SUP 10C.10 1Application for approval and withdrawing an application for approval

This section explains how a firm should apply for approval for a person to perform an FCA-designated senior management function.

Unless the context otherwise requires, in SUP 10C.10 (Application for approval and withdrawing an application for approval) to SUP 10C.15 (Forms and other documents and how to submit them to the FCA), where reference is made to a firm, this includes an applicant for Part 4A permission and other persons seeking to carry on regulated activities as a relevant authorised person.

1. (1)

   Section 59 of the Act (Approval for particular arrangements) says that a firm must take reasonable care to ensure that no one performs an FCA controlled function (including an FCA-designated senior management function) unless that person is acting in accordance with an approval given by the FCA.

2. (2)

   That means that where a candidate will be performing one or more FCA-designated senior management functions, a firm must take reasonable care to ensure that the candidate does not perform these functions unless they have prior approval from the FCA.

1. (1)

   If a person performs an FCA controlled function (including an FCA-designated senior management function) without approval, it is not only the firm that is accountable. Under section 63A of the Act (Power to impose penalties), if the FCA is satisfied that:

   1. (a)

      a person (‘P’) has at any time performed an FCA controlled function without approval; and

   2. (b)

      at that time P knew, or could reasonably be expected to have known, that P was performing an FCA controlled function without approval;

   it may impose a penalty on P of such amount as it considers appropriate.

2. (2)

   A person performs a controlled function without approval for these purposes if that person is not acting in accordance with an approval given under section 59 (Approval for particular arrangements).

In accordance with section 60 of the Act (Applications for approval), applications must be submitted by, or on behalf of, the firm itself, not by:

1. (1)

   the FCA candidate; or

2. (2)

   (where the FCA candidate works for the firm's parent undertaking or holding company) by the firm's parent undertaking or holding company.

1. (1)

   The firm that is employing the FCA candidate to perform the FCA-designated senior management function will usually make the submission itself.

   (SUP 10C.10.7G describes some common situations.)

2. (2)

   Where a firm has outsourced the performance of an FCA-designated senior management function, the details of the outsourcing determines whom the FCA anticipates will submit the FCA-approved persons application forms.

3. (3)

   The firm which is outsourcing is referred to as ‘A’ and the person to whom the performance of the FCA-designated senior management function has been outsourced, or which makes the arrangement for the FCA-designated senior management function to be performed, is referred to as ‘B’. In each situation, A must take reasonable care to ensure that, in accordance with section 59(2) of the Act, no person performs an FCA-designated senior management function under an arrangement entered into by its contractor in relation to the carrying on by A of a regulated activity, without approval from the FCA.

1. (1)

   5The MiFID II ITS requires that MiFID investment firms (except credit institutions) submit the Annex III information on the ESMA template available at https://www.fca.org.uk/publication/forms/mifid-changes-management-body-form.docx (‘Annex III template’)) where there is a change to a member of the management body or a person who effectively directs the business.

2. (2)

   MiFID investment firms (except credit institutions) need to submit this Annex III template within ten business days of the change in the online notification and application system (also known as Connect).

3. (3)

   In summary, where there is a change to a member of the management body or a person who effectively directs the business of a MiFID investment firm (except a credit institution) then the firm is required to submit the following forms (in addition to the relevant Form A, C, or E about a candidate):

   1. (a)

      Where a new member of the management body or a person who effectively directs the business is appointed :

      1. (i)

         the Annex III template; and

      2. (ii)

         MiFID Article 4 SMR Information Form.

   2. (b)

      Where a person ceases being a member of the management body or a person who effectively directs the business, then the firm must submit the Annex III template (in addition to the relevant Form E).

4. (4)

   Where the Annex III template requires the firm to provide information which is also contained in Form A and/or E, the firm may, instead of duplicating the information, cross-refer to the information in the relevant Form A or E and annex those forms to the Annex III template (see SUP 10C.10.9C).

5Where there is a change to a member of the management body or person who directs the business, MiFID investment firms (except credit institutions) must submit to the FCA the completed form found in SUP 10C Annex 7D (MiFID Article 4 SMR Information Form) at the same time as submitting Form A and/or E about a candidate.

[Editor’s note: This is in accordance with the information required in article 4 of the Commission Delegated Regulation of 14 July 2016 supplementing Directive 2014/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to regulatory technical standards on information and requirements for the authorisation of investment firms.]

5MiFID investment firms (except credit institutions) who submit:

1. (a)

   Form A and/or E; and

2. (b)

   the MiFID Article 4 SMR Information Form

about a candidate can complete the Annex III template outlined in SUP 10C.10.9A by cross-referring to the information in the relevant Form A and/or E where it has already been provided by the firm, and this would then be annexed to the relevant Form A and/or Form E.

SUP 10C.15 (Forms and other documents and how to submit them to the FCA) explains how applications should be submitted.

An application by a firm for the FCA's approval under section 59 of the Act (Approval for particular arrangements) for the performance of an FCA-designated senior management function should be accompanied by a statement of responsibilities.

SUP 10C.11 (Statements of responsibilities) contains more material about statements of responsibilities, including (in particular) about a statement of responsibilities submitted under an application under SUP 10C.10.

