LEI The Lifecycle of a LEI Issuer

Questions and Answers



The Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF) makes available questions and answers posed by applicants to further assist organizations seeking to become a GLEIF accredited Local Operating Unit (LOU) authorized to issue Legal Entity Identifiers (LEIs).

Representatives of organizations seeking to become GLEIF accredited are invited to direct their questions to info@gleif.org. GLEIF may decide to post questions received, without attribution, and related answers to our website if they are of general interest. The list of questions and answers below reflects dialog with organizations which have participated in the accreditation process. It will be updated from time to time, as required.

1. Is there a defined timeline or due date for our application to become a GLEIF-accredited LEI issuer?
No. The applicant may start the accreditation process at any time when it believes it is prepared. Other processing timeline requirements are explained in the Accreditation Manual.
2. Can I start the application process without a signed Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)?
No. GLEIF will not issue access to the accreditation communication tools (Data Room and Service Portal) without a valid NDA in place which includes the signature of the Authorized Representative of the applicant.
3. Why are Master Agreement Appendices 3 and 4 not listed in the ‘Required Documents’ section of your website?
Appendix 3 is your completed Accreditation Plan. Appendix 4 is your Accreditation Documentation which is comprised of the Checklist and all supporting documentation. Both Appendices are part of the Master Agreement and required for accreditation.
4. Can the user name and password provided to access the accreditation communication tools (Data Room and Service Portal) be shared within my organization?
Yes, however it is not recommended. In your initial request, you specify how many user accounts you require for the accreditation process. These user accounts provide access to both the Data Room and Service Portal. As a best practice to enhance internal accountability, we generally recommend that each user has a unique set of credentials, however, it is the applicant’s choice to request a single set or multiple sets based upon their own local security requirements.
5. Can the automated messages from the Data Room and Service Portal be sent to multiple contact points in my organization?
No. We need one central contact point. This may however be a group email address.
6. Could you please provide the email addresses from which the Data Room and Service Portal notices will be sent? I would like to make sure these emails are not labeled as spam.
Data Room email will have the sender info@gleif.org. Service Portal email will have the sender accreditationrequest@gleif.org.
7. What if I upload a document to the wrong folder?
This is not a problem. While you are in the process of preparing your plan or documentation materials you have the ability to add, delete, and change all files you post until you notify GLEIF that your materials are ready for review. During GLEIF review, you will only have the ability to read files posted to the Data Room.
8. When will GLEIF look at the files I have uploaded into the Data Room?
GLEIF will only look at files in the Data Room when: a) the Applicant/Candidate LOU requests an optional conference call and has uploaded the documents for discussion into the ‘Conference Call Materials’ folder; or b) the Applicant/Candidate LOU has notified GLEIF that their Data Room materials are final and ready for GLEIF review. GLEIF will then initiate the internal process as soon as possible within the limits of existing resources and applicant demand.
9. Is my data secured? Can anyone see it?
GLEIF takes all reasonable precautions to protect your information. Only authorized users can view your documents. This includes your team members with whom you have shared the user login information plus the GLEIF internal review team. Other Applicant/Candidate LOUs cannot access or view your materials. Applicant/Candidate LOUs have restricted access to only their own folders within the Data Room.
10. I am having trouble printing the Accreditation Checklist. What should I do?
The Accreditation Checklist is an editable PDF. It can be updated and saved as many times as you like. When printing it, we suggest you do this in Adobe Acrobat for the best result.
11. What materials are required for the Plan stage of the accreditation process?
Please refer to the ‘Accreditation Plan Checklist’, which is on the GLEIF website. It specifies all required documents for this stage of the process. It also is a good tool for checking the completeness of your submission prior to submitting it to GLEIF. This checklist is also required for submission as part of your plan documentation.
12. If a single document, like a manual, happens to cut across two or more sections/questions, should I upload only the relevant segment of documentation or upload the complete manual and cross-reference any relevant data by question?
It is your decision. GLEIF expects the Applicant/Candidate LOU to provide a clear cross-reference to the question being asked in the Accreditation Checklist and the documentation uploaded to the Data Room. GLEIF will only review those documents or sections that are specifically cross referenced in the Accreditation Checklist. As a reminder, all materials submitted must be in English unless otherwise agreed in advance of submission. Documentation in other languages will be rejected and the application is not considered complete until requisite translations are provided.
13. If I have a general question or something that I do not understand, can I contact GLEIF without this being counted as one of my three conference calls?
Yes. Procedural or interpretative types of questions can be sent to info@gleif.org without this being counted as one of three conference calls. As mentioned above, GLEIF may decide to post questions received, without attribution, and related answers to our website if they are of general interest.
14. We are required to provide GLEIF with two original signed sets of the NDA and Master Agreement? How should we do this?
Please attach one scanned copy of your signed NDA with your request to begin the process to accreditationrequest@gleif.org. This will allow us to proceed with the application process.

Regarding the Master Agreement, you will be contacted by the General Counsel’s office at the appropriate time and provided with the necessary instructions to complete this activity.

When the Master Agreement documents have been countersigned by GLEIF, they will be uploaded into the Data Room in the designated folder for your access. We will return one executed hard copy set to you for your records to the address on file for your organization.