Project certification

An overview of the project certification process and project status are provided below. See the Project Certification section in the Procedures Manual for more details.

Certification steps

Certification step	Description
Application	Project Developer (PD) submits a Project Application (PA), which is reviewed by the Rainbow team. Clarifications may be requested, and a refusal report is issued if the application is rejected. Approved applications proceed to registration.
Registration	PD signs Rainbow Service Agreement, agreeing to the Terms & Conditions, and completes administrative setup, including Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements. Any Registration Partners are formally documented. PD submits data and proof to the Certification Platform Project is added on the Rainbow Registry
Pre-Validation	Project Design Document (PDD) is generated, outlining project operations, GHG quantification, additionality, and Monitoring Plan. Certification team reviews the PDD, possibly involving domain experts, and approves it before third-party validation.
Validation	VVB conducts a validation audit to confirm project adherence to Rainbow Standard Rules and chosen methodology, involving the PD and Certification team as needed. In parallel, PD conducts or provides evidence of a stakeholder consultation, open for 30 days on the Rainbow Registry.
Monitoring and Verification	Key parameters are monitored regularly to track project impact and eligibility. PD submits monitored parameters per the Monitoring Plan; prepares a Monitoring Report which subject to the verification audit by the VVB annually (or as per schedule) to verify GHG quantification and RCC issuance.
Compliance and Updates	Projects must stay compliant with Rainbow Standard and methodology revisions and report major operational changes in the Monitoring Report. VVB audits any revisions or changes, ensuring alignment with updated methodologies and standards.
Crediting Period Renewal	After the end of the crediting period, the project may be renewed by undergoing a full revalidation, including a new PDD, validation audit, and stakeholder consultation to continue issuing credits.

Project status on the registry

Status	Definition
Pending	The Project Developer has completed the Project Application and the project is created in the registry back office. The Rainbow team waits for the Project Developer's submission of more complete data to perform the Project Eligibility Assessment. Project does not exist on the registry.
Listed	The Rainbow team has completed the Project Eligibility Assessment and approves the project. The Project Developer has signed up for registration by signing the Terms & Conditions for Project Developers, and is submitting full information to comply with Rainbow Standard and methodology requirements. A draft PDD may be under preparation, with the aim of gathering 80% of responses and proof. The project is now listed on the registry.
Registered	Draft PDD is reviewed by the Rainbow team and and is accessible on the registry. A Draft PDD may include but is not limited to the project's estimated RCCs, co-benefits, photos, project description and location.
Public comment period	Third-party validation audit by the VVB is in progress. The public comment period facilitated by Rainbow is available from the project's registry page. It shall remain open for at least 30 days.
Validated	The audit statement from the VVB has been shared with Rainbow, checked and uploaded to the registry. The project's validation date is displayed on the registry (also referred to as "registration date"). The PDD is finalized and uploaded. Project is eligible to issue credits. If the project is already operating, it may undergo validation and verification at the same time, and pass directly to "Credited" status below.
Credited	Same as "Validated", and has completed at least one round of Monitoring and verification. A Monitoring Plan has been submitted by the Project Developer and been audited by a VVB. The project must be operating. RCCs are issued and made available on the registry.
Completed	The project has reached the end of its lifetime, is not renewed, and is no longer issuing new RCCs. The project remains visible on the registry.
Withdrawn	The project stops certification before reaching "Validated" status. Project Developer decides to no longer list the project on the Rainbow registry, the project is no longer visible.
De-registered	The project was validated (reached "Validated" status), and may or may not have been credited, but is no longer active. The project is still visible on the Rainbow registry.
Rejected	Rainbow or the VVB decides to not certify the project, prior to validation (reaching "Validated" status). The project is not visible on the Rainbow registry.
Suspended	A major non-conformity has been identified or the Project Developer was found responsible for an erroneous issuance The project is still visible on the Rainbow registry.