Skip to content

The DRCF’s 2025/26 Workplan: An Overview

29 May 20254 min read
News
The DRCF’s 2025/26 Workplan: An Overview

The Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF) has published its 2025/26 Workplan, outlining how they plan to coordinate regulators their and their activities to support innovation, economic growth, and consumer protection. This overview summarises the key priorities and initiatives relevant to stakeholders in the tech sector. 

You can read the full DRCF Workplan on their website, found here. 

This comes as techUK recently publishes a report on pro-growth regulation, which includes recommendations across regulatory areas covered in the DRCF workplan. The report aims to support the development of a regulatory environment that supports economic growth, fosters innovation while remaining proportionate and predictable. You can read the report here.

1. Strategic Context and Goals 

DRCF brings together four regulators: CMA, Ofcom, ICO, and FCA. Its work is guided by a three-year vision (2024–27) comprising five pillars: 

  • Protecting and empowering people online 

  • Unlocking digital innovation and growth 

  • Supporting regulator effectiveness 

  • Leading domestic and international digital regulation 

  • Anticipating future developments 

This year’s plan aligns with broader government strategies including the AI Opportunities Action Plan, Smart Data legislation (DUA Bill), the new digital markets competition regime, and the Online Safety Act. 

2. Key Workstreams for 2025/26 

A. Unlocking Innovation and Economic Growth 

  • AI & Innovation Services: Expansion of the AI and Digital Hub pilot; ICO to support FCA's AI Lab. 

  • Digital Identity: Symposium with OfDIA and stakeholders to address trust, interoperability, and adoption. 

  • Smart Data: Cross-regulatory work on open finance, data rights, and a broader review of the data-led economy. 

  • Horizon Scanning: Research on agentic AI systems, cybersecurity (linked to new legislation), and the implications of emerging tech. 

  • Data Protection and Competition: ICO and CMA cooperation to align privacy and competition in digital ad markets, as well as joint focus on foundation models and cloud. 

  • Digital Markets Regime: Ongoing coordination on new CMA investigations into Apple and Google, with cross-regulator input. 

B. Protecting People Online 

  • Online Choice Architecture: Joint action to tackle manipulative designs and dark patterns; developing user empowerment tools. 

  • Fraud and Scams: Joint initiatives to clarify data sharing for fraud prevention; input into Ofcom’s Fraudulent Advertising Code. 

  • Online Safety & Data Protection: Third joint ICO-Ofcom statement in Autumn; coordination on risks to children and privacy. 

  • Financial Services & Data: ICO and FCA joint engagement on consumer duty and AI challenges in retail financial services. 

C. Regulator Capability Building 

  • AI & Digital Solutions: Shared best practices in regulatory technologies to improve efficiency and reduce compliance burden. 

  • Skills and Capabilities: New digital mentoring programme with UKRN; AI webinars; academic fellows to strengthen research. 

  • Information Sharing: Review of legal and operational frameworks to enable efficient cross-regulator data sharing. 

D. Engagement 

  • Regulators: The DRCF will host a quarterly regulator roundtable, bringing together 13 non-member regulatory bodies to share expertise and best practice. 

  • UK Industry & Civil Society: They plan to take part regularly in events, roundtables, and conversations across a range of industry and civil society  

  • International: They plan on engaging with international regulators and partners to promote benefits of cross-regulatory cooperation, such as through the International Network for Digital Regulation Cooperation (INDRC) 

Implications for the Tech Sector 

The 2025/26 DRCF Workplan outlines a positive programme of work to improve the regulatory environment in which the tech sector operates. Businesses will note the increasing focus on coordinated oversight of emerging technologies, particularly AI, Smart Data, and digital identity. 

For companies developing innovative products and services, the DRCF’s work may offer improved clarity on how existing and forthcoming rules interact. The emphasis on cross-regulator collaboration could help reduce duplication and ease the regulatory burden in some areas. However, this depends on how effectively coordination is implemented in practice. We recommend businesses should monitor these efforts closely, particularly where engagement opportunities arise through pilots, roundtables, and symposia. 

While industry welcomes greater transparency and dialogue with regulators, it remains essential that this work supports innovation without creating unnecessary complexity or delays. Initiatives such as the AI and Digital Hub are a positive step, but wider regulatory coherence and consistency will be key to providing the certainty needed for long-term investment. 

The DRCF’s growing international activity may also be of interest to tech companies operating across borders. Engagement with global counterparts could support a more aligned regulatory landscape. 

Stakeholders are encouraged to stay engaged with DRCF activities and continue providing input on how regulation can best support responsible innovation and competitiveness in the UK tech sector.