What Francis Clark does

PKF Francis Clark (legal entity Francis Clark LLP) is a chartered accountancy firm and the largest independent provider of professional services in South West England, founded in 1919 in Newton Abbot, Devon. The firm operates through nine regional offices across the South and South West of England (Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Poole, Salisbury, Southampton, Taunton, Torquay, and Truro) and serves approximately 20,000 clients with a team of 980+ colleagues including 59 partners. Its service portfolio spans the full professional services stack: accounts and business advice, audit and assurance, business restructuring and insolvency, corporate finance (with 100+ deals annually), cloud accounting through certified partnerships with Xero, QuickBooks Online, and Sage, cyber assurance, payroll bureau, comprehensive tax advisory, and financial planning delivered through the related entity Francis Clark Financial Planning.

The firm combines traditional chartered accountancy work with sector specialisations across agriculture, energy and renewables, food and drink, hospitality, legal, manufacturing, marine, not-for-profit, and property and construction. Technology stack is built on third-party cloud accounting platforms (Xero, QuickBooks Online, Sage), data analytics dashboards for business insights (performance marketing, customer cohort analysis, etail suites), and an online client portal for audit document exchange. As part of PKF Global (the world's 15th largest accountancy network with 214 firms across 150 countries), PKF Francis Clark extends its geographic reach for international clients without direct international investment. Marketing channels include the Business Noodles podcast, an insights blog, LinkedIn and social media presence, email newsletters via Mailchimp, and hosted workshops and webinars, all supporting a partner-led, office-based field sales motion.

Revenue is generated primarily through professional services fees billed on project or retainer arrangements across the multi-service offering. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales: each office operates a dedicated partner-led team that builds long-term client relationships and provides consistent account management across accounting, audit, tax, corporate finance, and advisory services. The firm has achieved B Corp certification, is accredited by ICAEW and ACCA, and is ranked the 13th largest accountancy provider in the UK with the No. 1 corporate finance dealmaker position in the South West for five consecutive years. The firm is privately held as a limited liability partnership with no parent company or external funding.

Name

Francis Clark

Legal name

Francis Clark LLP

Website

https://pkf-francisclark.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

PKF Francis Clark is a chartered accountancy firm serving approximately 20,000 clients across nine South and South West England offices with 980+ colleagues, providing accounting, audit, tax, corporate finance, restructuring, cloud accounting, and financial planning services primarily to owner-managed and family businesses, mid-market corporates, and sector specialisations including agriculture, energy, and legal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chartered Accountancy Services

NAICS

Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Accounting & Bookkeeping Services (BPAHABAC)

Keywords

• Chartered accountancy services
• Audit and assurance
• Corporate finance advisory
• Business tax advisory
• Cloud accounting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Truro

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Services (Accounting, Audit, Tax, Advisory): Core revenue from providing accounting, audit and assurance, tax advice (corporate, private client, international, transaction tax), business restructuring, and advisory services. Billed on professional service fees, typically project-based or retainer arrangements.
2. Corporate Finance: Advisory fees from company sales and acquisitions, due diligence, valuations, debt advisory, equity finance, and transaction services. Multi-award-winning team advising on over 100 completed deals annually.
3. Payroll Bureau: Payroll processing services including international payroll, benefits in kind, and cloud payroll software management for businesses.
4. Cloud Accounting Services: Managed cloud accounting subscriptions and support, leveraging Xero, QuickBooks Online and Sage partnerships.
5. Financial Planning: Delivered through Francis Clark Financial Planning (fcfp.co.uk), providing financial planning services to individuals and businesses.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PKF Francis Clark is a chartered accountancy firm providing accounting, audit and assurance, tax, corporate finance, business restructuring, payroll bureau, cloud accounting, financial planning and cyber assurance services to owner-managed businesses, corporates, charities and sector-specialised clients across nine offices in South and South West England. The firm also delivers Members' Voluntary Liquidations, due diligence, valuations, debt and equity advisory, and succession planning, supported by certified partnerships with Xero, QuickBooks Online and Sage.

