approving the sustainable business support program for the 2026–2030 period

Article 1. The sustainable business support program for the 2026–2030 period (hereinafter referred to as "the Program") with the following main contents shall be approved:

1. Objectives of the Program

a) General objectives:

- Promote high-quality and efficient growth of private sector enterprises in a sustainable manner, ensuring that all business activities strike a balance between economic performance, social responsibility and environmental resource protection, thereby contributing to the comprehensive achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and the realization of the Net Zero commitment by 2050.

- Develop an ecosystem supporting sustainable enterprises, household businesses and cooperatives, thereby making positive contributions to job creation, improving the living standards of low-income and vulnerable groups, protecting the environment, and enhancing climate change adaptation in Viet Nam.

- Raise awareness among enterprises, household businesses, and cooperatives of the role, significance, and importance of sustainable business practices.

- Provide training, enhance the awareness and professional competence of officials, civil servants, and public employees engaged in the management, support and provision of advisory services relating to sustainable business practices.

b) Specific objectives:

- Provide support to approximately 25.000 sustainable enterprises, household businesses and cooperatives.

- Support the development of at least 20 exemplary and successful models of sustainable enterprises, household businesses and cooperatives, serving as replicable examples to promote and encourage sustainable business development.

- Attract and mobilize lawful resources, particularly from the private sector, for the implementation of initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable business practices.

2. Scope of the Program: The Program shall be implemented nationwide during the period from 2026 to 2030.

3. Eligible entities of the Program:

a) Beneficiaries: Private sector enterprises, household businesses and cooperatives, cooperative unions, artels (hereinafter referred to as “cooperatives”) engaged in sustainable business practices.

b) Entities participating in the implementation of the Program:

- Organizations promoting sustainable business development (hereinafter referred to as “service providers”), including: research institutes, universities, public service providers, associations, enterprises, and other juridical persons that carry out activities to support and promote sustainable business practices among enterprises.

- Organizations and agencies providing support in sustainable business practices (hereinafter referred to as “supporting agencies”), including: entities assigned tasks and allocated budget estimates by competent authorities for the implementation of the Program, and affiliated units of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

- Ministries and central authorities; the People's Committees of provinces and central-affiliated cities (hereinafter referred to as “the provincial People's Committees”) and their affiliated units; and supporting agencies assigned to carry out activities under the Program.

1. Circular economy models: A business model in which the design, production, consumption, and provision of products and services are carried out with the objectives of reducing the extraction of raw materials and inputs, promoting recycling and reuse, extending product life cycles, minimizing waste generation, and reducing adverse environmental impacts.  

2. Inclusive business model: A business model that engages low-income individuals in the value chain of enterprises, household businesses, or cooperatives, whereby low-income individuals may participate as suppliers, customers, distributors, or workers involved in business and production activities, thereby generating shared value.

3. Business models applying the environmental, social and governance (ESG) framework and other sustainable business models A business model that ensures sustainability in corporate governance, economic performance, environmental protection, climate change adaptation, and the addressing of social welfare issues.

Sustainable enterprises, household businesses and cooperatives shall be eligible for support if they satisfy at least one of the following conditions:

1. They have been awarded or granted international, national, provincial awards, certification or certificates or ISO certification relating to green transformation, the circular economy, environmental protection, the application of the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework, inclusive business, sustainable business, or social responsibility.

2. They qualify as a social enterprise in accordance with applicable laws.

3. They are implementing a green project, a project meeting circular economy criteria, or a project applying the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework in accordance with law.

4. They satisfy the criteria for identifying sustainable business models as published on the National Portal for Support of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

5. They satisfy the Sustainable Business Model Assessment Framework set out in the Appendix enclosed with this Decision.

1. Development of an Ecosystem supporting sustainable enterprises, household businesses and cooperatives

a) Develop materials and organize information dissemination and communication activities through mass media and social media platforms to raise awareness of the society, enterprises, household businesses, and cooperatives of sustainable business practices.

b) Organize training, enhance the awareness and professional competence of officials, civil servants, and public employees engaged in the management, support and provision of advisory services relating to sustainable business practices.

c) Establish a network of experts providing advisory and support services to sustainable enterprises, household businesses and cooperatives.

d) Develop and enhance digital platforms to support sustainable enterprises, household businesses and cooperatives.

dd) Organize annual sustainable business forums, conferences and workshops to facilitate the exchange of information, experience and best practices relating to domestic and international sustainable business models; and to foster connections and promote green finance and impact investing for social and environmental outcomes.

e) Encourage service providers to research, develop and apply solutions and tools for assessing and recognizing sustainable enterprises, household businesses and cooperatives.

g) Encourage financial and credit institutions to research and develop financial and credit products and services that promote sustainable business practices.

h) Support the development of public-private partnership initiatives that promote sustainable business practices and impact investing for social and environmental outcomes.

