The FCA has confirmed in a new consultation paper that applications for its new targeted support regime will open in March.

It said it is shortening the consultation period for the proposal so that the rules can be made in February 2026.

It said in ‘Regulatory fees and levies: policy proposals for 2026/27’ it is working with the Government to finalise rules and legislation to establish the regime next spring.

In September it said the regime will enable firms to provide more support on investments and pensions to groups of clients with similar financial needs.

Already-authorised firms will pay an additional £550 to extend their permissions to cover targeted support. New firms applying for authorisation will be charged £2,790.

Targeted support is intended to give millions more consumers access to lower cost financial guidance. It will allow firms to provide suggestions to groups of consumers with common characteristics, to help them make financial decisions.

The regulator said firms will need to apply for permission to undertake targeted support and it intends to open the gateway for applications in March 2026.

It earlier estimated that between 60 and 130 firms may offer targeted support. It said it expects most of them to be already authorised as retail financial intermediaries and paying fees in fee-block A.13, which includes advisers, arrangers, dealers and brokers. It said targeted support will be an extension to their existing activity.

It plans to extend the definition of A.13 to include the new activity of providing targeted support. It said firms already authorised for activities in A.13 will pay a Category 2 (currently £550) variation of permission (VoP) fee for extending their activity to undertake targetedsupport.

Firms seeking new authorisation will pay a Category 4 application fee (currently £2,790) to join A.13.

The FCA said that the costs of targeted support may be shared with investment managers or pension managers.

It said: “In recognition that that the benefits of targeted support, in some cases, will be shared with firms in other fee-blocks, specifically A.7 (portfolio managers) and A.9 (managers and depositaries of investment funds, and operators of collective investment schemes or pension schemes). We are considering sharing some of the project costs with these feeblocks. We will determine these allocations when we consult on fee-rates in spring 2026.”

If a firm is planning to provide targeted support, the regulator said it will need to ensure that any income from the activity is allocated appropriately within its annual eligible income return, in line with the existing reporting requirements for fee-block A.13.

Earlier this month FCA senior executive Kate Tuckley told the Personal Finance Society annual conference that the FCA's new 'targeted support' plans are no threat to professional and personalised holistic Financial Planning.

The regulator has asked to receive comments on its proposals on targeted support by 9 January 2026. Interested parties can send comments using the online response form. Alternatively, people can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or write to Fees Policy, Financial Conduct Authority, 12 Endeavour Square, London E20 1JN.

The FCA said it will publish feedback on the comments targeted support in its Handbook Notice in February 2026.