Product overview

PKF Francis Clark is a chartered accountancy firm offering a comprehensive suite of professional services. The firm operates as a multi-office practice (nine locations across South and South West England) providing core accounting services (accounts, audit, tax, payroll) alongside specialized offerings including corporate finance, business restructuring, cloud accounting, and cyber assurance. Their services are organized around key practice areas: accounts and business advice, audit and assurance, business restructuring and insolvency, cloud accounting (through certified partnerships with Xero, QuickBooks Online, and Sage), corporate finance (with sub-services for business data insights, sales and acquisitions, and valuations), cyber assurance, financial planning, payroll bureau, and comprehensive tax advisory. Additional specialized offerings include succession and exit planning, employee ownership trust advisory, and sector-specific expertise across agriculture, energy, food and drink, hospitality, legal, manufacturing, marine, not-for-profit, and property sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accounts and Business Advice
• Audit and Assurance
• Business Restructuring and Recovery
• Cloud Accounting
• Corporate Finance
• Cyber Assurance
• Financial Planning
• Payroll Bureau
• Tax Services
• Succession and Exit Planning

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £121m returned to shareholders via MVLs in the last three years
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PKF International / PKF GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPKF Francis Clark is part of PKF Global, a family of 214 independent accountancy practices across 150 countries. PKF Global is ranked as the world's 15th (or 17th, per some sources) largest accountancy network. The partnership provides international reach alongside local support — clients benefit from the same named accountant who understands their business while having access to local PKF experts worldwide for cross-border needs.
• XerocoreTechnology or IntegrationCertified partner with Xero, one of the leading cloud accounting platforms. PKF Francis Clark leverages Xero to provide clients with real-time financial management, automated bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, invoice creation, VAT returns, and multi-currency support. Being a certified partner means the firm receives latest training and support directly from Xero.
• QuickBooks OnlinecoreTechnology or IntegrationCertified partner with QuickBooks Online cloud accounting software. Enables the firm to offer clients cloud-based bookkeeping and accounting with integrated payroll, expense tracking, and financial reporting capabilities. Being a certified partner provides access to preferential support and training.
• SagecoreTechnology or IntegrationCertified partner with Sage cloud accounting platform. Allows the firm to serve clients using Sage for accounting, payroll and financial management, providing implementation support, migration services, and ongoing advisory.
• Francis Clark Financial Planning (fcfp.co.uk)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrancis Clark Financial Planning is a separate but closely related entity providing financial planning services to clients of PKF Francis Clark. Referrals between the two firms create a comprehensive wealth management and accounting offering. Led by Chris Reah (Managing Director) as part of the firm leadership.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BDO UK: BDO UK is one of the leading mid-tier accountancy and advisory firms in the UK, operating at a similar mid-market positioning to PKF Francis Clark with comparable audit, tax, and corporate finance offerings for SMEs and owner-managed businesses.
• Crowe UK: Crowe UK (formerly Crowe Clark Whitehill) is a mid-tier accountancy firm offering audit, tax, corporate finance, and advisory services to mid-market clients, directly comparable in scale and positioning to PKF Francis Clark.
• Mazars UK: Mazars is an international mid-tier audit and advisory firm with a substantial UK practice offering audit, tax, corporate finance, and consulting services — competing for the same mid-market and SME client base as PKF Francis Clark across the UK.
• RSM UK: RSM UK is a top mid-tier audit, tax, and consulting firm serving mid-market businesses with similar service breadth to PKF Francis Clark, including audit, corporate finance, and restructuring advisory.
• Grant Thornton UK: Grant Thornton UK is a top-10 UK audit and advisory firm with similar breadth of services (audit, tax, corporate finance, advisory) and comparable mid-market client focus, competing head-to-head with PKF Francis Clark for larger regional and international mandates.
• MHA (Macintyre Hudson): MHA is a top-20 UK accountancy and advisory network serving mid-market clients with audit, tax, corporate finance, and recovery services — operating at comparable scale and client profile to PKF Francis Clark.

Direct peers

• PKF Smith Cooper: PKF Smith Cooper is a fellow PKF International member firm in the UK Midlands, offering comparable audit, tax, corporate finance, and advisory services — sharing the PKF global network and competing in similar mid-market segments.
• Bishop Fleming: Bishop Fleming is a large independent regional chartered accountancy firm in the South West of England, offering similar audit, tax, corporate finance, and advisory services to SMEs and owner-managed businesses — a direct geographic competitor to PKF Francis Clark.
• Moore Kingston Smith: Moore Kingston Smith is a top-30 UK independent chartered accountancy firm with a strong London/South East presence, offering audit, tax, and advisory services to owner-managed businesses, charities, and not-for-profits — directly comparable in service mix and client segments.
• Hazlewoods: Hazlewoods is a large independent chartered accountancy and business advisory firm in the South West of England, with comparable specialisations in owner-managed businesses, corporate finance, and sector advisory — directly competing in the same regional market as PKF Francis Clark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQZiYDTvzz0VJiYpNIDcniw
• Facebookfacebook.com/PKFFrancisClark
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/francis-clark-chartered-accountants
• Instagraminstagram.com/pkffrancisclark
• Xx.com/pkffrancisclark

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Francis Clark