diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index d2e2dd7..40e9847 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ Generisk, åpent Python-rammeverk på **Microsoft Agent Framework (MAF)** som fi
 Bakgrunn og beslutninger: [research](docs/research/2026-06-23-prior-art-platform.md) (§15 implementeringsregister), [plan](docs/plan/2026-06-23-incremental-plan.md). Løpende state: `STATE.md` (local-only).
 
 ## Stack
-Python ≥3.10. MAF (`agent-framework` 1.8.0). Pakkehåndtering: `uv`. To backend-profiler: Azure/Foundry (full) + lokal (fallback).
+Python ≥3.10. MAF (`agent-framework-core` 1.9.0). Pakkehåndtering: `uv`. To backend-profiler: Azure/Foundry (full) + lokal (fallback).
 
 ## Konvensjoner
 - Type hints overalt (`mypy` der mulig). Pydantic for validering/IR.
diff --git a/docs/fase1-spikes/README.md b/docs/fase1-spikes/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee8a3ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/fase1-spikes/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+# Fase 1 — De-risk spikes (A–D)
+
+> **Throwaway** spikes. Their only job is to turn the research §15 register's most
+> dangerous *documented-but-unverified* assumptions into **measured facts** before
+> the Fase 2 vertical slice. Code here is expected to be discarded once the
+> findings are recorded — see [Disposal](#disposal).
+
+## Why these four
+
+Before committing to the full architecture in **Fase 2**, we empirically de-risk
+the four assumptions that — if wrong — force a redesign:
+
+| Spike | Assumption (register ref) | What it measures |
+|-------|---------------------------|------------------|
+| **A** | Group Chat maker-checker beats a single-agent baseline by enough to justify its multiplicative token cost (U3 / G7) | convergence rounds, stall frequency, token use — maker-checker vs single-agent, with a cheaper/better verdict |
+| **B** | The known MAF footguns behave as predicted and our guards hold: Magentic unbounded termination when `limits=None` (G1/B4); shared-builder / fan-out state corruption (G2/B7) | guard fires on unbounded Magentic; zero state-bleed with the fresh-instance helper |
+| **C** | A blocking deterministic hybrid-validator (B1) can *structurally* block an out-of-range proposal | structural rejection of an out-of-range proposal; P10/P50/P90 for a valid one; capped self-repair |
+| **D** | ExpeL retrieval (B2) surfaces a relevant prior verdict for a similar new proposal | top-K retrieval returns the structurally-similar verdict over surface-text decoys |
+
+Each spike produces a short findings note (`findings-{a,b,c,d}.md`) with a
+**confirmed/refuted** verdict and a **token-use line** (including `0 — no live LLM`
+where the spike runs without an endpoint).
+
+## Resolved version gate (premise-verified at planning time)
+
+- Installed `agent-framework-core` = **1.9.0** (introspection / `uv pip show`).
+- The orchestration builders (`GroupChatBuilder`, `ConcurrentBuilder`,
+  `MagenticBuilder`, `StandardMagenticManager`, `TerminationCondition`) live in the
+  separate package **`agent-framework-orchestrations`**, GA **1.0.0**
+  (`requires agent-framework-core<2,>=1.9.0` — exactly our installed core).
+- Because the spikes are **throwaway**, this package + `pulp` (Spike C solver) +
+  `pytest-asyncio` (MAF orchestrations are async) are pinned in the **`dev`**
+  optional-dependency group — **not** core. Promotion to core is a Fase 2 decision.
+
+## Gate-green contract
+
+Each spike splits into:
+- a **logic layer** — pure functions/classes we author, always exercised by the
+  quality gate (no live endpoint, no full MAF workflow run); and
+- an **integration/live layer** — drives the real MAF builders and/or a real LOCAL
+  LLM; runs when available, otherwise `skip`s (except Spike B, where driving the
+  builders with a fake client IS the de-risk).
