ASIC RG 261 — ASIC Regulatory Guide – RG 261 Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies

Page 1 REGULATORY GUIDE 261 Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies June 2020 About this guide This guide is for companies seeking to raise funds through crowd-sourced funding. This guide explains when a company is eligible to make an offer of shares under the crowd-sourced funding (CSF) regime in the Corporations Act and what obligations, including disclosure obligations, apply. This guide also explains the reporting, audit and corporate governance requirements that apply to public companies and proprietary companies making CSF offers. Note: From 27 July 2020, applications for relief should be submitted through the ASIC Regulatory Portal. For more information, see how you apply for relief. Page 2 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 2 About ASIC regulatory documents In administering legislation, ASIC issues the following types of regulatory documents. Consultation papers: seek feedback from stakeholders on matters ASIC is considering, such as proposed relief or proposed regulatory guidance. Regulatory guides: give guidance to regulated entities by:  explaining when and how ASIC will exercise specific powers under legislation (primarily the Corporations Act)  explaining how ASIC interprets the law  describing the principles underlying ASIC’s approach  giving practical guidance (e.g. describing the steps of a process such as applying for a licence or giving practical examples of how regulated entities may decide to meet their obligations). Information sheets: provide concise guidance on a specific process or compliance issue or an overview of detailed guidance. Reports: describe ASIC compliance or relief activity or the results of a research project. Document history This guide was issued in June 2020 and is based on legislation and regulations as at the date of issue. The note on the front page was inserted on 27 July 2020. Previous versions:  Superseded Regulatory Guide 261 Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for public companies, issued September 2017 and October 2018 Disclaimer This guide does not constitute legal advice. We encourage you to seek your own professional advice to find out how the Corporations Act and other applicable laws apply to you, as it is your responsibility to determine your obligations. Examples in this guide are purely for illustration; they are not exhaustive and are not intended to impose or imply particular rules or requirements. Page 3 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 3 Contents A Overview ........................................................................................... 4 What is crowd-sourced funding? ....................................................... 4 How is crowd-sourced funding regulated? ........................................ 5 Purpose and scope of this guide ....................................................... 7 B Determining if your company and its offer are eligible ............... 8 Determine if your company is eligible ................................................ 8 Determine if your company’s offer is eligible ................................... 14 C How to make a CSF offer .............................................................. 19 Process for a making a CSF offer ................................................... 19 What obligations apply to CSF offers? ............................................ 27 Meeting your obligations to investors .............................................. 36 D Preparing the CSF offer document .............................................. 38 How to prepare a CSF offer document ............................................ 38 What are the key requirements for CSF offer documents? ............. 39 What minimum information must be included?................................ 40 Section 1: Risk warning for investors .............................................. 42 Section 2: Information about your company .................................... 43 Section 3: Information about the offer ............................................. 55 Section 4: Information about investor rights .................................... 57 Is the CSF offer document ‘clear, concise and effective’? .............. 60 E Determining if the CSF offer document is defective .................. 61 When is a CSF offer document defective? ...................................... 61 What must your company do if its CSF offer document is defective? 63 Is your company liable for a defective CSF offer document? .......... 66 What is ASIC’s role and what powers do we have? ........................ 68 F Public company corporate governance and reporting obligations ...................................................................................... 69 What obligations apply to public companies and their directors? ... 69 Is your company eligible for temporary concessions? ..................... 70 What concessions are available? .................................................... 73 When do the concessions cease? ................................................... 75 G Proprietary company corporate governance and reporting obligations ...................................................................................... 78 Why are there specific obligations for proprietary companies with CSF shareholders? .......................................................................... 78 What obligations apply and when? .................................................. 78 The 50 shareholder limit: When do you need to become a public company? ........................................................................................ 88 Takeovers and unsolicited offers to acquire shares of eligible proprietary companies with CSF shareholders................................ 89 Key terms ............................................................................................... 95 Related information ............................................................................... 97 Appendix: Template CSF offer document ........................................ 100 Page 4 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 4 A Overview Key points Crowd-sourced funding allows start-ups and other small to medium-sized companies to access capital from a large number of investors. Part 6D.3A of the Corporations Act 2001 (Corporations Act) provides a regulatory framework for equity-based crowd-sourced funding by unlisted public companies and proprietary companies, enabling them to make offers of ordinary shares to retail investors, through a licensed intermediary’s platform, using an offer document. This guide will assist companies making offers of shares under the CSF regime to understand their role and comply with their obligations. Specifically, this guide will help you understand: • whether your company is eligible to make an offer of its shares under the CSF regime; • how to prepare a CSF offer document for your company’s CSF offer; • the process for making CSF offers, including what obligations and investor protections apply to your company’s offer; and • the reporting, audit and corporate governance obligations that apply to public