What this engagement actually is
Senior, retained financial leadership for growth-stage and investor-backed businesses that do not yet need a full-time CFO.
A fractional CFO engagement is a retained relationship in which a senior practitioner takes on defined CFO responsibilities on a part-time basis. The brief typically covers ownership of the P&L and forecast, running the finance cadence, preparing board and investor materials, overseeing cash, supporting fundraising, and developing the in-house finance team. Time commitment scales between intensive (around a fundraise or transaction) and lighter-touch (steady state operations).
The role is filled by a senior practitioner from the outset; clients do not deal with a junior layer relaying messages. The engagement is shaped to the company stage: a Seed business preparing for a Series A needs a different cadence and emphasis from a Series B business preparing for an institutional secondary, and the scope is built accordingly.
We are an external adviser, not a statutory officer. We do not hold director positions, and we do not provide regulated financial advice. We operate alongside the company's legal, audit and tax advisers, and we are explicit about where the line sits.
What you get
Six concrete deliverables. Each is an artefact on a shared drive, not a promise.
- Owned rolling forecast and budget with monthly variance reporting and management commentary.
- Investor and board reporting pack with management narrative, KPIs and forward outlook.
- Cash flow management framework including a 13-week cash forecast and covenant tracking where applicable.
- Fundraising support pack: investor model, data room structure, Q&A log and process management.
- Finance function assessment and team development plan, with recruitment specifications where required.
- Governance and risk register covering financial controls, authority matrix and audit readiness.
How long, how priced
Fractional CFO is delivered as a monthly retainer with an agreed time commitment, scope and cadence. The retainer is structured to the company stage and the work in front of the business: a fundraise-heavy quarter carries a larger commitment than a steady-state quarter, and the agreement allows for that flex without renegotiation each time.
Engagement terms are flexible. We accommodate project-based briefs (a forecast rebuild ahead of a fundraise, for example), part-time retained roles, and full interim CFO cover where a permanent hire is in progress. The terms reflect what the business needs at the point of engagement, not a fixed package.
Where the engagement is heading toward a permanent hire, we agree the transition criteria at the outset. The intent is to leave the business with a finance function that no longer needs us, not to extend the relationship indefinitely.
Best for
Three sectors where this service typically comes first.
Technology and Innovation
Scale-ups preparing for institutional rounds, with cohort economics, unit economics and board-level reporting that need to stand up to investor scrutiny.
Healthcare and Life Sciences
Care operators and life sciences businesses scaling under regulatory constraints, with reporting that must satisfy clinical, investor and regulator audiences.
Real Estate and Development
Developer and operator businesses with scheme-level cash flows feeding into a corporate forecast, and investor reporting needs in parallel.
A typical engagement
Three phases. Senior practitioner involvement at every stage.
Discover (week one to three)
A finance function review covers the existing forecast, reporting pack, cash framework and controls. Key relationships are mapped (board members, investors, auditors, lenders), and the priorities for the first quarter are defined in writing. The engagement cadence is agreed: monthly close, board attendance, investor touchpoints and ad hoc availability. By the end of this phase the company knows what the first cycle will produce.
Design (month one to two)
The reporting pack is redesigned to a structure the board and investors can read at a glance, with management narrative attached. The forecast is rebuilt or remediated against a clean assumption schedule. A 13-week cash framework is put in place with covenant tracking where relevant. The first cycle of board materials is produced under the new structure, and any gaps in controls or finance team capability are documented.
Deliver (ongoing)
A retained cadence runs through monthly close, board meetings, investor reporting and ad hoc strategic input. Fundraising periods carry an elevated commitment, with model maintenance, data room ownership and Q&A management folded into the role. Exit or transition criteria to a full-time hire are reviewed at agreed intervals, with a written handover plan when the company is ready to recruit permanently.
When the question is bigger than the numbers
GIVE Consultancy, one call away
GIVE Analytics is one of three firms in the GIVE Network. The non-financial dimensions of most engagements (legal structuring, market research, communications, people, regulatory positioning) are addressed by GIVE Consultancy Limited, a separate firm operating under the same standards. The GIVE Foundation, the charitable entity through which both firms donate ten per cent of annual profits, is held separately again. The network exists because consequential decisions rarely have a single dimension; clients tell us they value being able to draw on adjacent capability without renegotiating confidentiality. We do not cross-refer unless the client asks us to.
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GIVE Foundation receives 10% of profits from every engagement. See the giving model (opens in a new tab).
Confidentiality
Engagement details are not disclosed publicly. Past work is summarised by sector and analytical question. References are made available privately, with consent, at the appropriate stage. The same standard applies to anything you instruct us on.
Discuss a Fractional CFO Services engagement
A 30-minute introductory call, in confidence. We will tell you if this service is not the right starting point.