Compliance Advisory
Regulatory strategy, perimeter analysis and compliance framework design for payment institutions, EMIs, MSBs, money transmitters and cryptoasset firms.
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What We Do
Compliance advisory answers the questions that come before, and sit above, day to day compliance operations: what regulatory perimeter the business sits inside, which permissions the model requires, how the framework should be designed, and what a supervisor would expect to see given the risks the firm actually runs.
We advise on perimeter and permission analysis for new products and markets, target operating model design for the compliance function, governance and senior management accountability, policy architecture, and the control framework needed to support authorisation or a change in the business model.
Our approach is proportionate. A framework that is heavier than the business needs will not be operated, and a framework that is lighter than the risk profile will not survive supervision. Where a firm needs continuing operational support once the design is in place, that is delivered through our ongoing compliance support service.
Perimeter & Permission Analysis
We determine what the activity is in regulatory terms and which permissions it requires in each market served.
Gap Analysis
We assess current arrangements against the standard the regulator applies to a firm of this type and scale.
Framework Design
We design governance, policies, controls and management information proportionate to the business model.
Implementation Roadmap
We sequence the build with owners, evidence requirements and deadlines the board can track.
What's Included
Regulatory Perimeter Assessment
A documented view of which activities are regulated, under which regime, in each market served.
Compliance Framework Design
Target operating model for the compliance function, including resourcing and escalation routes.
Policy Architecture
A coherent policy and procedure suite mapped to the rules that apply to the firm.
Governance & Accountability
Board and committee structures, terms of reference and clear allocation of regulatory responsibilities.
Risk-Based Control Design
Controls designed against the firm's own risk assessment rather than a generic template.
Board Advisory
Practical advice to boards and senior managers on regulatory expectations and supervisory risk.
Who This Service Is For
Firm Types
- - Firms preparing for authorisation
- - Authorised firms entering new markets or launching new products
- - Groups rationalising compliance across entities
- - Firms whose framework has not kept pace with growth
Situations & Triggers
- - Assessing whether a new product falls inside the regulatory perimeter
- - Designing a compliance framework before launch
- - Restructuring the compliance function after growth or investment
- - Preparing the governance case for a regulatory application
Why Work With Us
Specialist Sectors
We work only with payment institutions, EMIs, MSBs, money transmitters and cryptoasset firms.
Senior-Led Delivery
Every engagement is led by a senior consultant with hands-on regulatory experience - not delegated to junior staff.
Practical, Not Theoretical
We build frameworks that work in practice, not just on paper. Our advice is grounded in what regulators actually expect.
Global Reach
We advise across 65+ jurisdictions, combining local regulatory knowledge with a consistent, high-quality approach.
Related Insights
Consumer Duty for Banks and Payment Firms: What the FCA Now Expects
The FCA Consumer Duty is now fully in force - what banks, payment institutions and EMIs must deliver across the four outcomes, and what the FCA has criticised so far.
Compliance Audit for FCA-Regulated Firms: Planning, Scope & Best Practice
A practitioner guide to planning and conducting an effective compliance audit across all FCA-regulated activities, including scope design, risk assessment and remediation.
Common FCA Compliance Audit Findings and How to Remediate Them
An analysis of the most frequently identified compliance audit findings across FCA-regulated firms, with practical remediation strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Compliance advisory designs the framework and answers the strategic regulatory questions: perimeter, permissions, governance and control design. Ongoing compliance support operates and maintains that framework after it is in place, including monitoring, reporting and regulator engagement.
Yes. Perimeter analysis is one of the most frequent reasons firms engage us. We assess the activity against the applicable regime in each market served and set out the permissions required, with the reasoning documented so it can be shown to a bank, an investor or a supervisor.
Yes. We advise on board and committee structures, allocation of regulatory responsibilities, terms of reference and the management information senior managers need to discharge their responsibilities credibly.
Proportionality is a regulatory principle, not a concession. We design to the risk profile and scale of the firm, which for a smaller business usually means fewer, better evidenced controls rather than a large policy suite nobody operates.
Yes. We advise firms regulated in the European Union, Canada, the United States, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong, and groups that hold permissions in more than one of those markets.
Through a defined scope with fixed deliverables, senior-led throughout. Where continuing support is required after the design work, that transitions to a retained ongoing compliance arrangement.
Typically within one to two weeks of engagement, beginning with a scoping session and a gap analysis of current arrangements.