Q1. What is the Organisation Registration (OR) application process? 

The OR application process is as follows: 

Step 1: FTP performs self-assessment against the OR requirements and compiles relevant information to be uploaded for the application 

Step 2: FTP submits OR application via TPGateway 

Step 3: IBF officers review OR application 

Step 4: IBF seeks clarifications where required. FTP is required to look out for such IBF’s requests via the “Notification” icon on TPGateway 

Step 5: IBF officers conduct on-site assessment 

Step 6: FTP receives notification of the application outcome on TPGateway

 

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Q2. What are the OR criteria and documents to submit in TPGateway?

 

Please refer to the attached OR Criteria and submission requirements.

 

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Q3. What are the types of entities that are eligible to apply for Organisation Registration (OR) with IBF?

 

The following entities offering in-house training courses are eligible to apply for OR:

 

• Singapore-based Financial Institutions (licensed or exempt from licensing by MAS)
• FinTech firms certified by Singapore FinTech Association
• Training providers that have at least 1-year track record of conducting courses for financial industry professionals.

 

All entities must meet the OR requirements stated in the OR Criteria.

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Q4. What are the fees for the Organisation Registration (OR) application?

 

OR application fee is $1,080 (inclusive of 8% GST) and is waived currently.

 

Note: The OR application must be submitted together with a Course Application (CA) under the IBF Standards Training Scheme (IBF-STS) or Financial Training Scheme (FTS).

 

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Q5. Is there a validity period for Organisation Registration (OR)?

 

On an ongoing basis, IBF will monitor the IBF approved training providers‚ course delivery quality and conduct Continuous Improvement Reviews (CIR) to ensure training providers meet the terms & conditions set out in the IBF Terms and Conditions for IBF Providers.

 

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Q6. Do I need to submit an Organisation Registration (OR) application if I want to submit Course Application (CA)?

 

Yes, if you are a first-time applicant, you will need to submit an OR application together with a CA. Once your first OR and CA application has been approved, you may submit other CAs without an OR application.

 

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Q7. If I have my Organisation Registration (OR) approved in IBF Portal before 10 October, am I required to submit OR application in TPGateway?

 

Yes, if you do not have an approved course on IBF Portal, your OR profile will not be migrated and you will be required to resubmit OR together with a course on TPGateway.

 

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Q8. How long will it take for my Organisation Registration (OR) application to be processed?

OR applications will take approximately 8-12 weeks upon full submission of the required documents to be processed. Longer processing time may be required in certain cases (e.g. incomplete or inaccurate submissions).

For updates to course post IBF’s approval, it will take approximately 14 working days to be processed. 

You may check on the application status in TPGateway.

 

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Q9. What are the obligations as a recognised Financial Training Provider (FTP)?

 

If your application as a recognised FTP is successful, the FTP will need to adhere to the IBF Terms and Conditions for IBF Approved Training Providers.

Q11. What are the criteria for IBF-STS course accreditation?

 

Please refer to the IBF-STS course accreditation criteria for details.

 

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Q12. What are the eligibility criteria for e-learning courses?

 

E-learning courses must fulfil the e-learning criteria in addition to the IBF-STS course accreditation criteria.

 

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Q13. What documents do I need to submit for the application in TPGateway?

 

Before applying, please ensure you have the following documents:

a. Prospectus or Course Outline

b. Lesson Plan

c. Assessment Plan

d. Full Set of Training & Assessment Materials

e. Completed Checklist on the Skill Competency Mapping

f. Course Validation Checklist including Subject Matter Expert’s Profile

g. CVs and Fit and Proper Declaration Forms of all Course Developers, Trainers & Assessors

h. CV, Fit and Proper Declaration Form and relevant competency-based assessment qualifications (e.g. ACTA, ACLP, DACE) of Assessor Coach(es)

i. Permission obtained from copyright owner(s) to adapt or reproduce original work in whole or part (if any)

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Q14. How many skills does a course need to address to be eligible for IBF-STS accreditation application?

 

The course must be aligned to at least one (1) Technical Skill & Competency (TSC) or Future-Enabled Skill (FES) or Critical Core Skill (CCS).

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Q15. Can I submit an Assessment Only Programme (AOP) for IBF-STS accreditation application?

 

Yes, AOP is accepted under the IBF-STS scheme. When you are submitting your course application in TPGateway, you will be required to input a hashcode. The hashcode for AOP is “IBFAOP”.

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Q16. What are the fees for IBF-STS accreditation application?

