# Elite

> Elite prepares football clubs for Independent Football Regulator (IFR) licensing: ownership, funding, governance, fan engagement and the provisional licence application, ready for the club's board to sign.

Elite works with football clubs across the top five divisions of English football, with a focus on clubs outside the Premier League, on the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) regime introduced by the Football Governance Act 2025. The club provides its facts and forecasts, its advisers make specialist legal and financial calls, its board approves the application and the club submits it. The IFR makes the licensing decision. Elite is independent of the IFR.

Key facts:
- The IFR's provisional licence application window for clubs in the top five divisions in 2026/27 runs from 2 November 2026 to 26 February 2027 (source: https://www.footballregulator.org.uk/provisional_licensing_guidance).
- Elite's work covers seven outputs: ownership and control, funding and forecast, board and decision system, risk workshop and register, fan consultation, application documents, and working improvements.
- Clubs can work with Elite in two ways: managed by Elite, or run by the club's own team with Elite's independent review. Fees are agreed in writing after an initial conversation.
- Contact: https://governance.satoelite.com/#contact

## Pages

- [IFR licensing preparation for football clubs](https://governance.satoelite.com/): How Elite prepares a club's Independent Football Regulator licence application, from ownership and funding to governance and fans.
- [The service](https://governance.satoelite.com/services): Seven pieces of work behind an IFR application, how an engagement runs, and the two ways to work with Elite.
- [IFR licensing requirements](https://governance.satoelite.com/licensing): The published provisional licence requirements area by area, the 38 Annex A questions and the five Club Code principles.
- [Insights](https://governance.satoelite.com/insights): Guides and analysis on IFR licensing, club finance, ownership tests, fan engagement and football governance news.
- [Example: when a funding letter ends before the forecast does](https://governance.satoelite.com/demo/funding-letter-vs-forecast): An illustrative worked example with a fictional club, showing how a funding gap becomes an owned question for the board.
- [Example: a board pack that shows its working](https://governance.satoelite.com/demo/outcome): An illustrative board-pack extract with a fictional club, showing sources, open questions and the decision.

## Insights

- [The Manchester City ruling: what it means for clubs outside the Premier League](https://governance.satoelite.com/insights/man-city-ruling-what-it-means-for-smaller-clubs): What the independent commission found against Manchester City, what happens next, where the IFR fits, and the practical lessons for Championship to National League clubs.
- [The IFR provisional licence: what your club must prepare and when](https://governance.satoelite.com/insights/ifr-provisional-licence-guide): A plain guide to the Independent Football Regulator's provisional licence application: the window, the 38 Annex A questions, the documents and who signs.
- [How to prepare the IFR forecast and financial plan](https://governance.satoelite.com/insights/ifr-financial-plan-guide): What the regulator's forecast template asks for, how to evidence owner funding, and how to keep the financial plan current once your club is licensed.
- [Fan engagement under the IFR: running consultation that stands up](https://governance.satoelite.com/insights/ifr-fan-engagement-guide): What the IFR application asks about fan consultation, what a usable record looks like, and how to make supporters' views part of real club decisions.
- [The IFR owners, directors and senior executives test: what your club should check](https://governance.satoelite.com/insights/ifr-owners-directors-test): Who counts as an owner, what the IFR assesses, when the test applies, and how it connects to the personnel statement in your provisional licence application.

## Optional

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