ClearBridge Protocol
ClearBridge is BGC's proprietary counterparty verification framework. Every engagement — buy-side or sell-side — is screened, documented, and matched under a structured protocol before any identity is disclosed or introduction is made.
What It Is
ClearBridge exists because the petroleum intermediary market has a trust problem. Unverified positions, broker chains with no accountability, and introductions made before anyone has confirmed who they're dealing with. ClearBridge solves that.
BGC's proprietary compliance framework — developed and operated by Baum Global Commodities, LLC. Not a third-party platform. Every step from intake to introduction is controlled by BGC and documented under BGC's standard protocols.
Buyer identity stays confidential until both NCNDAs are executed and positions are verified. Seller identity stays confidential until the same. Neither party is disclosed until BGC issues a formal Introduction Notice.
There are no fees to submit, no fees to be screened, and no exclusivity provisions. BGC's facilitation fee is product-specific and applied only at the transaction level — locked in the bilateral NCNDA before any introduction is made.
Any buy-side or sell-side principal, mandate holder, or verified co-broker seeking EN590, Jet A1, D2, Crude (BLCO/ESPO), or LNG. Position must be real, verifiable, and supported by documentation. BGC does not work with broker chains.
The Process
Every ClearBridge engagement follows this sequence. No steps are skipped. No introductions are made before both sides are verified and documented.
Submit your mandate through BGC's Confidential Submission Agreement. Basic position information is collected — commodity, volume, delivery basis, terminal — alongside identity and entity details. BGC issues an Authority Confirmation Letter (ACL) confirming mandate authority. The CSA and ACL are non-exclusionary — submission does not restrict your ability to work with other brokers or pursue other channels simultaneously.
BGC screens every submission against OFAC SDN, EU Consolidated Sanctions, UN Security Council, UK OFSI, and FuelScamAlert petroleum fraud registries. Domain age, corporate email, and entity registration are verified. Result: CCC, CCN, or Decline Notice.
At BGC's discretion, a Preliminary Match Notice may be issued when a potential counterparty match has been identified. No identities are disclosed. Parameters are confirmed and both parties indicate intent to proceed. This step is issued selectively — primarily to sell-side counterparties as a signal that a verified buyer mandate exists — and is not a mandatory checkpoint in every engagement.
Both parties execute BGC's bilateral NCNDA/IMFPA independently. BGC's document governs — counterparty NCNDAs are not executed. BGC's facilitation fee is product-specific and locked in the bilateral NCNDA before any introduction — payable from the relevant party's side. IMFPA commission protections activate upon execution. Neither party's NCNDA names the other.
Both parties submit position documentation to BGC — product specs, terminal details, volume, pricing basis, payment structure, and mandate authority. Documents are reviewed by BGC only. Neither party sees the other's documentation directly.
BGC issues a Match Confirmed Notice after reviewing submitted documentation. Three variants: Full (all documents received, introduction proceeds), Partial (core position verified, outstanding items noted), or Pending (introduction held pending documentation).
Full counterparty identities are disclosed simultaneously to both parties. IMFPA commission protections are already in force from Step 4 — the Introduction Notice is the formal disclosure event that authorizes deal flow to begin. This is the only point at which BGC discloses identity — never before.
Following introduction, buyer and seller engage directly under BGC's oversight. Seller issues SCO → Buyer responds with ICPO → LOI and commercial terms negotiated → SPA executed → payment instruments activated → delivery. All transaction communications copied to BGC. These are post-introduction commercial documents — not prerequisites for the Introduction Notice.
Screening Outcomes
Every submission receives a formal written outcome. BGC does not leave counterparties in informal limbo.
All compliance screens passed. Entity verified. Mandate assessed. CCC issued and verifiable at baumglobalcommodities.com/acl-lookup. Valid 90 days from issue date.
No disqualifying findings, but one or more administrative flags require resolution before a CCC can be issued or introduction made. Cure period: 10 business days per flag. During BGC's transition period, engagement may continue pending cure.
Submission has not cleared BGC's review process. The basis for decline is not disclosed. No CCC is issued. Re-submission is permitted under a new CSA. This notice is final.
Protections
ClearBridge is not a buyer protection framework. It protects every verified participant — buyers, sellers, and mandate holders — against the same risks.
BGC's bilateral NCNDA/IMFPA is the sole governing instrument for all BGC-facilitated transactions. BGC does not execute counterparty NCNDAs. Each bilateral NCNDA is strictly between BGC and one counterparty — no third parties are named, no group commission tables, no confidential placeholders for absent parties.
BGC's facilitation fee is product-specific and locked in the bilateral NCNDA before any introduction. Counterparties may maintain their own internal NCNDAs with their own principals. Those documents do not govern the BGC-facilitated leg of the transaction. BGC's document governs from execution through introduction and deal close.
ClearBridge is currently in active rollout. During this transition period, administrative flags that do not constitute sanctions matches or confirmed fraud — such as entity name discrepancies or non-corporate email contacts — are handled under Conditional Clearance status rather than immediate decline. Hard-stop disqualification criteria (active sanctions matches, confirmed fraud registry entries, upfront fee structures, unnamed principals) remain non-negotiable regardless of transition status.
Get Started
Submit through BGC's ClearBridge portal. Identity verification, sanctions screening, and position assessment — completed before any introduction is made.
Already have an ACL? Verify it here →