through the foundational components of a bankable climate project, structured around four key pillars:

1. Project overview: Grasping the project scope, maturity level, and climate rationale
2. Project preparation: Identifying the scope of preparation support and missing elements
3. Institutional and financial readiness: Assessing governance and financial aspects
4. Implementation: Capacity, partnerships, and alignment with national and sectoral priorities

Over the course of the training, city representatives highlighted key barriers to investment-ready projects, including the lack of capital investment planning, project management skills, and strong project preparation.

With a clear understanding of their proposed project ideas, participants were introduced to various tools on governance and stakeholder mapping for different delivery models. Keshav Jha, Senior Manager for Research & Advocacy at ICLEI South Asia, guided the participants through various tools to identify high-priority stakeholders and identify coordination gaps during project preparation. Through the Governance Matrix, participants mapped out decision-making mechanisms, accountability or reporting lines, coordination challenges, improvement actions, and evaluation and monitoring considerations.

Hands-On Exercise on Designing Project Proposals for Nature-Based Solutions

Marvin Lagonera, City Advisor for South Asia and Southeast Asia for the GCoM-Gap Fund Partnership, led the hands-on training designed to enhance the capacity of city leaders in planning and designing project concepts, and preparing Expressions of Interest (EoIs) for the Gap Fund.

Throughout the day, Indian cities identified a range of project priorities centered on nature-based solutions for flood mitigation and sustainable urbanization, translating local climate challenges into concrete proposal concepts and technical assistance needs.

Sustaining Momentum for Project Preparation Support

By bringing together cities, technical experts, and finance partners, the training underscored the importance of partnerships in ensuring that Indian cities have the knowledge and tools needed to move closer from climate ambition to investment-ready projects.

The GCoM-Gap Fund Partnership, in collaboration with GIZ India and ICLEI South Asia, will continue to guide the Indian cities as they enhance their project concepts and potential applications for project preparation support.