The paper briefly describes the benefits as well as lessons learned that can be drawn from the direct access modalities which are applied by the Adaptation Fund. In particular the paper looks at how direct access requirements have significantly improved institutional processes in the 12 countries that today have applied those modalities. In particular, the paper points out that financial integrity and management and institutional capacity have been developed considerably in the countries concerned. In turn, those improvements have helped countries to better attract resources from other donor agencies. As countries are, by nature, competitive in this space, this may now serve as a motivation for further countries to take similar steps to improve their institutional capacities, in order to secure a share of financial resources.