CRIF VIETNAM AND APED SIGN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING TO ADVANCE ESG CAPABILITIES, GREEN FINANCE ACCESS, AND RESEARCH ON THE “ENTERPRISE DATA PASSPORT” PRESS RELEASE

CRIF VIETNAM AND APED SIGN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING TO ADVANCE ESG CAPABILITIES, GREEN FINANCE ACCESS, AND RESEARCH ON THE “ENTERPRISE DATA PASSPORT”

The partnership aims to support Vietnamese businesses in strengthening their dual transition capabilities, enhancing data transparency, and expanding access to green finance opportunities and international markets.

HANOI, 27 August 2026 – As Vietnamese enterprises face growing expectations for transparency, sustainability, and alignment with international standards, access to trusted data is becoming increasingly important in helping businesses strengthen competitiveness, improve access to capital, and participate more deeply in global value chains.

Against this backdrop, CRIF Vietnam and the Business Registration Support Center under the Agency for Private Enterprise and Collective Economy Development (APED), Ministry of Finance, have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), establishing a framework for cooperation to support Vietnamese enterprises in enhancing ESG capabilities, accelerating their dual transition journey, and developing data-driven initiatives for sustainable growth.

The MOU was signed by Mr. Nguyen Minh Tu, General Director of CRIF Vietnam, and Mr. Le Van Khuong, Director of the Business Registration Support Center, APED, Ministry of Finance.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Mr. Carlo Gherardi, Chairman and CEO of CRIF; Mr. Simone Lovati, Managing Director of CRIF Asia; Mr. Nguyen Xuan Tho, Deputy Director General of APED, Ministry of Finance; and Ms. Nguyen Thi Viet Hue, Deputy Director of the Business Registration Support Center, APED, Ministry of Finance.

From Dual Transition to Stronger Competitiveness for Vietnamese Enterprises

One of the key pillars of the cooperation is the integration of APED’s Dual Maturity Assessment (TMA) framework with Synesgy, CRIF’s global ESG assessment platform.

The initiative will enable businesses to leverage existing assessment results to further strengthen their ESG capabilities and progress toward internationally recognized ESG certifications. In addition, the parties will explore mechanisms for mutual recognition and interoperability between assessment frameworks, helping enterprises reduce reporting burdens, eliminate duplication, and optimize time and resources dedicated to compliance and sustainability reporting.

For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which often face multiple ESG reporting requirements from financial institutions, customers, and international business partners, this represents an important step toward a more streamlined and practical approach to sustainability assessment.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Nguyen Minh Tu, General Director of CRIF Vietnam, said: “As transparency, sustainability, and sound governance become increasingly important drivers of business and investment decisions, trusted data serves as a critical foundation for enterprises to strengthen credibility, enhance competitiveness, and unlock new growth opportunities. Through this collaboration with APED, CRIF Vietnam aims to support Vietnamese enterprises throughout their dual transition journey and sustainable integration into the global economy.”

Trusted Data as a Foundation for Greater Access to Green Finance

Beyond ESG assessment and reporting, the two organizations will collaborate on studying the readiness of Vietnamese enterprises to access green finance and exploring data-driven approaches that can facilitate more efficient financing opportunities.

Many SMEs continue to face barriers when seeking access to green financing due to limited data availability, documentation requirements, or the costs associated with demonstrating sustainability performance. By leveraging business data and assessment results, the partnership aims to contribute to a more transparent information ecosystem that supports enterprises in improving their access to financial resources for sustainable growth.

Mr. Le Van Khuong, Director of the Business Registration Support Center, stated: “Our objective is to ensure that the dual transition delivers tangible value for enterprises rather than becoming merely a reporting exercise. By connecting domestic assessment initiatives with internationally recognized standards and platforms, we aim to help businesses better prepare for global markets and improve their readiness to access green finance opportunities.”

Towards the Development of an "Enterprise Data Passport"

Another significant area of cooperation under the MOU is the joint research of an “Enterprise Data Passport” model.

As data becomes an increasingly strategic asset in the digital economy, the initiative seeks to explore a standardized and transparent framework for enterprise data that can respond to the evolving requirements of investors, financial institutions, regulators, and international markets.

The proposed model will be studied in the Vietnamese context while incorporating internationally recognized business identification standards, including the D-U-N-S® Number, as well as data requirements related to trade, taxation, investment, and global market participation.

In the longer term, the initiative is expected to contribute to the development of a trusted business data ecosystem that enables enterprises to demonstrate credibility, expand business opportunities, improve access to finance, and participate more effectively in regional and global value chains.

Through its partnership with APED, CRIF Vietnam reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Vietnamese business community in strengthening competitiveness, accelerating dual transition efforts, enhancing transparency, and unlocking the value of trusted data for sustainable development.

By combining APED’s extensive enterprise support network with CRIF’s expertise in data, analytics, and ESG solutions, the partnership aims to deliver practical tools and initiatives that help businesses navigate an increasingly complex economic environment while contributing to a more transparent and resilient business ecosystem, where trusted data serves as a foundation for confident financial, investment, and strategic decisions.

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About CRIF Forum

The CRIF Forum series convenes business leaders, policymakers, institutional representatives and industry experts across six Asian markets: the Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan and Singapore. The series provides a platform for exchanging perspectives on the economy, technology, risk and the role of trusted data in enabling growth and more confident decision making. The inaugural CRIF Forum Vietnam marked the latest expansion of CRIF’s regional dialogue across Asia.

About CRIF

CRIF D&B Vietnam LLC, operating as CRIF Vietnam, specialises in economic and business information, credit scoring and business decision support solutions. As part of the Dun & Bradstreet Worldwide Network, CRIF Vietnam provides access to extensive economic and business information on companies worldwide, complemented by advanced rating and scoring models, technology and decision support solutions.

CRIF Vietnam is part of CRIF, a global company specialising in credit and business information systems, analytics, outsourcing and processing services, as well as advanced digital and open banking solutions for business development. Founded in Bologna in 1988, CRIF operates in 37 countries across four continents with more than 6,600 professionals. Its services are used globally by more than 10,500 banks and financial institutions, 450 insurance companies, 90,000 businesses and one million consumers.

MEDIA CONTACT

Ms. Phuong Thai

Marketing Manager, CRIF D&B Vietnam LLC

83 Tran Huy Lieu Street, Phu Nhuan Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Email: p.thai@crif.com

Tel: +84 916 311 778