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
The first task in any FCA authorisation engagement is identifying exactly which regulated activities your business model requires. Schedule 2 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 sets out the specified activities — dealing, arranging, managing, advising, accepting deposits, and others — and the FCA's Perimeter Guidance manual (PERG) provides the interpretive framework. Getting this wrong in either direction creates problems: over-applying for unnecessary permissions delays the application and increases fees; under-applying leaves you conducting regulated activities without authorisation. Our authorisation consultants scope permissions precisely against your business model before anything is submitted.
2. The Regulatory Business Plan
The Regulatory Business Plan (RBP) is the most scrutinised document in an FCA application. It must set out your business model, target market, revenue projections, financial resources, governance arrangements, and compliance framework — all in a format that demonstrates each of the five Threshold Conditions is met. FCA case handlers use it to probe whether your firm is viable, whether the key individuals are suitable, and whether your compliance infrastructure is proportionate. MEMA drafts RBPs that are commercially credible and structurally aligned to FCA expectations — reducing the likelihood of requisitions and the delays that follow.
3. FCA Application Submission and Case-Handler Liaison
Applications are submitted through the FCA's Connect portal. Once submitted, a case handler is assigned and the firm enters a statutory assessment period — typically up to six months for complete applications. The most common cause of delay is not complexity but incomplete or insufficiently evidenced responses to FCA requisitions. Our consultants draft all requisition responses, manage the dialogue with the case handler, and maintain momentum through the assessment period. Where the FCA raises concerns about fitness and propriety, financial resources, or business model viability, we prepare the evidential responses that address those concerns directly.
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
Payments Licensing Success
Through expert guidance and project management, MEMA Consultants enabled an international payments company to achieve FCA authorisation and successfully launch in the UK within 9 months. Our tailored advisory services at every stage provided the support needed to obtain licensing in an efficient manner.
Read case study →FCA Authorisation Success
MEMA Consultants helped a wealth management firm exhibit regulatory expertise during the FCA application process through comprehensive preparation and training. Our in-depth support was key to the client securing authorisation and commencing UK operations smoothly.
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.
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?
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