IFAC

What IFAC does

IFAC Ltd. is a UK-based, privately held compliance support firm founded in 1996 (originally as IFA Compliance Ltd., rebranded to IFAC in 2005 under owner Charlie Palmer) that operates as an outsourced compliance function for FCA-regulated financial advisory firms. Its primary customers are Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs), with additional segments in mortgage brokers, discretionary fund managers, consumer credit licence holders and general insurance brokers — all small UK firms that lack the scale to employ a full-time compliance director. IFAC delivers regulatory authorisation support, ongoing compliance monitoring, file checks, audits, Training & Competence (T&C), complaints handling and completion of FCA returns (Reg-Data, Connect, Chrysalis).

The company's core technology is the BAT Compliance Management Software — a cloud-based platform providing a Client Management System (CMS), business and turnover logs, commissions reporting, a document library, suitability report generation, task management, financial exams and CPD tracking, and a custom factfind builder. BAT also automates population of FCA Reg-Data returns directly from new business and turnover records, and integrates with Defaqto, Twenty7tec and Solution Builder for research and suitability work. The platform is delivered through four subscription tiers: CCL LP at £50/month, CCL FP at £90/month, Plus at £253/month, and Enterprise at £469/month, with additional revenue from hourly-rate services (£40 clerical, £100 qualified), standalone FCA application services (covering CCL, Payment Services, Financial Advisers, Mortgage Brokers, Funeral Plans and Insurance Intermediaries), and a monthly cadence of paid CPD training courses (£200 per course for non-members; free for members).

IFAC operates from a single registered office in Cheltenham, England, with a 1–10 employee base. Its go-to-market is direct-to-firm membership sales via the website, supported by Mailchimp-driven newsletters and Eventbrite listings, plus monthly interactive TEAMS training courses. The company has no institutional investors, no disclosed funding rounds, and no subsidiaries, and is described as operating within the UK FCA-regulated market only.

Name

IFAC

Legal name

IFAC Ltd.

Website

https://ifac.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IFAC Ltd. is a privately held UK firm, founded 1996, that provides outsourced FCA compliance support — including authorisation, file checks, audits, T&C, complaints handling and regulatory returns — to small Independent Financial Advisers, mortgage brokers and other FCA-regulated firms, delivered through its BAT compliance software and tiered monthly subscriptions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regulatory Compliance Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Business Support Services (5614)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

KYC/Client Due Diligence & Participant Onboarding Controls (FSAFAKAF), Best Execution & TCA Compliance (FSAFAOAL)

Keywords

• FCA compliance support
• Financial adviser compliance
• Compliance management software
• Regulatory returns services
• File checking audits

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheltenham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Monthly Subscription Plans: Recurring monthly subscription revenue from membership plans (Plus, Enterprise, CCL LP, CCL FP) providing compliance support, access to BAT software, and regulatory services
2. Hourly Rate Services: Additional services billed at hourly rates: £40 per hour for clerical work and £100 per hour for qualified staff work
3. Complaints Handling: Complaints handling service for members included in monthly fee, with one-off help available for non-members at negotiable rates

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

IFAC provides outsourced compliance support for FCA-regulated firms in the UK, acting as their compliance support function via monthly subscription plans that bundle the BAT cloud-based compliance management software with services including file checks, audits, T&C, FCA applications, complaints handling, and regulatory returns (Reg-Data, Connect, Chrysalis). The company also delivers standalone specialized services such as due diligence, locum compliance cover, AML/data protection audits, and training courses (SMF16, SMF17, Consumer Duty, pensions technical).

