Building Financial Models

F1F9 are experts in building financial models. We work with robust template structures and standardised calculations that we’ve refined in hundreds of models. This flexible approach creates accessible and easy-to-use models whilst removing complication, reducing the risk of error and minimising cost.

Our scalable and responsive approach to delivery is the same whether building a financial model from scratch or taking a legacy model and adapting it to make it fit for purpose.

Whether you need a corporate finance / reporting model, one for renewables, oil and gas, energy, utilities, infrastructure, transport or any other sector – we can build it.

How can we help?

Energy and Utilities

We have worked with clients across the energy and utilities industries, modelling complex technical calculations alongside financial calculations in a clear and structured way to provide valuable insights and maximise client confidence.

Other
Infrastructure

Our models provide the clarity needed for critical decision-making at every stage of an infrastructure project. We’ve built over 140 models to help clients assess, successfully bid for and close major schemes and more than 130 models to monitor or value operational projects.

Corporate Finance and Reporting

We work alongside clients to streamline and enhance their routine forecasting and reporting capabilities and provide a rapid and responsive service for fundraising and other transactions. We provide up-front solution design, rapidly understanding a business’s key drivers and how these should be best represented in a model.

Case Studies

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.
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.
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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 excel 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.
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 excel 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 financial 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.

Our clients

Asset Alliance Group logo
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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