FCA Authorisation Consultants UK
Obtaining FCA authorisation is essential for firms conducting activities related to investments, payments, mortgages, consumer credit, or claims management. We provide expert guidance to help you meet FCA threshold conditions and achieve authorisation efficiently.
Wondering how we compare? See why firms choose MEMA over other consultancies - and everything we handle for you.
Why MEMA →See How We Help Firms Get Authorised
Watch our quick overview of the MEMA authorisation process
Why Choose MEMA Consultants
Our team includes ex-regulators, Big 4 consultants, and fintech/regtech specialists, offering bespoke, individually tailored compliance solutions
Since 2019
Years of proven experience
100+ Firms
Successfully helped
Ex-Regulators
Deep regulatory knowledge
Bespoke Solutions
Tailored to your needs
Our FCA Authorisation Services
Comprehensive support through every stage of your FCA application
Expert Guidance for FCA Application
- Thorough fact-finding sessions to understand your business model and services
- Tailored compliance and risk management advice
- Application guidance meeting FCA standards
Comprehensive Documentation Support
- Regulatory Business Plan preparation
- Compliance Monitoring Plan development
- Compliance manual for post-authorisation implementation
Efficient Application Submission
- Online application completion assistance
- Form submission support
- Dedicated Regulatory Adviser to craft comprehensive responses to FCA queries
Exclusions & Exemptions Advice
- Assessment of qualification for exemptions
- Guidance for professional firms
- Appointed Representative arrangements with Principal firms
What FCA Authorisation Assistance Involves
Assistance with FCA authorisation goes well beyond completing an online form. The application process requires substantive documentation, a credible business model, and a clear demonstration that your firm meets the FCA's Threshold Conditions. Here is what MEMA's authorisation consultants do at each stage.
1. Scoping Your Regulated Permissions
We map exactly which regulated activities your model needs, before anything is submitted.
- Identify the Schedule 2 FSMA activities you carry on: dealing, arranging, managing, advising, accepting deposits and more
- Interpret the perimeter against the FCA's Perimeter Guidance manual (PERG)
- Avoid over-applying (unnecessary fees and delay) and under-applying (regulated activity without authorisation)
- Scope permissions precisely against your business model
2. The Regulatory Business Plan
We draft the most scrutinised document in the application so it passes case-handler review.
- Business model, target market and revenue projections
- Financial resources, governance arrangements and compliance framework
- Evidenced against all five of the FCA's Threshold Conditions
- Commercially credible and structurally aligned to FCA expectations, reducing requisitions and delay
3. FCA Application Submission and Case-Handler Liaison
We submit through the Connect portal and drive the statutory assessment through to a decision.
- Submit via the FCA's Connect portal
- Manage the statutory assessment period (typically up to six months for complete applications)
- Draft all requisition responses; weak responses, not complexity, are the top cause of delay
- Address fitness and propriety, financial resources and business-model viability head-on
EMI and Payment Institution Authorisation
Electronic money and payment services authorisation is a distinct and demanding strand of FCA authorisation, with its own permissions, capital and safeguarding rules. Our consultants guide EMI and payment firms through it end to end.
1. Which permission you need
Depending on your model you may need authorisation as an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011, as an Authorised or Small Payment Institution (API or SPI) under the Payment Services Regulations 2017, or registration as an Account Information or Payment Initiation Service Provider (AISP or PISP) for open banking. We scope the right permission before you apply, because choosing the wrong one is a common cause of delay and re-work.
2. Safeguarding and capital
Safeguarding of customer funds is the FCA's single biggest focus for e-money and payment firms. We help design compliant safeguarding arrangements, whether by segregation or by an insurance or comparable guarantee, evidence daily reconciliations, and meet the initial capital requirement: €350,000 for an EMI, and a tiered amount for payment institutions depending on the services provided.
3. What the application involves
A regulated business plan, safeguarding and wind-down plans, governance and SMCR arrangements, financial crime controls, and detailed financial projections, all tested by an FCA case officer who will probe exactly how customer money is protected. Our ex-FCA consultants prepare the application to withstand that scrutiny the first time.
Who Needs FCA Authorisation?
