FCA Authorisation Support

Expert FCA Authorisation Support & Consulting for Lenders, Brokers, and BNPL Firms

Securing FCA authorisation is the critical gateway to launching and scaling your financial services business. Whether you’re applying for full or limited authorisation for the first time or restructuring an existing regulated entity. 

At ALPH Legal & Compliance, our regulatory lawyers and compliance specialists take complete ownership of your application process. We eliminate costly delays, structure compliant business models, and build robust submissions designed to meet the FCA’s evidential and completeness standards.

What we offer: End-to-End Gateway Support 

Our specialist compliance and FCA authorisation team acts as an extension of your leadership team, managing the entire regulatory lifecycle from initial business model stress-testing through to post-authorisation governance. 

Pre-FCA authorisation and application management

• Tailored Regulatory Business Plan (RBP): Drafted with commercial clarity to satisfy the FCA’s Threshold Conditions.
• Bespoke Policies & Procedures: Complete suite of operational frameworks compliant with Consumer Duty, CONC, and SYSC.
• Financial Forecasting and Accounts Review: Support in creating and optimising your financial forecasting to satisfy application requirements
• Risk Management Framework & Risk Register: Built to prove operational resilience and proactive risk mitigation.
• Business Continuity Planning (BCP): Comprehensive operational resilience documentation.
• Creditworthiness & Affordability Frameworks: Robust lending and assessment models aligned with current regulatory standards.
• Full Pre-Submission Gap Analysis: Rigorous stress-testing of your FCA Authorisation application to minimise the risk of omissions before submission 
• Senior Manager/Certified Persons: Support with Regulatory CV creation, Statements of Responsibilities (SoR), time planning and allocation, organisational structures and design to support submission.

Post-FCA authorisation Compliance

• External Compliance Monitoring: Independent oversight and audit to ensure continuous adherence to FCA rules.
• SM&CR & Senior Management Governance: Structuring Statement of Responsibilities and management oversight trails.
• Staff Training & Behaviour Assessments: Practical training programmes embedded across your operational teams.
• Complaints Handling & Root Cause Analysis: Systems designed to prevent systemic issues and consumer detriment.
• Regulatory Horizon Scanning: Continuous document updates to reflect emerging regulatory changes and business growth.

Critical Documents you’ll need for FCA Authorisation

To grant authorisation, the FCA requires comprehensive evidence that your firm is ready, willing, and organised. Submitting incomplete or template documentation is the leading cause of application rejection or extensive delays. We draft and refine your core pack, including:

• Comprehensive Regulatory Business Plan: Detailing your target market, financial forecasts, and governance structure.
• Compliance Policies & Operational Manuals: Custom-drafted to your exact business model, not generic templates.
• Detailed 3-Year Financial Projections: Proving capital adequacy, liquidity, and financial viability.
• Enterprise Risk Register & BCP: Demonstrating operational risk management and business continuity.
• Senior Management (SM&CR) Documentation: Clearly defined governance maps and executive responsibilities.

If you’re unsure which permissions or documentation you need for FCA Authorisation, speak to our team.

Why Choose ALPH Legal & Compliance to support your FCA Authorisation

At ALPH Legal & Compliance, we specialise in helping consumer credit businesses through the FCA authorisation process from start to finish. 

• Legal Rigour & Practical Compliance: We combine solicitor-level legal drafting with real-world regulatory insight to protect your commercial interests.
• Proven Track Record Across Sectors: Having worked with businesses of all sizes, from high-growth start-ups to established national lenders, we anticipate FCA questions before they arise.
• Minimised Time to Market: We eliminate the common pitfalls and back-and-forth inquiries that drag applications out for up to 10 months.
• Lifecycle Partnership: Whether you need immediate support with an active application or ongoing post-approval monitoring, we ensure you remain fully compliant as you scale.

Frequently Asked Questions