The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has unveiled its 2025-2026 work programme, focusing on supporting new and innovative firms entering the UK market.
One of the key initiatives is enhancing the FCA’s regulatory sandbox, which allows businesses to test innovative products safely.
Firms using the sandbox will now be assigned an authorisation case officer from the outset, ensuring faster market entry and smoother regulatory approval.
Since its launch in 2016, 195 firms have used the sandbox, and the FCA aims to further streamline the approval process, providing additional support for wholesale, payments and crypto asset firms.
This expansion is expected to attract more businesses to the UK, boosting growth, exports and job creation. In the past year alone, 80 wholesale firms have benefited from pre-application support.
Nikhil Rathi, Chief Executive of the FCA, said: “We’re committed to being a smarter regulator – one that supports growth, helps consumers and fights crime.
“Our annual work programme details what we will deliver to achieve these goals. And today, we’re setting out how we’ll go further to help firms that want to join our markets with greater support for the application process and to test innovative products.”
In addition, the FCA plans to launch a new market for private companies, PISCES, and strengthen its AI Lab to drive growth and innovation. The regulator also aims to introduce a new framework for buy-now-pay-later products, ensuring both consumer protection and industry growth.
These measures reflect the FCA’s focus on fostering innovation, while ensuring consumer safety and tackling financial crime.
 has unveiled its 2025-2026 work programme, focusing on supporting new and innovative firms entering the UK market. One of the key initiatives is enhancing the FCA’s regulatory sandbox, which allows businesses to test innovative products safely. ){kind=link}