Firms conducting regulated activities in these sectors
FCA authorisation for investment advisers, discretionary fund managers, and portfolio managers.
Regulated Activities
- Advising on investments
- Managing investments
- Dealing in investments
- Arranging deals
FCA authorisation for payment institutions, e-money issuers, and account information service providers.
Regulated Activities
- Money remittance
- Payment initiation
- Account information
- E-money issuance
FCA authorisation for mortgage advisers, brokers, and firms entering into regulated mortgage contracts.
Regulated Activities
- Advising on mortgages
- Arranging mortgages
- Entering into mortgage contracts
FCA authorisation for consumer credit lenders, brokers, debt advisers, and peer-to-peer platforms.
Regulated Activities
- Lending
- Credit broking
- Debt advice
- Debt collection
- P2P lending
FCA authorisation for claims management companies handling financial services, personal injury, and other regulated claims.
Regulated Activities
- Claims management services
- Seeking out claims
- Referring claims
FCA authorisation for corporate finance advisers, M&A intermediaries, and firms arranging transactions in securities.
Regulated Activities
- Advising on investments (corporate finance)
- Arranging deals in investments
- Making arrangements with a view to transactions
Success Stories
Real results from firms we've helped get authorised
Payment institution authorised in 9 months despite a stalled application
A payments firm's authorisation had stalled amid case-handler and personnel changes. MEMA stabilised the process and secured authorisation in 9 months.
Read case study →Investment authorisation saved after FCA flagged compliance concerns
The FCA flagged compliance-position issues during an investment authorisation. MEMA's ex-regulator team resolved every query and got the firm authorised.
Read case study →Compliance function stabilised after a sudden departure
When a firm's compliance resource left suddenly, MEMA stepped in as an interim function, ran a full review, and stabilised operations over 6 months.
Read case study →Sectors We Support
This service is available for firms across these regulated sectors
Explore Our FCA Authorisation Resources
In-depth analysis and practical guidance from our regulatory experts
FCA Authorisation Costs 2026: The Complete Breakdown
Discover the true cost of becoming FCA authorised - from application fees to hidden infrastructure costs most firms overlook.
Read more →TimelineFCA Authorisation Timeline 2026: What to Realistically Expect
Understand each phase of the authorisation process and where firms typically lose weeks - or months.
Read more →GuideHow to Get FCA Authorised: The Definitive Process
A step-by-step walkthrough of the entire FCA authorisation journey, from scoping permissions to post-authorisation obligations.
Read more →Related specialist services
Many authorisation projects pair with specialist compliance support, from SMCR implementation and variation of permissions to sector-specific broker compliance.
UK Cryptoasset Authorisation Readiness
Permissions, governance, AML, prudential, custody, and evidence support for firms preparing for the incoming FCA crypto regime.
Financial Crime Compliance
AML, sanctions, fraud, monitoring, and control-framework support where the application build requires a heavier financial crime workstream.
SMCR Implementation Consultants
Senior Managers & Certification Regime setup - statements of responsibility, fitness & propriety, and Conduct Rules - as part of becoming authorised.
Variation of Permissions (VoP)
Already authorised? Make FCA permission changes - add regulated activities or expand permissions - with a full VoP application.
Mortgage Broker Compliance
FCA MCOB compliance and authorisation support for mortgage brokers, from permissions to ongoing regulatory guidance.
Insurance Broker Compliance
FCA ICOBS compliance and authorisation support for insurance brokers, including PI insurance and capital requirements.
Credit Broker Compliance
FCA CONC compliance and authorisation support for credit brokers and appointed representatives, from permissions to ongoing oversight.
Consumer Duty: The Four Outcomes
Consumer Duty applies to most FCA-authorised firms from day one. Read our guide to the four outcomes you must deliver and the evidence the FCA expects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the FCA authorisation process
How long does FCA authorisation take?
How much does FCA authorisation cost?
What are the FCA Threshold Conditions?
Can I trade before getting FCA authorisation?
Do you help with EMI and payment services authorisation?
Ready to Get FCA Authorised?
Contact our expert team for guidance on your FCA authorisation application
📞 Phone: 0330 133 0811
📧 Email: contact@memaconsultants.com
Office 1810a, 60 Tottenham Court Road, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 2EW