2. Types of support for sustainable enterprises, household businesses and cooperatives

a) Counseling: Development of strategies and the design of sustainable business models and plans; internal governance; finance, production, sales, market development and other matters relating to business operations; access to finance and investment mobilization.

b) Training: Enterprise management; development of strategies and the design of sustainable business models and plans; business operations; specialized domestic and overseas coaching and training on the adoption and development of sustainable business models.

c) Support for science, technology, innovation, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence, including: Technology scouting, selection, decoding and transfer; adoption of technical standards and regulations, and participation in regulatory sandboxes; costs of inspection, calibration, testing, and quality measurement of products and services; product improvement and commercialization of technological solutions; counseling for exploitation and development of intellectual property; digital transformation; subsidization on leasing or acquiring digital transformation solutions.

d) Support for communications, trade promotion and market expansion for sustainable products and services, including: Support for the successful registration of seller accounts for products and services on international e-commerce platforms; support for maintaining seller accounts on domestic and international e-commerce platforms; support for participation in domestic and international trade fairs, exhibitions and trade promotion activities.

3. Program management activities:

a) Development of guidance documents on the implementation of the Program, monitoring and evaluation framework, including: Engaging consulting experts to develop and appraise the contents of such documents; and organizing training, dissemination and guidance on the use of the documents.

b) Conduct of periodic or ad hoc monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the Program; conduct of independent mid-term evaluations and final reviews of the Program; and preparation of reports on assessment of the results and impacts of the Program.

1. Support for sustainable business development shall only be provided for eligible entities and within the scope of support by the state budget and in compliance with applicable laws.

2. Support shall be provided for enterprises, household businesses and cooperatives on a “first come, first serve” basis.

3. Priority shall be given to enterprises, household businesses and cooperatives owned by women, persons with disabilities or ethnic minorities; enterprises, household businesses, and cooperatives employing a large number of women, persons with disabilities, or ethnic minority workers; and social enterprises established in accordance with law.

1. Funding for the implementation of the Program shall be secured from state budget funds and funds mobilized from other lawful sources.

2. Principles for use of funding for implementation of  the Program:

a) Support activities funded by the state budget shall comply with the guidance of the Ministry of Finance on the mechanism for management and use of the state budget for implementation of the Program.

b) Sustainable enterprises, household businesses and cooperatives shall be entitled to support from the state budget in accordance with the Law on Support for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, the Law on Cooperatives, Resolution No. 198/2025/QH15 dated May 17, 2025 of the National Assembly on certain special mechanisms and policies for private sector development, and guidance documents thereof.

c) Support activities funded by donations and sponsorships shall comply with the agreements concluded with sponsors or contributing parties (where such agreements exist), or regulations of the service providers (where no such agreement exists). The implementation mechanism (including procedures, implementation contents and costs, and the responsibilities of relevant parties), as well as the management and use of donations and sponsorships, shall comply with the laws of Viet Nam.

1. Responsibilities of Ministry of Finance:

a) Take charge in providing guidance on the formulation and consolidation of annual and 2026–2030 implementation plans, budget estimates and mechanisms for management and use of the state budget for implementation of the Program nationwide, ensuring compliance with the principles set out in this Program and relevant laws; develop criteria for identifying sustainable business models based on the Sustainable Business Model Assessment Framework set out in the Appendix enclosed with this Decision and publish such criteria on the National Portal for Support of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

b) Take charge in considering the allocation of annual state budget estimates for implementation of the Program in accordance with the Law on State Budget; and notify the implementation plan of the Program based on the annual budget estimates approved by the competent authority.

c) Cooperate with domestic and foreign organizations and individuals to mobilize resources for ecosystem development activities.

d) Study and propose preferential and special support policies for sustainable enterprises, household businesses and cooperatives in the course of formulating, amending and supplementing relevant laws.

dd) Take charge in providing guidance on, monitoring and evaluating the implementation of this Program; submit reports to the Prime Minister on the mid-term and final results of the Program; and promptly propose recommendations to the Prime Minister regarding adjustments to the Program from time to time in line with practical conditions.

