We build financial models, relationships, knowledge and confidence.

F1F9 are financial modelling experts. We specialise in knowledge sharing and tailored training, so our clients are able to understand and maximise the use of financial models that are critical to their business success.

We’re there wherever, however and whenever you need us — building financial models or teaching you to build your own; providing a well-informed, reliable, guiding partner every step of the way; transferring as much or as little knowledge as you need; and ensuring you know the route you're taking is the right one for you.
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Financial models built
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People trained by instructors in classrooms / virtually
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Have worked through our online courses

How can we help you?

Training Courses

Financial modelling courses that increase capability for individuals and organisations.

Our training is available worldwide and delivered by an experienced team of instructors through
classroom-based, one-to-one and online methods. Experience practical, hands-on learning with
unlimited post-course access to online information and support.

Financial Model Build

Using our financial modelling expertise to build your organisation’s models.

We’re experts in building financial models. With over 400 models built in the past 14 years, we’ve gained comprehensive experience across many sectors and have the capabilities to rapidly deliver transparent, user-friendly, business-critical models.

Review & Risk
Management

Maximising confidence and managing risk in your organisation’s existing financial models.

We can help manage a client’s exposure to individual risk with an approach suited to their particular risk profile. With F1F9’s support and expertise, our clients have complete confidence in financial models that enable them to make the best business decisions.

Model
Support

Comprehensive support whenever and wherever you need it, so you can focus on the core business.

Financial Modelling is so much bigger and more involving than simply building an Excel spreadsheet. That’s why we promote the idea of Model Support, a holistic approach that encompasses our three core areas of expertise: training, model build and model review.

Get in touch

Is your existing financial model providing you with the transparency, confidence and answers you need? Can it be modified, or does it need to be rebuilt? Do you want to learn to build a new model or to make changes yourself? Our financial modelling consultants can help you decide…

Case studies

Power NI is the largest electricity company in Northern Ireland. Their parent is the Energia Group, a leading integrated Irish energy business with substantial businesses in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

In 2018 F1F9 created a best practice budgeting and reporting model for Power NI, followed by two smaller builds looking in more detail at specific elements of the business. Subsequently, Energia Group expressed a desire to improve and standardise their range of financial reporting and forecasting models. In response to this
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Power NI is the largest electricity company in Northern Ireland. Their parent is the Energia Group, a leading integrated Irish energy business with substantial businesses in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

In 2018 F1F9 created a best practice budgeting and reporting model for Power NI, followed by two smaller builds looking in more detail at specific elements of the business. Subsequently, Energia Group expressed a desire to improve and standardise their range of financial reporting and forecasting models. In response to this We delivered a series of in-house training courses on best practice modelling to finance delegates from businesses across the Group. We recently supplemented this engagement with a ‘model clinic’ and remediation work to a tax model that the Energia Group identified as a priority for development.

As a result of this work, the Energia Group has realised significant efficiencies in their modelling practices. The staff we have trained are now equipped to build better structured, more robust models and have direct access to F1F9 resource wherever it adds value.
We have been working with Mubadala to standardise their approach to financial modelling (“The Mubadala Way”) since 2012. We have taught over 200 analysts from a wide variety of sectors. Our training programme uses a variety of learning approaches: self-study backed up with support from our team of modellers, informal and formal assessments, instructor-led classroom sessions and webinars. At the final stage of the programme, participants are required to present to senior members of the organisation.
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We have been working with Mubadala to standardise their approach to financial modelling (“The Mubadala Way”) since 2012. We have taught over 200 analysts from a wide variety of sectors. Our training programme uses a variety of learning approaches: self-study backed up with support from our team of modellers, informal and formal assessments, instructor-led classroom sessions and webinars. At the final stage of the programme, participants are required to present to senior members of the organisation. Our initial brief was to run a programme for Mubadala’s core modellers – those professionals who work with financial models of considerable complexity on a daily basis. Based on a real-world case study, the training took participants through all the requirements for financial modelling from basic skills and drills in Excel to the design and construction of a highly complex set of financing requirements.

Since running the early programmes, we have amended the course material to give it a more general appeal (suitable for analysts for whom modelling is not core but nonetheless important). This included the development of further case studies relevant to the work being undertaken (including a hotel and a satellite). We continue to work with Mubadala’s learning and development team in improving the design of the programme.

Mubadala’s commitment to a single financial modelling standard has resulted in its analysts understanding the importance of a common approach and honing their technical skills. The course has been popular and in high demand – with participants enjoying the study material and the opportunity to present their work to senior colleagues.
Following a recommendation from Grant Thornton UK, Warth & Klein Grant Thornton (WKGT) with offices in Hamburg and Düsseldorf, Germany, engaged F1F9 to enhance proficiency in Excel-based financial modelling within the organisation. The participants included junior team members as well as seasoned professionals from varied service lines including Corporate Finance, M&A, Audit & Assurance, and Valuation.
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Following a recommendation from Grant Thornton UK, Warth & Klein Grant Thornton (WKGT) with offices in Hamburg and Düsseldorf, Germany, engaged F1F9 to enhance proficiency in Excel-based financial modelling within the organisation. The participants included junior team members as well as seasoned professionals from varied service lines including Corporate Finance, M&A, Audit & Assurance, and Valuation. Since 2015 and supported by WKGT’s in-house FAST modelling champions, we have delivered several intensive in-house courses and provided ongoing post-course learning in the form of online tutorials and support from our modelling experts. The training has been delivered in German using F1F9 staff based in Germany and has been held annually since 2015.

