Regulatory Innovation Office: Front Door
Businesses in science and technology experiencing regulatory barriers to innovation can use the Front Door to raise their issues directly to us
Get help with regulatory barriers affecting your innovative business
The Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) Front Door helps innovative science and technology businesses raise regulatory barriers that are slowing the development, launch or growth of new products and technologies in the UK.
You can submit evidence using the if your business is experiencing a regulatory barrier.
Our privacy notice explains how we use your data.
Who the RIO Front Door is for
The RIO Front Door is for businesses and investors across UK science and technology sectors that are experiencing regulatory barriers affecting the development, deployment or scaling of innovative products or services. The service is not limited to RIO’s priority sectors.
The barrier should relate to regulation, regulatory processes or engagement with regulators. For example, your business may be:
- unsure which regulator or regulatory framework applies
- dealing with requirements involving several regulators
- experiencing unclear or lengthy approval processes
- unable to get the regulatory engagement needed to move forward
- affected by a wider regulatory issue that is limiting innovation or growth
RIO may not be the right route for issues that are not regulatory barriers to innovation, including:
- public procurement
- export controls or access to overseas markets
- intellectual property or planning
- tax
- access to finance
- immigration, visas or recruitment
- general data governance or digital archiving
- general business advice
- products or activities that do not involve innovation or frontier science and technology
Other government departments, regulators or business support services may be better placed to help. Where appropriate, we may suggest a more suitable organisation or route.
What businesses can expect
Depending on the issue and the outcome of our assessment, this may lead to further assessment or a targeted RIO intervention which might include:
- a request for further information or an initial discussion with your business
- guidance on the relevant regulator, regulatory framework or government team
- a referral or introduction to another organisation
- bringing together businesses, regulators and government departments to clarify responsibilities and identify practical next steps
- work to improve guidance or regulatory pathways
- identifying opportunities for pilots, sandboxes or wider regulatory reform
Submitting evidence does not guarantee that RIO will take forward a case or provide a specific form of support. We will select the most proportionate intervention for each issue.
What we ask for
The form asks about your organisation and technology, the regulatory barrier you face, your previous engagement with regulators or government, and how the issue is affecting your business. It also asks how the RIO Front Door could best support you.
Submission windows and what happens next
The Front Door will operate through regular submission windows throughout the year. Each window will be announced in advance and will normally remain open for 8 weeks, although this may change depending on demand.
We will assess submissions after the window closes, so businesses should not expect a response while it remains open. Once the assessment is complete, RIO will contact you to confirm whether it can provide further support.
How we review submissions
We review submissions using a consistent set of criteria to determine where we can make the most impact. The assessment process has 3 stages:
Stage 1 - Is this a regulatory barrier to innovation?
We will consider whether there is a clear and credible regulatory barrier affecting a business that is developing, launching or scaling an innovative science or technology product in the UK. For example, this may be an unclear route to market or uncertainty about which regulatory requirements apply.
Stage 2 - How potentially significant is the opportunity?
We will consider the potential impact of innovation and the benefits of addressing the barrier and how this aligns with government priorities, for example how removing the barrier could improve outcomes for innovative businesses, the public or the wider UK economy.
Stage 3 - Is RIO the right organisation to act?
We will consider whether there is a realistic and proportionate intervention that could make a meaningful difference for the business or the UK economy.
RIO has limited capacity and cannot take forward every case.
How we use the evidence you provide
Information submitted through the Front Door helps RIO understand the barriers affecting innovative businesses. Even where we cannot provide direct support, evidence may help us identify recurring issues, inform work with regulators and government departments, and support wider regulatory reform.
How the Front Door has developed
The Front Door builds on pilot phases run in 2026: the RIO Front Door pilot and Front Door pilot phase 2. Businesses shared evidence in response to those pilots about:
- unclear regulatory responsibilities
- barriers involving more than one regulator
- regulatory pathways that do not work well for innovative products and technologies
These responses have informed the design of the RIO Front Door and the services sitting behind it. We are grateful for the valuable input.