OMQ · For Funders & Capital Partners
How we mitigate risk on every
OMQ-backed modular project
By the time a manufacturer is engaged on an OMQ-backed project, it has passed a 72-criterion, 720-point independent assessment with 16 non-negotiable hard gates, is subject to contractual quality obligations cascaded from Australian standards, and is under active in-factory surveillance by Unison Modular.
This is not manufacturer self-certification. It is jointly owned, independently verified, and operationally supervised — with screening and re-assessment obligations built into the platform.
72
Criteria
16
Hard gates
12
Screening regimes
90d
Re-screen cadence
Joint Venture
Two parties with aligned commercial interests
The OMQ programme is co-owned and jointly operated by Factory2Key Pty Ltd (F2K, Australia) and Unison Projects Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Unison Modular). F2K contributes the Australian market position, compliance framework design, the Checkpoint Project Management System, and funder relationships. Unison Modular contributes offshore manufacturing expertise, supply-chain management, and in-factory surveillance.
Both parties hold a commercial stake in the integrity of every assessment and every production run. Neither party profits from passing a manufacturer that should not be passed.
Pre-Qualification Rubric
The 4-stage, 720-point assessment
No manufacturer is engaged on an OMQ-backed project without first completing the full assessment. Tier 1 (600–720) is warranty-eligible. Tier 2 (480–599) is conditionally approved. Tier 3 (360–479) requires substantial remediation. Below 360 — or any single hard-gate fail — is a Fail.
Each criterion is scored against three evidence anchors: 0 (no evidence / materially non-compliant), 5 (partial or self-attested), 10 (independently verified). Self-attestation alone cannot achieve a score above 5 on any criterion. Tier 1 eligibility requires independent verification.
The 16 Hard Gates
Non-negotiable. A single fail disqualifies.
A manufacturer that fails any single hard gate does not proceed, regardless of total score. Gates are scored on the same 0/5/10 anchor system as weighted criteria, but require a minimum of 5/10 — a 0 fails the gate.
Automated Screening
12 regimes, screened by API
Every OMQ-pre-qualified manufacturer is screened against eight sanctions regimes and four trade-restriction regimes via the OpenSanctions hosted dataset. Screening runs at three triggers: on initial assessment, on a 90-day cadence thereafter via a scheduled cron, and on demand when a trigger event is recorded.
Sanctions regimes (8)
Trade-restriction regimes (4)
A note on list coverage
Lists not covered by the automated provider feed are captured against the relevant gate criterion as an operator-uploaded screening report. The corresponding evidence file is part of the audit trail and the gate cannot be cleared without it. Currently operator-uploaded:
- ·BIS Entity List (United States)
- ·BIS Military End-User List (United States)
- ·BIS Unverified List (United States)
Note on China's counter-sanctions framework: China's April 2026 Regulations on Countering Improper Extraterritorial Jurisdiction create a tension between Western sanctions-compliance obligations and Chinese law. The OMQ programme acknowledges this risk and conducts its screening through appropriately structured arrangements. Funders should obtain their own legal advice specific to their jurisdiction.
Ongoing Monitoring
The rating does not go stale
An OMQ rating is not a one-time certificate. Rated manufacturers are subject to ongoing monitoring obligations as a condition of maintaining their rating.
Cadence
Quarterly automated screening
Every 90 days, the platform re-runs the full multi-regime screen against the manufacturer's current name and country. Hits are surfaced to the operator immediately.
Cycle
Annual full re-assessment
Every 365 days, the manufacturer is re-assessed against the full 72-criterion rubric. A manufacturer that falls below its rated tier has its rating suspended pending remediation.
On-demand
Trigger-event re-screens
A re-screen is run on demand when a trigger event is recorded: ownership change, financial breach, sanctions hit, regulatory action, factory relocation, customer dispute.
Trigger events the platform watches for
- →Change of beneficial ownership or senior management
- →Material adverse change in financial position (credit downgrade, covenant breach, facility withdrawal)
- →Sanctions-list hit or trade-restriction-list addition
- →Regulatory action by Chinese or Australian authorities
- →Adverse media coverage indicating material reputational risk
- →Factory relocation or material change to production capacity
- →Customer complaint or dispute arising from an Australian delivery
In-Production Surveillance
Unison Modular on the factory floor
Once a manufacturing contract is executed, Unison Modular provides active in-factory surveillance for the duration of production. This is not periodic desk review — it is on-the-ground management of the manufacturing process.
