Step-by-step business journeys

Consumer credit compliance quick-check

Quick compliance check for experienced consumer credit firms. Covers FCA permissions, fee payments, credit advertising, pre-contract disclosures, Consumer Duty obligations, complaints handling, and upcoming BNPL regulation.

Set up a financial services intermediary business

A step-by-step path for setting up a financial intermediary business — an insurance distributor or loss adjuster, a financial adviser or mortgage or credit intermediary, an investment firm or trading venue, a fund manager, or a pension administrator. Work out which rules apply to what you do, put the regulated-firm duties every intermediary shares in place, follow the rules for your activity, then confirm everything with the compliance checklist.

Get FCA authorised: from perimeter check to Connect submission

A six-phase learning path for first-time applicants. Walks you from establishing whether you need authorisation, through choosing your route, building governance foundations, self-assessing the FCA's five threshold conditions, submitting through Connect, and handling case-officer scrutiny during the determination period.

Respond to FCA enforcement action or investigation

What to do if the FCA contacts your consumer credit firm about enforcement action, a skilled person review, or formal investigation. Covers identifying the type of action, immediate steps, compliance review, and preparing your response.

Set up an insurance or pension business

A step-by-step path for setting up a business that carries insurance risk or funds pensions — a general or life insurer, a reinsurer, or an occupational pension scheme. Work out which regime applies to what you operate, put the shared duties in place, get authorised and meet your regulator's ongoing requirements, then confirm everything with the compliance checklist.

Set up an architecture, engineering or testing business

A step-by-step path for setting up an architecture, engineering or technical testing business of any kind — designing buildings as an architect or engineer, or carrying out technical testing and analysis in a laboratory. Work out which rules apply, put the duties every professional practice shares in place, follow the rules for your activity, then confirm everything with the compliance checklist.

Set up a professional, scientific and technical business

A step-by-step path through the regulations for professional, scientific and technical activities in Great Britain. Start by identifying which rules apply, work through the universal workplace duties, then cover any activity-specific regulatory requirements, and finish with the compliance checklist.

Set up an advertising or market research business

Follow this path to meet every regulatory obligation for your advertising or market research business — from workplace health and safety through to broadcast advertising standards, electronic marketing consent, misleading marketing and unfair commercial practices.

Quick perimeter check: do I need FCA authorisation?

A 10-minute perimeter check for founders unsure whether their proposition is a regulated activity. Routes you to the perimeter explainer, the appointed representative versus direct authorisation decision, and the cost of getting it wrong.

Set up a management consultancy

Learning path for new management consultancies and head offices. Work out which rules apply, put your workplace, employment and electronic-marketing duties in place, and verify everything with a compliance checklist.