Solve systemic problems together through the ACT Alliance.
The ACT Alliance is a collective of companies committed to raising standards across the investment management industry.
By joining the ACT Alliance, firms can demonstrate leadership in driving positive change, improving trust and transparency across the value chain, and helping investors see how responsible culture underpins robust investment outcomes.
Corporate culture is informed and sustained by the systems around it within a firm.
Equally, the culture of each firm in the investment ecosystem contributes to the picture across industry norms, by reinforcing strong practice or allowing problematic actions. By collaborating around a shared culture framework that provides a common language for discussion and for progress, firms and individuals can work collectively rather than in silos.
This provides space for firms to have distinctive approaches that will meet the needs of diverse end customers; ultimately, it’s about future-proofing.
Together, our actions reduce the risks of the next Woodford or Odey moment from a surprise waiting to happen, to a relic of a less accountable era.
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Investment Management Firms
Firms that invest in or allocate capital to third-party managers, and who use ACT as part of their research and oversight process, can join the ACT Alliance.
Non Investment firms
Non-investment firms that believe in raising standards across financial services can now demonstrate their support by joining the ACT Alliance.
Analysts and Researchers
Individual investment professionals, analysts, or consultants who apply ACT in their research or due diligence can join the ACT Collective.
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● Trust as currency: The post-Woodford landscape has shown that investors and clients demand verifiable integrity, not just good intentions. Firms that help enable transparency in culture strengthen the entire ecosystem’s credibility.
● Risk mitigation: Businesses connected to financial services are increasingly judged by the company they keep. Embedding and promoting cultural awareness protects against reputational contagion.
● Regulatory alignment: Principles of good conduct and fairness are central to the FCA’s Consumer Duty and the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR). Demonstrating awareness and advocacy of cultural standards shows readiness to operate in a post-Consumer Duty world where both intentions and outcomes are scrutinised.
● Commercial differentiation: Clients, partners, and employees increasingly prefer to work with organisations with clear principles. Supporting ACT makes a statement: your firm takes transparency and accountability seriously.
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To become part of the ACT Alliance, firms must:
Integrate ACT into their investment process (Investment Management firms)—for example, using ACT assessments when evaluating or monitoring third-party managers.
Embedding ACT in the research and oversight process helps firms:
● Strengthen their risk management and due diligence frameworks.
● Support alignment with FCA Consumer Duty principles—particularly the cross-cutting rule on acting in good faith and the outcome of consumer understanding and confidence, as ACT supports evidence of fair treatment and transparent decision-making.
● Reinforce commitments to stewardship codes, ESG integration, and fiduciary duty through a culture-based lens.
Commit to advocating the principles of Action, Challenge and Transparency (Non investment Management firms)
Confirm in writing to City Hive that they are using ACT as part of their research and due diligence process.
Commit to sharing insights and best practice that help make the industry more trustworthy and accountable, whilst embedding ACT more broadly across the investment ecosystem.
Publicly supports higher cultural standards across financial services.
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Alliance members receive:
● The ACT Alliance badge/logo for use in communications, marketing, and RFP materials—signifying commitment to ACT.
● Recognition by City Hive as part of a growing network of firms leading on cultural transparency and responsible investment standards.
● Access to peer collaboration, shared research, and insights from other members to support continued improvement and innovation.
● Ongoing support and updates on developments to the ACT Framework and Corporate Culture Standard.
Access to the ACT Academy for all staff as no charge.
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The ACT Alliance badge enables firms to:
● Evidence cultural due diligence and responsible manager selection using ACT data.
● Demonstrate to clients and regulators that they are actively integrating culture and governance insights into research and allocation decisions.
● Raise industry standards by supporting a framework that normalises transparency and accountability in investment practices.
● Enhance their own resilience and client outcomes by identifying, managing, and mitigating non-financial and reputational risks within their portfolios.