SERVICES | Compliance Angle

Empowering your gROWTH
through Compliance

We offer practical compliance advice and support, tailored to your business, regulatory permissions, and stage of growth.

FCA Authorisation and Registration

Obtaining FCA authorisation can be complex and time-consuming without expert guidance. We provide end-to-end FCA authorisation support, helping firms progress through the application process with clarity, confidence, and a clear understanding of regulatory expectations.

We help you to:

Assess whether FCA authorisation is required, including a review of your activities, business model, and regulatory perimeter
Identify the correct FCA permissions needed for your current and planned activities
Prepare and submit your FCA authorisation applications, ensuring it is complete, accurate, and clearly evidenced
Demonstrate compliance with the FCA’s Threshold Conditions, including:
- Appropriate financial and non-financial resources
- A viable and sustainable business model
- Effective governance, systems, and controls
- Clear oversight and supervision arrangements
- Suitability of the firm and its controllers

We ensure applications are well-structured and proportionately evidenced, reducing the risk of delays, follow-up questions, or rejection, and supporting a smoother and more efficient approval process with the FCA.

We also provide dedicated support for individuals, including:

Preparation of Senior Manager and Approved Person applications
Drafting Statements of Responsibilities and supporting documentation
Interview preparation for potential FCA regulatory interviews

Our approach is practical and FCA-focused, helping firms and individuals demonstrate that they are ready, capable, and appropriately governed from day one.

Certain firms are required to register with the FCA under the UK Money Laundering Regulations before they can operate. This currently applies to businesses carrying on specific activities, including cryptoasset services, as well as certain payment, lending, and financial services activities.

While the UK cryptoasset regulatory framework is evolving, FCA registration under the AML / CTF regime remains a mandatory first step for in-scope firms.

We help firms to:

Assess whether FCA AML/CTF registration is required for your business model and activities
Confirm the scope of in-scope activities under the Money Laundering Regulations
Prepare and submit FCA AML/CTF registration applications, ensuring submissions are clear and complete
Design and document proportionate AML, CTF, and financial crime frameworks, including:
- Business-wide and customer risk assessments
- AML/CTF policies and procedures
- Governance, oversight, and reporting arrangements
Engage with the FCA throughout the registration process, responding to information requests and addressing any regulatory concerns raised

The UK cryptoasset regime is transitioning towards a full FCA authorisation framework. We support firms not only with current AML / CTF registration, but also with regulatory readiness and transition planning for future FCA authorisation requirements, helping firms plan ahead and avoid rework.

Where there is a change to your business model or regulated activities, a Variation of Permission (VoP) may be required. This commonly applies where firms are adding or removing regulated activities, expanding into new products or services, or changing the type of clients they serve.

A VoP may be required in situations such as:

Adding a new regulated product or service
Expanding to serve a new client type (for example, retail, professional, or institutional clients)
Starting a new regulated activity
Ceasing an existing regulated activity
Making material changes to your business model or operating structure

We help firms to:

Assess whether a VoP is required, or whether alternative regulatory routes may be more appropriate
Advise on the most efficient course of action, including scope and timing
Prepare and submit FCA VoP applications, ensuring all supporting documentation is complete, accurate proportionate
Update regulatory documentation, including business plans, governance arrangements, and systems and controls
Engage with the FCA throughout the process, responding to queries and helping to minimise delays or follow-up requests

The FCA Regulatory Sandbox allows firms to test innovative products, services, or business models in the UK market with real consumers, within a controlled regulatory environment.

The Sandbox is open to:

Authorised firms
Unauthorised firms that will require FCA authorisation or registration
Technology firms partnering with, or providing services to, UK regulated firms

Where a proposed test involves regulated activities, firms must be authorised or registered with the FCA before testing can begin.

We help firms to:

Assess whether the Regulatory Sandbox is appropriate for your proposition and regulatory objectives
Confirm eligibility under the FCA’s Sandbox criteria
Structure and prepare Sandbox applications, ensuring submissions are clear, focused, and well-evidenced
Engage with the FCA during the application process, responding to queries and feedback where required

Before applying, we guide you through the FCA’s eligibility criteria, including:

In scope – the proposal relates to UK regulated activities
Genuine innovation – the proposition is new or significantly different
Consumer benefit – clear potential benefits for consumers or the market
Readiness – the solution is sufficiently developed to be tested
Need for regulatory support – Sandbox participation is necessary to test the proposition

Our experience helps firms present their innovation in a way that aligns with both regulatory objectives and commercial realities, improving the prospects of a successful application.

You can find more details on the eligibility criteria on the FCA website.

Compliance Framework Development

Once your firm is authorised and/or registered with the FCA, we support you in building robust, proportionate compliance frameworks tailored to the size, complexity, and nature of your business. Our approach is practical and risk-based, providing a strong foundation for sustainable, long-term regulatory compliance.

