Background to Private Finance

The NAO Private Finance Practice Area provides expertise in the use and evaluation of private finance in the delivery of public services, presenting an independent, authoritative insight into the fast-moving and sometimes controversial world of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and privatisations.

You can discover a little more about what these are and how they have developed in this section.
 

What is PFI/PPP?

A Public Private Partnership (PPP) is an arrangement by which a government service or private business venture is funded and operated through a partnership of government and the private sector... [more]

History of PFI/PPP

The development of the use of private finance to deliver public services began in the UK in the 1980s. In 1984 the first flotation of a state owned utility – British Telecom – took place... [more]

Deals signed by sector

As of December 2006, 794 PFI deals had been signed, with a combined capital value of just under £55 billion... [more]