The course participants gained a deeper understanding of efficient modelling and a general improvement in their Excel skills. This knowledge facilitates decision making by providing easily-understood results in reasonable timeframes. The modular structure of FAST has also reduced the time it takes to review models, particularly larger or more complex ones.
Eneco is a Dutch energy company that works for all to participate in the transition to sustainable energy. It services 5.3 million customer contracts across The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany and has an ongoing commitment to promoting financial modelling skills amongst its analysts. Eneco engaged F1F9 to deliver a programme of financial modelling courses to their investment analysts. The initiative has been extended to include advanced Project Finance modelling.
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Eneco is a Dutch energy company that works for all to participate in the transition to sustainable energy. It services 5.3 million customer contracts across The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany and has an ongoing commitment to promoting financial modelling skills amongst its analysts. Eneco engaged F1F9 to deliver a programme of financial modelling courses to their investment analysts. The initiative has been extended to include advanced Project Finance modelling. 70+ analysts have completed the F1F9 training. Eneco has adopted a standardised approach to modelling across the business and finance functions. Analysts are able to build high-quality models across multiple business units (wind, solar, heat and industrials).
In 2016, F1F9 won a tender to work with Ofwat, the body responsible for economic regulation of the privatised water and sewerage industry in England and Wales, and we continued to support them through to 2018. We worked closely with the regulator to rebuild the 2019 price review model (PR19) that Ofwat and the regulated water companies would use in the price review process.
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In 2016, F1F9 won a tender to work with Ofwat, the body responsible for economic regulation of the privatised water and sewerage industry in England and Wales, and we continued to support them through to 2018. We worked closely with the regulator to rebuild the 2019 price review model (PR19) that Ofwat and the regulated water companies would use in the price review process. A large number of complex and interrelated elements need to be incorporated into this type of model, with further layers of complexity introduced from functionality for sensitivities, adjustments and overlays. Transparent calculations and consistency of model structure was paramount for this tool, which led Ofwat to specify a model built using the FAST standard. F1F9 worked very closely with the Ofwat Analytics team to develop a model that they were confident would facilitate a smooth and efficient price review.

Our client described their experience of working with us:
“F1F9 has been a flexible, responsive partner for the PR19 model build. With a large team of skilled financial modellers they have always been able to meet our modelling requirements, even when deadlines have been very short… I have shared beta versions of the model with companies and feedback from them has been positive: companies have found the FAST-compliant model much more transparent and easier to use. Feedback on the model from internal Ofwat stakeholders has also been very positive”.
Masdar is a global leader in renewable energy and sustainable urban development and has more than a decade of experience working in partnership with business and government as a renewable energy developer and investor. Masdar chose F1F9 as its modelling partner to provide support in the development and monitoring of investments in renewable wind and solar energy projects. We have been adding value to their modelling work since 2012.
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Masdar is a global leader in renewable energy and sustainable urban development and has more than a decade of experience working in partnership with business and government as a renewable energy developer and investor. Masdar chose F1F9 as its modelling partner to provide support in the development and monitoring of investments in renewable wind and solar energy projects. We have been adding value to their modelling work since 2012. Masdar wanted a single point of contact to coordinate the delivery of consistent modelling solutions for several projects under development as well as for a portfolio of operational projects. F1F9 applied the FAST standard and highly-refined model structures to build models that gave both clarity to calculations and maximised the commonality between models. This was supported by bespoke classroom training and reinforced with online resources. We worked closely with the Masdar team to develop effective dashboards focussed on user efficiency and printable reports to communicate results to decision makers.

F1F9’s approach meant that our client’s teams could achieve their desired improvement in transparency and usability across the model estate. The models were used by Masdar to support numerous operational and business development projects, with the experience gained on each project improving productivity on the next.
F1F9 worked closely with the Finance Director at Rocket Marketing Group, a business that creates, develops and manages a variety of added-value reward and customer loyalty programmes. Our client needed to create a forecasting model to support the planning of a medium-term business strategy and, by the end of the process, have the capability to build models of similar complexity without help.
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F1F9 worked closely with the Finance Director at Rocket Marketing Group, a business that creates, develops and manages a variety of added-value reward and customer loyalty programmes. Our client needed to create a forecasting model to support the planning of a medium-term business strategy and, by the end of the process, have the capability to build models of similar complexity without help. We planned a combination of online training resources, on-the-job coaching, and joint design and build — all to fit within the available budget. Online training resources could be utilised when time allowed and when content was relevant to the build. The model build itself was facilitated by regular video conferences for planning, discussion of approach and targeted training on specific aspects of the model. We took responsibility for parts of the build where Victoria needed to focus on her role as Finance Director.

