On 18 March 2026, the Financial Conduct Authority issued a Call for Input seeking views on how regulation can help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access finance.
In the context of regulation, the FCA would like to explore further:
- Barriers to SME finance, including regulation that directly affects the cost and/or perceived risk of providing SME finance.
- Opportunities for future regulation to better support the provision of SME finance, such as industry collaboration and adopting innovation and new tech.
- Sector-specific issues in getting finance, particularly for high-growth sectors such as Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy Industries, Creative Industries, Defence, Digital and Technologies, Financial Services, Life Sciences and Professional and Business Services.
- Future trends including the role of open finance.
The deadline for responding to the Call for Input is 17 April 2026.