Project and structured finance
Export and project finance in emerging and frontier markets.
Contact us Speak to an expertAt Export Finance Australia, we provide financial support to larger exporters across a broad range of industries, Australian businesses operating and investing internationally, as well as international buyers of Australian goods and/or services.
We have extensive experience in export and project finance in emerging and frontier markets.
Who can we help?
Our range of finance products can help businesses that export Australian goods and services, as well as Australian businesses expanding and investing internationally.
We have experience in supporting transactions in emerging and frontier markets because:
- we have a greater understanding and higher tolerance for country risk than the commercial market
- our involvement can encourage the private sector to participate in transactions in emerging and frontier market
- we have a longer-term risk horizon, and depending on the circumstances, may be able to offer longer financing tenors than the commercial market
- we have ongoing relationships with export credit agencies from other countries as well as multilateral agencies.
We can also provide financial support for transactions in Australia that support export trade or new investments that will lead to future export growth.
In connection with our financial support, we need to confirm that there is a benefit flowing back to Australia.
We don’t compete with the banks and only provide finance when your bank is unwilling or unable to do so.
Check our key eligibility here.
Export Finance Australia’s role in providing financial support is an important part of Incat’s export business success.
Robert Clifford
Founder and Chairman, Incat
Our solutions
We can provide a range of structured finance solutions to support your export or international activities, as well as to buyers of, or projects that procure, Australian goods and/or services.
We can provide project, corporate and buyer finance including sovereign loans or guarantees.
Our range of loans and guarantee, products can be structured to meet your specific needs.
Project finance | A loan or guarantee of a loan to a project that procures Australian goods or services, or for Australian-based projects that export their production. |
Buyer finance | A loan or guarantee of a loan to a purchaser of Australian goods or services. |
Supplier finance | A loan or guarantee of a loan to a supplier of Australian goods or services destined for frontier and emerging markets, or in Australia where the goods or services form an integral part of the export supply chain. |
Sovereign finance |
A loan or guarantee of a loan to a sovereign backed purchaser of Australian goods or services. |
Bonds | Issued on behalf of an exporter in relation to an export contract. They can be issued either directly or as a guarantee to a bank issuing a bond. Examples include advance payment, performance, and warranty bonds. |
Overseas direct investment | A loan or guarantee to Australian companies investing overseas, where the investment is for business growth purposes which has an economic benefit to Australia. |
Insurance | Political Risk Insurance: issued to Australian investors and contractors and their lenders in frontier and emerging markets to mitigate potential losses due to certain political events. Export Payment Insurance: issued to Australian exporters to protect against the risk of non-payment due to certain commercial and political risks. |
Our process
Our process includes:
- a two-stage approval process, which provides early feedback on prospect
- sensitivity to reputational risk (i.e., environmental, social, corruption)
- board approval for exposures greater than $50 million and Category A environmental/social transactions.
1. Engage
- Customer presents opportunity
- Execute Confidentiality Agreement
- Customer shares information with Export Finance Australia
2. Prospect profiling
- Preliminary diligence/mandate compliance check
- Presentation internally
- Export Finance Australia issues non-binding Letter of Interest and indicative terms
3. Credit approval
- Customer mandates Export Finance Australia / signs cost indemnity
- Formal due diligence/site visit
- Agree terms and commence credit approval
- Commitment letter subject to documentation
Information we need
The information we need to assess a new transaction will be the same as for any bank credit application. Information required may include:
Project finance
- Financial model
- Business case projections
- Content breakdown (Australian and other countries)
- Export contract
- KYC information
- Market risk report
- Environmental and social impact assessment
- Technical report (independent engineer)
- Legal due diligence report
- Accounting and tax due diligence report
- Financial model audit report
- For resource projects, JORC reserves report
Buyer/supplier finance
- Export contract
- Audited financial statements for the past three years
- Business case projections
- Content breakdown (Australian and other countries)
- Know Your Customer information
Sovereign finance
- As per Buyer/Supplier Finance
- Diligence checks on Politically Exposed Persons
- Understanding of the process to award the contract
- Ministry of Finance Guarantee
Meet our team
Our project and structured finance team can support with finance solutions to meet your specific business needs.
Birribi Dillon
Head of International Partnerships and Development
Birribi Dillon
Head of International Partnerships and Development
Appointed
2023
Qualifications
BEc, LLB (Hons)
Project finance specialist with over 22 years of experience. Extensive track record with power, wind, solar, battery, transmission, waste-to-energy, airport, port, toll road, rail, smart meter, hospital, student accommodation, affordable housing, land title registry, natural resources, Public Private Partnerships (PPP) and telecommunications assets.
Banking experience: Westpac, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), AMBAC, Macquarie Group
Sector experience: Infrastructure, Renewables, Resources
Dougal Crawford
Deal Team Lead, Indonesia
Dougal Crawford
Deal Team Lead, Indonesia
Appointed
2019
Qualifications
BCom (Hons) (USYD), M. Applied Finance (Macquarie)
Dougal was an economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia and Export Finance Australia prior to joining the PSF team. He was responsible for managing Export Finance Australia relationships with Government and industry prior to joining the team.
Banking experience: Reserve Bank of Australia
Sector experience: Government.
Caroline Joo
South and North Asia Lead
Caroline Joo
South and North Asia Lead
Appointed
2021
Qualifications
BComm, LLB (UNSW), CFA
Project and infrastructure financing specialist with over 14 years of experience originating and executing transactions in Australasia, Europe and North America.
Banking experience: Barclays, Westpac, Hastings Funds Management, Vantage
Sector experience: Infrastructure, transport, energy, renewables.
Dan Smart
General Manager, Institutional - Domestic
Dan Smart
General Manager, Institutional - Domestic
Appointed
2021
Qualifications
MComm, BComm (Hons), LLB, Chartered Accountant (CA ANZ)
Chartered Accountant and Corporate banker with 21 years of experience across the resources, energy and infrastructure sectors with a focus on mining, oil & gas.
Banking experience: ANZ Banking Group Limited and Rand Merchant Bank Limited.
Sector experience: Resources, Energy and Infrastructure.
Sean Carey
Domestic Lead
Sean Carey
Domestic Lead
Appointed
2022
Qualifications
BIntBus; MAppFin
Sean has 20 years of transaction experience across a range of roles within Export Finance Australia and the commercial banking sector. He has successfully delivered complex project and export finance transactions for customers across a range of industries.
Banking experience: National Australia Bank, ABN AMRO
Charith Amarasinghe
Country Lead, Vietnam
Charith Amarasinghe
Country Lead, Vietnam
Appointed
2014
Qualifications
BSc (Hons), DipM, MBA
Banking and finance professional with over 15 years of experience across retail, small business and corporate banking as well industry experience in manufacturing and international trade in Australia and Sri Lanka.
Banking experience: St George Bank, ING Direct.
Sector experience: Manufacturing, Fashion & beauty, Engineering and other technology export, METS.
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