companies and proprietary companies that have completed a successful CSF offer. What is crowd-sourced funding? RG 261.1 Crowd-sourced funding involves a company raising funds—usually through an online intermediary—from a large number of individual investors who make relatively small financial contributions to the company. RG 261.2 While there are different types of crowd-sourced funding, this guide focuses specifically on equity-based crowd-sourced funding, which involves a company offering its ordinary shares to investors in return for a relatively small cash investment. Figure 1 illustrates how equity-based crowd-sourced funding works, with an intermediary performing checks on the offering company, operating an online platform (through which the company offers shares and investors invest money in exchange for shares), holding investor money and passing investor money to the company when the offer is complete. Note: There are other types of crowd-sourced funding that are not equity-based—for example, non-investment crowd-sourced funding which involves a donation towards a cause or a down payment for goods or services. Page 5 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 5 Figure 1: How equity-based crowd-sourced funding works Note: The process shown in Figure 1 is described in RG 261.2 (accessible version). RG 261.3 Crowd-sourced funding provides a fundraising option for start-ups or small to medium-sized companies. These companies are often at an early stage of their development and may not yet have a viable or profitable business. RG 261.4 This means investments through CSF offers may be highly speculative, with an increased risk of failure and loss to equity investors. Investments through CSF offers may also be illiquid, reducing investors’ ability to exit. How is crowd-sourced funding regulated? RG 261.5 The Corporations Amendment (Crowd-sourced Funding) Act 2017 introduced a regulatory regime for equity-based crowd-sourced funding. The CSF regime aims to facilitate flexible and low-cost access to capital for small to medium-sized unlisted public and proprietary companies by reducing the regulatory requirements for making public offers of shares, while ensuring adequate protections for retail investors. Note: See the Explanatory Memorandum to the Corporations Amendment (Crowd- sourced Funding) Bill 2016 and the Explanatory Memorandum to the Corporations Amendment (Crowd-sourced Funding for Proprietary Companies) Bill 2017. RG 261.6 The CSF regime contained in Pt 6D.3A allows unlisted public companies and proprietary companies with less than $25 million in consolidated assets and annual revenue to make offers of ordinary shares to retail investors, through a licensed CSF intermediary’s platform, using a CSF offer document. Eligible companies can raise up to $5 million in any 12-month period under the CSF regime. RG 261.7 The key features of the CSF regime are summarised in Table 1, along with references to relevant guidance. Holds investor money until offer is complete Offers shares Performs checks on offering company; passes on investor money when offer is complete Operates platform Invest money in exchange for shares Company Online platform Investors Intermediary Page 6 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 6 Table 1: Key features of the CSF laws Key feature Summary Guidance Is your company eligible to make CSF offers? Unlisted public companies and proprietary companies (excluding investment companies) with less than $25 million in consolidated assets and annual revenue that have their principal place of business and a majority of directors in Australia are eligible. Section B of this guide How much capital can your company raise? Eligible companies can raise up to $5 million in any 12-month period (the ‘issuer cap’). Section B of this guide What are the additional obligations to investors? Retail investors have an investment cap of $10,000 per company in any 12-month period (the ‘investor cap’) and a cooling-off period allowing them to withdraw from a CSF offer up to five days after making an application. A prescribed general risk warning statement must be provided in the CSF offer document and on the CSF intermediary’s platform. Retail investors must acknowledge that they have read and understood the warning before applying for shares. If a supplementary or replacement CSF offer document is published to correct a defective offer document, and the defect is materially adverse from the point of view of an investor, all investors have 14 days to withdraw their application and be repaid their application money. Advertising of CSF offers is permitted, subject to certain rules designed to direct investors to the general risk warning and CSF offer document for the offer. CSF offers can only be made via a licensed CSF intermediary’s platform. Section C and E of this guide See also Regulatory Guide 262 Crowd- sourced funding: Guide for intermediaries (RG 262) What must be disclosed in a CSF offer document? Companies making CSF offers must prepare a CSF offer document that includes prescribed minimum information. There are consequences if the disclosure is defective. Sections D and E of this guide What are the gatekeeper role and obligations of the CSF intermediary? The CSF intermediary:  must hold an Australian financial services (AFS) licence with an authorisation to provide a crowd-funding service;  performs checks on the offering company, its directors and the CSF offer document;  performs checks on investors, including assessing whether an investor is a retail client, and holds investor money on trust;  operates a platform for CSF offers; and  has an obligation to suspend or close a CSF offer in certain circumstances (e.g. where the CSF offer document is defective). RG 262 Page 7 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 7 Key feature Summary Guidance Does your company need to comply with all reporting, audit and annual general meeting (AGM) requirements? Public companies and proprietary companies that have completed a successful CSF offer must comply with certain financial reporting and corporate governance obligations. Audit obligations also apply when a company raises over $3 million through CSF offers. Public companies that registered as or converted to a public company between 29 September 2017 and 18 October 2018 and also meet certain eligibility criteria do not have to comply with certain reporting, audit and AGM obligations that would usually apply to public companies, for up to five years. The concessions for public companies cease to apply where a company no longer meets the eligibility requirements or does not complete a successful CSF offer within a 12-month period. The audit concession ceases in the above circumstances or when a company raises over $3 million through CSF offers. Sections F and G of this guide Source: Part 6D.3A of the Corporations Act. Purpose and scope of this guide RG 261.8 This guide will help you: (a) determine whether your company is eligible to make offers of its shares under the CSF regime (Section B); (b) understand the process for making CSF offers through a CSF intermediary, including your obligations and the investor protections that apply (Section C); (c) prepare a CSF offer