Partner content

TL;DR

  • We looked at 5 software development partners with relevant experience in regulated financial services in the UK
  • Firms were assessed on regulated delivery experience, security standards, legacy-system work, team continuity and comparable project experience
  • The shortlist ranges from UK and European engineering firms to larger global technology consultancies.
  • The firms selected include Accedia, Scott Logic GFT, Endava and ScienceSoft. 
  • The right choice depends less on company size and more on relevant delivery experience, security and the ability to work within established governance and technology environments

Choosing a software partner for a regulated financial-services organisation comes with a few extra considerations that don’t apply in the same way to a typical consumer application. The firm still has to meet the same basic requirements around technical capability and delivery, but it also needs to work within the controls that come with regulation. Under FCA requirements around operational resilience, outsourcing and third-party risk, the financial institution remains responsible for managing the risks associated with its technology suppliers. This means procurement and risk teams need to be comfortable with how a partner handles security, documentation, testing, change and audit, without making delivery unnecessarily difficult. 

Five firms come up repeatedly on UK shortlists: Scott Logic, Accedia, GFT, Endava and ScienceSoft.They differ in delivery model, geography, financial-service experience and the types of projects they are best suited to.

Top 5 Software Development Partners for Regulated Financial Projects

1. Scott Logic

Scott Logic is a UK technology consultancy with experience working with large enterprises and public-sector organisations, including in regulated environments. Its relevance to regulated financial services is its experience operating within complex organisations, where technology projects need to fit existing systems, processes and governance rather than being delivered in isolation. 

Key services:

  • IT Consulting
  • Application Development
  • Cloud Application Development
  • Software Testing
  • Environmental consulting

Best for: Regulated organisations looking for a delivery partner that can work within existing technology estates and governance structures. 

2. Accedia

Accedia is a Bulgarian technology consulting and custom software development company with 13+ years of experience in regulated financial services, covering software engineering, data, AI and modernisation of existing systems. It is ISO 27001 certified and has worked with established financial institutions, including Castle Trust Bank, ЕlementaryB and Andaria, where it has supported the bank’s lending platform over a number of years. 

Key services:

Best for: UK financial institutions looking for a European delivery partner with regulated financial-services experience, close working-hour and cultural alignment with UK teams, and a competitive cost profile compared with many Western European-based providers. 

3. GFT

GFT Technologies is a global digital transformation company focused on AI, data and technology modernisation. It works across banking, insurance, manufacturing and robotics, with particular expertise in modernising technology architectures and developing next-generation core systems. Its 12,000+ technology specialists operate across more than 20 countries. 

Key services:

  • AI services
  • Data services
  • Platform modernisation
  • Software engineering
  • Cloud services

Best for: Large regulated financial institutions undertaking complex core banking, digital banking or legacy modernisation programmes. A strong fit where projects involve multiple systems, teams and long-established technology estates. 

4. Endava

Endava is a large technology services firm with more than 20 years of experience in financial services. Its banking work spans core modernisation, data and digital platforms, with a significant client and delivery footprint across financial institutions. Endava also holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications.

Key services:

  • Software engineering
  • Advisory & digital strategy
  • Data and AI
  • Cloud and core modernisation
  • Digital product acceleration

Best for: Financial institutions looking for a large-scale delivery partner with established financial-services expertise and formal security and continuity controls.

5. ScienceSoft

ScienceSoft is a US-based technology consultancy with a long track record in financial services. It has worked on financial software and IT systems since 2005, with experience spanning banking, compliance, cybersecurity and complex software delivery. It is ISO 27001 certified and has dedicated financial IT and compliance expertise.

Key services:

  • Financial software development
  • Technology consulting
  • Data and analytics
  • Cybersecurity
  • Cloud and application modernisation

Best for: Regulated financial institutions looking for a mid-sized technology partner with established financial-services experience and formal security controls.

How We Chose These Firms

We evaluated each firm against five criteria that matter when selecting a technology partner for regulated financial-services work: 

  • Regulated delivery experience. Evidence that the firm can deliver within formal risk, compliance, audit and governance processes. 
  • Security standards. ISO 27001 is a common starting point in supplier checks. We also looked at the wider evidence of how firms handle security and data protection.
  • Experience with core banking modernisation. Most banking projects are not greenfield. New technology usually has to connect to systems that have been running for years, sometimes decades. We looked for firms with a track record of doing this successfully.
  • Team continuity. In regulated projects, it matters who actually delivers the work. Heavy reliance on subcontractors or frequent changes in the team can mean important knowledge and context are lost.

Relevant delivery experience. We looked for evidence of projects of similar scale and complexity at established financial institutions.

Conclusion

Choosing a technology partner for regulated financial services is ultimately about finding the right fit for the project, not simply choosing the biggest or best-known provider. Delivery experience, security, familiarity with existing systems and the ability to work within established governance all matter.

The firms in this list take different approaches and suit different types of projects. What matters is having enough evidence to understand how a partner has worked in similar environments before making a decision.

FAQ

1. What should you look for in a software partner for regulated financial services?

Look beyond general software development experience. A good partner should have a track record of working in regulated environments, understand how risk, compliance and audit fit into the delivery process, and have strong security and data protection controls. Experience with legacy systems is also important, as most financial-services projects need to connect new technology to existing platforms and data. Finally, look at the actual delivery team: continuity, in-house expertise and experience working within your governance and change processes can be just as important as the firm’s overall size or client list.

2. What security certifications should a software partner have?

ISO 27001 is a strong starting point and is commonly included in supplier due diligence. Depending on the project, certifications covering areas such as business continuity and service controls may also be relevant. For example, Accedia is ISO 27001 certified, alongside its broader security and compliance controls. Certifications should still be considered alongside the firm’s actual security practices, data protection measures and track record. 

3. Is a larger software partner better for regulated projects?

Not necessarily. Large firms offer scale and access to broad specialist teams, but mid-sized firms can be a strong fit when a project needs a more focused delivery team and closer day-to-day collaboration. They can also offer greater continuity, less management overhead and more direct access to the people actually delivering the work. For regulated projects, where knowledge of the systems, controls and decisions builds up over time, that continuity can be particularly valuable. 

4. Which software development company is best for a regulated financial services project in the UK?

Among the strongest options are Scott Logic, Accedia, GFT, Endava and ScienceSoft, with each offering a different mix of financial-services experience, delivery model and technical strengths. Accedia is particularly relevant for UK financial institutions looking for a European delivery model, close collaboration with UK teams and a competitive cost profile. Scott Logic stands out for its UK regulated-finance experience, while GFT is well suited to core banking and large-scale modernisation. Endava has strong experience in payments and financial platforms, and ScienceSoft offers a mid-sized alternative with financial-services and security experience. The right choice ultimately depends on the project, delivery model and existing technology environment.