Association of Foreign Banks

Name

Association of Foreign Banks

Legal name

Association of Foreign Banks

Website

https://foreignbanks.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Banking Trade Association Services

NAICS

International Affairs (928120)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fraud Risk Management & Anti-Bribery/Anti-Corruption (ABAC) (BPAHAFAL)

Keywords

• Trade association
• Banking regulation
• Compliance training
• Policy advocacy
• Financial services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Foreign banks pay annual membership subscriptions to join AFB. The new business model implemented in January 2021 includes seminars as part of the membership subscription.
2. Training Course Fees: AFB charges fees for professional training courses including the Green and Sustainable Finance Certificate at £670 + VAT per member, Climate Risk Certificate, Financial Crime Compliance (AML) Diploma, and various masterclass programs.
3. Event Participation Fees: Fees charged for events such as the Annual Banquet 2026 at £249 + VAT per person, with table pricing at £2,490 for 10 seats and £2,988 for 12 seats.
4. Masterclass Program Fees: In-person masterclass sessions such as the Senior Managers Regime Compliance Masterclass at £410 + VAT.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Association of Foreign Banks (AFB) is a UK trade association representing 169 foreign banks operating in the UK. It delivers policy advocacy with regulators (HM Treasury, Bank of England, PRA, FCA), professional training programmes (Financial Crime Compliance Diploma, Climate Risk Certificate, Green and Sustainable Finance Certificate, Senior Managers Development Programme), and over 100 events per year including conferences, banquets, seminars, and roundtables. Services are organised around an Eight Platform Model covering Business, Compliance, Finance, Internal Audit, Legal, Operations, People, and Risk functions.

Product overview

The Association of Foreign Banks (AFB) operates as a trade body membership organisation representing foreign banks in the UK, established in 1947. Rather than a single unified software product, AFB provides a portfolio of member services organised around eight delivery platforms (Business, Compliance, Finance, Internal Audit, Legal, Operations, People, Risk). The core offerings include: professional training programmes such as the Financial Crime Compliance (AML) Diploma, GCAL Financial Crime On-Demand Training Courses, Climate Risk Certificate, Green and Sustainable Finance Certificate (in partnership with Chartered Banker Institute), Senior Managers Development Programme, and Conduct & Culture Training; policy and regulatory affairs services including working groups, consultation responses, and regulatory network participation; and over 100 events per year including conferences, banquets, seminars, and practice roundtables. Members access services through the AFB Member Portal, Resource Library, and News & Blogs platform. Training is delivered through partnerships with external providers including the Chartered Banker Institute, Great Chatwell Academy of Learning (GCAL), and A&O Shearman.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AFB Financial Crime Compliance (AML) Diploma A comprehensive ten-module diploma programme covering financial crime topics relevant to MLROs of UK regulated banks, awarded in association with the University of Gloucestershire.
• GCAL Financial Crime On-Demand Training Courses Five online instructor-led training courses delivered in partnership with Great Chatwell Academy of Learning, covering terrorist financing, customer risk and CDD compliance, financial crime risk assessment, fraud risk management, and SARs compliance.
• Climate Risk Certificate A seven-module guided self-study programme delivered in partnership with the Chartered Banker Institute, equipping risk professionals with understanding of climate change, climate risk, and sustainable finance. Successful participants earn the Cert CRP designation.
• Green and Sustainable Finance Certificate A 12-unit global benchmark qualification delivered in partnership with the Chartered Banker Institute, helping finance professionals develop understanding of green and sustainable finance principles and practice. Successful participants earn the GSFP designation.
• AFB Senior Managers Development Programme (SMDP) A six-session programme helping Senior Manager Function holders keep abreast of regulatory change, providing practical advice on compliance and minimising exposure within member firms.
• AFB Masterclass on Senior Managers Regime Compliance An interactive masterclass delivered in partnership with A&O Shearman for established SMF holders, focusing on recent enforcement cases, supervisory activity, and regulatory expectations under SM&CR.
• AFB Conduct & Culture Training A training course examining how firm culture may give rise to misconduct, both intentional and unintentional, through the lens of culture rather than focusing solely on regulatory rules.
• Policy & Regulatory Affairs Services Engagement with policymakers and stakeholders including HM Treasury, Bank of England, PRA, and FCA through Policy and Regulatory Network, Policy Working Groups, roundtable discussions, consultation responses, and surveys.
• Practice & Events Over 100 events per year including conferences, banquets, networking receptions, seminars, practice workshops, and practice roundtables on topics relevant to foreign banks operating in the UK.
• AFB Membership Subscription Annual membership subscription providing foreign banks with access to AFB services, including seminars as part of the new business model implemented in January 2021.

