Linking the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is becoming increasingly important for policymakers and project developers, however there is still no common understanding on how to operationalize linkages between them. The findings of this study offer a contribution to the debate, notably by examining the compatibility of CDM activities with GCF investment criteria and the operational modalities of both institutions, proposing financial and non-financial engagement models. This publication is part of a BMUB-supported project to strengthen the CDM pipeline in Africa produced by Climate Focus, Perspectives and the AERA Group. The objective of the project is to provide support aimed at identifying suitable pilot activities in Africa and enabling their access to climate finance. Furthermore, the project discusses the practical linkages between CDM and GCF at country level, and provides contributions to the public debate on linking market mechanisms and climate finance.