APPLY FOR AN AWARD

BEFORE this step, be sure:

  • You have submitted a tip, complaint, or referral (Form TCR) to the Whistleblower Office
  • The CFTC has published a Notice of Covered Action associated with your tip, or there is a final judgment in a Related Action eligible for an award associated with your tip
  • The 90-day time limit from the publishing of the Notice of Covered Action or the date of a final order in a Related Action has not passed

What to expect NEXT:

  • The Whistleblower Office will confirm in writing that your Form WB-APP has been received and provide you with a confirmation number
  • The CFTC may contact you if more information is needed to support your application
  • The CFTC will provide you with a Preliminary Determination notifying you whether the Claims Review Staff has recommended your award application be granted or denied
  • You can also monitor this website for Final Orders/Award Determinations publications
  • The Whistleblower Office will not be able to provide you with an update on the status of your application

Instructions to Complete
Form WB-APP

To apply for an award, complete and submit a copy of the award application, Form WB-APP (Application for Award For Original Information Submitted Pursuant to Section 23 of the Commodity Exchange Act), to the CFTC Whistleblower Office.

  • A Form WB-APP can be submitted either online or via mail or fax. Only one method of submission needs to be completed.
  • The online form is best viewed using Internet Explorer (IE) 9 and higher and Firefox 26 and higher. After 65 minutes of inactivity, the online form will timeout, and all data will be lost. You will then need to re-access the form to enter your data again.

File Form WB-APP Online

To submit via mail or fax, you can download and print the Form WB-APP and mail or fax the completed form to:

Fax:
(202) 418-5975

Mail:
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Whistleblower Office
1155 21st Street, NW
Washington, DC 20581

Download Form WB-APP PDF

How to Apply for an Award

Whistleblowers who voluntarily submit original information by filing a Form TCR (Tip, Complaint, or Referral) to the CFTC Whistleblower Office may be eligible to receive between 10% and 30% of the amount of monetary sanctions collected in a CFTC enforcement action or a Related Action. In order to be eligible to receive an award, a whistleblower must have voluntarily provided original information that led to the successful enforcement of the CFTC action or the Related Action.

When the CFTC obtains a final judgment or settlement with monetary sanctions exceeding $1,000,000, the Whistleblower Office will post a "Notice of Covered Action" on the Notices page regarding the judgment or settlement as a signal that the CFTC action is now eligible for potential whistleblower awards. The CFTC does not notify individuals directly about postings of Notices of Covered Action, so individuals should monitor the webpage periodically. You may also sign up for email alerts to new Notices of Covered Actions. Whistleblowers also may apply for an award on a Related Action. The CFTC does not post notices regarding Related Actions. Therefore, whistleblowers should monitor the webpages of other regulatory authorities to determine if there are applicable Related Actions that used whistleblowers' information.

You may apply for an award anonymously. However, you must be represented by counsel in order to do so. Your identity will need to be verified in a form and manner that is acceptable to the Commission prior to the payment of any award.

See the section on Orders Eligible for an Award for more information describing orders for which award applications may be submitted.

The Whistleblower Rules require that individuals apply for an award by submitting a Form WB-APP to the Whistleblower Office within 90 days of the date a Notice of Covered Action is posted on the website, and for Related Actions, within 90 days after a judgment or settlement in the Related Action.

The CFTC considers many factors, including unique facts and circumstances of each case, when determining the amount of an award. If it is determined that an award will be granted, the amount of the total awards to all whistleblowers related to an order will be between 10% and 30% of the amount of the monetary sanctions collected in the CFTC action or Related Actions.

The CFTC may increase the award percentage based on:

  • the significance of the information provided to the CFTC to the success of a CFTC action or Related Action;
  • the degree of assistance provided by the whistleblower;
  • the CFTC's law enforcement interest in deterring violations of the commodities laws by making awards to whistleblowers who provide information that leads to the successful enforcement of these laws; and/or
  • whether, and the extent to which, a whistleblower participated in his or her company's internal compliance systems.

The CFTC may reduce the award percentage based on:

  • whether a whistleblower was involved in, or culpable for, the conduct reported;
  • whether a whistleblower unreasonably delayed reporting a violation to the CFTC; and/or
  • whether a whistleblower interfered with his or her company's internal compliance and reporting systems.

Related Frequently Asked Questions

How much money could I receive as a whistleblower?

How do I apply for an award?

How will I know when to apply for an award?

I provided information to the CFTC before the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Act on July 21, 2010. Am I eligible for an award?

I work for a Futures Commission Merchant. Am I eligible for an award?

What constitutes a "Related Action"?

May I apply for an award anonymously?

Should I expect to receive updates on the status of my award claim?

What happens if the wrongdoer does not pay all of the sanctions ordered?