1. Expanding the GEF Network by Eniola O Shitta GEF Operations and Business Strategy Team

2. Introduction May 2011: The GEF Council approves a pilot to accredit up to 10 new institutions to serve as GEF Project Agencies These accredited institutions will be called “GEF Project Agencies”. GEF Agencies are tasked responsible for creating project proposals and for managing GEF projects. The GEF Agencies play a key role in managing GEF projects on the ground; more specifically, GEF Agencies assist eligible governments and NGOs in the development, implementation, and management of GEF projects.

3. Current list of GEF Agencies granted access to GEF resources and assigned more definite roles based on specific business needs of the GEF broad primary roles identified in the GEF Instrument

4. Review Criteria Relevance to the GEF Demonstration of Environmental or Climate Change Adaptation Results Scale of Engagement Capacity to Leverage Financing Institutional Efficiency Networks and Contacts Eligibility Institutions eligible for accreditation under pilot are: national institutions regional organisations civil society organizations/ non- governmental organisations United Nations specialized agencies and programs and; other international organisations

5. Application Process Stage I: Internal GEFSEC Value Added Review and Council Approval Stage II: External Accreditation Panel Review for Fiduciary and Environmental and Social Safeguards.

6. National Agencies (6) : Uruguay: Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación (ANII) Russian Federation: VTB Bank Peru: Fondo Nacional del Ambiente Brazil : Fundo Brasileiro para a Biodiversidade (FUNBIO) China: Ministry of Environment, Foreign Economic Cooperation Office (MEP FECO) South Africa: The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) International Civil Society Organizations (2) : World Wide Fund (WWF) Conservation International (CI) International Organisations and United Nations Agencies (3) : International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) UN World Food Program (WFP) UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) Regional Agencies (4): LAC: Conservation International Banco de Desarrollo de America Latina (CAF) Pacific: The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) North Africa: Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel (OSS) West Africa: Banque Ouest Africaine de Dévelopment (BOAD) Applications Received Thus Far

7. For more information Dr. Yasemin Biro Senior Environmental Specialist ybiro@thegef.org