Find answers to the most asked questions and more!
If you can’t find the answer you are looking for, contact us today on 01235 820470.
Franchise Agreement – The contract that details your legal relationship of obligations between franchisor and franchisee
MSF/Royalty – Management Service Fee, the fee you pay, typically monthly to operate in that network. This will also be a fixed fee in some franchise models.
Marketing Levy – Most franchisors will include in their percentage fees a percentage which goes toward consumer marketing, this may be used as part of a national fund or local find dependant on the franchise.
Start-up Cost – This is the initial franchisee fee to be paid to the franchisor to become a franchisee, different franchisors include different things within this so do check what is included.
Average Total Initial Investment – All costs which you will need to cover to start-up your franchise (except the franchise fee) related to real estate, professional services, equipment, training etc. but not including working capital.
Disclosure – This is where the franchisor should be transparent about the performance and franchise package, this is voluntary in the UK which is why we encourage asking questions.
Exclusive Franchise Territory – The specific area of operation outlined to a franchisee and sometimes gives them the sole right to operate within that exclusive franchise territory.
Franchise Resale – The sale of a franchised area by the franchisee, usually more expensive than purchasing a new area as business tend to be established.
Renewal – This is the right to renew or extend your franchising contract to continue trading for a further term.
Termination – Legal previsions by which either the franchisee or franchisor can terminate the contract due to a breach of contract.
Working Capital – The amount of liquid assets you are required to have and maintain to operate the franchise.
Term – This is the number of years a franchise is granted through the Franchise Agreement with the franchisor.
Trademark – All franchisors should have a registered trademark for their brand as this protects their right to use it.
Initial Training – This is the induction and training you should do with the franchisor before trading on your own, it will provide you all the information you need to operate the franchise correctly.
Ongoing Support – This is the process by which your franchisor will work in partnership to ensure you are operating effectively and assisting if you have challenges.
Q: What is franchising?
A: That is a great question! Please feel free to go to our What is Franchising pages to find out more.
Q: Where can I find out more about the standards in franchising set by BFA?
A: You can find out more about our franchising standards here.
Q: How do I make a complaint against my franchisor?
A: If you have concerns about your franchisor and they are a member of the BFA, please read through the services we can offer to help you through it within our Dispute Resolution downloads on our Standards page here.
Q: As a consumer I have a complaint about a franchise, who do I contact?
A: Please contact the franchisor company, they usually have customer service details on their websites.
Q: Where can I find your Code of Ethics?
A: The BFA’s Code of Ethics can be found here.
Q: Who can help me on my franchise journey?
A: As the BFA we have to remain unbiased, but you can see all or our members in our Directory here and check out the benefits of buying a franchise from a BFA Member here.
Q: How do I become a BFA member?
A: Information about our different types of membership and how to apply can be found here
Q: How do I become a franchisee member?
A: If your franchisor is a BFA member then one of their benefits is that you as a franchisee can become a member too, find out more here
Q: When is the right time for me to become a member?
A: It depends where you are in your franchising journey, but we can help you through, find out more about membership here
Q: Where can I send my franchising news stories?
A: Our press team and PR Manager are happy to receive franchising news, announcements and stories from BFA members. We can also provide support with writing and distributing suitable stories to relevant media.
Please send your news to press@thebfa.org and our team will be happy to take a look.
Q: How can I get my stories published on the BFA website?
A: If you are a BFA member, you can submit news stories and articles that you feel would be of interest to the wider franchising community to our press team at press@thebfa.org.
All submissions are reviewed against our content guidelines, and we will work with you where appropriate to ensure your story is suitable for publication.
Q: Can I submit a press article if I’m not a BFA member?
A: Our website content and PR opportunities are one of the benefits available to BFA members. As such, we are unable to accept member news stories or promotional press articles from non-members.
If you are interested in finding out more about the benefits of BFA membership, our team would be happy to help.
Q: Can the BFA refuse to publish my content?
A: Yes. While we want to support our members in sharing their expertise and promoting their businesses, all content submitted for publication must meet the BFA’s standards and content guidelines.
We may ask you to amend or, where necessary, decline to publish content that does not meet these standards. This may include content that makes unsubstantiated or misleading claims, such as describing a business as “the best”, “number one” or “the UK’s leading” without appropriate evidence to support the claim, or content that is negative, critical or potentially damaging towards the BFA, its members or the wider franchising community.
