SBP opens applications for second cohort of Regulatory Sandbox

Mettis Link News reported that the central bank has opened the second round of its Regulatory Sandbox, giving firms and individuals until November 30, 2026 to submit proposals. The sandbox lets applicants trial products in a supervised environment, and the bank says this helps it refine its rules in line with new technologies. The first cohort wrapped up in June 2026, following a launch in August 2025 under SBP Vision 2028.

Proposals must fall within one of four themes: artificial intelligence in financial services, payments innovation, technology-enabled inward remittances, and an open category called NextGen Financial Services. Only submissions matching these themes will be assessed. Applicants must email their form to regulatory.sandbox@sbp.org.pk, following the steps set out in the Sandbox Guidelines on the SBP website, where a short summary of the themes is also published.

The central bank said the cohort aims to encourage responsible innovation in digital finance, with consumer protection and financial stability kept in view. The announcement was issued as a press release, and the bank describes the second round as a continuation of its earlier efforts in this area.