Participating in an auction

Up to $5000 advance to support Soil Method baseline sampling costs

An advance payment worth up to $5,000 is available through a pilot program for eligible Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) projects to help with upfront costs of soil sampling.

Key Features

Advance payment for Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs) to assist with meeting the costs of required baseline soil sampling.
ACCUs, subject to the advance payment, must be provided within five (5) years.
One advance payment per eligible project.
Available to projects under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative - Measurement of Soil Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Systems) Methodology Determination 2018.
For new baseline soil sampling only.
Data from soil sampling will need to be provided to the Commonwealth to help inform method development.
Project must be connected to a relevant Commonwealth contract.
Contract holder will receive the payment
- Where the landholder is not the Contract holder arrangements will need to be agreed between these parties.

See more information on the advance to support soil method baseline sampling.

12th Emissions Reduction Fund auction announced

The Clean Energy Regulator will hold the 12th Emissions Reduction Fund auction on Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 April 2021.

Timeline for the 12th auction

Key events	Timeline	Date
Project registration application deadline	33 business days before the auction	Thursday 18 February 2021 (midnight AEDT)
Auction qualification application deadline ^*	25 business days before the auction	Tuesday 2 March 2021 (midnight AEDT)
Auction registration application deadline	Five business days before the auction	Wednesday 31 March 2021 (midnight AEDT)
Closing time for declaration of eligible projects	Five business days before the auction	Wednesday 31 March 2021 (midnight AEDT)
Auction window	-	Monday 12 April 2021 (9am AEST) ^** to Tuesday 13 April 2021 (5pm AEST)
Results released, authorised bidder notified and average price per tonne of abatement published	-	As soon as possible following auction close

^* New applicants to the scheme who are party to a trust or company may be subject to third party assessment and should submit their auction qualification prior to the deadline to maximise the time available if further information is required.

^** Please note the change in timing from AEDT to AEST.

Contract types

There are two types of contracting options available under the Emissions Reductions Fund. The Fixed Delivery contract and the Optional Delivery contract.

Before deciding whether to participate in an Emissions Reduction Fund auction, you should read and understand the Guidelines for the 12th Emissions Reduction Fund auction (to be released soon), which cover both types of contracts.

You should also familiarise yourself and understand the Code of Common Terms for the two carbon abatement contract types:

You may wish to seek legal or other advice to determine whether you wish to participate in an auction and which contract type best suits your needs. It is important to do this in advance of the auction as you will automatically enter into a carbon abatement contract with the Clean Energy Regulator on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia if you supply a bid and it is accepted.

Once you have decided to participate in an auction there are four key steps: