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Financial services

Applying to be a crowd-sourced funding intermediary

To be a CSF intermediary, you must have an AFS licence that expressly authorises you to provide a crowd-funding service. Applicants should refer to the guidance set out in Regulatory Guide 262 Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for intermediaries (RG 262) in preparing their applications.

In order to apply for an AFS licence you must use ASIC’s Regulatory Portal.

Note: Applicants should be aware that, in many cases, the assessment of applications can depend on matters beyond the control of ASIC or an applicant, including the time taken to conduct standard intelligence checks and probity (fit and proper person) validations with external organisations and, where relevant, international regulators. ASIC’s assessment should be considered in the context of general processing times for AFS licences which may take some months.

CSF intermediaries or other entities seeking to offer secondary trading would typically require an Australian market licence or be exempt from the requirement to hold an Australian market licence. – see Regulatory Guide 172 Financial markets: Domestic and overseas operators (RG 172).

ASIC also reminds applicants that it will only discuss issues relating to particular applications with the individual applicants themselves.

Information required for CSF authorisations

An application for a CSF authorisation will trigger additional CSF-specific questions in the application relating to the applicant’s proposed services and the adequacy of its technology capacity.

During our assessment we may requisition further responses or documentation.

Further information

Inquiries relevant to the licensing process for CSF intermediaries should be sent to the dedicated crowd-funding service email address at: csf@asic.gov.au.

Relevant regulatory guides:

  • RG 1 Applying for and varying an AFS licence
  • RG 104 Licensing: Meeting the general obligations
  • RG 105 Licensing: Organisational competence
  • RG 126 Compensation and insurance arrangements for AFS licensees
  • RG 165 Licensing: Internal and external dispute resolution
  • RG 166 Licensing: Financial requirements
  • RG 181 Licensing: Managing conflicts of interest
  • RG 261 Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies
  • RG 262 Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for intermediaries