ITP hold-point sign-offs
The Inspection and Test Plan designates specific hold points that require Unison Modular sign-off before production advances. No stage progresses without sign-off.
Materials verification
NCC-compliant materials are verified at receipt against the approved materials schedule before incorporation into the build.
Production milestone reporting
Progress reports are issued at each ITP milestone to both joint-venture parties and, where required, to the funder.
Defect identification & remediation
Defects identified during production are logged, remediated, and re-inspected before proceeding. Systemic issues trigger a stop-work review.
Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI)
Independent PSI by a registered third-party inspector before any unit is loaded for shipment.
Compliance consultant sign-off
Australian compliance consultants (Building Surveyor, structural engineer, licensed trades) sign off on completed units before shipment.
Progress-payment alignment
The surveillance structure is designed to map onto a progress-payment model. Each ITP hold-point can correspond to a payment milestone, ensuring that drawdowns are tied to verified physical progress — not to the manufacturer's self-reported completion.
Contractual Allocation
Risk cascaded through two contracts
Risk is allocated through a cascading two-contract structure. The OMQ programme sits above the contract structure as the pre-qualification and standards layer; the contracts operationalise those standards into binding obligations.
- ✓Fixed DDP pricing — currency and logistics risk sits with Unison Modular and the manufacturer, not the funder.
- ✓Prototype delivery obligation — first unit produced to specification before main production commences.
- ✓ITP as contract schedule — binding attachment, not a discretionary quality document.
- ✓PCDC as delivery condition — Partial Certificate of Design Compliance from an Australian Building Surveyor is a condition precedent to shipment.
- ✓Liquidated damages — delay provisions cascaded through both contracts.
- ✓Insurance warranties — product liability, professional indemnity, marine cargo are contract conditions.
- ✓Open-book pricing — all supply pricing at cost with agreed risk allowances plus a stated margin.
Risk Summary
Mapped risks and controls
Common Questions
FAQ
Who runs the assessment?
The OMQ programme is a joint venture between Factory2Key Pty Ltd (F2K, Australia) and Unison Projects Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Unison Modular). Unison Modular executes the factory-level assessment; F2K holds and publishes the resulting rating. Neither party profits from passing a manufacturer that should not be passed.
How is the rating different from self-certification?
Self-attested evidence cannot score above 5/10 on any of the 72 criteria. Tier 1 eligibility (warranty-eligible) requires independent verification at the 10-point level on every gate criterion and on the majority of weighted criteria. Verification is performed by registered audit firms, Australian Building Surveyors, structural engineers and independent screening services.
What stops a rating from going stale?
Two mechanisms. First, every rated manufacturer is re-screened against twelve sanctions and trade-restriction regimes on a 90-day cadence; the dashboard surfaces overdue screens to the operator. Second, every rated manufacturer is subject to an annual re-assessment against the full 72-criterion rubric; a manufacturer that falls below its rated tier has its rating suspended pending remediation.
What happens if something changes between scheduled checks?
Trigger-event re-screens run on demand outside the quarterly cadence — change of beneficial ownership, material adverse change in financial position, sanctions hit, regulatory action, factory relocation, or any customer dispute arising from an Australian delivery. The platform exposes a one-click control for any rated manufacturer.
What about the BIS Entity List, MEU List, and Unverified List?
These US Commerce trade-restriction lists are covered by operator-uploaded screening reports captured against the relevant gate criterion (OWN-12), rather than the automated provider feed. The corresponding evidence file is part of the audit trail; the gate cannot be cleared without it.
How is contract risk allocated?
A two-contract structure cascades obligations downstream. The supply contract (F2K × Unison Modular) is on AS4902 with F2K Special Conditions and DDP Incoterms 2020 delivery to a nominated Australian port. The manufacturing contract (Unison Modular × manufacturer) cascades the same obligations to the manufacturer. The manufacturer has no direct recourse to F2K.
Is production drawdown safe?
The in-production surveillance regime is designed to map onto a progress-payment model. Each ITP hold-point can correspond to a payment milestone, ensuring drawdowns are tied to verified physical progress — not to the manufacturer's self-reported completion.
How are translations and document integrity handled?
The OMQ programme embeds a Shanghai-based bilingual assessor — an architect with international project experience across China, Singapore and Australia, native in Mandarin. Chinese-language corporate, financial and technical documents are reviewed in source language before translation is required.
Talk to us
Contact the joint venture
Factory2Key Pty Ltd · ACN 691 672 803. This page is informational and does not constitute financial advice. Funders should obtain their own legal, financial and compliance advice specific to their jurisdiction.