CENTRE FOR FINANCE, INNOVATION
AND TECHNOLOGY

Unlocking financial innovation and economic growth

CFIT is leading the drive to enhance the UK’s position as a global leader in financial innovation by bringing together the best minds from across the UK to identify key challenges faced by industry and to create financial solutions that benefit individuals, business and the wider-economy.

Discover more about us

How we foster financial innovation in the UK

CFIT unlocks innovation and drives market development by bringing together leading experts from government, regulators, technology hubs, and financial institutions to co-design financial solutions to the key challenges facing industry and the economy. These CFIT ‘coalitions’ test solutions and strategic initiatives ahead of the formal rollout of our data-driven reports and findings.

For Public Institutions
  • Improve policy outcomes with direct industry insight
  • Accelerate adoption via real-world validation
  • De-risk innovation through early research, prototyping and user testing
For Industry
  • Drive innovation that is commercially viable and policy-ready
  • Reduce market risk by aligning with government direction
  • Gain policy clarity to guide investment decisions

Our coalition approach

At the heart of CFIT’s approach is the coalition model, a dynamic and purpose-driven collaboration of industry experts focused on driving meaningful change in the financial technology sector. Through research-led initiatives, these coalitions tackle complex challenges and develop innovative solutions that deliver real-world impact for UK consumers and the wider economy.

Digital Verification Coalition

CFIT’s recent coalition focused on tackling economic crime through digital verification. Working across the industry, the Coalition developed a Digital Company ID designed to combat economic crime and support the widespread adoption of secure digital identities. According to the UK Government, this could deliver an annual economic boost of £600 million.

Key Findings

1.2 Million
There were over 1.2 million incidents of fraud committed in the UK in 2023.
40%
Fraud accounts for over 40% of all crime across England and Wales.

Digital Verification Blueprint Report

Our Blueprint outlines how a Digital Company ID can help tackle economic crime. This transformative approach has the potential to revolutionise UK business by enhancing efficiency, strengthening security and trust, and saving billions each year in lost revenue. It highlights the opportunities identified by the coalition and presents the proof of concept for implementation.

Download our Blueprint report

The opportunity for the UK Economy

CFIT convened over 70 leading organisations to design and develop Digital Company ID – a unique digital representation of a business entity for the purpose of digital verification. Digital Company ID is a scalable, transformative solution to fighting economic crime. By addressing systemic vulnerabilities, Digital Company ID paves the way for a fairer and more resilient economic system that benefits businesses, consumers, and society and helps foster economic growth.

50%
Our POC found that Digital Company ID could deliver over a 50% drop in the costs associated with business verification and bank KYB procedures
60%
Time required for verifying and onboarding businesses during bank account opening could be reduced by 60% with Digital Company ID
£1.7 Billion
CFIT’s industry-wide coalition brought together a 70-strong unique group of experts across sectors Digital Company ID could lead to an annual reduction in compliance costs of £1.7 billion
£6.8 Billion
Digital Company ID will help mitigate against the annual £6.8 billion cost of fraud to the UK economy

 

Find out more about joining a coalition

Interested in joining a CFIT Coalition? Select your Coalition of interest and enter your email below, and a member of our team will be in touch with more information.

Discover more about our other coalitions

Explore our other coalitions to see how CFIT is bringing together industry leaders to address some of the most pressing challenges in financial innovation. From unlocking access to finance for SMEs to accelerating the adoption of open finance, each coalition is focused on delivering practical, data-driven solutions with real impact. Discover how these initiatives are shaping the future of financial services across the UK and beyond.

Explore our coalitions

Our Financial Innovation partners

CFIT is partnering with some of the world’s leading financial institutions, fintech companies and industry bodies in our drive to scale financial innovation.

Our impact on financial innovation

Global Competitiveness
We are strengthening the UK’s leadership in financial and digital technologies
Increased Investment
Greater private sector confidence in UK innovation aligned with national priorities
Smart Public Services
Government supported initiatives built with real-world input and user-centric design

 

Our team

Our team comprises some of the leading financiers, bankers, innovators, fintech founders and entrepreneurs in the UK. Working as a dynamic results-oriented team, CFIT is able to bring together and mobilise the financial services sector to achieve our goals.

Our Team

 

News and Events

24/09/20252min read

CFIT appoints new Chair and NEDs

10/09/20253min read

More than 8 in 10 UK SMEs would pay for Digital Company ID – CFIT research

30/07/20252min read

CFIT appoints Anna Wallace as CEO

25/06/20256min read

CFIT and industry partners begin work to unlock SME lending