+
+The headline empirical claims (Spike A's better/cheaper verdict; live token numbers)
+live in the integration/live layer and are honestly reported as **endpoint-dependent**.
+The gate stays green from the logic layer alone.
+
+## Status
+
+| Spike | Assumption | Result | Confirmed/Refuted | Implication for Fase 2 |
+|-------|-----------|--------|-------------------|------------------------|
+| A | maker-checker > single-agent (U3/G7) | _pending_ | — | — |
+| B | Magentic unbounded + fan-out bleed (G1/G2) | _pending_ | — | — |
+| C | blocking hybrid-validator (B1) | _pending_ | — | — |
+| D | ExpeL retrieval (B2) | _pending_ | — | — |
+
+_(Consolidated in Step 7 once each spike's findings note is written.)_
+
+## Disposal
+
+These spikes are throwaway. To remove them completely after the findings are recorded:
+
+```bash
+rm -rf spikes tests/spikes docs/fase1-spikes
+```
+
+Then revert the three `pyproject.toml` edits that supported them:
+
+1. Remove the dev deps `agent-framework-orchestrations`, `pulp`, `pytest-asyncio`
+   from `[project.optional-dependencies].dev`.
+2. Restore `[tool.ruff] src = ["src", "tests"]` (drop `"spikes"`).
+3. Restore `[tool.pytest.ini_options] pythonpath = ["src"]` and remove
+   `asyncio_mode = "auto"`.
+
+Then `uv sync --extra dev` to regenerate `uv.lock`. Nothing in `src/` is touched by
+the spikes, so disposal leaves the framework core exactly as Fase 0 left it.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index bc6fac6..538deff 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ dev = [
     "pytest>=8",
     "ruff>=0.6",
     "mypy>=1.11",
+    # Fase 1 throwaway de-risk spikes (dev-only — NEVER shipped in the wheel; safe to delete).
+    "agent-framework-orchestrations>=1.0.0",  # GA orchestration builders (GroupChat/Concurrent/Magentic); resolves with core 1.9.0
+    "pulp>=2.8",                              # Spike C solver — PuLP bundles a CBC binary in its wheel (R2)
+    "pytest-asyncio>=0.24",                   # MAF orchestrations are async (await workflow.run(...))
 ]
 
 [build-system]
@@ -31,8 +35,9 @@ packages = ["src/portfolio_optimiser"]
 
 [tool.ruff]
 line-length = 100
-src = ["src", "tests"]
+src = ["src", "tests", "spikes"]
 
 [tool.pytest.ini_options]
-pythonpath = ["src"]
+pythonpath = ["src", "."]
 testpaths = ["tests"]
+asyncio_mode = "auto"
diff --git a/spikes/__init__.py b/spikes/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a9a3b57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spikes/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+"""Throwaway Fase 1 de-risk spikes — dev-only, never shipped in the wheel;
+safe to delete after findings are recorded.
+
+These modules empirically turn the research §15 register's most dangerous
+*documented-but-unverified* assumptions into measured facts before the Fase 2
+vertical slice (see ``docs/fase1-spikes/README.md``). They are intentionally
+isolated at the repo top level so the hatchling wheel (which packages only
+``src/portfolio_optimiser``) never ships them, and disposal is a single
+``rm -rf spikes tests/spikes docs/fase1-spikes`` plus reverting the ``dev``/
+``tool`` ``pyproject.toml`` edits.
+"""
diff --git a/tests/spikes/__init__.py b/tests/spikes/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..272b18c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/spikes/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+"""Throwaway Fase 1 de-risk spike tests — dev-only, never shipped in the wheel;
+safe to delete after findings are recorded.
+"""
diff --git a/tests/spikes/test_imports.py b/tests/spikes/test_imports.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9ee1950
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/spikes/test_imports.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+"""Step 1 import smoke: the throwaway spikes package resolves, and the dev-only
+orchestration + solver + async dependencies are importable.