2. Responsibilities of Ministries, central authorities, Provincial People's Committees and agencies and organizations supporting sustainable business development

a) Formulate annual and 2026–2030 implementation plans and budget estimates for the Program, or integrate Program activities into other programs consistent with the objectives of this Program (if any); and submit them to the Ministry of Finance for nationwide consolidation.

b) Assign an affiliated unit to serve as the focal point and organize annual implementation of the Program; assess the effectiveness of the Program within their jurisdiction; and, where necessary, propose amendments and supplements to the contents and activities of the Program and submit them to the Ministry of Finance for consolidation and reporting to the Prime Minister.

c) Be responsible for the feasibility, effectiveness and implementation of the Program within their jurisdiction, and maximize integration with existing similar programs to improve cost efficiency.

3. Responsibilities of the Provincial People's Committees: Based on their capacity to balance available resources, the provincial People's Committees shall formulate implementation plans and state budget estimates funded from recurrent expenditure sources and submit them to the provincial People's Councils for approval for activities under the Program. They shall proactively use local government budgets for implementation. Where budgetary difficulties arise, they shall consolidate cost estimates and submit them to the Ministry of Finance for consolidation and submission to the competent authority for consideration and decision, in accordance with laws on the state budget and the balancing capacity of the state budget.

4. Responsibilities of organizations promoting sustainable business development:

a) Proactively conduct research, make proposals, and participate in the implementation of specific activities supporting and promoting sustainable business development within the scope of the Program.

b) Comply with guidelines for the implementation of the Program issued by competent authorities.

5. Responsibilities of enterprises, household businesses and cooperatives

a) Provide information and documents in a timely, complete and accurate manner as requested by supporting agencies and service providers, and bear responsibility to the law for the information and documents provided.

b) Comply with the provisions of the Program and its guidance documents; and fulfill commitments made to supporting agencies and service providers.

c) Allocate counterpart resources to receive, coordinate and effectively use the support resources provided.

Article 2. This Decision comes into force from the day on which it is signed.

Article 3. Ministers, Heads of ministerial agencies, Chairpersons of the People's Committees of provinces and central-affiliated cities, Heads of relevant agencies and units are responsible for implementation of this Decision./.

 

 

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODEL ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK
(enclosed with Decision No. 926/QD-TTg dated May 25, 2026 of the Prime Minister)

1. Business orientation: The enterprise has a business philosophy embracing the circular economy model in its vision or mission or has operational objectives, strategies and plans oriented toward the circular economy.

2. Production and pre-production stages

a) Criteria relating to the reduction of extraction and use of non-renewable resources and water resources; improvement of resource, raw material and material efficiency; and energy conservation.

b) Criteria relating to extending the useful life of materials, equipment, products, goods, components, and parts.

c) Criteria relating to minimizing waste generation and reducing adverse environmental impacts, including: Reduction of solid waste, wastewater and emissions; reduction in the use of hazardous chemicals; waste recycling, energy recovery; reduction of disposable products; and green procurement.

3. Post-sales stages, including product delivery, use and recall of products

a) Criteria relating to the use of renewable energy; recycling and reuse of consumable materials; product repair and maintenance services; and product packaging and labeling information.

b) Criteria relating to product recycling and product take-back and collection management.

c) Criteria relating to the use of microplastics or non-biodegradable plastics.

1. Business orientation: The enterprise has an inclusive business philosophy reflected in its vision, mission or leadership messages, or has operational objectives, strategies, and plans oriented toward inclusive business, together with management and impact measurement systems.

2. Commercial viability: Commercial viability at the enterprise level; commercial viability at the inclusive business model level; good governance; compliance with labor laws, environmental protection requirements, and social sustainability criteria.

3. Social impact: Breadth of social impact; depth of social impact; replicability and scalability across sectors, value chains and local communities; and promotion of gender equality.

4. Innovation: Innovation in processes and business models aimed at improving income and quality of life of low-income individuals; technological innovation aimed at improving efficiency, social impact, and environmental protection; social innovation that promotes equity and sustainability within society; and innovation in environmental resource protection and green business development in support of green growth.

1. Environmental criteria: Compliance with environmental requirements; environmental standards applicable to suppliers; materials, energy, water, biodiversity, emissions, wastewater and waste and relevant products.

2. Social criteria: Employment; worker-management relations, occupational health and safety; education and training; diversity and equal opportunity; participation in trade unions and mass organizations; child labor; forced labor; workers' rights and benefits; local communities; social standards applicable to suppliers; customer health and safety; marketing and branding practices; and customer information protection.

3. Governance criteria: Commitment to ESG implementation or sustainable business practices; structure and functions of the Board of Directors, Board of Members or Board of Management; related-party engagement governance; transparency and disclosure; and control environment and shareholder rights (applicable only to joint-stock companies listed on a stock exchange).