Insights
Checks for a first offtake or RFP
An offtake usually means a forward or long-term agreement to buy credits from a project. A spot purchase of already-issued credits is usually not called offtake. An RFP asks several parties the same questions so you can compare answers. Set quality criteria in writing before you see prices, ask every respondent for registry records you can check, and keep contract checks as tight as project checks.
Checklist for buyers
Write the criteria before you see prices
Buying credits is often opaque; written criteria cut screening time. Set out what you need first: project type, vintage window, credit type, any scheme rules you report under, and whether you want issued credits or a forward agreement for credits expected later. Issued credits already exist, so you can check them on the registry before you commit. A forward agreement is a promise of future credits and usually carries more delivery risk than already-issued credits if issuance is late or short. Put the criteria in the RFP so every respondent answers the same questions.
Name who you will contract with
Ask for the legal entity that will be the other party, and whether it owns the credits or has the right to offer them. Ask for chain-of-title evidence in writing. We advise only. We don't buy, sell or hold credits for clients. You contract directly with the other party; MACROAGRI is not a party to the deal.
Ask for registry records you can check
For each project, ask for the public registry record: project identifier, methodology, vintage, current status and the date of the last third-party verification. Check those details yourself on the programme's own pages. A listing on a platform is not the same as a live registry record. We help you check each record and flag anything that does not align.
Separate project integrity from commercial terms
Project integrity covers additionality, how reversal risk is handled, leakage and whether the credit type fits your claim or scheme. Commercial terms cover price, payment timing, what happens if credits arrive late or short, and how credits reach your registry account or are retired in your name. Score both. A strong project with weak terms, or the reverse, is still a problem.
Check fitness for your claim or scheme
Ask the other party to confirm in writing what the credits can be used for. Voluntary claims and compliance schemes have different rules, and those rules can change. Check the programme's rules and any scheme rules that apply to you. We help you compare a credit's registry record with published eligibility rules, but we do not confirm eligibility or give tax or legal advice. This is general information, not legal advice.
Agree how credits reach you and how retirement is evidenced
Before you sign, agree whether credits will transfer into your registry account or be retired in your name, and what proof you will receive. The beneficiary on the retirement record should usually be your organisation, or the end user you buy for, subject to the programme's rules. Agree the timing of retirement against the reporting period you plan to cover. See also our note on checking a retirement record and its beneficiary field.
Spell out late, short and replacement terms
Ask what happens if fewer credits are issued than planned, or later than planned. Is there a replacement obligation, a refund, a right to end the contract, or another written remedy? For forward agreements, check what each payment is tied to. Do not rely on informal assurances.
Ask what you can say publicly
What the contract allows you to say about the purchase matters as much as the credits themselves. Many net-zero frameworks expect you to cut your own emissions first and use credits only for residual emissions. Avoid blanket claim wording unless a recognised standard supports it for your organisation. Rules on environmental claims differ by market. This is general information, not legal advice. Take your own legal advice before you sign or publish.
Be ready for a clear "no"
Not every project passes screening. Land rights, additionality, current registry status and claim fit are common reasons to walk away. Honesty about a failed check builds more trust with a board or auditor than pushing volume through. Quality over quantity.
Before you sign
A first offtake or RFP is a diligence process, not a race to the lowest price. Split the request into lots where that helps, ask every respondent for the same evidence, and be ready for a clear walk-away. We advise on what to put in the request, help you check the responses and the registry records, and tell you plainly what we found. You make the final decision. We advise only. We don't buy, sell or hold credits for clients. You contract directly with the other party; MACROAGRI is not a party to the deal.
We help you check before you commit. More answers for buyers sit on our FAQ.
MACROAGRI is a Masdar City Free Zone company in Abu Dhabi providing advisory services (licence MC 14196).