+
+Pattern: tests/test_smoke.py (plain functions, no fixtures).
+"""
+
+
+def test_spikes_package_imports() -> None:
+    import spikes  # noqa: F401  (repo-root on pythonpath; no collision with installed dists)
+
+
+def test_orchestration_builders_import() -> None:
+    # The GA orchestration builders live in the separate `agent-framework-orchestrations`
+    # package (NOT top-level agent_framework, NOT core) — confirmed by introspection + PyPI.
+    from agent_framework.orchestrations import (  # noqa: F401
+        ConcurrentBuilder,
+        GroupChatBuilder,
+        MagenticBuilder,
+        StandardMagenticManager,
+        TerminationCondition,
+    )
+
+
+def test_solver_imports() -> None:
+    import pulp  # noqa: F401  (Spike C — bundles a CBC binary in its wheel)
+
+
+def test_async_runner_imports() -> None:
+    import pytest_asyncio  # noqa: F401  (MAF orchestrations are async)
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index bd3ed0f..9713fc1 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -50,6 +50,18 @@ wheels = [
     { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/80/bf/4185b88aad70f61947e19d4c94e85561282fd2310ea3ffb3cf4b4de22327/agent_framework_openai-1.8.2-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:02bb6b323d58dfeab48de4816ae1b0083202edaa93e4f4874d7054d39d9067a4", size = 58378, upload-time = "2026-06-18T09:42:56.459Z" },
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "agent-framework-orchestrations"
+version = "1.0.0"
+source = { registry = "https://pypi.org/simple" }
+dependencies = [
+    { name = "agent-framework-core" },
+]
+sdist = { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/7a/98/1f943e3a383bf37af24f1cc3ab3812fbe2041b65bc2e2f82626352907190/agent_framework_orchestrations-1.0.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:7f4d26de1ac0b2add3742964836927df44138e79d16bbf084d6e866f1d4b5aff", size = 60805, upload-time = "2026-06-18T09:43:02.667Z" }
+wheels = [
+    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/48/cc/64448d22e95db33bb7701d3a2bb8888d39f2fa8f4e410bd24232417c9ea3/agent_framework_orchestrations-1.0.0-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:1f0885c3de69c919bb631f7e4e24727d94733b135a1529ab88ffa47bf18a2878", size = 66828, upload-time = "2026-06-18T09:42:59.363Z" },
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "aiohappyeyeballs"
 version = "2.6.2"
@@ -365,6 +377,15 @@ wheels = [
     { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/5e/0b/e106f0fd7fa785867d9ffcc47dc9e6237c0e58f51058473b777487a98edc/azure_storage_blob-12.30.0-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:d415ac50b67a8da6b3ae7e9f1014b1b55cd7aafa0b8d4ca9b380568dc7360423", size = 435610, upload-time = "2026-06-08T11:45:37.213Z" },
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "backports-asyncio-runner"
+version = "1.2.0"
+source = { registry = "https://pypi.org/simple" }
+sdist = { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/8e/ff/70dca7d7cb1cbc0edb2c6cc0c38b65cba36cccc491eca64cabd5fe7f8670/backports_asyncio_runner-1.2.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:a5aa7b2b7d8f8bfcaa2b57313f70792df84e32a2a746f585213373f900b42162", size = 69893, upload-time = "2025-07-02T02:27:15.685Z" }
+wheels = [
+    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/a0/59/76ab57e3fe74484f48a53f8e337171b4a2349e506eabe136d7e01d059086/backports_asyncio_runner-1.2.0-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:0da0a936a8aeb554eccb426dc55af3ba63bcdc69fa1a600b5bb305413a4477b5", size = 12313, upload-time = "2025-07-02T02:27:14.263Z" },
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "certifi"
 version = "2026.6.17"
