Overview

The Platform for Investment Support and Technical Assistance (PISTA) aims to identify projects that help developing economies in their decarbonisation efforts and in their transition to climate-resilient economies, catalysing finance from national and international instruments.

What We Do 

PISTA identifies promising climate projects, strengthens their technical and financial readiness, and supports their access to financing. We help transform national priorities  into investable projects that deliver real impact on the ground. 

The platform operates through two complementary windows: 

• Investment Catalyst Window: Provides technical assistance to make climate and energy projects bankable and ready for investment.

• Bilateral Cooperation Window: Supports the design and implementation of climate and energy projects through UNDP Country Offices. 

Focus Areas 

PISTA supports initiatives that address both climate change mitigation and adaptation, helping countries design and finance sustainable solutions across key sectors: 

Clean Energy – Expanding renewable generation, distributed energy systems, and energy access for underserved communities. 
Climate-Resilient Agriculture – Promoting sustainable, nature-positive farming and improving food security. 
Water and Land Management – Supporting drought resilience, efficient irrigation, and restoration of degraded ecosystems. 
Green Infrastructure – Advancing low-carbon transport, sustainable cities, and circular economy solutions.
Financial Services – Supporting financial institutions and funds to increase access to green finance instruments. 

Each focus area aligns with partner-country priorities and UNDP’s global goals. 

Available Support 

PISTA offers technical assistance and financial structuring support to help turn promising ideas into investment-ready projects. The type of support depends on project maturity: 

• Midstream support – De-risking interventions that strengthen project design, feasibility, and environmental, social, and gender safeguards.

• Downstream support – Transactional and financial support that connects mature projects with financiers and structures blended-finance deals. 

We also provide dedicated policy and institutional capacity building that helps governments translate climate commitments (such as NDCs or NAPs) into actionable investment plans, or upstream support, in cases where it is essential to create an enabling environment for project origination, such as aligning regulatory frameworks or addressing systemic barriers that prevent investment flows. 

Through these tiers, PISTA provides practical assistance from concept to capital mobilization to help projects to be both bankable and sustainable.

Our Impact 

In its first year, PISTA mobilized technical assistance grants to advance 16 projects across 16 African countries, from renewable energy in Egypt to sustainable agriculture in Rwanda and coastal resilience in Nigeria. These initiatives aim to unlock more than US$500 million in blended finance by 2027, supporting cleaner energy, resilient food systems, and sustainable livelihoods. 

Moreover, PISTA worked to make bilateral cooperation grants more effective, unlocking additional financing and larger, more impactful initiatives. This is the case for a waste management projectin Uganda, an air quality monitoring one in Ukraine, and a water infrastructure project in the Republic of Congo. 

Partnerships 

PISTA works with governments, development finance institutions, private investors and project developers to bridge the gap between ideas and investment. Its partners include. It leverages UNDP’s presence on the ground through UNDP Country Offices and regional hubs and its partners include Italy’s Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MEES), Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP).  

Through this collaboration, PISTA strengthens Italy–UNDP cooperation and advances shared priorities, helping countries design and finance solutions that protect people and the planet.  

Looking Ahead 

PISTA will expand its pipeline and technical assistance support, deepening engagement with UNDP Country Offices and partners. The platform will continue to improve project readiness, accelerate financier engagement, and support the development of new climate finance instruments that can be replicated and scaled across countries, empowering developing economies to access the capital and expertise needed to build a sustainable future.