Find out how to apply to the Scale-up Unit as a solo-regulated firm and what happens after you submit your application.
To apply to the FCA solo-regulated cohort for the Scale-up Unit, please fill in our online application form.
You will be asked to confirm that you meet the eligibility criteria, followed by a section asking you to outline the type of support you are seeking from the Unit.
You can see a copy of our application form (PDF) to help you prepare.
Applications are open from 20 May to 22 June 2026. We will email you a confirmation upon receiving your application.
Find out more about how the Scale-up Unit operates.
Eligibility criteria
The Unit is specifically designed to support firms that are already scaling up within their markets.
For the pilot cohort of the solo-regulated Scale-up Unit, firms should be able to demonstrate that they meet the following criteria to be eligible:
- The firm is already regulated by the FCA and has been in operation for at least 3 years.
- The firm is in a period of sustained growth, and average income growth is above 20% over a 3-year period and is projected to grow at this rate.
- The firm has gross annual revenue of over £100m and/or has achieved an investor valuation of over £250m, for example, through funding rounds.
Please note that meeting these criteria will not automatically guarantee acceptance. We will seek to ensure through the application process that the support we can provide matches each firm’s needs.
As part of the process we will consider whether the application meets the following definitions:
In-scope
- The firm is clearly in a scale up phase of their growth cycle, as indicated by meeting the eligibility criteria.
- Firms not meeting this criterion may be eligible for other support services such as the Regulatory Sandbox, or Pre-application Support Service (PASS).
Need for support
- The firm has multiple regulatory questions, queries or processes they are seeking regulatory support with.
- The firm is experiencing challenges or barriers caused by or linked to fast scaling and growth, rather than general regulatory queries.
- The firm needs support in areas where existing published information or guidance does not provide sufficient regulatory clarity, such as emerging technology or innovative products.
Readiness
- The firm has clear business plans to continue their growth and scaling trajectory.
- The support the firm is seeking should be relevant to the firm’s scaling plans within the next 6 months. For support beyond this period, firms may want to consider applying to a future cohort.
- The firm should be reading and willing to engage effectively with the FCA, and be prepared to attend periodic cohort meetings.
Consumer/market benefit
- The firm can articulate how the Scale-up Unit support will lead to benefits to UK consumers, markets, or make the UK a more desirable place to do business. For example, through improved competition or product innovation, or better consumer outcomes.
We will continue to work with industry as we support the pilot cohort to develop the approach to solo-regulated scaling firms.
Should you have any questions or wish to discussion your application please email: [email protected].
