Business cases that secure investment: from critique to approval

Collinson Grant supported AWE to shape, challenge and develop rigorous and practical business cases to secure investment to progress programmes.

Formerly known as Atomic Weapons Establishment, AWE Nuclear Security Technologies is an arm’s-length government body wholly owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Operating for over 75 years, it is responsible for designing, manufacturing and maintaining the UK’s nuclear deterrent for UK MoD. It is publicly funded and has strictly governed processes to control spending and ensure value for money.

AWE needed to develop a series of high-quality business cases to secure investment to progress important programmes. The complexity of the initiatives, combined with an evolving scope and multiple stakeholders, made it difficult to articulate a clear, coherent case for change.

Collinson Grant’s intimate knowledge of AWE, built over decades, and our understanding of the business environment helped us make the business cases compelling. The financial assumptions needed to be robust, the options fully explored and the overall narrative shaped to secure approval with confidence.

Our approach

Collinson Grant’s role was hands-on and end-to-end. We helped build the business cases from the ground up and ensured they could navigate governance successfully.

We focused on:

• Clarifying the case for change – we probed the underlying need for the business cases, tested assumptions and ensured a strong, evidence-based rationale
• Strengthening scope and options – we challenged thinking to ensure the preferred option was robust, deliverable and aligned to strategic objectives
• Applying HM Treasury guidance – we structured cases in line with the Five Case Model to ensure completeness and credibility
• Developing clear, concise narratives – we translated complex material into coherent, compelling business cases
• Testing the financials – we produced financial models, reviewed costs and funding to ensure the cases made financial sense and represented value for money
• Supporting governance and approvals – we prepared materials, anticipated questions and guided cases through internal and external review
• Engaging stakeholders – we worked with key contributors to build alignment, resolve issues and maintain momentum

We applied critical thinking and practical experience to ensure each case was built on solid foundations and could withstand scrutiny.

Why it worked

Our approach combines critical thinking, structured analysis and practical delivery. We focus on what matters, ensuring each business case is robust, coherent and positioned to succeed.

With Collinson Grant’s support, our client was able to maintain their operational capacity whilst navigating governance and progressing projects at pace. Our support enabled stronger, more defensible investment cases, improved stakeholder confidence and alignment, resulting in the successful approval of the business cases.

Alistair Kissock, Estate Development Lead, said:

“Collinson Grant brought focused, professional support at exactly the right moments. They quickly got to the heart of what we were trying to achieve, helped us make confident decisions with the evidence to back them up, and kept us focused on what would stand up to scrutiny. The result was a series of standalone business cases we could take through governance with clarity and confidence.”