Product overview

IFAC Ltd. provides a comprehensive compliance support ecosystem for IFAs (Independent Financial Advisers) in the UK, offering both technology platforms and professional services. The core offering centers around the BAT Compliance Management System - a cloud-based software platform that provides client management, document handling, financial exams, and regulatory reporting capabilities. IFAC offers subscription plans (Plus at £253/mo, Enterprise at £469/mo, and entry-level CCL plans at £50-90/mo) that bundle software access with professional compliance services including file checks, audits, FCA applications, complaints handling, and Training & Competence support. The company also provides a range of standalone services including due diligence, locum coverage, and specialist AML/Data Protection audits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BAT Compliance Management Software Cloud-based compliance management software for IFAs and financial advisers, providing a Client Management System (CMS), business log, turnover log, commissions report, document library, task management system, suitability reports, custom factfind builder, letter builder, financial exams and CPD tracking, and a GDPR suite.
• IFAC Compliance Consulting Service IFAC acts as outsourced compliance consultant for IFAs and FCA-regulated firms, providing reassurance via file checks, audits, reviews, enquiries, and strategic guidance, taking on the role of compliance support function for FCA authorisation.
• FCA Licence Application Services Assistance with FCA licence applications including Consumer Credit Licence (CCL), Payment Services (PI or EMI), Financial Advisers permissions, Mortgage Brokers licences, Funeral Plans authorisation, and Insurance Intermediaries licences.
• Compliance Audits Systems and controls audits conducted to ensure compliance with FCA regulations, included in the Enterprise plan and available standalone.
• File Checks Advice file reviews performed by experienced file checkers with minimum 10 years of industry experience, qualified to DIP PFS Level 4 or equivalent, with pension transfer checkers also practicing.
• DB Pension Transfer Checks Safeguarded Benefits checks for defined benefit (DB) pension transfer reviews, performed by practicing pension transfer checkers.
• Reg-Data FCA Returns Service Automated population and completion of FCA Reg-Data returns directly from new business and turnover records, with handling of related returns on Connect and Chrysalis.
• Complaints Handling Service Independent complaints handling service providing IFAs with reports sufficient for PI insurers, the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) and HM Courts; included for Plus Plan members with one-off help available for non-members at negotiable rates.
• Training & Competence (T&C) Service Assistance for firms with their Training & Competence requirements, including staff training, competency assessments, one-to-ones, role plays, and accompanied visits (per employee included in Enterprise plan).
• Financial Exams and CPD Service Online financial exam suite and CPD tracking covering data protection, complaints, market abuse, pension freedom and more, with annual reviews of exam content, delivered via the BAT software platform.
• Due Diligence Services Due diligence services for firms purchasing or selling businesses or client banks in the retail financial services sector.
• Finance Director Support Service Limited finance director support aligned to BIPRU rules on capital adequacy, including ICAAP, ILA, Pillar 3 statements and Risk statements in annual reports, available for Plus Plan members.
• Documentation Templates Service SR Templates and Policy Templates available for member firms to ensure regulatory compliance, covering standard regulatory documents required for FCA-authorised firms.
• IFAC Panel Commission Rates Panel of commission rates for term assurance providing enhanced commission rates through IFAC's panel of lenders and providers, available to Plus Plan members.
• Locum Compliance Services Locum services providing temporary compliance support for member firms needing interim cover for a compliance role.
• Specialist AML and Data Protection Audits Specialist audits focused on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance and GDPR data protection requirements for FCA-regulated firms.
• GDPR Suite GDPR compliance tools and training available through BAT, including examination and testing for staff, data cleansing processes, and sample wording for websites, agreements, consents, and policies.
• Compliance Training Courses Monthly online training courses for IFAs and regulated firms, covering SMF16 Compliance Director, SMF17, pensions technical, Consumer Duty, Complaints, Data Protection, Introducers and Appointed Representatives, and M&A in retail financial services, delivered via Microsoft TEAMS.
• Plus Plan (Subscription) Monthly compliance support plan at £253/mo providing document library, compliance support, suitability reports, FCA Reg-Data returns, BAT software access, financial exams, CPD tracking, panel commission rates, complaints handling up to FOS referral, and limited finance director support. Does not include file checks or onsite audits.
• Enterprise Plan (Subscription) Comprehensive monthly plan at £469/mo offering all Plus Plan features plus 10% file checks or one per month, annual audits, FCA authorisation support, telephone support, full FCA returns (Reg-Data, Connect, Chrysalis), and T&C per employee including one-to-ones, role plays, and training.
• CCL LP (Limited Permissions) Plan (Subscription) £50/month plan offering FCA RegData Returns service for firms with limited permissions, covering consumer credit and other limited-permission firms.
• CCL FP (Full Permissions) Plan (Subscription) £90/month plan offering FCA RegData Returns service for firms with full permissions, covering consumer credit and other full-permission firms.

Quantifiable outcome

• Firms cannot afford a full time compliance director but those who can also need reassurance and guidance from a firm like IFAC who interact daily with the regulator

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• BAT (BAT Compliance Management Software)coreTechnology or IntegrationBAT is IFAC's chosen partner for technology and serves as their user interface. BAT provides the compliance management software platform used by IFAC to deliver compliance services to its members, including CMS, document library, suitability reports, and Reg-Data population tools.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Thistle Initiatives: UK regulatory compliance consultancy providing FCA authorisation, compliance support, and regulatory training to directly authorised firms. Closest direct competitor to IFAC, addressing the same core market with a similar outsourced-compliance-officer proposition.
• SimplyBiz: Long-established support services platform for UK IFAs and mortgage brokers, offering compliance, regulatory, technical and business development support. Overlaps heavily with IFAC's membership/compliance model, albeit at significantly greater scale.
• Vantage Compliance: UK compliance support firm serving directly authorised advisers with file checks, audits, FCA applications and ongoing compliance support. Directly comparable service catalogue to IFAC's core compliance practice.
• 1st Form Compliance: UK FCA compliance consultancy supporting directly authorised financial advisers with file checking, training and authorisation services. Head-to-head competitor within the same IFA compliance outsourcing niche.
• RWA Compliance: Compliance and regulatory consulting firm serving the UK IFA market with file reviews, audits, training and FCA authorisation support. Operating in the same outsourced compliance function area as IFAC.
• Compliance Republic: UK compliance consultancy focused on financial services firms, including IFAs and mortgage brokers. Provides compliance support, training and FCA application services comparable to IFAC's offerings.
• Caerus Professional: Specialist compliance and regulatory support provider for directly authorised firms in the UK, offering outsourced compliance services, file checks and FCA authorisation support similar to IFAC.

Regional players

• Pareto Financial Planning (compliance arm): UK advice firm that historically offered compliance support and back-office services to other IFAs in the North West. Adjacent business model to IFAC's outsourced compliance function, serving similar customer types with comparable services.

Emerging players

• Money Alive: UK compliance training and e-learning platform targeting financial advisers. Overlaps with IFAC's BAT-based CPD/exam suite and TEAMS training course catalogue.

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte UK (Financial Services Regulatory practice): Big-4 advisory firm offering UK financial services regulatory consulting, risk and compliance support to banks, insurers and large advice firms. Much broader scope than IFAC but competes for outsourced compliance at the larger end of IFAC's addressable market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ifac_ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 IFAC