The MoU signing ceremony. — Photo courtesy of CRIF Vietnam

HÀ NỘI — CRIF Vietnam and the Centre for Enterprise, Household Business and Collective Economy Information under the Agency for Private Enterprise and Collective Economy Development (APED), Ministry of Finance, on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to help Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) strengthen their digital and green transition capabilities, improve ESG transparency and gain better access to green finance.

The partnership will connect APED’s Twin Maturity Assessment (TMA) with CRIF’s Synesgy ESG platform, while exploring the development of enterprise data infrastructure to support private-sector growth.

A key focus is to enable SMEs that have completed the TMA to use their assessment results towards internationally recognised ESG certification through Synesgy. The two sides will also study mechanisms for recognising and sharing assessment results between the two systems, helping reduce reporting costs and administrative burdens for enterprises.

Nguyễn Minh Tú said Vietnamese SMEs were increasingly being asked by customers and banks about their ESG performance, while many lacked the resources to repeatedly provide the same information.

“By connecting the Twin Maturity Assessment (TMA) with Synesgy, an enterprise that has already assessed itself once can move towards an internationally recognised ESG Certificate without starting again from the beginning,” he said.

The partnership will also explore ways to use enterprise data and assessment results to improve SMEs’ readiness for green finance, potentially reducing documentation and compliance costs while enabling lenders to make greater use of reliable business data alongside traditional collateral.

Under APED’s Twin Transition Challenge 2026, the nine top-performing enterprises will receive complimentary access to Synesgy for 12 months, while the next 21 enterprises will receive a 50 per cent discount on the account fee for the same period, subject to Synesgy’s procedures and requirements.

Khương said the partnership aimed to make the twin transition more substantive and deliver practical value to enterprises rather than simply adding reporting obligations.

“Cooperating with CRIF D&B Vietnam allows enterprises that have completed the twin transition maturity assessment to convert their results into an ESG Certificate meeting international standards,” he said.

The MoU also provides for research into an Enterprise Data Passport model, potentially combining Vietnamese enterprise data with the D-U-N-S® Number and other international identification standards to support exports, taxation and access to global markets.

All enterprise data collected, processed or shared under the partnership will comply with Việt Nam’s data protection regulations.

The partnership is expected to help SMEs improve transparency, gain access to green finance, expand into international markets and participate more deeply in global value chains, while contributing to stronger data infrastructure for the private sector. — VNS