The tournament involved eight teams, the same number as at the inaugural 2013 edition.[3] For the preliminary stages of the tournament, the teams were divided into two groups of four, with the top two in each group moving into the semi-finals. The two winners of the semi-finals qualified for the 2016 World Twenty20.[4] As in the 2013 tournament, the four teams that failed to make the semi-finals played off in a repechage competition (referred to as the Shield).[2]
Of the eight teams, two (Bangladesh and Ireland) qualified automatically by finishing in the last two places at the 2014 World Twenty20. Thailand qualified for the tournament as the host, while the other five teams qualified through regional tournaments. Teams from the ICC Americas region were unable to qualify for the tournament, as funding had been withdrawn for the ICC Americas Women's Championship in 2014, leading to its cancellation.[5] Instead, Europe was given an additional qualification spot. Bangladesh, China, Papua New Guinea, and Scotland participated in the Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier for the first time.[6]