document for your company’s offer that complies with the minimum information requirements and understand the consequences if the document is defective (Sections D and E of this guide and the template CSF offer document in the appendix); and (d) understand the reporting, audit and corporate governance obligations that apply to proprietary companies and public companies that have successfully completed a CSF offer, including any available temporary concessions (Sections F and G). RG 261.9 This guide does not cover the role and obligations of CSF intermediaries, which are covered in a separate guide: RG 262. In addition, this guide does not cover other offers of securities, which are covered in Regulatory Guide 254 Offering securities under a disclosure document (RG 254), or other forms of crowd-sourced funding (such as donation-based funding) that are not regulated by ASIC. Page 8 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 8 B Determining if your company and its offer are eligible Key points This section will help you and the CSF intermediary hosting your company’s CSF offer on its platform to determine whether: • your company is eligible to make offers under the CSF regime; and • your company’s offer is an eligible CSF offer that complies with the issuer cap and other requirements. Determine if your company is eligible RG 261.10 Table 2 sets out the requirements for your company to be eligible to make offers under the CSF regime. All requirements must be satisfied at the time the offer is made—that is, when the CSF offer document for the offer is first published on the CSF intermediary’s platform. Table 2: Requirements for company eligibility to make a CSF offer Your company must Corporations Act reference Guidance Be a proprietary company (with a minimum of two directors) or a public company limited by shares s738H(1)(a) RG 261.14–RG 261.16 Have its principal place of business in Australia s738H(1)(b) RG 261.14–RG 261.16 Have a majority of its directors (excluding alternate directors) ordinarily residing in Australia s738H(1)(c) RG 261.14–RG 261.16 Not exceed the assets and annual revenue caps of $25 million (including the assets and revenue of its related parties) s738H(1)(d) RG 261.17–RG 261.28 Not be listed on a financial market in Australia or overseas (including its related parties) s738H(1)(e) RG 261.29–RG 261.30 Not have a substantial purpose of investing in other companies, entities or schemes (including its related parties) s738H(1)(f) RG 261.32 Source: Part 6D.3A of the Corporations Act. RG 261.11 The CSF intermediary has an obligation to conduct checks, prior to publishing the CSF offer document, to satisfy itself that your company is eligible to make a CSF offer. If the intermediary determines that your company is not eligible, it must not publish the offer on its platform. Page 9 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 9 Note: The CSF intermediary must conduct these checks to a reasonable standard, including, for example, checking that the information is consistent with ASIC’s records—see RG 262 for further information. RG 261.12 If your company does not meet each of the requirements in Table 2, it will not be able to use the CSF regime to make an offer of its shares. However, your company may still make offers of its shares: (a) using a prospectus or other disclosure document under Pt 6D.2; or (b) to investors who are not required to be given a prospectus or other disclosure document (for example, angel investors or venture capital funds) if one of the exceptions in s708 applies. Note: For further information on when a prospectus is required, see RG 254. RG 261.13 ASIC has the power to grant relief from the provisions in the CSF regime in Pt 6D.3A, including the eligibility requirements in Table 2: see s741. We are generally unlikely to use this power, except in exceptional circumstances. For further guidance on the circumstances in which we may exercise our relief powers, see Regulatory Guide 51 Applications for relief (RG 51). Note: ASIC also has a specific determination power in relation to the assets and revenue caps (see RG 261.24) and the issuer cap (see RG 261.48). Registered proprietary or public company with its principal business and directors residing in Australia RG 261.14 To be eligible, your company needs to be a proprietary company or public company limited by shares at the time of the CSF offer. Note: To register as a company, you will need to lodge Form 201 Application for registration as an Australian company. To convert your company type, you will need to lodge Form 206 Application for change of company type (as applicable). RG 261.15 Your company must also have its principal place of business and a majority of directors (excluding any alternate directors) ordinarily residing in Australia. If your company is a proprietary company, it must have at least two directors, and if your company is a public company, it must have at least three directors, at the time of the CSF offer. Note: There is also an ongoing obligation for public companies to have at least three directors (not counting alternate directors) at all times and at least two directors must ordinarily reside in Australia—see s201A(2). Proprietary companies that have CSF shareholders also have an ongoing obligation to have at least two directors at all times and a majority must ordinarily reside in Australia (unless there are only two directors, then at least one director must ordinarily reside in Australia)—see s201A(1A). RG 261.16 Table 3 sets out the types of companies that meet these requirements and are therefore eligible, and companies that are not eligible. Page 10 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 10 Table 3: Company types and eligibility to make CSF offers Types of eligible companies Types of ineligible companies Eligible companies include:  proprietary companies with share capital registered under Ch 2A;  public companies with share capital registered under Ch 2A;  bodies corporate registered as a proprietary company or a public company under Pt 5B.1; and  foreign companies registered as a proprietary company or a public company under Pt 5B.1. Ineligible companies include:  public companies that do not have share capital (e.g. companies limited by guarantee);  foreign companies and registrable Australian bodies registered under Pt 5B.2; and  any type of company with its principal business and/or a majority of its directors ordinarily residing overseas. The assets and revenue caps RG 261.17 To be an eligible company, the consolidated gross assets and annual revenue of your company and all of its related parties must not exceed the assets and annual revenue caps of $25 million. RG 261.18 This means that at the time you are determining eligibility: (a) the value of the consolidated gross assets of your company and all of its related parties must be less than $25 million (the assets cap); and (b) the value of the consolidated annual revenue of your company and all of its related parties must be less than $25 million (the revenue cap). Rules for calculating the caps RG 261.19 When calculating the caps, your company must: (a) for the annual revenue cap—use the 12-month period immediately prior to the time when