Q: How do I exhibit at The British & International Franchise exhibition?
A: The next franchise exhibition details can be found here, if you are interested in exhibiting please contact franchise@vmgl.com or call 020 8394 5207
Q: How do I exhibit at a BFA event?
A: Some of our flagship events have the opportunity to our members to exhibit, check out each event within the Academy here, or drop us a line at events@thebfa.org
Q: What is your cancellation and refund policy?
A: All details can be found within our terms of use, please click here
Q: Do I need a ticket?
A: If you wish to attend one of our events then yes you do need a ticket in advance, all events can be found in the BFA Academy here
Q: How do I become a speaker?
A: Please contact a member of the team at events@thebfa.org
Q: Are your events face to face or virtual?
A: Our events cover both, depending on what it is, please have a look at our events within the BFA Academy to find one to suit you whether it be face to face or virtual.
Q: Are your events for members only?
A: No not all of them, we have some events for those who are new to franchising and want to find out more, go to our BFA Academy to explore the options.
Q: When is the closing date for the awards submissions?
A: All entries must be submitted before midnight GMT on Friday 5th June 2026.
Q: Can I enter more than one Awards category?
A: Yes, you can, but you can only enter categories which you are eligible for and meet the criteria, these can be found here .
Q: If I enter more than one category, do I need to supply more than one statement or additional evidence to support my entry?
A: Yes, we recommend that you tailor each statement and any supporting evidence to the category you are entering to demonstrate how you meet the criteria.
Q: When are the awards winners announced?
A: The awards dinner will take place on Thursday 12th November 2026 when all winners will be announced and celebrated. We will be returning to Telford for this year’s event – details can be found here.
Q: Where can I buy my tickets for the BFA HSBC UK British Franchise Awards night?
A: Tickets will be available to purchase from the BFA website here.
Q: What happens if I enter and then cannot attend the judging or the filming?
A: We do ask that you keep these weeks free in your diary. Scheduling of both these weeks is key to ensure that the awards process is fair to all. If you do encounter any problems, please feel free to call us on 01235 820470 or email awards@thebfa.org.
Q: Can I enter the Awards if I’m not going to be available to attend the BFA HSBC UK British Franchise Awards evening?
A: Yes, whilst we would love everybody who enters the awards to attend the dinner in November, we appreciate that not everyone will be able to.
Q: Can I enter if I am not a BFA member?
A: The only award categories open to non-members are the HSBC UK Multi-Unit and Multi-Brand categories. You must meet the criteria to enter.
Q: How quickly will I get a response from submitting my entry?
A: We will let you know once your entry is received and confirm that everything is included. If not, we will allow time for any missing items to be added to the entry before the initial judging to determine the finalists takes place.
If you have any questions that are not answered above, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of the BFA team on awards@thebfa.org, or by calling 01235 820470.
Good luck!
Q: What qualifications does the BFA offer?
A: The BFA’s Certified Training programmes offer modular courses designed to validate learners’ knowledge and experience. These programmes introduce new skills through expert instruction and facilitate peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. Upon completion of the programme, participants receive certificates and can display relevant letters after their name, showcasing their expertise and accomplishments.
The two courses currently sitting under BFA qualifications are the Qualified Franchise Professional (QFP) programme, and the Qualified Franchise Coach (QFC) programme.
Q: How much is the registration fee?
A: The registration fee is £100.00 + VAT and it is non-refundable. If you have already registered with the BFA Academy within the past three years, you will not be required to register and pay the registration fee again.
Q: Do I need to earn CPD (Continuous Personal Development) Points to qualify?
A: The QFC has a different CDP system to the QFP Programme. However, you will achieve 600 CPD Points once you qualify as QFC which can be used towards your QFP qualification.
Want to learn more?
You can read all of our certification FAQ’s by clicking here.
Cookies allow us to see how our visitors use thebfa.org. This allows us to structure the site for better usability and support the needs of our visitors. None of this data is used to identify users personally – it is used only to monitor and enhance thebfa.org
There are several types of cookie that are used to keep track of information needed by a site user as they travel from page to page within a website.