 

The fees for IBF-STS accreditation application are:

Training & Assessment	S$900 per skill
Assessment only	S$600 per skill

 

Note: Accreditation fees should be paid upon submission of application, and they are non-refundable regardless of the outcome of the application.

 

After your courses have been accredited under the IBF-STS, the Financial Training Provider (FTP) shall be required to pay an annual fee based on the total course enrolment for the IBF Accredited Courses on a yearly basis. The fees payable is outlined in table below:

 

Enrolment Tier	Fees (before GST)
Total enrolment of less than 20 participants	Waived
Total enrolment of 21 - 50 participants	$3,200
Total enrolment of 50 – 100 participants	$4,800
Total enrolment of 101 – 300 participants	$6,400
Total enrolment of more than 300 participants	$9,600

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Q17. How long will it take for my IBF-STS course application to be processed?

 

IBF-STS application review will take approximately 8-12 weeks upon full and complete submission of the required documents. The review time is subject to various factors (e.g. completeness of form and supporting documents submitted, non-fulfilment of content to skills standards and response time taken by FTP).

 

For updates to courses post IBF’s approval, it will take up approximately 21 working days to be processed. You may check on the application status in TPGateway.

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Q18. When is the accreditation validity period for IBF-STS courses?

 

Upon successful application, the accreditation status has a five (5) year validity, except for Future-Enabled skills courses which has a validity of two (2) years.

 

During the validity period, IBF will monitor the training provider’s administration and delivery of the approved course and conduct regular Continuous Improvement Review (CIR) audits on the organisation & course to ensure they meet the terms & conditions set out in the IBF Terms and Conditions for IBF Approved Training Providers.

 

IBF reserves the right to suspend or terminate the accreditation status of Training Providers should there be non-compliance or violation of the IBF Accreditation Criteria or Terms and Conditions.

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Q19. If my course has been accredited by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) or other Government Agencies, can I concurrently seek accreditation with IBF?

 

The same course accredited by another Agency will not be eligible for IBF accreditation application.

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Q20. I have approved IBF-STS programmes, do I need to submit the courses on TPGateway?

 

You do not need to re-submit the approved courses in TPGateway as existing approved courses will be migrated to TPGateway.

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Q21. What is the process for submitting a renewal for an existing approved IBF-STS course?

 

Training providers will need to submit a new course application in TPGateway and indicate the approved course reference number and course title in the remarks box under ‘’Review your application’’ section of the course application form.

Q22. What are the criteria for Financial Training Scheme (FTS) course recognition?

 

Please refer to the FTS Criteria for details.

 

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Q23. What are the eligibility criteria for e-learning courses to be recognised under the Financial Training Scheme (FTS)?

 

FTS courses that are offered on e-learning mode must have an assessment and they must fulfil e-learning criteria in addition to the FTS Criteria.

 

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Q24. What documents do I need to submit for the Financial Training Scheme (FTS) application in TPGateway?

 

Before applying, please ensure you have the following documents:

a. Prospectus or Course Outline

b. Full set of Training Materials (Assessment Materials to be submitted if the course has assessment)

c. CVs and Fit and Proper Declaration Forms of all Course Developers, Trainers & Assessors

 

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Q25. What are the course types that are eligible for recognition under the Financial Training Scheme (FTS)?

 

Structured training programmes must be targeted at financial sector professionals and trainers engaged for the programme should have at least five (5) years of relevant financial services experience and at least three (3) years of financial training experience (either part-time or full-time). It may be in the form of classroom training, synchronous or asynchronous e-learning.

 

Refer to the FTS Criteria for types of courses that are not eligible for FTS recognition.

 

Please note that, with effect from 3 October 2022, one-off industry related events e.g. conferences and seminars will not be eligible for FTS funding.

 

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Q26. What are the fees for Financial Training Scheme (FTS) recognition application?

 

The fee for FTS application is $200 (before GST) currently.

 

Note: Application fees should be paid upon submission of application, and they are non-refundable regardless of the outcome of the application.

 

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Q27. How long will it take for my Financial Training Scheme (FTS) course application to be processed?

 

FTS application review will take approximately 8 weeks upon full submission of the required documents to be processed. The review time is subject to various factors (e.g. completeness of form and supporting documents submitted and response time taken by FTP).

 

For updates to course post IBF’s approval, it will take up approximately 21 working days to be processed. You may check on the application status in TPGateway.

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Q28. What is the validity period for Financial Training Scheme (FTS) courses?

 

Upon successful application, the course has a two (2) year validity.

 

During the validity period, IBF will monitor the training provider’s administration and delivery of the approved course and conduct regular Continuous Improvement Review (CIR) audits on the organisation & course to ensure they meet the terms & conditions set out in the IBF Terms and Conditions for IBF Approved Training Providers.