your company’s eligibility is being determined; and (b) for both the assets and revenue caps—include the consolidated assets and revenue of all of your company’s related parties (if any). Note: Your company’s eligibility must be determined at the ‘test time’—see s738H. For the purposes of making a CSF offer, your company must be eligible at the time the CSF offer is made, which requires your company to calculate its assets and revenue caps by reference to the 12-month period immediately prior to making the CSF offer. RG 261.20 We recognise that your company may have difficulty determining its consolidated annual revenue for the 12-month period immediately prior to, or its consolidated assets at, the time it makes a CSF offer (for example, because it undertakes a month-end reconciliation of its financial records). In these circumstances, your company may calculate its annual revenue and assets by having reference to its most recent ‘month-end’, which should generally be no more than six weeks before the date of the CSF offer. Page 11 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 11 RG 261.21 To determine whether your company meets the assets and revenue caps, your company and the CSF intermediary should consider the company’s financial records. Your company must keep up-to-date written financial records, accurately recording its transactions and its financial position and performance: see s286. Note: A company’s financial records must be retained for seven years and a failure to keep or retain financial records is an offence. ‘Financial records’ includes (among other things) invoices, receipts, entry books and working papers in relation to the preparation of financial statements. Related parties RG 261.22 For the assets and revenue caps (and all other requirements of the CSF regime in Pt 6D.3A), ‘related party’ means: (a) a ‘related body corporate’ of your company—that is, its holding company, its subsidiaries or a subsidiary of its holding company (i.e. a ‘sister’ company); or (b) an entity controlled by: (i) a person who controls your company; or (ii) an associate of that person. Note: See the definitions of ‘related body corporate’ in s50 and ‘subsidiary’ in s46. RG 261.23 In the ‘related party’ definition: (a) the concept of ‘control’ refers to persons with the capacity to determine the outcome of decisions about a company’s financial and operating policies; and (b) the concept of ‘associates’, when referring to associates of a company, includes a director or secretary of that company or a director or secretary of a related body corporate of that company. It also includes persons who are acting, or propose to act, in concert with each other in relation to a company’s affairs, which may include, for example, family members or persons with common investments and dealings. Note: See the definition of ‘control’ in s50AA and the meaning of ‘associate’ in s10, 11, 15 and 16. RG 261.24 ASIC has the power to make a determination that the assets or revenue of other closely related bodies should be included in the calculation of the assets or revenue caps: see s740. We may exercise this power in rare circumstances, for example, when we have concerns that entities that are closely related (but not ‘related parties’) are making multiple CSF offers to avoid the assets or revenue caps. RG 261.25 An example of related bodies corporate, as described in RG 261.22(a), is shown in Figure 2 and explained in Table 4. Page 12 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 12 Figure 2: Example of related bodies corporate Note 1: All holdings shown in this example are direct holdings. The example assumes there are no cross-holdings, associate relationships (other than through a corporate group), or practical control below 50%. Note 2: The holdings shown in Figure 2 are explained in Table 4 (accessible version). Table 4: Explanation of related bodies corporate in Figure 2 Entity Related body corporate of Eligible Co Ltd? Explanation Head Co Ltd Yes Head Co Ltd is the holding company of Eligible Co Ltd. A Pty Ltd Yes A Pty Ltd is a direct subsidiary of Eligible Co Ltd. B Ltd Yes Head Co Ltd is the holding company of B Ltd, which means B Ltd has the same holding company as Eligible Co Ltd. C Pty Ltd Yes C Pty Ltd is an indirect subsidiary (held through B Ltd’s 51% interest) of Head Co Ltd, which is the holding company of Eligible Co Ltd. D Pty Ltd No D Pty Ltd is not a subsidiary of Head Co Ltd (which only has a 10% interest) and Head Co Ltd does not ‘control’ D Pty Ltd. E Pty Ltd No E Pty Ltd is a subsidiary of D Pty Ltd, which is not a related body corporate of Eligible Co Ltd. RG 261.26 An example of related parties, through the control relationships described in RG 261.22(b), is shown in Figure 3 and explained in RG 261.27–RG 261.28. A Pty Ltd Eligible Co Ltd 100% B Ltd 100% 51% D Pty Ltd 10% E Pty Ltd 100% Head Co Ltd C Pty Ltd 100% Related bodies corporate of Eligible Co Ltd Page 13 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 13 Figure 3: Example of related party relationships as a result of control, for the assets and revenue caps Note 1: All holdings shown in this example are direct holdings. The example assumes there are no cross-holdings, associate relationships or practical control below 50%, unless indicated. Where control is indicated, it is assumed that s50AA is satisfied. Note 2: The control relationships shown in Figure 3 are explained in RG 261.27–RG 261.28 (accessible version). RG 261.27 In Figure 3, Mr X holds 100% of Y Ltd and 49% plus control of Z Ltd, and also controls Eligible Co Pty Ltd through a 100% interest. Therefore, Y Ltd and Z Ltd are related parties of Eligible Co Pty Ltd. RG 261.28 In Figure 3, because the definition of ‘related parties’ is not intended to cover natural person controllers of companies making CSF offers, Mr X is not a related party of Eligible Co Pty Ltd. However, any companies controlled by an associate of Mr X, which may include a family member of Mr X, would be related parties of Eligible Co Pty Ltd. Must be an unlisted company RG 261.29 To be eligible to make a CSF offer, your company and any related parties must not be listed on an Australian financial market or a financial market overseas. RG 261.30 Australian financial markets that list companies include Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), National Stock Exchange of Australia (NSX) and Sydney Stock Exchange (SSX). Note: A list of prescribed financial markets in Australia is contained in reg 1.0.02A of the Corporations Regulations 2001 (Corporations Regulations). We also keep an updated list of Licensed domestic financial markets operating in Australia on the ASIC website (although not all markets noted on our website are markets that list companies, as some relate to derivatives and other financial products). RG 261.31 Overseas financial markets that list companies include New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ Global Market, New Zealand Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange (this is not an exhaustive list). Eligible Co Pty Ltd Z Ltd 49% and control Y Ltd 100%100% Related parties of Eligible Co Pty Ltd Mr X Page 14 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 14 Must not be an