UK MiFID framework notifications

UK legislation and rules governing investment services and activities have processes for authorising investment firms, and require investment firms and others to make a range of notifications.

Use this page to help determine which notifications you need to make to us.

Please start by reading about the authorisation application process and forms. Then refer to the relevant sections below.

Ancillary activity exemption

Firms or individuals that trade in commodity derivatives, emission allowances and derivatives on emission allowances may be able to use an exemption from authorisation.

Find out more about the ancillary activity exemption.

Supervised investment firms

Systematic Internalisers

We will not, until further notice, publish data on overall trading for the purposes of allowing firms to determine whether they cross the thresholds to be considered Systematic Internalisers (SIs).

Your firm can opt into the regime by notifying us that you will operate an SI in specified financial instruments. If your firm ceases to be an SI, you must notify us.

You can access the ‘Systematic Internaliser Notification’ form via our Connect portal.

Existing Connect users may need to amend their profiles to get access to the form. Please refer to our user guide for more information about this and the SI notification submission process.

If you have a specific question about the SI requirements, please email [email protected]. For questions on how to submit the notification via Connect, please call us on 0300 500 0597.

The SI regime and associated obligations apply at the level of each single financial instrument. If your firm is submitting a notification, we expect you to establish and maintain a list of all financial instruments for which you are acting as an SI. We may request access to these lists as part of our regulatory functions.

Designated Reporters

Firms wishing to act as a Designated Reporter are required to request that their details be added to a register.  

Firms can register, or deregister, as a Designated Reporter by sending an email to [email protected] with the following details:

Email subject: 'SUP15 - Designated Reporter Register: [insert FRN]'. You should replace '[FRN]' with your firm’s FCA issued 'Firm Registration Number'. You can find this on our Register.

Body of the email should include:

1. The name of the individual authorised to make the request, if different from sender.
2. The requestor’s FCA issued reference number. Find this on our Register.
3. The name of the firm you wish to register.
4. The firm’s 20-character Legal Entity Identifier (LEI).
5. An indication if you are registering an authorised third country firm in relation to its UK branch.

Please note:

• If the sender of the email is not the same person as the requestor, then please include the requestor in cc.
• Registration, or deregistration, is effective only once your firm’s details appear in, or are removed from, the public Register of Designated Reporters.
• The register is published ahead of the Designated Reporter Regime going live to facilitate testing of IT systems. Entry on the register has no effect on reporting obligations prior to 29 April 2024.

DEA providers and algorithmic trading

Authorised firms, and certain firms exempt from authorisation as investment firms, must notify us if they are providing direct electronic access (DEA) or undertaking algorithmic trading (as defined in UK MIFIR).

Investment firms need to send us notification when they commence activity as a DEA provider and/or undertake algorithmic trading and, thereafter, when it ceases any of these activities.

When a firm, already acting in one or more activities, notifies us of a change, the information it provides in this form should reflect its remaining activities after allowing for the change. 

For example, if your firm had previously notified us of its activity as a DEA provider and algorithmic trading ceased to act as a DEA provider, you should notify the change by confirming that you’re undertaking algorithmic trading only.

You can access the ‘Electronic Trading Notification’ form via our Connect portal. Existing Connect users for authorised firms may need to amend their profiles to get access to the form. Non-authorised firms will need to register onto the Connect portal. Please refer to our user guide for more information on this and about the DEA Providers and Algorithmic Trading notification submission process.

If you have a question about how to submit the notification via Connect, please call us on 0300 500 0597.

Trading venue notifications (RMs, MTFs, OTFs)

If you are a UK RM, MTF or OTF, you must submit various notifications to us.

Find out more about trading venue notifications.