As part of its continuous efforts to further improve stakeholder experiences, Verra is testing a new prioritization process for verification approval requests. Projects taking advantage of this option, which is available as of today, would have their requests moved to a priority queue and the review of their requests initiated sooner.
While review requests in the priority queue would commence earlier, the review processes follow the same procedures as all other reviews. Review requests in the priority queue are also subject to the same service-level agreements (SLAs) for the technical review stage as other reviews of the same risk or complexity level. (See also our recent announcement about updated SLAs for project review requests.)
With this new pilot, Verra is demonstrating its responsiveness to the needs of proponents, offering a prioritized path to issuance while maintaining the high integrity of these reviews.
Justin Wheler, chief program management officer
As a nonprofit organization, Verra is constantly reviewing how to optimize its resources to best support its stakeholders and effectively advance climate action. While Verra always strives to accommodate requests for prioritization (for example, so proponents can meet deadlines for offtake agreements), this structured, transparent process was created to meet increased stakeholder demand.
The new prioritization process will not impact reviews of projects where proponents do not request prioritization. These review requests will proceed according to the applicable SLAs.
Proponents opting for their review requests to be put into the priority queue will need to pay a prioritization fee. The funds generated by this new fee will enable Verra to increase review capacity where it is most needed, helping reduce review times overall.
The Details
Below are details about the project review prioritization process and fee (i.e., the request process and other information to consider):
The Process
- Eligible requests are identified in the Verra Project Hub Project Tracker. They can be added to the priority queue by proponents agreeing to the relevant terms and conditions and consenting to pay the applicable fees.
- To join the priority queue, proponents pay the following:
- A prioritization fee, which is based on the volume of the anticipated issuance
| Number of ERRs claimed in the verification approval request | Fee |
|---|---|
| <100k | $10,000 |
| 100-300k | $25,000 |
| >300k | $50,000 |
-
- The lesser of (1) 50% of the anticipated issuance fee, or (2) US$50,000, as a deposit toward issuance fees
(Note: These fees apply to the pilot period through September 2026 and may be adjusted after that.)
- By submitting a request to be put into the priority queue, project proponents commit to requesting issuance of all credits approved in their verification request. Upon review completion, approved projects will be invoiced for the total issuance fee and can have the prepayment credited toward the final payment.
Other Notes
- The Project Tracker within the Verra Project Hub displays the number of projects in the priority and regular queues by project type.
- For this pilot period, proponents may only submit second or subsequent (third, fourth) Verified Carbon Standard or joint Verified Carbon Standard and Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards verification requests to be put in the priority queue.
- Projects can be added to the priority queue at any point during the review of a specific verification request (contingent on Verra receiving payment).
- One fee payment applies to all stages of a given project review request.
- Verra does not guarantee that projects in the priority queue will be approved.
- The response time of the validation/verification body is not affected by the payment of this fee and still needs to be managed by the project proponent.
The terms and conditions that apply to the processing of review requests in the priority queue are available in the Verra Project Hub. During the pilot phase, Verra will accept requests for prioritization based on reviewer capacity.
Note: Project review requests submitted using Verra’s Digital Project Submission Tool will automatically be added to the priority queue through March 2026; the prioritization fee terms and conditions do not apply to these projects.
Please send any comments or questions about the prioritization fee and related processes to secretariat@verra.org.
All feedback received during the pilot phase will help inform Verra’s future direction regarding prioritization options.
If you have technical issues related to the Verra Project Hub, please contact hubsupport@verra.org.
Previous Improvements
Verra has recently taken several steps to ensure a smoother and more predictable end-to-end project review process that maintains its rigor and integrity. In November 2024, Verra implemented a risk-based approach to project reviews, which resulted in a substantial reduction of project review cycle times (by 50–80%). Earlier this month, Verra released updated SLAs to provide project proponents with greater visibility into the status of their requests and the expected timelines associated with project review.