investment company RG 261.32 To be eligible to make a CSF offer, your company and any related parties must not be an investment company—that is, if a substantial part of its business or a related party’s business involves investing in other companies, entities or schemes (e.g. a managed fund), including for the purpose of making a profit through that investment, then your company is not eligible. Determine if your company’s offer is eligible RG 261.33 Table 5 sets out the requirements for an offer to be an eligible CSF offer. All requirements must be satisfied at the time the offer is made—that is, when the CSF offer document is first published on the CSF intermediary’s platform. Table 5: Requirements for CSF offer eligibility Your company’s offer must Corporations Act and Regulations references Guidance Be made by an eligible company s738G(1)(b), s738H RG 261.10–RG 261.32 Expressly state that the offer is made under the CSF regime s738B(b) RG 261.36 Be an offer for the issue of fully-paid ordinary shares s738G(1)(a), s738G(1)(c), reg 6D.3A.01 RG 261.37–RG 261.39 Not be used to raise funds to:  invest in other companies, entities or schemes; or  loan to related parties (other than wholly-owned subsidiaries) s738G(1)(e), reg 6D.3A.01 RG 261.40–RG 261.41 Comply with the issuer cap (offers to raise no more than $5 million in any 12-month period) s738G(1)(d), s738G(2) RG 261.42–RG 261.52 Source: Part 6D.3A of the Corporations Act. RG 261.34 The CSF intermediary has an obligation to conduct checks, prior to publishing the CSF offer document, to satisfy itself that the offer is an eligible CSF offer. If the intermediary determines that your company’s offer is not eligible, then it must not publish the offer on its platform. Note: The CSF intermediary must conduct these checks to a reasonable standard, including, for example, checking that the information is consistent with ASIC’s records—see RG 262 for further information. RG 261.35 If your company’s offer does not meet each of the requirements in Table 5, then it will not be an eligible CSF offer. If your company proceeds with the Page 15 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 15 offer, it will require a prospectus or other disclosure document under Pt 6D.2, unless one of the exceptions in s708 applies. Note: For further guidance on when a company is required to lodge a prospectus or other disclosure document for an offer of its shares, see RG 254. RG 261.36 If an offer is expressly stated to be made under the CSF regime, but is not an eligible CSF offer, ASIC may make a stop order to prevent the offer from proceeding: see RG 261.230–RG 261.234. Offer for the issue of ordinary shares RG 261.37 Your company’s CSF offer must be an offer of fully-paid ordinary shares— offers of other types of securities (e.g. partly-paid shares, preference shares, options or debentures) are not currently permitted under the CSF regime. Note: The Corporations Regulations permit the CSF regime to be extended to a broader range of securities in the future—see reg 6D.3A.01. RG 261.38 Your company’s CSF offer must be an offer for the issue, not the sale, of shares—that is, the offer can only cover primary issues and not transfers or sales of shares that are already issued (e.g. sales of shares issued to the founders or directors of the company). RG 261.39 Offers to sell shares that have been issued under CSF offers are not covered by the CSF regime. Investors are not able to sell shares acquired under a CSF offer within 12 months of their issue without a prospectus or other disclosure document, unless an exemption in s708 applies (e.g. sales to sophisticated or professional investors) or unless ASIC gives relief. Note: See the on-sale provisions in s707(3)–(4). Regulatory Guide 173 Disclosure for on-sale of securities and other financial products (RG 173) provides further guidance on the on-sale provisions and the circumstances where we may provide relief from the disclosure requirements in Ch 6D for the on-sale of securities. Use of funds raised under the offer RG 261.40 Your company’s CSF offer will not be eligible if: (a) your company or its related parties intends to use any of the funds raised for investment purposes—that is, if any of the funds (even if only a small amount) will be used to invest in other companies, entities or schemes, then the offer is not eligible; (b) your company intends to use any of the funds raised to provide a loan (i.e. issue a ‘credit facility’) to a related party (other than a wholly- owned subsidiary) of the company or to facilitate a related party providing a loan to your company or another related party of your company—that is, if any of the funds (even if only a small amount) will be loaned to a related party, either directly (e.g. in the form of an inter- Page 16 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 16 company cash loan or mortgage) or indirectly (e.g. any form of financial accommodation), under any contract, arrangement or understanding (formal or informal), then the offer is not eligible. Note: For the definition of a ‘credit facility’, see reg 7.1.06. RG 261.41 Your company must include in its CSF offer document a description of how it intends to use the funds raised under the CSF offer. Further guidance on this is provided in Table 19 in Section D. The issuer cap: $5 million in 12 months RG 261.42 Under the issuer cap, your company and its related parties must not raise more than $5 million in any 12-month period through CSF offers and certain other offers. Note: The Corporations Act allows regulations to be made in the future to adjust the maximum amount for the issuer cap. Calculating the issuer cap RG 261.43 Use the formula shown in Figure 4 and explained in RG 261.44–RG 261.51 to calculate the amounts that count towards the issuer cap. Figure 4: Formula for calculating the issuer cap Note: The formula shown in Figure 4 is explained in RG 261.45 (accessible version). Amounts that count towards the issuer cap RG 261.44 Figure 4 illustrates what amounts raised under certain offers must be counted towards the issuer cap, and the relevant time for determining whether these amounts fall within the 12-month period prior to your company’s current CSF offer. RG 261.45 As illustrated in Figure 4, when calculating the issuer cap, you must include: (a) the maximum amount sought to be raised by your company under the current CSF offer; Cap = +++ Maximum amount sought to be raised under the current CSF offer Amounts raised under CSF offers made in the last 12 months Amounts received in the last 12 months from small scale personal offers (under s708(1)) Amounts received in the last 12 months from offers made via an AFS licensee (under s708(10)) Include amounts raised by your company and all of its related parties Page 17 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 17 (b) all amounts raised by your company and its related parties under any other CSF offers made in the last 12 months; and (c) all amounts received in the last 12 months by your company and its related parties under: (i) small scale personal offers under s708(1); and Note: Section 708(1) exempts from disclosure under Pt 6D.2 offers resulting in no more than 20 issues or sales in any 12-month period