Fund and asset management · ASIC
Australian financial services licensing for fund managers (ASIC)
Australia holds one of the largest per capita pension pools in the world through its superannuation system, and access to it runs through Australian financial services licensing. Managers of registered schemes must additionally hold responsible entity status, which is a materially higher bar.
The regulator
ASIC administers financial services licensing and conduct regulation, assessing the competence and financial resources of applicants against the specific authorisations sought. Responsible entity obligations carry statutory duties that sit on the entity itself.
What the licence permits
Regulated under the ASIC
- Provide discretionary management and deal in financial products
- Operate registered schemes as responsible entity where authorised
- Approach superannuation and institutional allocators
- Operate in a mature common law market
Who it suits
Managers raising from Australian superannuation and institutional capital, and firms building a genuine domestic client base.
Market access
Access to Australian investors. New Zealand licenses separately, and there is no regional passport.
What to weigh
Responsible entity status is a significant step beyond a standard licence, with its own capital and duty obligations. Scoping the authorisations to the actual business is essential.
We run the Australia application end to end
Whether you build from new or acquire an existing licensed entity, BrokLicense handles incorporation, the regulator application, the AML and compliance framework, safeguarding and banking arrangements, and the operating stack. You stay the principal. We do the work, in confidence, and stay on for compliance once you are live.
Cost, capital, and timelines depend on your model and are set out in a first consultation, under NDA, not published here.
Other permissions in Australia
Related reading
- Fund Manager or Investment Firm? Choosing the Right Asset-Management AuthorisationManaging mandates and managing funds are different regulated activities under different regimes. Applying under the wrong one costs a year and a rejection.
- The MiFID Investment Firm Licence: What the Permissions Actually CoverA MiFID licence is not one permission but a set you choose from. The combination you pick sets your capital, your obligations, and your supervisory weight.
- Licensing an Investment-Management Firm: What Changes When You Manage Other People's MoneyRunning an asset or portfolio manager sits under a different permission than broking. Here is what the licence covers and what regulators expect.
- EU Passporting Explained: One Licence, Thirty MarketsA single EU investment-firm licence works across the whole European Economic Area. Here is how passporting works and why it shapes where firms base.
Fund and asset management in other Asia-Pacific jurisdictions
All jurisdictionsDiscuss your mandate in confidence
Every engagement begins under a mutual NDA. Set out the firm you intend to operate and the timeline you are working to, and you leave the first consultation with a recommended jurisdiction, the route to the licence, and a defined scope of work.
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