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For international adaptation finance to reduce vulnerability to climate change, global funds must be technically adequate, where available finance responds to the adaptation needs of developing countries. The purpose of this article is to analyse if the United Nations Framework and Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the financial entities that fall under it are designed in such a way that allows them to respond to the adaptation needs of developing countries. The results presented here are based on an examination of all projects (n = 114) accepted and rejected for financing by the Adaptation Fund (AF), and indicate that the AF is technically inadequate when it comes to responding to the needs of developing countries in regard to adaptation priorities, due primarily to the nature of the design of the guidance. We supplement our analysis with interviews with the AF Secretariat and AF Implementing Agencies that are responsible for AF project applications. The results indicate that non-adherence to guidance is perceived by the AF Secretariat as the Fund adapting to adaptation needs that have arisen outside of the COP and CMP context, while applicants have felt that non-adherence can present an obstacle to accessing funding.