We help firms to:

Design and implement compliance frameworks aligned with FCA expectations and your business model
Create a Compliance Plan and Compliance Monitoring Programme to provide effective oversight of key regulatory risks
Create and maintain key risk assessments, including:
- Business-wide risk assessments (BWRA)
- Financial crime risk assessments
- Market abuse risk assessments (where applicable)
- Consumer Duty-related risk and outcomes assessments
Establish clear governance and control arrangements to support senior management oversight and accountability
Review, draft, and enhance policies and procedures, ensuring they are practical, current, and embedded into the business
Strengthen internal controls to support effective risk management and accurate regulatory reporting

Depending on your regulated activities and target client base, your compliance framework may cover, but is not limited to:

Financial Crime
Senior Managers & Certification Regime (SM&CR), accountability and oversight
Financial Promotions
Training and Competence
Consumer Duty (where retail customers are served)
Market Abuse (where market-facing activity exists)

Our tailored approach ensures your compliance arrangements are proportionate, effective, and scalable, supporting both regulatory requirements and commercial growth.

Compliance and Regulatory Health Checks

We conduct independent compliance and regulatory health checks to assess your firm’s current compliance position, identify gaps, and recommend practical, proportionate remedial actions to minimise regulatory and operational risk.

Our reviews are designed to help firms understand how their arrangements stand up against current Financial Conduct Authority expectations and supervisory priorities.

Depending on the size, nature, and regulated activities of your firm, a compliance and regulatory health check may include, but is not limited to:

Review of regulatory permissions and scope of activities
Evaluation of policies and procedures against current regulatory requirements
Governance and oversight arrangements, including Board and senior management oversight
Risk management framework and internal controls
Training and competence arrangements
Systems and controls, including record-keeping and reporting processes
Senior Managers & Certification Regime (SM&CR) compliance

Regulatory health checks and compliance audits can be conducted:

On a periodic basis
Ahead of material business or regulatory change
In preparation for FCA engagement or supervisory review
As part of an ongoing compliance or monitoring programme

Our reviews are independent, risk-based, and proportionate, and focus on how compliance operates in practice. We provide:

Clear, prioritised findings
Practical and achievable recommendations
Insight into areas of heightened regulatory or supervisory risk

Regulatory Guidance, Advice and Reporting

UK financial services regulation is continually evolving, and keeping pace with regulatory change is essential to maintaining compliance. We provide ongoing regulatory change support and practical compliance guidance to help firms understand, assess, and respond to new and emerging FCA requirements.

We help firms to:

Stay informed of relevant UK regulatory developments, including FCA consultations, policy statements, and supervisory priorities
Assess the impact of regulatory change on your business model, permissions, systems, and controls
Interpret regulatory requirements in practical terms, translating regulatory expectations into clear, proportionate actions
Implement regulatory change effectively, including updates to policies, procedures, governance arrangements, and internal controls

Where firms are:

Launching new products or services
Entering new markets
Changing their business model or operating structure

we provide regulatory advice and change management support to help determine the most appropriate course of action, including whether new regulatory requirements, permissions, or approvals apply.

Our advice is pragmatic and commercially aware, helping firms manage regulatory risk while supporting sustainable growth.

We also support firms with FCA engagement and queries, including:

Responding to FCA information requests and supervisory queries
Supporting written FCA correspondence
Advising on regulatory issues that require senior compliance expertise and judgement

Our support helps ensure communications with the FCA are clear, accurate, and aligned with regulatory expectations.

Accurate and timely regulatory reporting is a core FCA expectation and a key indicator of a firm’s overall compliance and governance. We provide practical regulatory reporting support to help firms meet their financial and non-financial reporting obligations with confidence.

We help firms to:

Understand their FCA regulatory reporting obligations, including ongoing financial and non-financial submissions
Prepare and review regulatory reports to ensure accuracy, completeness, and consistency with FCA requirements
Support FCA reporting via RegData, including identifying the correct returns and submission timelines
Assess reporting processes and controls to reduce the risk of errors, late submissions, or regulatory breaches
Respond to FCA feedback or follow-up queries arising from submitted reports

Where firms experience:

Changes to regulatory permissions
Business model or activity changes
Growth in scale or complexity

we help assess whether reporting requirements need to be updated or expanded, ensuring reporting remains aligned with the firm’s regulatory profile.

We also support firms with:

FCA correspondence relating to regulatory reporting
Clarifying reporting expectations with the FCA where requirements are unclear
Remedial actions following reporting issues or FCA observations

Our support helps ensure regulatory reporting is treated as an integrated part of your compliance framework, rather than a standalone administrative task.

