Regulators’ Pioneer Fund round 4: competition brief – GOV.UK

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Regulators’ Pioneer Fund round 4: competition brief – GOV.UK

Project requirements

• DSIT will invest approximately £5.5 million for regulator-led and local authority-led projects of 6 month to 12 month projects.
• Projects must start from 1 October 2025 and end by 30 September 2026.

The competition aims to position the UK at the forefront of regulatory innovation by funding projects led by regulators or local authorities. To do this, projects will look to address real world challenges or opportunities to support innovation, supported by:

• evidence of business need, and/or
• enhance regulator and/or
• local authority capability to work more innovatively themselves to improve the delivery of regulatory functions

These projects will focus on creating a regulatory environment that fosters business innovation and investment.

Project types 

Below are the types of proposals we encourage:

• projects that harness new thinking, new methods and/or new technological approaches to improve regulatory delivery and performance, benefitting innovators, businesses and the public;
• short research and development projects that generate new learning by exploring:
  • solutions for a regulatory issue faced by innovators, businesses or the public; or
  • proactive measures to better support innovators, businesses and the public
• a short trial or pilot study testing a new initiative to improve regulatory approaches and better support innovators, businesses, or the public.