The Digital Sandbox, an experimental testing environment for the UK’s startups, will become a permanent fixture starting from 1 August 2023. It follows two successful pilot runs and aims to broaden its reach by inviting more innovative businesses, startups, and data providers. The platform's goal is to stimulate innovation and foster growth by supporting firms during the early stages of product development.

The Success of the UK’s Digital Sandbox

Until now, the Digital Sandbox was a temporary resource exclusively for participants in pilot programmes and so-called ‘TechSprints’. Yet, it demonstrated its worth by fostering innovation and growth among Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Over half of the SMEs involved in the pilots and ‘TechSprints’ have made significant advancements, including launching new products, securing funding, forging partnerships, and receiving industry awards or recognitions.

The permanent Sandbox aligns with the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) commitment to fostering innovative firms and assisting them in launching new products and services.

“It will also help deliver our new secondary objective to support economic growth and international competitiveness,” the FCA commented in the statement published today (Thursday).

As part of supporting the development of new and promising companies, the FCA announced two years ago its intention to create a 'regulatory nursery' for newly licensed entities. In turn, in 2023, the European Union launched its own regulatory sandbox for the blockchain industry, wanting to support the development of distributed ledger technology (DLT ).

The United Kingdom is one of the world's largest financial and fintech hubs. Innovative businesses can benefit from the Digital Sandbox, which facilitates their entry into the real market. Although global fintech funding dropped to $27.3 billion in the first half of 2023, this sector of the economy continues to thrive in the UK itself.

What to Expect from the Permanent Digital Sandbox?

Participants in the permanent Sandbox will enjoy uninterrupted access to high-quality datasets and Application Programme Interfaces (APIs), robust data security protection, and a collaborative platform. It also features an observation deck, allowing regulators, incumbents, and others to oversee in-flight testing at a technical level.

Applications to the permanent Digital Sandbox will open on 1 August, spanning various themes, including banking, investment, lending, payments, insurance, pension, wholesale buy-side and sell-side, and cross-sectors.

Applicants will be evaluated on the criteria of scope, innovation, consumer benefit, readiness, and the need for support. The FCA wants to ensure that the platform serves the right audiences and delivers the intended impact. The approval process will span a maximum of four weeks. Further application procedure details will be available in August.