Section one: Getting started

You will be notified of a successful outcome through:

• Letter of outcome: A formal notification
• 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.

Following the call, the Collaborative Finance Agreement (CFA) template will be shared, together with an 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:

• Organisational capacity
• Risk management capacity
• Safeguards management
• Policy compatibility.

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

Please ensure that all partners within your partnership, as advised by the BPP team, complete the form through SmartyGrants. Partners who are not registered with SmartyGrants 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 CFA.

• Lead partner to ensure all partners have the forms.
• All partners to:
  • Access SmartyGrants
  • Complete the form and upload relevant policies or documentation
  • Sign and upload Due diligence, fraud & anti-corruption acknowledgement
  • Sign DFAT’s 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 involved in the BPP initiative, including DFAT. 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 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 endorsement by all partners.

Palladium is DFAT’s Fund Manager for the BPP.

One contracting partner from each partnership will enter into a Collaborative Financing Agreement (CFA) with Palladium, as fund manager. 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 relationship manager from Palladium will work with the contracting partner 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.

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.

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. Payment may take up to 30 days from the submission of the invoice.

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

The BPP Communications Advisor will be in touch to discuss plans for announcing the Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnerships round and your partnership.

In preparation for the announcement, the Advisor will prepare content about your partnership for your approval, including for the BPP website and social media channels. You will have the opportunity to review and approve this prior to publishing.

Find out more about the BPP’s approach to communications, together with some guidelines for you to follow once the announcement has been made, here.