and raising no more than $2 million in any 12-month period. (ii) offers made via an AFS licensee under s708(10). Note: Section 708(10) exempts offers made via an AFS licensee from disclosure under Pt 6D.2, where the AFS licensee is satisfied on reasonable grounds that the person to whom the offer is made has previous experience in investing that allows them to assess the merits and risks of the offer. RG 261.46 It is important to note that all funds raised from your company’s current CSF offer, whether the funds are received from retail investors or sophisticated or professional investors (that may otherwise be exempt from disclosure under the exceptions in s708(8) and 708(11)), are included in the issuer cap. For example, this would include a cornerstone investor who makes a large investment in a company via a CSF offer (even if they are a sophisticated or professional investor). RG 261.47 However, if your company makes a separate offer of shares (that is not a CSF offer) to sophisticated or professional investors (for example, a concurrent offer via the CSF intermediary’s platform available only to certain sophisticated or professional investors), then funds raised from that offer do not count towards the issuer cap. Any such offer should be clearly differentiated from the CSF offer and the CSF intermediary must take care to ensure the offer (and funds raised under the offer) is not presented on the platform as a CSF offer (otherwise this may be misleading). Note: Section 738E provides that a company that makes a CSF offer of shares may also make an offer of the same class of shares under an exception in s708. However, where the exceptions in s708 are relied on, the offer will not be a CSF offer (with all the investor protections under the CSF regime). RG 261.48 In addition, ASIC has the power to make a determination that the amounts raised by other closely related bodies under CSF offers or other certain offers should be included in the calculation of the issuer cap: see s740. We may exercise this power in rare circumstances, for example, where we have concerns that entities that are closely related (but not ‘related parties’) are making multiple CSF offers or other offers of shares to avoid the issuer cap. Timing of previous offers that count towards the issuer cap RG 261.49 When determining whether to include amounts raised under previous CSF offers, you must look at when the offer was made—that is, when the CSF offer document was first published on the CSF intermediary’s platform. Page 18 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 18 RG 261.50 When determining whether to include amounts raised under previous small scale personal offers or offers made through an AFS licensee, you must look at when the amount raised under the offer was received. That is, even if such offers were made more than 12 months ago, any funds received in the last 12 months under those offers will count towards the cap. Amounts excluded from the issuer cap RG 261.51 When calculating the issuer cap, do not count funds raised from other offers of shares that do not require disclosure because of an exception in s708 (other than s708(1) and s708(10)), unless these offers are made under a CSF offer: see RG 261.46. For example, funds raised under offers made to sophisticated or professional investors under the exceptions in s708(8) and s708(11) do not count towards the issuer cap. RG 261.52 Below is an example of how to calculate the issuer cap using the rules explained at RG 261.43–RG 261.51. Example 1: Calculating the issuer cap New Co Ltd is intending to make an offer under the CSF regime on 30 June 2019. The minimum and maximum subscription amounts for that CSF offer are $500,000 and $1 million respectively. New Co Ltd has previously made two CSF offers: • on 31 January 2019, which raised $2 million; and • on 20 June 2018, which raised $1 million. In the period from 30 June 2018 to 31 December 2018, New Co Ltd received $2 million from small scale personal offers made on 20 June 2018. New Co Ltd also received $500,000 from these offers between 20 June and 30 June 2018. In calculating the amounts that count towards the issuer cap, New Co Ltd must: • include the $1 million maximum subscription amount sought to be raised under its current CSF offer; • include the $2 million raised under the 31 January 2019 CSF offer, as that offer was made in the 12 months prior to the current CSF offer; • exclude the $1 million raised under the 20 June 2018 CSF offer, as that offer was made more than 12 months prior to the current CSF offer; • include the $2 million received on or after 30 June 2018 under the small scale personal offers; and • exclude the $500,000 received under the small scale personal offers prior to 30 June 2018. The total amount counting towards the issuer cap is $5 million (made up of $1 million, $2 million and $2 million). As the total does not exceed the issuer cap of $5 million, the current offer will be an eligible CSF offer. Page 19 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 19 C How to make a CSF offer Key points This section explains: • the process for making offers of shares under the CSF regime; and • the obligations and investor protections that apply to CSF offers. Process for a making a CSF offer RG 261.53 If your company and its offer are eligible (see Section B), then your company may make an offer of its shares under the CSF regime. RG 261.54 Figure 5 illustrates a step-by-step process for making a CSF offer. The company making the offer is responsible for Steps 1, 2, 3 and 7. The other steps are completed by the CSF intermediary whose platform your company has selected to host its CSF offer. The process is also set out in detail at RG 261.55–RG 261.85, and the figure includes references to further guidance on each step. Step 1: Enter into a hosting arrangement RG 261.55 Your company will need to choose a CSF intermediary to host the CSF offer, and enter into a hosting arrangement with the intermediary for the publication of the CSF offer document and the conduct of the offer on the intermediary’s online platform. Note: The CSF intermediary must hold an AFS licence with the required authorisation to provide a crowd-funding service—see RG 262. RG 261.56 Prior to entering into a hosting arrangement with a CSF intermediary, you should check that the CSF intermediary holds an AFS licence authorising it to provide crowd-funding services. This is important as some intermediaries may refer to themselves as a ‘crowd-funding platform’, without having the appropriate AFS licence. RG 261.57 The proposed CSF intermediary will likely conduct checks on your company—to be satisfied that it is eligible to make offers under the CSF regime—prior to entering into a hosting agreement: see RG 261.70– RG 261.71 for the checks that an intermediary is required to undertake. Page 20 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 20 Figure 5: Process for making a CSF offer Note: The process for making a CSF offer shown in Figure 5 is set out in detail at RG 261.55–RG 261.85 (accessible version). Step 1 Company enters into a hosting arrangement with a CSF intermediary (RG 261.55–RG 261.60) Step 3 Company obtains the consents required for the CSF offer