A Wind-Down Plan is a key FCA requirement for solo-regulated firms and forms part of the FCA’s expectations around financial resilience, governance, and consumer protection. The purpose of a Wind-Down Plan is to ensure that a firm can cease regulated activities and cancel its permissions in an orderly manner, with minimal adverse impact on consumers, counterparties, and the wider market.

We support firms with the review, enhancement, and ongoing maintenance of Wind-Down Plans, ensuring they remain clear, proportionate, and aligned with FCA expectations.

We assist firms to:

Review existing Wind-Down Plans to ensure all relevant FCA requirements are fully addressed
Assess the adequacy of wind-down assumptions, triggers, and timelines
Evaluate financial and operational wind-down resources, including funding, staffing, and third-party dependencies
Ensure consumer and client impacts are properly identified and mitigated
Align the Wind-Down Plan with governance, risk management, and regulatory reporting arrangements
Update Wind-Down Plans following business or regulatory change, including growth, new permissions, or changes in operating model

Our approach focuses on producing practical, usable Wind-Down Plans, rather than theoretical documents. We ensure plans are:

Proportionate to the size and complexity of your firm
Clearly documented and senior-management owned
Capable of being relied upon in stressed or exit scenarios

We also support firms in preparing for FCA supervisory engagement, where Wind-Down Plans may be reviewed as part of authorisation, variation of permission, or ongoing supervision.

Compliance Training

Effective compliance training is essential to ensuring regulatory requirements are understood and applied in day-to-day business practices. We provide tailored compliance training designed to reflect your firm’s regulated activities, risk profile, and regulatory obligations, helping to build a strong and sustainable compliance culture.

Our training is practical and scenario-based, focusing on real-world situations rather than generic theory, so your teams understand how regulatory requirements apply in practice.

We help firms to:

Design and deliver bespoke compliance training programmes tailored to your business and regulatory framework
Identify the most relevant compliance topics based on your permissions, client base, and risk exposure
Deliver engaging, scenario-based training that reflects real operational and regulatory challenges
Support SM&CR and Conduct Rules training, ensuring staff understand their responsibilities and standards of behaviour
Maintain training records and evidence, supporting FCA expectations around training and competence

Depending on the nature of your firm, training may cover areas such as:

Financial Crime (AML/CTF, sanctions, fraud, anti-bribery and corruption)
Consumer Duty and Vulnerable Customers
Financial Promotions
Market Abuse and Conflicts of Interests
Complaints-Handling

Our approach helps ensure colleagues are well-equipped to understand and manage regulatory risk, and supports constructive engagement with the FCA where training and competence arrangements are reviewed.

Risk ManagemenT and Corporate Governance

Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) is a firm-wide approach to identifying, assessing, and managing risks that could impact your business, customers, and regulatory standing. An effective ERM framework supports sound decision-making, strengthens governance, and helps firms operate within their risk appetite while meeting regulatory expectations.

We work with firms to design and enhance proportionate, practical risk management frameworks that align with business objectives and the expectations of the FCA.

We assist firms to:

Identify and assess key risks across the business, including regulatory, operational, strategic, and financial risks
Establish clear risk ownership and oversight, supporting senior management accountability
Embed risk management into day-to-day decision-making, rather than treating it as a standalone exercise
Reduce the likelihood of regulatory breaches, legal issues, and financial penalties through effective controls and monitoring

Depending on the size, nature, and complexity of your firm, our support may include reviewing, drafting, or enhancing:

Risk Appetite Statement
Risk Appetite Statement
Risk Assessment Methodology and Framework
Firm-wide Risk Register, including risk scoring, controls, and mitigation actions

Our approach ensures risk management arrangements are clear, usable, and proportionate, supporting both regulatory compliance and sustainable business growth.

Effective corporate governance is fundamental to meeting FCA expectations and supporting sound, accountable decision-making. We support firms in reviewing and enhancing their corporate governance structures, ensuring Boards and Committees operate with clear responsibilities, effective oversight, and appropriate information flows.

Our approach is proportionate and practical, helping firms align governance arrangements with SM&CR, organisational requirements, and relevant corporate governance codes, while remaining appropriate to the size and complexity of the business.

We assist firms to:

Review Board and Committee structures, roles, and terms of reference
Assess governance arrangements against SM&CR requirements, including senior management accountability and oversight
Ensure effective information flows between management, committees, and the Board
Strengthen decision-making, challenge, and escalation processes
Align governance frameworks with regulatory expectations and best-practice corporate governance principles
Support governance changes arising from growth, restructuring, or regulatory change

Our support helps ensure governance structures are clear, documented, and operationally effective, providing senior management with the information and oversight needed to discharge their regulatory responsibilities.

Empowering your gROWTH through Compliance

Empowering your gROWTH
through Compliance