Quantifiable outcome

• 169 foreign banks represented in the UK market
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• A&O ShearmancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA&O Shearman partners with AFB for the Senior Managers Regime Compliance Masterclass, providing expert content delivery, case studies, and regulatory insights for existing SMF holders at member banks.
• Great Chatwell Academy of Learning (GCAL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFB worked with GCAL to create five online instructor-led financial crime training courses including Advanced Certificate in Managing Risks of Terrorist Financing, Customer Risk and CDD Compliance Certificate, and SARs Compliance Certificate.
• Chartered Banker InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Climate Risk Certificate and Green and Sustainable Finance Certificate programs, providing professional qualifications exclusively designed for AFB members.
• BDOminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBDO sponsors the AFB Annual Banquet 2026. BDO is the UK's fifth largest professional services firm with over 1,000 financial services specialists in the UK.
• Crowell & MoringminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrowell & Moring sponsors the AFB Annual Banquet 2026. International law firm with financial services practice representing major multinational banks.
• Grant ThorntoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant Thornton provides expert speakers for AFB seminar on OECD's Updated Common Reporting Standard 2.0, covering HMRC reporting requirements and audit expectations.
• KPMGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKPMG supports the AFB Tax Policy Working Group, providing tax policy expertise for international banks operating in the UK.
• MHA (Baker Tilly International)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMHA supports the AFB Tax Policy Working Group as an independent member firm of Baker Tilly International.
• City HR AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFB partnered with City HR Association to offer members preferential rates for the HR Policies and Practices Benchmarking Survey 2024.
• City of London CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for guide publication - 'Expanding into the UK: a guide for international financial services firms' developed with Hogan Lovells.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME): AFME represents wholesale financial markets participants across Europe, including many of the same international banks that AFB serves in the UK. It is a comparable trade association in terms of advocacy, working groups, and training events aimed at cross-border banking and capital markets.
• UK Finance: UK Finance is the primary trade association for the UK banking and financial services industry. It is the most direct comparable to AFB, representing UK and international banks on policy, regulatory, and operational matters, though it covers domestic banks as well as foreign-owned institutions.
• TheCityUK: TheCityUK is the industry body promoting UK financial and related professional services. It is a close peer to AFB because it engages UK policymakers and regulators on issues affecting international financial firms operating in the UK, overlapping AFB's foreign-bank advocacy remit.

Others

• International Compliance Association (ICA): The ICA is a professional membership body for the global regulatory and financial crime compliance community. It is an adjacent peer to AFB given the overlap in AML and compliance training content serving the same international banking audience.
• Chartered Banker Institute: The Chartered Banker Institute is a professional body offering banking qualifications. It is an ecosystem peer to AFB because it co-delivers AFB's Climate Risk Certificate and Green and Sustainable Finance Certificate, providing the credentialing infrastructure behind AFB's training revenue.

Broad incumbents

• European Banking Federation: The European Banking Federation is the principal voice of the European banking sector at EU level. It is comparable to AFB as a banking trade association focused on regulatory representation, though it operates at a wider regional scope than AFB's UK-only mandate.
• Institute of International Finance (IIF): The IIF is a global association of financial institutions that engages with regulators and policymakers on international banking issues. It is comparable to AFB in serving international banks with policy advocacy and working groups, though at a much larger global scale.

Regional players

• Association of British Insurers (ABI): The ABI is the UK trade body for the insurance and long-term savings industry. It is comparable to AFB as a UK financial services trade association providing policy advocacy, member events, and working groups, though focused on insurers rather than foreign banks.
• Building Societies Association: The BSA represents UK building societies on regulatory and policy matters. It is a comparable UK-based trade association model for member-driven banking advocacy, though focused on mutual institutions rather than foreign banks.
• International Capital Market Association (ICMA): ICMA is the trade association for capital market participants, including many of the same international banks AFB serves in the UK. It is comparable as a membership-based association offering working groups, regulatory engagement, and training for cross-border financial firms.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/foreignbanksuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-of-foreign-banks

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association of Foreign Banks