The FCA is opening the application window for the sustainability cohort on 6 September, with a view to opening the Digital Sandbox to successful applicants in November and access to the testing environment from January 2022.
Applications will be assessed on the following eligibility criteria:
- Genuine innovation: the solution/product is sufficiently different from what already exists in the market;
- In scope: the solution would benefit UK consumers or financial services firms by solving one of the ESG data and disclosure use cases. The firm doesn’t need to be domiciled in the UK, but the firm’s solution needs to be intended for use in the UK market;
- Need for a Digital Sandbox: the solution requires Digital Sandbox features to be developed or improved; and
- Credible testing plan: the application has proposed a well-designed testing plan, detailing success criteria and future steps.