@@ -1324,8 +1345,11 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [package.optional-dependencies]
 dev = [
+    { name = "agent-framework-orchestrations" },
     { name = "mypy" },
+    { name = "pulp" },
     { name = "pytest" },
+    { name = "pytest-asyncio" },
     { name = "ruff" },
 ]
 
@@ -1334,9 +1358,12 @@ requires-dist = [
     { name = "agent-framework-core", specifier = ">=1.9.0" },
     { name = "agent-framework-foundry", specifier = ">=1.8.2" },
     { name = "agent-framework-openai", specifier = ">=1.8.2" },
+    { name = "agent-framework-orchestrations", marker = "extra == 'dev'", specifier = ">=1.0.0" },
     { name = "mypy", marker = "extra == 'dev'", specifier = ">=1.11" },
+    { name = "pulp", marker = "extra == 'dev'", specifier = ">=2.8" },
     { name = "pydantic", specifier = ">=2.11,<3" },
     { name = "pytest", marker = "extra == 'dev'", specifier = ">=8" },
+    { name = "pytest-asyncio", marker = "extra == 'dev'", specifier = ">=0.24" },
     { name = "ruff", marker = "extra == 'dev'", specifier = ">=0.6" },
 ]
 provides-extras = ["dev"]
@@ -1469,6 +1496,15 @@ wheels = [
     { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/3a/ed/1cdcab6ba3d6ab7feca11fc14f0eeea80755bb53ef4e892079f31b10a25f/propcache-0.5.2-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:be1ddfcbb376e3de5d2e2db1d58d6d67463e6b4f9f040c000de8e300295465fe", size = 14036, upload-time = "2026-05-08T21:02:10.673Z" },
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "pulp"
+version = "3.3.2"
+source = { registry = "https://pypi.org/simple" }
+sdist = { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/4e/70/69be07a67621ad804d6cf347965eb4e0d7786a97330d99c31d735aaa6c5a/pulp-3.3.2.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:d0904700c207ac11e25e3b1213b70eae1d6fb25faa719d75f3f15054901258c0", size = 16305346, upload-time = "2026-05-25T09:41:26.207Z" }
+wheels = [
+    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/dd/6e/d674f1dde91c71e2ac19e5e5cf1ee6d5845e3aefecd9c39ed9c4b0c9a696/pulp-3.3.2-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:631b166f72086971a9597f7a0233ababa99bb8d50a01cd543f7758be5a9f86c0", size = 16391742, upload-time = "2026-05-25T09:41:22.2Z" },
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "pycparser"
 version = "3.0"
@@ -1653,6 +1689,20 @@ wheels = [
     { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/24/25/1de2678b631f5a49215c6c96fff41ba892b0a34df68d6d80292b1b48aa7f/pytest-9.1.1-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:37a86b45efb9a47a61a36449063e8e18d0cab3161329fc099eb21783169c4f0c", size = 386536, upload-time = "2026-06-19T10:58:31.347Z" },
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "pytest-asyncio"
+version = "1.4.0"
+source = { registry = "https://pypi.org/simple" }
+dependencies = [
+    { name = "backports-asyncio-runner", marker = "python_full_version < '3.11'" },
+    { name = "pytest" },
+    { name = "typing-extensions", marker = "python_full_version < '3.13'" },
+]
+sdist = { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/43/7c/d36d04db312ecf4298932ef77e6e4a9e8ad017906e24e34f0b0c361a2473/pytest_asyncio-1.4.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:c6c0d2259945122819f171a32ecea2c349ead889ee28176caaf492143424be42", size = 58514, upload-time = "2026-05-26T09:56:04.083Z" }
+wheels = [
+    { url = "https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/03/e2/08a497ef684b88559c9cc5f4ad53a37e7b99e727094a86d6ea32536d5d3c/pytest_asyncio-1.4.0-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:933ca923a23075a87fb7070c0ec272a6848489824d887c85c812670932835aa1", size = 16930, upload-time = "2026-05-26T09:56:02.576Z" },
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "python-dotenv"
 version = "1.2.2"