Guidance

Regulators' Pioneer Fund round 4: clarification questions

Updated 13 June 2025

RPF Clarification points

• Please note that while the Application Form initially requested only the Lead Organisation name, we require the following additional information to conduct the due diligence checks: the full registered name of the Lead Organisation, the complete address including postcode, and the organisation registration number (or charity number, where applicable). In addition, please provide the full registered addresses and registration numbers (or charity numbers, where applicable) for any collaborations, entities or other parties collaborating to deliver your project. 

• Please note that there are two differences between the application form and competition brief in the listed points to include as part of an answer to question 1 (Q1). Firstly, we ask that you list all entities delivering the project, whether this is in-house within the lead organisation or collaborators, or an external party. Secondly, we ask you to list the other parties collaborating to deliver your project. Both points should be included as part of your answer to the ‘joint collaborators’ section in the application form. 

• Please note that there is a slight variation in the wording used for the introductory sentence of question 1 (Q1) - the project summary. While in the application form it reads as follows: “Describe your project briefly and be clear about what makes it an innovative and an innovation-supporting venture”, in the competition brief, the final part of the sentence refers to an ‘initiative’ rather than a ‘venture.’ For clarification purposes, we do not see these two words as being materially different in respect to the innovative project being delivered, so applicants are welcome to use whichever one they prefer without any points being deducted. 

• Please note that there is a difference in question 5 (Q5 - Added Value and Return on Public Investment) wording and the marks available. The total score for this question is 20 marks not 10 marks, to ensure that the total score for the application adds up to 100 marks instead of 90. 

• Please note that Project Financial Information section has the following additional line included in the Competition brief: “Note that this overhead limit does not apply to third parties.” The full section should thereby read as follows: Please provide a monthly breakdown of your anticipated project costs for the length of the project. You should set out clearly administrative costs, costs associated with training, patent filing, subcontracting, labour and/or materials as applicable. The Lead Applicant can claim up to 20% of their staff costs as overhead costs in addition to staff costs. Where the Lead Applicant engages any third parties in the delivery of their project, the full overheads of these parties can be claimed. These should be detailed in the table below. Note that this overhead limit does not apply to third parties. Please include information on the matched funding your organisation will provide for your project. Contingency costs to cover the monetary impacts of project risks, uncertainties, unforeseen costs or situations should not be included in your project

Eligibility criteria

Can a company be the lead applicant if benefit to regulators is demonstrated? If not, can a company be a collaborator or do they have to be a subcontracted?

No, companies cannot apply as the lead applicant for funding. As with previous rounds, RPF funding is targeted on promoting regulators and local authorities to innovate, rather than extending eligibility to organisations that do not have formal regulatory functions. However, organisations that provide coordination, advice, or support related to regulatory matters may partner with a regulator or local authority, even though they are not eligible to be the lead applicant.  

Part of the criteria is collaboration. Can several regulators work together on an application – should there be a lead submitter?

Only the regulator or local authority leading and sponsoring a project may submit an application and claim funding. They are  the lead applicant.

For the avoidance of doubt, Combined Authorities are eligible to apply as lead applicants. Local Government Association (LGA) describes Combined Authorities as a legal body set up using national legislation that enables a group of two or more councils to collaborate and take collective decisions across council boundaries.

Subject to subsidy control requirements, the lead applicant may involve domestic and/or international partners (such as businesses, industry bodies, civil society groups, other regulators or local authorities or academic institutions) in their proposed project where such participation is relevant to the purpose of the project and would be expected to improve or enhance the outcomes sought.

A regulator or local authority can lead on up to 3 applications in total in this (RPF 4) funding round. There is no limit to the number of applications that a regulator or local authority may participate on as a partner.

Multiple applications 

Can the same regulator submit several applications for different projects? 

A regulator or local authority can lead on up to 3 applications in total in this (RPF 4) funding round. There is no limit to the number of applications that a regulator or local authority may participate on as a partner. If a lead applicant submits more than 3 applications, we will only accept and assess the first 3 applications submitted. We will not assess additional applications.