Our flexible response to the needs of Victoria and Rocket enabled them to gain the key business insights they needed, and to be equipped for whatever analysis the business will demand in the future.
Virgin Trains is a train operating company that has operated the InterCity West Coast franchise since 1997. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland.

The company’s previous process for budgeting, reporting actuals and updating forecasts was complex and time-consuming, with the complexity leading to errors in the final output. Over 80 spreadsheets were in use across 11 departments for the budget process alone. Duplication of common inputs led to inconsistency.
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Virgin Trains is a train operating company that has operated the InterCity West Coast franchise since 1997. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland.

The company’s previous process for budgeting, reporting actuals and updating forecasts was complex and time-consuming, with the complexity leading to errors in the final output. Over 80 spreadsheets were in use across 11 departments for the budget process alone. Duplication of common inputs led to inconsistency.
F1F9 created a new process for updating, analysing and communicating large financial datasets in 8 Excel financial models which take inputs from core non-Excel management information systems. This dramatically increased budgeting and forecasting efficiency as well as reducing the risk of errors. The reporting process is now simple and more accurate with a rapid turnaround. We worked in close collaboration with our Virgin Trains contacts and completed the work in 2 months. The new process has been fully adopted within Virgin Trains and F1F9 are providing ongoing support.

Our clients

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I use my new found skills on a daily basis and can’t speak highly enough of the course and what it has given myself and my colleague. It has changed how we do all of our modelling in the company and has received really positive feedback from everyone that has used the model or reviewed the model.
Sally Brierley, Financial Modeller, FCC Environment
We were stunned at the difference that a standardised approach made. Our new Excel models can provide information that just isn’t accessible through an ERP.
Philip Whittingham COO (and former FD), Virgin Trains
The course was great. I learned so much and really enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to using it in my own work. I would be very happy to recommend the course.
Eric Eastlund, Head of Analytics, SCIO Capital
From start to finish the team were very professional and demonstrated considerable experience in what they were doing. The end result is an exceptionally powerful tool, which is straightforward to use, and now forms the backbone to our forecasting process. I would have no hesitation in recommending F1F9.
Douglas McArthur, CA Group FD, Asset Alliance
[The instructor] was enthusiastic about the material and the course itself which created good engagement in class. I particularly liked the fact that we were consistently taking part in the course, rather than being "taught" we were facilitated.
Andrew Dias, Finance Business Partner, Stansted Airport
The Enterprise model is great value for money. We compared it to the other standard reporting systems available such as Sage and Oracle but the F1F9 solution was much cheaper and also gave us the flexibility to change the way we report our business as it grows and develops. It has halved the time our month end reporting process takes. We started out wanting a model for budgeting purposes only but when we saw what the model could do we decided to use it for actuals reporting as well as our rolling forecasts.
Charles Carolan, Senior Financial Analyst, Skrill
[The instructor] was absolutely excellent. Everything was extremely clear, the pace of the class was spot on. I thought I would come away being slightly better at reading models but actually now I would feel completely confident starting my own.
Emma Paterson,  SSE/ Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Limited 
The team at F1F9 were responsive, hardworking and helped us upgrade our model to be fit for purpose post acquisition. F1F9 took the time to understand our needs early in the process, met deadlines and were professional in their approach.
Investment Manager, UK Private Equity House
Thanks for the excellent academy which has so boosted my own modest modeling skills. F1F9's strong customer service culture is a big help.
Geoffrey Finch, Resident Adviser for Infrastructure Finance for the US Treasury Office of Technical Assistance - Government of Paraguay, Ministry of Finance
I particularly liked the setup of the online training, and the portions provided in each section. The ability to go back and review and exercise with the models after each training and even after a few training provided an excellent opportunity to really 'learn' the skills. The setup allowed for my own pace of learning and the time I was able to dedicate besides work to complete the training. I highly recommended the training to colleagues.
Hartmut Weissmann
Very useful tips and tricks, certainly helped me a lot in understanding and 'simplifying' the enormous models. Thank you very much!
Julie de Bock, Senior Advisory / Corporate Finance, BDO

Our Experience

FINANCIAL MODELLING IN EXCEL

Get the best results with our powerful combination of people, best practice and tried and tested methodology in financial models.

The experts in Excel financial modelling since 1999. Here at F1F9, we provide a comprehensive range of financial modelling courses and products for businesses – covering all elements of project finance, corporate finance, reporting, and excel model support. Our team of experts have extensive experience working with leading companies across many industries, so you can rest assured that you are in excellent hands. With F1F9, your business’s finance model will provide you with transparency and answers – get in touch today to learn more, view our range of current courses available, or take a look through our products.