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AFM & DNB InnovationHub

The InnovationHub is joint initiative of the AFM and De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) and provides you with support on all queries you may have about supervision and regulations relating to innovative financial products and services. Our support is available to new and existing firms, regardless of whether they are subject to the supervision of the AFM or DNB.

For who?

Whether or not your firm is licensed by the AFM or DNB, you can turn to the InnovationHub for:

  • explanation of specific supervision rules and policies
  • guidance in navigating the Dutch supervisory landscape
  • information on potential supervision issues, for example if you are developing an innovative concept
  • explanations of supervisory rules applying to innovative products and services.

Role of the AFM and DNB

The InnovationHub is a joint initiative of the AFM and De Nederlandsche Bank. Experts from both organisations have joined forces to provide information to market participants about supervision and supervisory rules regarding financial services and products. As we cooperate with the Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) businesses can also turn to the InnovationHub with their questions and observations about competition rules.

Ask yourself beforehand

If we invite you to our offices, or contact you by telephone or email after receiving your question, it will be very helpful if you ask yourself the following questions beforehand.

  • In which way is your financial product or service or business model innovative relative to existing financial products, services or business models?
  • Can you give us a clear description of the characteristics of your financial product, service, or business model?
  • Which rules do you think will be applicable to your financial product, service or business model?

Contact

If you have any questions on supervision policies, legislation and regulations pertaining to innovative financial products and services and you’ll like to be in touch with the InnovationHub, you can contact us via the website of DNB. Or read more on Contact

Frequently Asked Questions

To which supervisor do I have to turn?

If you are in doubt as to ask the AFM or DNB for an answer to your question, please let us know in the support request form. The AFM and DNB are in close contact about the questions coming in to the InnovationHub. Based on your question, we will decide which supervisor is best equipped to answer it. So it is important that you formulate your question as precisely as possible in order for us to make the correct judgement.

Does the InnovationHub also give advice?

We are here to give you informal guidance. The InnovationHub aims to provide market participants with quick and adequate support. This also means that communications are informal; we do not aim to provide formal opinions or detailed advice. You are of course free to ask for a formal opinion, for example by submitting questions about the scope of particular legislation through the regular channels.

Is de InnovationHub hetzelfde als een ‘Regulatory Sandbox’?

Nee, de InnovationHub denkt graag mee binnen de wettelijke kaders, maar we zijn geen ‘Regulatory Sandbox’ waarin wet- en regelgeving (tijdelijk) terzijde wordt geschoven of wordt opgeheven.

Can representatives of licensed institutions (e.g. business units or compliance) also turn to the InnovationHub?

You can also turn to the InnovationHub with questions on the supervision of innovative financial products and services if you already have a licence. We are here to help if you are unsure about the supervisor's opinion when developing innovative concepts. Contacting the InnovationHub at an early stage of development may help you to clarify things.

Who is the InnovationHub intended for?

The InnovationHub is the AFM and DNB's information desk for questions on the application of rules and regulations for financial enterprises developing innovative financial products, services or business models. The Innovationhub is the access point for all your questions especially if there is or seems to be a question of unnecessarily prohibitive rules for innovations in the financial sector.

When will I get my answer?

We aim to respond to your questions within two business days. The level of detail of our answer depends on the nature of your question. Depending on your question, we may invite you to discuss it at our offices. If a simple answer suffices, we may contact you by telephone or email.

Which information is useful to share when putting questions to the InnovationHub?

The better defined your question and the attached information is, the better we can advise you. Some things to consider are the effect of your innovative concept, its innovative element, your own ideas on the applicable regulations, and the problem areas that you anticipate.

Are any other supervisory authorities involved in the InnovationHub?

The Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) has also been involved in the InnovationHub since 1 June 2017. You can use the contact form (in Dutch) to put your questions and observations with respect to competition rules directly to the ACM.

Werken de DNB en AFM in internationaal verband samen?

Ja, de DNB en AFM vinden een gelijke behandeling van marktpartijen belangrijk. Daarom brengen wij vraagstukken over de omgang met innovatieve diensten en producten ook onder de aandacht bij onze collega-toezichthouders in Europa en daarbuiten.

Maakt de InnovationHub vragen en antwoorden bekend?

Nee, wij delen geen informatie van en over een specifieke vragende partij. Wel communiceren we over interpretatie van wet- en regelving via Open Boek Toezicht. Deze kunnen we o.a. updaten op basis van de ervaringen in de InnovationHub. Wanneer we op geaggregeerde basis informatie publiceren over het aantal en soort vragen dat via de InnovationHub binnenkomt is deze informatie nooit herleidbaar naar een specifieke vraag, instelling of persoon.

Wat is de rol van de InnovationHub binnen het toezicht?

De InnovationHub wil de communicatie tussen toezichthouder en marktpartijen verbeteren. Daarom zorgen de medewerkers van de InnovationHub en de uitvoerend toezichthouders voor een goede uitwisseling van informatie.

Staan bedrijven die cryptodiensten aanbieden onder toezicht in Nederland?

Ja, cryptodienstverleners staan onder integriteitstoezicht van DNB en moeten zich registreren als ze hun diensten willen (blijven) aanbieden. Zie de pagina ‘Integriteitstoezicht op aanbieders van cryptodiensten’ op DNB.nl voor meer informatie.