Re: the eligibility requirement below, is the three successful bid limitation for a local authority throughout the lifespan of all RPF projects (rounds 1 - 4) or starting now with the RPF round 4? Regulators and local authorities are:

- limited to being the lead applicant on 3 applications
- not limited to the number of applications in which a regulator or local authority can be a partner.

A regulator or local authority can lead on up to 3 applications in total in this (RPF 4) funding round. There is no limit to the number of applications that a regulator or local authority may participate on as a partner.

Is the above requirement only for successful applications or is there a limitation in how many applications the Combined Authority (CA) can put forward (as a lead)? 

UK regulators (national, devolved and local), local authorities, and Combined Authorities can apply for RPF funding, provided they meet the eligibility criteria. Please note, only the regulators or local authorities who are leading a project can submit an application and claim funding. A regulator or local authority can lead on up to 3 applications in total. There is no limit to the number of applications that a regulator or local authority may participate on as a partner. If a lead applicant submits more than 3 applications, we will only accept and assess the first 3 applications submitted. We will not assess additional applications.

Resubmissions

We would appreciate clarity on what you would consider a meaningful follow-on from a previously funded RPF project and offering something genuinely new and ambitious. 

If your proposal was successful in the first or second round of the RPF, you may not submit the same proposal in this competition. Any proposal you submit this time should be materially different from any proposal that received funding from the first three rounds. For example, a proposal which took the results of a previously funded RPF project and used them to explore a new area would be considered materially different. A proposal that continued a project that was previously successful in an early round would not. You will need to clearly explain how your proposal is materially different.

Funding 

Is there a limitation for successful applications in each round? 

All applications will be assessed against the eligibility criteria that has been published in the RPF 4 competition brief. A regulator or local authority can lead on up to 3 applications in total, but there is no limit to the number of applications that a regulator or local authority may participate on as a partner. If a lead applicant submits more than 3 applications, we will only accept and assess the first 3 applications submitted. We will not assess additional applications.

Applications will initially be assessed and scored against the competition criteria. However, once the awarding panel are making the final funding decision, DSIT reserves the right to apply a ‘portfolio approach’. This is to ensure the competition meets its policy objectives, ensuring funding is allocated across strategic areas, sectors, or regions identified in the competition scope. As a result, this may mean that a lower scoring proposal is successful over a higher scoring one.

Are there any limits to how much can be subcontracted?

No, we would like regulators to build their own capacity and expertise, as this may demonstrate lasting impact beyond the lifetime of the funded project, but there are no limitations in acquiring specialist skills and expertise from external organisations to ensure the successful delivery of a project.

In addition to subsidy control implications, you must meet public sector procurement rules in relation to any subcontractors used (or demonstrate compliance with public sector principles if not subject to those requirements).  

If partners in the bid are to receive funding, then they must be listed as sub-contractors/ collaborators in the application. The lead bidder is responsible for any funding which is sub-contracted in terms of managing public money requirements. The lead applicant is responsible for conducting due diligence on sub-contractors, collaborators, etc. 

There is no minimum or maximum for what can be subcontracted, value for money overall will be assessed within the application. However, we would suggest that this is proportionate.

Are partners’ full labour costs and overheads covered within the RPF fund? I ask because I have taken the below from the website, and it is not explicitly clear. 

“The Lead Applicant can claim up to 20% of their staff costs as overhead costs in addition to staff costs. Where the Lead Applicant engages any third parties in the delivery of their project, the full overheads of these parties can be claimed.” 

Third party overheads are not limited. However, we would encourage applicants to make clear in their application the rationale for how their overheads have been calculated and why these costs are critical to the project. Please note, if partners in the bid are to receive funding, then they must be listed as sub-contractors/ collaborators in the application.

Your proposal

Can Academia be a collaborator? 

Subject to subsidy control requirements, the lead applicant may involve domestic and/or international partners (such as businesses, industry bodies, civil society groups, other regulators or local authorities or academic institutions) in their proposed project where such participation is relevant to the purpose of the project and would be expected to improve or enhance the outcomes sought.