document (RG 261.64–RG 261.69) CSF intermediary performs checks on the company, its directors and the CSF offer document during Steps 1–3 (RG 261.70–RG 261.71) Step 2 Company prepares a CSF offer document for the CSF offer (RG 261.61–RG 261.63) Step 4 CSF intermediary opens the CSF offer by publishing the CSF offer document on the platform (RG 261.72–RG 261.77) Step 5 CSF intermediary closes the CSF offer as soon as practicable after the earliest of certain events (e.g. where the maximum subscription is reached or on the closing date) (RG 261.78–RG 261.81) Step 6 CSF intermediary declares the CSF offer ‘complete’ where the minimum subscription is reached, or ‘unsuccessful’ where the minimum subscription is not reached (RG 261.82–RG 261.84) Step 7 If the CSF offer is complete—company issues shares to investors If the CSF offer is unsuccessful—CSF intermediary refunds investors their money (RG 261.85) Page 21 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 21 RG 261.58 The hosting arrangement between your company and the CSF intermediary will include the intermediary’s services, the fees for their services and the intermediary’s obligations (for example, to provide an application facility and a communication facility for the CSF offer). Note 1: The ‘application facility’ allows the CSF intermediary to receive applications and application money from investors under a CSF offer. A ‘communication facility’ allows investors, your company and the intermediary to communicate with each other about the offer. Note 2: There are no restrictions on the fees that may be agreed between your company and the CSF intermediary. RG 261.59 In addition, the hosting arrangement: (a) must require all investor applications and all application money to be sent or paid to, and dealt with by, the CSF intermediary; and (b) may place limits on when the CSF intermediary may exercise its discretion to close the CSF offer, except where the intermediary is required by law to close the offer (see RG 261.78–RG 261.81). RG 261.60 Your company may be a retail client of the CSF intermediary. If this is the case, you should make sure that your company receives a Financial Services Guide from the intermediary, which will include information about the intermediary’s fees, compensation arrangements and the dispute resolution avenues available for complaints about the intermediary’s services. Note: Your company may be a retail client if it is a ‘small business’ (less than 100 employees if it is a manufacturer of goods, or otherwise 20 employees) and intends to raise less than $500,000 under its CSF offer—see s761G. For further information on the obligations of AFS licensees, including the obligation to provide a Financial Services Guide and to have adequate internal and external dispute resolution procedures in place, see RG 262. Step 2: Prepare a CSF offer document for the offer RG 261.61 Your company must prepare a CSF offer document for each offer it makes under the CSF regime. The offer document must contain certain minimum information, which is prescribed under the law. In addition, the offer document must be worded and presented in a ‘clear, concise and effective’ manner. Note: See s738J and 738K. RG 261.62 Section D sets out the minimum information that must be included and provides guidance to help you prepare a compliant CSF offer document. Section E explains when a CSF offer document is defective and ASIC’s role and powers in relation to CSF offer documents. Note: For the meaning of a defective CSF offer document, see s738U. Page 22 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 22 RG 261.63 The appendix contains a template to assist you in preparing a CSF offer document for your company’s offer. The template is a guide (not a prescribed form) and use of the template is optional. We strongly encourage your company and the CSF intermediary to present and format the CSF offer document in a way that enhances the readability and accessibility of the document for retail investors. Step 3: Obtain consents for publication of the CSF offer document RG 261.64 Before arranging for the CSF intermediary to publish the CSF offer document, your company must obtain the written consent of each of the persons listed in Table 6. Consent is not required for citing certain statements made by government officials, statements in books, journals and geological reports and trading data: see RG 261.67–RG 261.69. Table 6: Consents required for publication of the CSF offer document Person Nature of the consent Every director of the company Must consent to the publication of the CSF offer document on a platform of the CSF intermediary. Every person named in the CSF offer document as a proposed director of the company Must consent to the publication of the CSF offer document on a platform of the CSF intermediary. A person named in the CSF offer document as having made a statement:  that is included in the offer document; or  on which a statement made in the offer document is based Must consent to the statement being included in the CSF offer document in the form and context in which it is included. The CSF offer document must state that the person has given this consent. The consent must not have been withdrawn before the company arranges for the offer document to be published. Source: Section 738M of the Corporations Act. RG 261.65 These consent requirements also apply to supplementary and replacement CSF offer documents, with some limited exceptions: see RG 261.218 for further guidance. RG 261.66 Your company must keep a copy of these consents for seven years after the consent was given: see s738M(3). If your company does not obtain the required consent or does not retain copies of these consents, then it will commit an offence. Page 23 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 23 Relief from obtaining consent for certain statements RG 261.67 We recognise that it may not be practical or may be difficult for a company to obtain the consent of particular people to include certain statements in a CSF offer document. Accordingly, we have provided relief in ASIC Corporations (Consents to Statements) Instrument 2016/72 so that you may include in your company’s CSF offer document the following statements without consent: (a) statements made by government officials or in a public official document; (b) statements already published in a book, journal or comparable publication; (c) statements referring to historical geological reports that are included in a current geological report set out in the CSF offer document; and (d) trading data relating to trading on a prescribed financial market or approved foreign exchanges. RG 261.68 There are certain requirements that apply when relying on the relief in ASIC Corporations (Consents to Statements) Instrument 2016/72. For example, the relief in RG 261.67(a) and RG 261.67(b) does not apply when the original statement was made in connection with your company, your company’s CSF offer or any business, property or person that is the subject of the CSF offer document. RG 261.69 For further detailed guidance on the relief in ASIC Corporations (Consents to Statements) Instrument 2016/72 and the requirements for relying on the relief, see Section D of Regulatory