A process for the preparation of alkylate and middle distillate, the process comprising: (a) catalytically cracking a first hydrocarbon feedstock by contacting the feedstock with a cracking catalyst comprising a shape-selective additive at a temperature in the range of from 450 to 650 °C within a riser or downcomer reaction zone to yield a first cracked product comprising middle distillate and a spent cracking catalyst; (b) regenerating the spent cracking catalyst to yield a regenerated cracking catalyst; (c) contacting, within a second reaction zone, at least part of the regenerated cracking catalyst obtained in step (b) with a second hydrocarbon feedstock at a temperature in the range of from 500 to 800 °C to yield a second cracked product and a used regenerated catalyst, the second feedstock comprising at least 90 wt% C 5 + hydrocarbons obtained in a Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbon synthesis process; (d) using the used regenerated catalyst as at least part of the cracking catalyst in step (a); and (e) alkylating at least a portion of the second cracked product in an alkylation unit to obtain alkylate the process further comprising the following steps: (i) converting a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock to a gaseous mixture comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide; (ii) catalytically converting the hydrogen and carbon monoxide at a temperature in the range of from 125 to 350 °C and a pressure ranging from 5 to 150 bar (absolute) to obtain normally gaseous, normally liquid and optionally normally solid hydrocarbons; (iii) optionally hydrocracking and/or hydro-isomerising hydrocarbons obtained in step (ii) to obtain hydro-converted hydrocarbons; wherein at least part of the hydrocarbons obtained in step (ii) and optionally step (iii), are used as the second hydrocarbon feedstock in step (c). (a) catalytically cracking a first hydrocarbon feedstock by contacting the feedstock with a cracking catalyst comprising a shape-selective additive at a temperature in the range of from 450 to 650 °C within a riser or downcomer reaction zone to yield a first cracked product comprising middle distillate and a spent cracking catalyst; (b) regenerating the spent cracking catalyst to yield a regenerated cracking catalyst; (c) contacting, within a second reaction zone, at least part of the regenerated cracking catalyst obtained in step (b) with a second hydrocarbon feedstock at a temperature in the range of from 500 to 800 °C to yield a second cracked product and a used regenerated catalyst, the second feedstock comprising at least 90 wt% C 5 + hydrocarbons obtained in a Fischer-Tropsch hydrocarbon synthesis process; (d) using the used regenerated catalyst as at least part of the cracking catalyst in step (a); and (e) alkylating at least a portion of the second cracked product in an alkylation unit to obtain alkylate the process further comprising the following steps: (i) converting a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock to a gaseous mixture comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide; (ii) catalytically converting the hydrogen and carbon monoxide at a temperature in the range of from 125 to 350 °C and a pressure ranging from 5 to 150 bar (absolute) to obtain normally gaseous, normally liquid and optionally normally solid hydrocarbons; (iii) optionally hydrocracking and/or hydro-isomerising hydrocarbons obtained in step (ii) to obtain hydro-converted hydrocarbons; (i) converting a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock to a gaseous mixture comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide; (ii) catalytically converting the hydrogen and carbon monoxide at a temperature in the range of from 125 to 350 °C and a pressure ranging from 5 to 150 bar (absolute) to obtain normally gaseous, normally liquid and optionally normally solid hydrocarbons; (iii) optionally hydrocracking and/or hydro-isomerising hydrocarbons obtained in step (ii) to obtain hydro-converted hydrocarbons;