We wanted to know if testing of the regulations would be eligible? 

Yes. We would consider feasibility studies, public engagement and/or surveys to be eligible as this is similar to an R&D project that harnesses new learning by exploring solutions to a regulatory issue faced by innovators or businesses. Please refer to the published RPF 4 Competition Brief for further guidance on what project proposals would be eligible. 

Can funding be used to host events?

Projects must deliver the aims of the RPF and meet the assessment criteria. If the project proposal’s sole purpose is to host an event without meeting the outlined expectations, it will not be eligible for funding. However, hosting events that support the delivery of your project, or disseminate project findings, which are held within the funding period would be eligible activity for funding.

Can a Company manage the project as a partner/subcontractor? 

Only the regulator or local authority leading and sponsoring a project may submit an application and claim funding. They are the lead applicant. 

For the avoidance of doubt, Combined Authorities are eligible to apply as lead applicants. Local Government Association (LGA) describes Combined Authorities as a legal body set up using national legislation that enables a group of two or more councils to collaborate and take collective decisions across council boundaries. 

Subject to subsidy control requirements, the lead applicant may involve domestic and/or international partners (such as businesses, industry bodies, civil society groups, other regulators or local authorities or academic institutions) in their proposed project where such participation is relevant to the purpose of the project and would be expected to improve or enhance the outcomes sought.  

Eligible costs include administration costs, costs associated with training (including innovation coaching), patent filing, subcontracting, labour and/or materials as applicable in the delivery of your project, during its funding period. Third party overheads are an eligible cost and are not limited, however, we would encourage applicants to make clear in their application the rationale for how their overheads have been calculated and why these costs are critical to the project. You should commit your own resources to the project wherever possible and describe this in your application. 

If partners in the bid are to receive funding, then they must be listed as sub-contractors/ collaborators in the application. The lead bidder is responsible for any funding which is sub-contracted in terms of managing public money requirements. The lead applicant is responsible for conducting due diligence on sub-contractors, collaborators, etc.

Application process / how to apply

We are currently in discussions around supporting a bid into RPF4. We successfully supported a previous project as consultants (sub-contractor), but are looking this time at taking more of a partner role. We are looking for some guidance on how to approach this. We are specifically trying to get a better understanding of how to present our costs and what would constitute eligible costs. Clearly this is an area that can be challenging to align with a consultancy business model so trying to get a clear overview of the commercial options and what they would mean in practice to help us define our role in the bid/proposal.

If partners in the bid are to receive funding, then they must be listed as sub-contractors/ collaborators in the application. The lead bidder is responsible for any funding which is sub-contracted in terms of managing public money requirements. The lead applicant is responsible for conducting due diligence on sub-contractors, collaborators, etc. Eligible costs include administration costs, costs associated with training (including innovation coaching), patent filing, subcontracting, labour and/or materials as applicable in the delivery of your project, during its funding period. Eligible costs also include the publishing, communicating, sharing and disseminating of information about the launch of your project and its outcomes. Project financial information should be set out in the template provided in the application.

How do we work out a reasonable level of staff costs?

We ask that a rationale for how overheads have been calculated and why these costs are critical to the project to be provided and made clear in the application. Staff costs incurred because of RPF projects can be claimed based on FTE ratio supported by evidence. Third party overheads are not limited, for non-third parties we are happy for overheads to be an eligible cost up to 20% of staff costs.

Other 

Under previous rounds of the RPF, online workshops have previously been held with the intention of allowing for regulators and other bodies wishing to put projects in for funding to find interested partners to collaborate on joint bids. Are there plans to hold similar events for this round and, if yes, when will they be held?

We will not be running stakeholder engagement networking sessions for RPF4. Regulators and local authorities will need to identify collaboration opportunities themselves

I’m getting in touch to ask whether you expect a further round of the RPF to be launched in the next year or so.

RPF 4 will allocate funding for the financial years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027. We do not expect new funding to be available before April 2026, and this will be subject to the outcome of the spending review and HMT approval.