The mandate of the Green Climate Fund is to ensure different degrees of ownership by recipient countries through different ways (‘modalities’) to access funding, while promoting a country-driven approach. At the 3rd GCF Board meeting, held in March 2013, the different ways to access funding and the options for applying them gathered momentum. Board members agreed that “a country-driven approach is a core principle to build the business model of the Fund” and noted this as an area of convergence among its members. This policy brief provides analysis and recommendations to ensure countries are ready for direct access under the GCF.