Guide 55 Statements in disclosure documents and PDSs: Consent to quote (RG 55). CSF intermediary conducts prescribed checks RG 261.70 Prior to entering into a hosting arrangement with your company and prior to the publication of the CSF offer and CSF offer document, the CSF intermediary will conduct a number of checks on your company, its officers and the CSF offer document. These checks (which are prescribed under the law) include checks on: (a) the identity (e.g. name, Australian Company Number (ACN), company type and address) and eligibility of your company and the eligibility of your company’s offer; (b) your company’s CSF offer document—in particular, whether the offer document contains the minimum information required and is worded and presented in a ‘clear, concise and effective’ manner; and Page 24 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 24 (c) your company’s directors, senior managers and other officers (e.g. company secretary)—including: (i) verifying their identity; (ii) whether they are of good fame or character and whether legal or disciplinary actions against directors or senior managers, if any, have been disclosed in the CSF offer document; and (iii) whether the CSF intermediary has reason to believe that the company or a director or other officer has knowingly engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct in relation to the CSF offer (for example, where the directors have made dishonest representations about their company or the offer). Note: For further guidance on the gatekeeper role and the checks to be conducted by the CSF intermediary both prior to and during the course of your company’s CSF offer, see RG 262. RG 261.71 It is important to regularly communicate with the CSF intermediary hosting your company’s CSF offer prior to and during the preparation of the CSF offer document, as the intermediary must be satisfied that your company and its offer are eligible and that the offer document meets the requirements under the law, before the offer can proceed. Step 4: CSF intermediary publishes the CSF offer document on its platform and opens the offer RG 261.72 Once you have obtained the necessary consents, and the CSF intermediary has completed and is satisfied with its checks, the intermediary may publish your company’s CSF offer on its online platform. RG 261.73 The offer opens when the CSF offer document is first published on the CSF intermediary’s platform, and remains open until closed by the intermediary. When an offer is suspended by an intermediary, it still remains open. RG 261.74 It is an offence for your company to: (a) use more than one CSF intermediary’s platform—that is, your company can only use one intermediary for the same CSF offer (but can use a different intermediary for an earlier or later offer); or (b) make a CSF offer where the hosting agreement does not require all applications and application money to be handled via the CSF intermediary. RG 261.75 The CSF offer can only be made by publishing a CSF offer document on the platform of the CSF intermediary. If your company also makes a copy of the CSF offer document available on its website or your company or the CSF intermediary otherwise distributes the offer document (e.g. by email or Page 25 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 25 on social media), you should include a statement directing investors to the intermediary’s platform and you must comply with the rules about advertising a CSF offer. Note: If your company advertises a CSF offer, it must include a prescribed statement that investors should consider the CSF offer document and the general risk warning in deciding whether to apply under the offer—see RG 261.91–RG 261.95 for further information. Offer period RG 261.76 Under the law, your company’s CSF offer can be open for a maximum of three months, or a shorter period specified in the CSF offer document. The CSF offer document must specify the period or date to which your company expects the offer to remain open. RG 261.77 The offer period cannot be extended for any reason, including if the offer document is found to be defective and a replacement or supplementary offer document is provided to investors. This means that a supplementary or replacement offer document cannot be used to vary the offer period or closing date. Step 5: CSF intermediary suspends or closes the offer RG 261.78 A CSF offer is closed from the time when the CSF intermediary gives written notice on the platform that the offer is closed. RG 261.79 The CSF intermediary must close or suspend a CSF offer as soon as practicable after becoming aware that the CSF offer document is ‘defective’. If the intermediary elects to suspend (rather than close) the offer, then it must decide whether to re-open the offer (i.e. if your company provides a supplementary or replacement offer document correcting the defect) or close the offer (i.e. if the defect is not corrected through further disclosure). Note: Information on when a CSF offer document is defective is provided in Section E of this guide. RG 261.80 The CSF intermediary must also close the CSF offer as soon as practicable after the earlier of the following times: (a) three months from when the offer was made; (b) any shorter period specified in the CSF offer document as the date that the offer will close; (c) when the offer is fully subscribed to the maximum subscription amount; (d) when your company withdraws the offer; or Note: A company can withdraw a CSF offer at any time before the offer is complete. To do so, a company must notify the CSF intermediary that the offer is withdrawn—see s738S. The intermediary must, as soon as practicable, close the offer and remove the CSF offer document from its platform. Page 26 REGULATORY GUIDE 261: Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies © Australian Securities and Investments Commission June 2020 Page 26 (e) when the intermediary becomes prohibited from continuing to publish the CSF offer document under its gatekeeper obligations—that is, the intermediary is no longer satisfied with the results of its ongoing checks during the course of the offer (see Step 3 for details on the checks CSF intermediaries are required to undertake). RG 261.81 The CSF intermediary may close a CSF offer at any time, although the hosting arrangement between your company and the intermediary can place limits on when the intermediary can close the offer (except where the intermediary is required to close the offer under the Corporations Act). While the CSF intermediary may close an offer early, if this is done in circumstances where the offer is not yet ‘complete’, then the intermediary must refund application money to all investors who have applied under the offer. Step 6: CSF intermediary declares the offer ‘complete’ or ‘unsuccessful’ RG 261.82 When the CSF intermediary has closed a CSF offer (i.e. at the expiry of three months or the specified offer period, or because the offer is fully subscribed), the CSF intermediary must determine, after the expiry of all investor withdrawal rights, whether the offer: (a) is complete—that is, the minimum subscription amount for the offer has been raised (after taking into account any withdrawn or rejected applications) and t