The InnovationHub is a joint information desk of De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) and the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). It provides support to firms that have queries about supervision and regulations relating to innovative financial products and services. You can also contact the InnovationHub if you have questions for the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM).
The InnovationHub is the AFM, DNB and the ACM's information desk for questions on the application of rules and regulations for firms developing innovative financial products, services or business models. Especially if there appear to be unnecessarily prohibitive rules for innovations in the financial sector.
The InnovationHub is open to both new and existing firms, irrespective of whether they are already subject to supervision. Every firm can contact the InnovationHub if it has questions about laws, regulations and policies governing innovative products and services, even if these are still under development. Importantly, though, the product or service must be truly innovative when compared to those already available. Also, the innovation should offer a good prospect of benefit to consumers or society.
Existing firms can also turn to the InnovationHub with questions on the supervision of innovative financial products and services. For example, we are here to help if you are unsure how we will apply the supervisory rules to an innovative product or service you are developing. Contacting the InnovationHub at an early stage will help you get a better overview of your options in good time.
We take innovation to mean a new financial service, market or product. We also consider a renewed or overhauled financial service, market or product an innovation. If such an innovation is driven by technology, we refer to it as fintech.
As a rule, the better defined your support request and the attached information are, the better we can support you. For example, you must indicate how your product or service works, what its innovative aspects are, what rules apply in your view, and what you believe to be potential bottlenecks.
No, the aim of the InnovationHub is to provide firms with quick and practical answers to their supervisory and regulatory questions. If you are looking for detailed advice or a formal opinion, we can refer you to the appropriate supervisory authority.
No, the InnovationHub aims to help out innovative market parties quickly and answer their questions. This is why our communications are informal. If you seek a formal opinion, you can contact the supervisory authorities through the regular channels.
No, the InnovationHub's service is free of charge. It supplements the AFM's Business Desk and DNB's regular information services in the area of financial innovations.
We respond to your questions on average within two business days. If a simple answer suffices, we may contact you by telephone or email. If a more complex issue is involved, we will invite you for a meeting at the premises of DNB, the AFM or the ACM.
The InnovationHub is a joint initiative of DNB, the AFM and the ACM. Experts from these organisations have joined forces to provide information to firms about supervision and supervisory rules relating to innovative financial products and services.
We wish to strengthen our collaboration with the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Dutch DPA) within the InnovationHub. because many innovations in the financial sector give rise to questions about the use of customer data. Also, many innovations have a wider scope than financial markets alone, and some of them give rise to new market power considerations. This means ongoing coordination and consultations between the supervisory authorities are more important than ever. At the same time, we must consider the current statutory restrictions for sharing data with the AP.
Yes, we believe it is important that market parties are treated equally internationally. For this reason, we share our experiences of how we handle questions involving innovative financial services and products with supervisory authorities in Europe and beyond.
In the support request form you can indicate whether your question is intended for DNB, the AFM or the ACM. If you have any doubts about which supervisory authority you should turn to, please indicate this in the field in which you pose your question. Based on the information you provide in the form, we can decide which one is best equipped to answer it. It is therefore important that you formulate your question as specifically as possible, so that we can best assist you.
No, we do not share any information obtained from or about parties that have asked us their questions. However, if our feedback provides major clarification, adjustment or additions to our existing policy, we will publicly disclose it.
The InnovationHub aims to improve communications between the supervisory authorities and market parties. This is why InnovationHub staff and supervisors efficiently exchange the information they need.
Yes, they are subject to DNB's integrity supervision. They must register if they wish to offer their services in the Netherlands. For more information see the Integrity supervision of crypto service providers section of our Open Book on Supervision.
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