A firm should include in an application a reasonable summary of:

1. (1)

   any handover certificate; and

2. (2)

   any other handover material;

referred to in SYSC 4.9 (Handover procedures and material) that relates to the responsibilities that the candidate is to perform.

Under section 60A of the Act, before a firm makes an application for approval, it should be satisfied that the candidate is a fit and proper person to perform the function to which the application relates. In deciding that question, the firm should have particular regard to whether the candidate, or any person who may perform a function on the candidate's behalf:

1. (1)

   has obtained a qualification;

2. (2)

   has undergone, or is undergoing, training;

3. (3)

   possesses a level of competence; or

4. (4)

   has the personal characteristics;

required by FCA rules in relation to persons performing functions of the kind to which the application relates.

For guidance on criteria that a firm should use for assessing whether an FCA candidate is fit and proper (including the FCA rules referred to in SUP 10C.10.14G), see FIT.

1. (1)

   In England and Wales a firm should get an application form from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) or an umbrella body (a registered body that gives access to DBS checks).

2. (2)

   The firm should ask the candidate to fill in and return the form to the firm. The firm should then send the completed application form to DBS or the firm's umbrella body.

3. (3)

   The firm should then ask the candidate to show the firm the certificate when the candidate receives it from the DBS.

4. (4)

   There is an equivalent procedure in Scotland (involving Disclosure Scotland) and Northern Ireland (involving AccessNI).

Subject to SUP 10C.10.18A, the5 firm should not send a copy of the certificate to the FCA.

5MiFID investment firms (except credit institutions) should provide a copy of the certificate in cases where they disclose the existence of a criminal conviction in response to the questions in:

1. (a)

   Long Form A; and

2. (b)

   The MiFID Article 4 SMR Information Form accompanied by Form E.

If the candidate is employed by a contractor, the firm may ask the contractor to obtain the certificate.

A firm should also check the Financial Services Register as part of its assessment of whether a candidate is fit and proper and to verify the information contained in the application for approval.

If appropriate, a firm should:

1. (1)

   carry out a criminal record check; and

2. (2)

   check any equivalent of the Financial Services Register;

in a jurisdiction outside the UK. This may be appropriate if the candidate has spent time working or living in that jurisdiction.

A firm should consider whether it should take additional steps to verify any information contained in an application to carry out an FCA-designated senior management function or that it takes into account in its assessment of whether a candidate is a fit and proper person.

Please see SYSC 22 (Regulatory references) about the requirement for a firm to ask for references from previous employers.3

The Act sets out the time that the FCA has to consider an application and come to a decision.

In any case, where the application for approval is made by a person applying for a Part 4A permission, the FCA has until the end of whichever of the following periods ends last:

1. (1)

   the period within which an application for that permission must be determined; and

2. (2)

   the period of three months from the time it receives a properly completed application.

In any other case, it is the period of three months from the time it receives a properly completed application.

The FCA will deal with cases more quickly than this whenever circumstances allow and will try to meet the standard response times published on the website and in its Annual Report. However, the processing time will be longer than the published standard response times if:

1. (1)

   an application is incomplete when received; or

2. (2)

   the FCA has knowledge that, or reason to believe that, the information is incomplete.

Before making a decision to grant the application or give a warning notice, the FCA may ask the firm for more information about the FCA candidate. If it does this, the three-month period in which the FCA must determine a completed application:

1. (1)

   will stop on the day the FCA requests the information; and

2. (2)

   will start running again on the day on which the FCA finally receives all the requested information.

If there is a delay in processing the application within the standard response time, the FCA will tell the firm making the application as soon as this becomes apparent.

1. (1)

   Application forms must always be completed fully and honestly. Further notes on how to complete the form are contained in each form.

2. (2)

   If forms are not completed fully and honestly, applications will be subject to investigation and the FCA candidate's suitability to be approved to undertake an FCA controlled function will be called into question.

3. (3)

   A person who provides information to the FCA that is false or misleading may commit a criminal offence and could face prosecution under section 398 of the Act, regardless of the status of their application.

The FCA may grant an application only if it is satisfied that the FCA candidate is a fit and proper person to perform the FCA-designated senior management function stated in the application form. Responsibility lies with the firm making the application to satisfy the FCA that the FCA candidate is fit and proper to perform the FCA-designated senior management function applied for.

For further guidance on criteria for assessing whether an FCA candidate is fit and proper for the purposes of SUP 10C.10.31G, see FIT.

The FCA must:

1. (1)

   grant the application;

2. (2)

   grant the application subject to conditions or limitations (see SUP 10C.12 for more information); or

3. (3)

   refuse the application.

Whenever it grants an application, the FCA will confirm this in writing to all interested parties.

If the FCA proposes to take the steps in SUP 10C.10.33G(2) or(3) in relation to one or more FCA-designated senior management functions, it must follow the procedures for issuing warning and decision notices to all interested parties. The requirements relating to warning and decision notices are in DEPP 2.

Under section 61(5) of the Act (Determination of applications), the firm may withdraw an application only if it also has the consent of:

1. (1)

   the candidate; and

2. (2)

   the person by whom the candidate is or would have been employed, if this is not the firm making the application.

SUP 10C.15 (Forms and other documents and how to submit them to the FCA) explains how a notice of withdrawal should be submitted.