 

IBF reserves the right to suspend or terminate the recognition status for Training Providers should there be any non-compliance or violation of the IBF Accreditation Criteria or Terms and Conditions.

 

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Q29. If my course has been accredited by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) or other Government Agencies, can I concurrently seek recognition with IBF?

 

The same course accredited by another Agency will not be eligible for IBF recognition application.

 

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Q24. I have approved FTS courses, do I need to submit the courses on TPGateway?

 

You do not need to re-submit the approved courses in TPGateway as existing approved courses will be migrated to TPGateway.

 

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Q25. What is the process for submitting a renewal for an existing approved FTS course?

 

Training providers will submit a new course application in TPGateway and indicate the approved course reference number and course title in the remarks box under ‘’Review your application’’ section of the course application form.

Q26.

What is Core Financial Advisers Act (FAA) / Securities & Futures Act (SFA) CPD accreditation?

 

Appointed FAA/SFA representatives are expected to undergo continuing education to keep abreast of developments in the financial advisory industry and update their skills and knowledge in relation to the type of financial advisory services they provide.

 

Under MAS Notice FAA-N13 and SFA 04-N09, appointed representatives are required to undertake structured CPD, which includes a minimum of 6 training hours in Ethics and 8 training hours in Rules and Regulations (referred to as Core CPD hours) annually.

 

Courses in Ethics and Rules & Regulations must be recognised by IBF to be counted toward the Core FAA / SFA CPD hours.

 

Please refer to the IBF website on FAA CPD and SFA CPD for more information.

 

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Q27. What are the criteria for accreditation as a Core Financial Advisers Act (FAA) / Securities & Futures Act (SFA CPD course?

 

Financial training providers applying for their course to be recognised as a Core FAA/SFA course must have their Organisation Registration (OR) approved before submitting a course. Training Providers who have an approved OR can submit a course for recognition directly.

 

Please refer to the criteria for recognition as a Core FAA/SFA CPD course.

 

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Q28. What are the documents to be submitted for accreditation as a Core Financial Advisers Act (FAA) / Securities & Futures Act (SFA) course?

 

Before applying, please ensure you have the following documents:

a. Prospectus or Course Outline listing down detailed objectives and outcomes

b. Assessment Plan

c. Training & Assessment materials

d. CVs and Fit and Proper Declaration Forms of all Course Developers, Trainers & Assessors

 

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Q29. What are the course types that are eligible for Core Financial Advisers Act (FAA) / Securities & Futures Act (SFA) CPD recognition?

 

Courses must meet the IBF Core FAA / SFA CPD criteria in order to be recognised as a Core FAA/SFA course. It may come in the form of classroom training, synchronous or asynchronous e-learning. All courses must have an assessment component.

 

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Q30. Is funding support available for Core Financial Advisers Act (FAA) / Securities & Futures Act (SFA) CPD courses?

 

Core FAA/CPD courses are not eligible for course fee subsidy. If you intend for the courses to be funded, please apply for FTS + Core FAA/SFA or IBF-STS + Core FAA/SFA.

 

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Q31. What are the fees for submitting courses for Core FAA/SFA CPD recognition?

 

The fee for Core FAA/SFA CPD application is $200 (before GST) currently.

 

Note: Fees should be paid upon submission of application and are non-refundable regardless of the outcome of the application.

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Q32. How long will it take for my Core Financial Advisers Act (FAA) / Securities & Futures Act (SFA) CPD course application to be processed?

 

The review will take approximately 8 weeks upon full submission of the required documents to be processed.

 

The review time is subject to various factors (e.g. completeness of form and supporting documents submitted and response time taken by FTP).

 

For updates to courses post IBF’s approval, it will take approximately 21 working days to be processed.

 

You may check on the application status in TPGateway.

 

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Q33. What is the course validity period for courses accredited under Core Financial Advisers Act (FAA) / Securities & Futures Act (SFA) CPD?

 

Courses recognised under Core FAA/SFA CPD will be valid for two (2) years from the date that the course application is approved by IBF.

 

During the validity period, IBF reserves the right to suspend or terminate the accreditation status for Training Provider should there be any non-compliance to the Guidelines or Terms and Conditions.

 

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Q34. I have approved Core Financial Advisers Act (FAA) / Securities & Futures Act (SFA) courses, do I need to submit the courses on TPGateway?

 

You do not need to re-submit the approved courses in TPGateway as existing approved courses will be migrated to TPGateway.