Section 1: A Guide to Getting Started – Vietnam Carbon Markets

Letter of outcome: A formal notification of successful outcome.

Introductory phone call: The BPP team will schedule a brief phone call to introduce the team and provide an outline of further steps to progress your BPP initiative.

To be sent by the BPP team following the call:

Collaborative Finance Agreement (CFA) template

Indicative timeline for the kick-off phase, including provisional workshop dates

DFAT conducts due diligence on all prospective partners prior to entering into an agreement or funding arrangement. Due diligence assessments are designed to highlight and mitigate potential fiduciary, safeguarding and reputational risks that may arise from the initiative. It will consider the following areas:

Ø  Organisational capacity

Ø  Risk management capacity

Ø  Safeguards management, and

Ø  Policy compatibility.

Due diligence assessments will be conducted on every partner who has not recently  undergone a DFAT due diligence assessment.

Please ensure that all partners required as per conversation with the BPP team complete the form by following the SmartyGrants link. Partners who do not currently have a SmartyGrants form will need to create a new account.

DFAT has a zero-tolerance approach to fraud, corruption, child exploitation and abuse. These risks are carefully considered to ensure that Australian taxpayer funds are not used for fraudulent activities, and children are protected from exploitation and abuse in the delivery of Australia’s overseas aid program.

Initial due diligence information should be submitted by the date requested and before the  Ways of Working discussion. Due diligence must be finalised in advance of the signing of the Collaborative Financing Agreement (CFA).

Lead partner to ensure all partners have the forms.

All partners will need to:

•        Access the SmartyGrants form via this link

•        Complete the form and upload relevant policies or documentation

•        Sign and upload Due diligence Fraud & anti-corruption acknowledgement

•        Sign the DFAT Due Diligence Child Protection Policy Professional Behaviours form

•        Respond to follow-up questions from the BPP team.

The partnering discussions will bring together all partners (including DFAT) involved in the BPP initiative. Partners will discuss and confirm the initiative objectives, priorities, and partnership roles and contributions. These workshops will be held either in person or virtually and remotely facilitated by a Partnership Broker unless otherwise agreed.

The Partnership Broker may reach out in advance for a brief call with partners in advance of the sessions. These calls will help them best structure the workshops to ensure individual and joint objectives are met.

A Ways of Working (WoW) document will be drafted by the Partnership Broker reflecting partner discussions and agreements in these sessions. This document will be circulated for review, input and signature by all partners.

One contracting partner will enter into a Collaborative Financing Agreement (CFA) with Palladium (DFAT’s BPP Fund Manager). The BPP Initiative partner organisations can propose who will be the contracting partner, although this may shift based on regulatory restrictions or issues that arise during due diligence.

A blank contract template will be shared with partner organisations for review.  The grants manager from Palladium will work with you to discuss proposed payment amounts and milestones and answer any questions on the template. Detailed budgets and business plans may be updated at this stage to reflect any adaptations needed.

Due diligence must be completed prior to signing a CFA. Please note minor conditions and risk mitigants may be incorporated into the CFA as special conditions or in the milestone table. Severe risks and/or unresolved concerns raised may prevent the BPP initiative from proceeding.

Collaborative Financing Agreement (CFA)

The detailed budget, business plan and work plan will be attached to the CFA. These documents will need to be updated if there have been changes since the application was submitted.

The first milestone payment is usually disbursed 1-3 weeks after the CFA is signed. To receive disbursement of the first milestone payment the contracting partner needs to submit a disbursement request invoice.

Prior to first disbursement approval, the conditions set out in the CFA for the first milestone must be met.

Partners submit an invoice (format provided by Palladium)

Please hold off all communications about the partnership until the DFAT has made the announcement.

To help us prepare for the announcement you are requested to submit your company logo, photos and key contact for communications via SmartyGrants.

As per the BPP’s communications guidelines, we will share all draft content with you for approval before publishing.

Once a date has been set for the announcement, we will let you know and provide you with a social media package to share, should it suit.

Key documents / links 

BPP’s communications guidelines

SmartyGrants Initial Communications Form