Legal · Research Programme
Research Programme Terms
Last updated: 13 July 2026
The Sovereign Suite Research Programme is a public-interest research programme that directs 100% of donation contributions to research on regulated-industry and government-services topics. These Terms describe how the programme is operated and what donors receive.
1. Purpose
The programme funds working papers, consultations and open publications on verification, integrity, provenance and evidence handling in industries such as mining, maritime, healthcare, finance, legal, education, hospitality and public services. Outputs are published under an open licence where possible.
2. Donations
Donations are voluntary contributions. They do not create any equity, debt, revenue share, security or managed investment scheme and confer no financial return. Donations are generally non-refundable once processed because funds are committed to research activities. Refund treatment is set out in the Refund Policy.
3. Fundraising authority
The operator is responsible for holding any fundraising authority required under the Charitable Collections Act 1946 (WA) or corresponding legislation in other Australian states and territories where donations are publicly solicited. Donors are not required to verify the operator's authority but may request confirmation at any time.
4. Governance
Programme priorities are reviewed under Guardian Loop, our internal review process. Guardian Loop is an operational control; it is not an external accreditation body. Where a donation is directed to a specific topic, that direction is recorded and preserved.
5. Recognition and use of name
Where a donor consents to public recognition, their name may be listed on the Programme page and in resulting publications. Donors may request anonymity at any time. We will not use a donor's name to imply endorsement of an unrelated commercial product.
6. Independence of research
Research direction is set by the programme, not by donors. Editorial independence is preserved: donors do not receive advance approval rights over conclusions.
7. Tax
Donations are not tax-deductible unless the operator is a Deductible Gift Recipient and confirms DGR status in writing. Absent such confirmation, donors should assume no tax deductibility.
8. Payment processing
Donation payments are processed by Paddle as Merchant of Record. Paddle handles invoicing and any applicable taxes.
9. Records
Donation transactions are recorded in the operator's financial records and, where consented to, corresponding recognition entries may be recorded in the public research Ledger for provenance.
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Provided as compliance-oriented documentation for the Sovereign Suite platform. Review with Australian legal counsel before publishing. Not legal advice.