COPA Compliance

Built for Clubs. Aligned to Football Regulation.

COPA: What it is and Why it exists

COPA is a football‑specific governance, risk and compliance proposition designed to help clubs respond to the new IFR regime in a practical and proportionate way. Designed around the realities clubs face, COPA helps clubs build clearer governance, stronger oversight, better evidence and a more sustainable route to regulatory readiness.

The new IFR regime will require clubs to do more than simply understand the rules. They will increasingly need a practical, proportionate way to organise governance, evidence, oversight and regulatory readiness. For many clubs, the challenge is not only interpreting the direction of regulation. It is translating emerging expectations into a workable, sustainable operating model that can stand up to scrutiny.

What COPA Does

COPA helps clubs move from regulatory expectation to practical operating discipline through:

Framework

An IFR‑aligned control framework tailored to football’s regulatory context.

An aerial view of a basketball court in a city

Platform

A digital operating environment supporting governance, oversight, monitoring and evidence.

people watching baseball game during daytime

Support

Proportionate implementation guidance to help embed the model in day‑to‑day practice.

How clubs engage with COPA

A practical, proportionate path from first conversation to diagnostic and next steps

Slide 1 of 3

1. Start with a conversation - An introductory conversation helps us understand context and timing, and decide whether a deeper diagnostic would be valuable.

2. Deeper diagnostic and tailored solution design - A focused review of the club’s operating reality, priority gaps, and proportionate governance and compliance model, with typical outputs including a diagnostic report, recommended operating model, and a COPA proposal.

3. Club decision and next steps - The club decides whether to proceed with COPA, proceed independently, or refine scope before mobilisation.

1. Start with a conversation - An introductory conversation helps us understand context and timing, and decide whether a deeper diagnostic would be valuable.

2. Deeper diagnostic and tailored solution design - A focused review of the club’s operating reality, priority gaps, and proportionate governance and compliance model, with typical outputs including a diagnostic report, recommended operating model, and a COPA proposal.

3. Club decision and next steps - The club decides whether to proceed with COPA, proceed independently, or refine scope before mobilisation.

1. Start with a conversation - An introductory conversation helps us understand context and timing, and decide whether a deeper diagnostic would be valuable.

2. Deeper diagnostic and tailored solution design - A focused review of the club’s operating reality, priority gaps, and proportionate governance and compliance model, with typical outputs including a diagnostic report, recommended operating model, and a COPA proposal.

3. Club decision and next steps - The club decides whether to proceed with COPA, proceed independently, or refine scope before mobilisation.

IFR Rapid Snapshot

The IFR Rapid Snapshot is an optional self-assessment for clubs that want an early sense of their current readiness position. It provides a quick, structured way to reflect on how key governance, oversight and evidence arrangements are working in practice today. Clubs that complete it receive a concise one-page snapshot of their current position. It is not a diagnostic, audit or legal review, just a practical starting point for understanding where things stand and whether further COPA support may be useful.

GRC Group will use the information you provide to review your club’s current readiness position and, where appropriate, follow up regarding an introductory conversation or further support. This assessment is hosted using a third-party online form provider on our behalf. Please refer to the Privacy Notice at the bottom of this survey for details on how your information is processed. This assessment is for general information only and does not constitute legal, regulatory or other professional advice.

Start the questionnaire

COPA Squad

Rishi Gajree

GRC Founder & Director

Executive-level governance, risk and compliance leader and specialist with 25+ years’ experience in regulated financial services, underpinned by deep research into the Football Governance Act and IFR guidance.

[email protected]

Elliot Poublan

Initia Risk Founder

GRC platform founder with risk management experience across financial services and insurance, underpinned by practical delivery of enterprise risk frameworks, regulatory submissions and governance capability in complex regulated businesses.

Andy Sumner

COPA Partner

Executive-level governance, regulatory compliance and transformation leader with 35+ years’ experience in highly regulated banking, underpinned by a strong track record of embedding governance and control frameworks through major organisational change.

[email protected]

Mark O’Neill

COPA Partner

Qualified lawyer and doctoral researcher focused on football club ownership regulation and governance, underpinned by sector experience across research, policy and club engagement, including work with Fair Game and its member clubs.

[email protected]

Built around IFR-aligned operating areas

Licence application, progression and reporting

Close-up of intricate clockwork gears and roman numerals

Governance, Club Code and risk oversight

Business planning, financial resilience and stress testing

ODSE, ownership and change handling

a man standing in front of a crowd of people

Fan consultation, heritage and protected matters

white printer paper on brown wooden table

Wider regulatory readiness and response

Make COPA Compliance Work for Your Club

An introductory conversation helps us understand your club’s context, timing and practical pressures, and decide whether a deeper diagnostic may be valuable.

COPA is an independent solution developed by the GRC Group. It is not endorsed by the Independent Football Regulator, and clubs remain responsible for meeting applicable regulatory requirements.