The OTCQX® Best Market offers transparent and efficient trading of established, investorfocused U.S. and global companies. To qualify for the OTCQX market, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, demonstrate compliance with U.S. securities laws, be current in their disclosure, and be sponsored by a professional third-party advisor. Penny stocks, shells and companies in bankruptcy cannot qualify for OTCQX.
Sponsors are limited to the most qualified firms that have a high level of capital markets expertise. Investment banks, corporate brokers, DR banks or attorneys may apply.
Application to Serve as an OTCQX Sponsor
This is an application (“Application”) for a qualified attorney, or a registered broker dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) that is an Investment Bank or a Corporate Broker (as each term is defined in the OTCQX Rules) to serve as an OTCQX Sponsor for an issuer of securities on OTCQX. (This document may also refer to an attorney or FINRA member firm as the “Applicant”). OTCQX is a system for issuers to provide information to investors, operated by OTC Markets Group Inc. (“OTC Markets Group”).
OTC Markets Group may, in its sole and absolute discretion, decline any Application to Serve as an OTCQX Sponsor, notwithstanding the fact that the Applicant meets the Eligibility Criteria set forth in Part B of this Application. Any Applicant who meets the Eligibility Criteria, and who is approved by OTC Markets Group, must execute an “Agreement to Serve as an OTCQX Sponsor ” (the “Agreement”). Once such Agreement is executed, the Applicant will be placed on the list of approved OTCQX Sponsors (“OTCQX Sponsor List”), which is published on OTC Markets Group’s website at www.otcmarkets.com. An approved OTCQX Sponsor must then be selected by an issuer to serve as its OTCQX Sponsor. The responsibilities of OTCQX Sponsors are described in the OTCQX Rules for U.S. Companies, OTCQX Rules for International Companies and OTCQX Rules for U.S. Banks, respectively, as amended (the “OTCQX Rules” or the “Rules”), which are also published on OTC Markets Group’s website.
Please note that an application fee in the amount of $1,000 and a completed Payment Form (attached at the end of this Application) must be submitted with this Application or the Application will not be processed. The Application Fee may be waived for an Applicant that acts only as a Corporate Broker. The application fee is nonrefundable, whether or not the Application is approved, rejected, or withdrawn, and covers the remainder of the calendar year of which the application was made. This completed, signed application and all required supplemental material should be emailed to otcqxapplications@otcmarkets.com or mailed to OTC Markets Group Inc., OTCQX, 100 M Street SE, Suite 220, Washington D.C. 20003.
Any OTCQX Sponsor must also pay an Annual Fee, which is separate from the Application Fee and is due December 1st for the following calendar year. OTC Markets Group may modify the Annual Fee from time to time, in its sole discretion. The current Annual Fee is published by OTC Markets Group on its website and in the Rules.
Data Privacy: OTC Markets Group takes the security of your information very seriously. OTC Markets Group’s current, publicly-posted Privacy Statement (available at www.otcmarkets.com) applies to any personal data that is collected, stored, processed, disclosed or used by OTC Markets Group. We use the personal information collected in the Personal Information Form and Background Check Authorization Form submitted along with this application to conduct identity verification and public records searches, including, but not limited to, criminal and civil background checks, in order to protect the integrity of the information about your company that is publicly displayed on our websites and in our market data products. We do not share this personal information with third parties, except to perform these compliance checks or in response to an order or request from a court or governmental agency. In signing this Application to Serve as an OTCQX Sponsor, the firm acknowledges that it is authorized to provide this information to OTC Markets Group.
A. Required Information
*If necessary, please provide information on an additional sheet.
1. Name of Applicant Firm: 2. Provide any other names by which the Applicant Firm has been known in the last 10 years, the date such name was changed and the reasons for such change: 3. Applicant is a(n):
0 Attorney
0 FINRA Member Firm
4. Principal Place of Business:
Address:
Phone:
Website:
5. Other Business Locations (if applicable):
Address:
Phone:
6. E-mail Address:
7. Primary Contact Person:
Name:
Position/Title:
Phone:
Email:
8. If Applicant is a FINRA member firm:
*Attach to this Application all organizational documents (e.g. certificate of incorporation, partnership agreement, etc.)
a. Type of Entity (individual, corporation, partnership, LLC, etc.):
b. CRD Number:
c. State of Incorporation/Organization:
d. Submit a Background Check Authorization Form with information on:
i. Each director, member, partner or principal of the Applicant (as applicable) ii. Each control person of the Applicant. Provide their percentage of ownership and voting power information below.
iii. All persons associated with Applicant who will be acting in the capacity of an OTCQX Sponsor
e. Please attach a written statement that contains a complete description of the activities of the Applicant (including any predecessor broker dealer entities) in the investment banking or securities business during the past five years.
f. Please state whether, if a corporation, a majority of the Applicant’s board of directors, if a partnership, a majority of its general partners, or if a limited liability company, a majority of its managing members, have been actively engaged in the investment banking or securities business for at least the past two years and identify by name all such persons.
g. Please provide a copy of the Applicant’s most recent FOCUS report.
h. If Applicant is an Investment Bank, separately list all public or private equity offerings during the last five years in which the Applicant has been actively engaged as an underwriter or selling agent, as a manager or co-manager, for a company with equity securities that were listed on The New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), Nasdaq or NYSE Amex at the time of the offering or thereafter. Please provide dates and amounts of capital raised in these offerings.
i. If Applicant is a Corporate Broker, separately provide a list of all bank securities in which the Applicant has published a priced quote on OTC Link ATS during the past three months.
9. If Applicant is a Law Firm:
a. Please provide the following information below or on firm letterhead: (i) names of all partners at the law firm, alternatively provide a link to the page on the firm’s website where all partners are listed, (ii) name of each attorney who will be acting in the capacity of an OTCQX Sponsor, and (iii) the U.S. states in which such attorneys are licensed to practice law. Please describe the experience of any attorney that will provide services as an OTCQX Sponsor in advising companies with a class of securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) with respect to their disclosure obligations under federal securities laws. If an attorney providing services is supervised by another attorney, or intends to seek the advice of another attorney in rendering services, please describe the nature of the relationship with the other attorney and the supervising or advisory attorney’s experience.
b. Please attach current good standing certificates from each attorney serving as an OTCQX Sponsor for each U.S. and Canadian jurisdiction in which he or she is licensed to practice law.
c. Any attorney who will be acting in the capacity of an OTCQX Sponsor must complete and submit a Personal Information Form.
10. All Applicants Must Provide References: Please attach (i) a list of at least 3 U.S. public companies for which the Applicant currently provides services, and (ii) a list of all companies listed on a national securities exchange for which the Applicant currently provides or formerly provided services, in each case specifying the services provided, the length of time the services have been provided, and the public market on which the companies’ securities trade(d).
11. Description of OTCQX Sponsor Services and Quality Control: Applicant must provide a detailed description of the steps it will take to determine a Company’s suitability and eligibility for OTCQX and list any other services it will offer to any company it sponsors.
12. Other Information: Please submit any other information that the Applicant believes may be relevant in considering this Application. OTC Markets Group may, on its own, request the Applicant provide additional information.
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