Operate under your own FCA permission rather than as an Appointed Representative of another firm.

The situation

Many firms reach a point where the Appointed Representative model no longer reflects how they want to operate. You may have built an established business, expanded your client base or developed services that justify becoming directly authorised. You may also want greater control over your regulatory arrangements rather than relying on another firm's governance, policies and oversight. Direct authorisation is a significant regulatory project, but it does not need to become an unnecessarily complicated one.

What you are really buying

The FCA is not looking for lengthy documents produced for the sake of an application. It wants to understand how your business will operate, how risks will be managed and how the firm will comply with its regulatory obligations. Our role is to prepare that application properly. That means producing the regulatory business plan, financial projections, governance documents, compliance framework and supporting material needed to present a coherent and credible application, while guiding you through each stage of the process.

What's included

What's included

• The FCA Authorisation Project: Everything required to prepare and submit an application for direct FCA authorisation, tailored to your firm's proposed activities and business model.

• The Regulatory Business Plan: A business plan explaining your firm's activities, governance arrangements, target market, operational model and regulatory framework.

• Compliance Documentation: Policies, procedures and governance documents prepared to reflect how your business will actually operate, rather than relying on generic templates.

• Financial Projections: Regulatory financial forecasts and capital adequacy calculations prepared to support the application.

• FCA Application Support: Preparation and submission of the application together with management of FCA queries throughout the determination process.

How it works

1. 1

   Initial Assessment

   We review your current arrangements, proposed regulated activities and business model to determine the permissions required and agree the scope of the application.

2. 2

   Preparing the Application

   We prepare the regulatory business plan, financial forecasts, governance documents and supporting material needed for submission.

3. 3

   Submission and FCA Engagement

   The application is submitted through the FCA's Connect system. We manage correspondence with the FCA and help prepare responses to any follow-up questions during the assessment process.

4. 4

   Direct Authorisation

   Following authorisation, we help you implement the compliance framework required to operate as a directly authorised firm and prepare for ongoing FCA supervision.

The guarantee

Proof

This work is led by a Senior Operator with experience of authorisations, supervision and regulatory governance. Applications are prepared with the same practical understanding of how the FCA assesses firms, the questions it asks and the evidence it expects to see during the authorisation process.