CQC Business Plan and Financial Forecast Guide

A registration business plan should show that the proposed service is understood, organised and financially considered. It connects the care model to the people, premises, systems and resources needed to operate it safely.

CQC's current supporting-document guidance identifies business-plan and forecast requirements for specified adult social care services. Check the latest service-specific application page before submission, because evidence lists and instructions can change.

Build a clear business-plan summary

The opening section should give a decision-maker a coherent picture of the proposed service. It should use the same legal provider, locations, regulated activities and client groups as the CQC application and statement of purpose.

• Legal provider, ownership and relevant background.
• Service type, regulated activities, locations and proposed capacity.
• People the service intends to support and their principal needs.
• Mission, objectives and the outcomes the service aims to achieve.
• Registration and opening milestones.

Explain the market and operating model

• Describe local need using relevant, credible research rather than broad claims.
• Identify likely referral and funding routes without treating unconfirmed demand as guaranteed income.
• Explain assessment, admission, care delivery and review processes.
• Set out premises, technology, transport and equipment needs.
• Describe recruitment, induction, training, supervision and out-of-hours cover.
• Recognise competitors, dependencies and material business risks.

Show ownership, structure and delivery actions

CQC's business-plan guidance asks for the people responsible for tasks and the structure of the company. Convert intentions into an accountable implementation plan.

• Provider, nominated individual, registered manager and operational reporting lines.
• Action, owner, deadline, dependency and evidence of completion.
• Recruitment targets linked to expected service demand.
• Quality assurance, audit and provider-oversight arrangements.
• Contingency actions if registration, recruitment or referrals take longer than expected.

Prepare a realistic 12-month forecast

Where required, CQC expects monthly income and expenditure for the first 12 months. Use visible assumptions so a reviewer can understand how activity levels, prices, staffing and cash requirements were calculated.

• Opening cash, owner investment, lending and other funding sources.
• Monthly client numbers, care hours, occupancy or packages of support.
• Fee assumptions, payment timing and cautious growth rates.
• Wages, employer costs, training, recruitment and agency cover.
• Rent, utilities, insurance, professional fees, software and transport.
• Registration, compliance, equipment and contingency costs.

Complete a consistency and stress test

1. 1Compare client numbers with the statement of purpose and proposed capacity.
2. 2Check that staffing hours and skill mix can deliver the forecast care safely.
3. 3Test slower referrals, higher wage costs and delayed payments.
4. 4Confirm that governance, training and compliance costs are included.
5. 5Reconcile names, addresses, dates and leadership roles with all application forms.
6. 6Approve, date and version the final plan before submission.