Governance & accountability

Constitution

The Company is governed by its Constitution, adopted on registration. The Constitution establishes Octopus Future as an independent, not-for-profit, public-benefit organisation, defines its charitable purposes, and requires that its assets and income be applied solely to those purposes.

It includes not-for-profit and winding-up provisions that direct any surplus assets, on dissolution, to another charity with similar purposes rather than to members.

Board and officers

The Company is governed by a board of directors, supported by a company secretary. Directors act as Responsible Persons and must manage conflicts of interest, including any arising from roles elsewhere in the Octopus ecosystem. Board independence is a deliberate feature, not an afterthought.

Companion policies

The Constitution is supported by a framework of board-approved policies that give operational effect to its principles:

• Board Charter
• Related-Party & Ecosystem Collaboration Policy
• Data Governance & Privacy Policy
• Research Integrity & Responsible AI Policy
• Grants & Fundraising Policy
• IP & Licensing Policy
• Octopus Ecosystem Governance Charter (non-binding)

How we manage the ecosystem relationship

Because Octopus Future operates within a broader ecosystem, related-party dealings are governed explicitly: material arrangements with a commercial affiliate require documented, arm's-length terms, conflict management, and fair-value tests. We would rather be transparent about the relationship than pretend it doesn't exist.

Regulatory status

Octopus Future is registered with ASIC as an Australian public company limited by guarantee. It has submitted its application to the ACNC for registration as a charity (registration in progress) and is not yet an ACNC-registered charity. It does not hold DGR endorsement. This page will be updated as those steps are confirmed.