PFI.si
The AI guide to Private Finance Initiatives and public-private infrastructure funding
Understand how governments partner with private companies to finance, build, and operate public infrastructure - hospitals, schools, roads, and prisons. Explore the UK's original PFI model, its PF2 reform, and international equivalents like PPP and P3, with real project case studies and the value-for-money debate.
No card required · $9/mo Plus · $99/mo Premium
What you get
Everything PFI.si gives you
How PFI works
The contract structure behind design-build-finance-operate deals, explained plainly.
Real project case studies
Hospitals, schools, and roads built under PFI, examined with real outcomes.
Policy debates
Value-for-money criticisms and defenses, from both sides of the argument.
Saved study threads
Sign in free and keep every conversation for later research.
Go deeper
PFI & Infrastructure Finance Library
Educational reference on public-private infrastructure financing - not financial or investment advice.
Origins & Models
- PFI (UK, 1992) — Launched under John Major to fund public infrastructure using private capital repaid over decades.
- PF2 (2012 reform) — UK government's attempt to fix PFI's transparency and cost issues; discontinued in 2018.
- PPP / P3 — The US and Canadian umbrella terms for public-private infrastructure partnerships.
- DBFO — Design-Build-Finance-Operate: the standard contract structure behind most PFI deals.
Notable Projects
- Royal London Hospital — A landmark UK PFI hospital project, frequently cited in cost-overrun debates.
- M6 Toll — Britain's first private toll motorway, built without direct PFI government payments.
- Building Schools for the Future — A large UK schools renewal program that used PFI-style private financing.
- Skye Bridge — An early and controversial UK PFI toll bridge project in Scotland.
Oversight & Criticism
- National Audit Office reports — The UK's independent auditor has repeatedly flagged PFI cost and value-for-money concerns.
- Public Accounts Committee — The House of Commons committee that scrutinizes PFI spending and outcomes.
- Off-balance-sheet accounting — A key criticism: PFI debt historically didn't appear on government balance sheets.
- Cost-overrun studies — Independent research comparing PFI project costs against conventional public procurement.
Pricing
Simple plans that grow with you
Plus
$9/mo
- ✓200 questions per day
- ✓Full saved conversation history
- ✓Structured project case-study breakdowns
Premium
$99/mo
- ✓Unlimited questions
- ✓Extended deep-dive answers
- ✓Everything in Plus