When scaling fast, firms can face challenges navigating the regulatory landscape. Find out how the joint FCA and PRA Scale-up Unit will support firms.
Alongside the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), we are launching a joint Scale-up Unit to strengthen our engagement with fast-growing, innovative regulated firms.
Why firms need support when scaling-up
The UK has one of the world’s most vibrant financial services ecosystems, but we know firms face challenges moving from start-up to scale-up, and may need extra support when scaling fast.
Some firms can struggle to navigate complex regulation, such as:
- How regulatory requirements change as firms grow.
- Expectations as they seek to expand into new sectors.
This new initiative builds on our existing support for firms, including our Innovation Pathways, and Early and High Growth Oversight function, reinforcing our commitment to support firms at different stages of their lifecycle.
How the Scale-up Unit will work
The Scale-up Unit will provide a dedicated point of contact to tackle some of the challenges scaling firms face.
It will help regulated firms looking to scale up with support in areas including:
Regulatory processes
The Scale-Up Unit will help firms to:
- Understand which regulatory processes are relevant to your scaling plans.
- Coordinate regulator interactions ahead of and during formal submission, for example on variation of permission[2] applications.
Product innovations
For firms looking to launch a new or innovative product or service, the Scale-up Unit will support an early-stage discussion on these plans and the corresponding regulatory treatment.
Impact of new policy proposals
Where aspects of new policy proposals may be relevant to, or could impact scaling firms, the Scale-Up Unit will help seek feedback directly from scaling firms and feed this into the PRA’s and FCA’s policy-making processes.
Sector engagement
The Scale-up Unit will support ongoing dialogue between:
- regulators
- firms
- the wider scale-up eco-system
Find out about the differences between the Scale-up Unit and existing services.
Who can use the Scale-up Unit
The Scale-up Unit will engage across industry and the scale-up ecosystem but is specifically designed to support regulated firms that are scaling.
Different regulated firms need different types of support as they scale. The Scale-up Unit will initially offer support across 3 distinct groups:
- banks and building societies
- insurers
- FCA solo-regulated firms
Phase 1: dual-regulated firms
First, we will launch the approach with dual-regulated firms, namely:
- banks and building societies
- insurers
In this phase, we’ll seek to provide a dedicated supervisor to relevant firms.
Find out how the Scale-up Unit will support these firms, including the criteria for accessing support, on the PRA website, including for:
Solo-regulated firms: next steps
FCA solo-regulated firms are diverse in size, business model and regulated activity. We are exploring how best to support scaling FCA solo-regulated firms and decide who is eligible for that support.
We plan to share more details in Spring 2026.
We want to continue to work with industry as we develop our approach. Please share your thoughts with us.
Email: [email protected].
Differences between the Scale-up Unit and existing supervision or support services
The Scale-up Unit complements, but does not replace, existing support services for firms[6].
It is not intended to be a substitute for discussions regulated firms would typically have with existing supervision team contacts. It is also:
- Not about lowering regulatory standards.
- Not about providing regulatory comfort.
The Scale-up Unit will work in tandem with existing supervision teams, regulatory processes and support services where they touch on specific aspects of a firm’s plans to scale. It will ensure a smoother and more supportive experience.
The Scale-up Unit will:
- Not ensure fast-track applications.
- Not guarantee positive decisions.
Participation is not an endorsement of a firm, its products or services.
