The Corporation today publishes a new report recommending the creation of a financial services Investment Hub, a single national platform to streamline investor engagement and unlock billions in capital for growth.
The Future of Financial and Professional Services Investment in the UK: A Strategic Blueprint for a Financial Services Investment Hub and Concierge Service, developed in consultation with HM Treasury, the Office for Investment and regulators, also consulted over 200 stakeholders across industry and UK regional authorities. It warns that the UK is at a “now or never” moment to defend and grow its global leadership in financial services.
The proposed Hub would serve as a strategic one-stop shop for international investors, offering joined-up, tailored support from market entry to expansion. It aims to create a unified, investor-centric and digitally enabled UK model to attract and retain financial services investment. It will offer tailored support, curated opportunities and seamless regulatory guidance. Delivered through public-private partnerships, it ensures consistent, nationally aligned, and high-quality services and a world-class investor experience.
The UK has seen a decline in its market share of financial and professional services foreign direct investment (FDI) projects, with its share falling by 4% between 2017 and 2024, while other financial centres have recorded accelerated growth over the same period.
While the UK’s strengths, such as its time zone, legal system, global financial infrastructure, and political stability, remain unmatched, the report argues that these foundations must now be paired with modernised, frictionless investment services to remain competitive.
With the right reforms, the report estimates that the UK could unlock £10 billion in additional investment by 2030, spread across the nations and regions of the UK. The recommendations align with the City Corporation’s 2024 Vision for Economic Growth report, build on the Concierge Service work announced by the Chancellor in March 2025, and support the ambition of the Harrington Review to build a more responsive and investor-facing approach to economic development.
The recommendations to HMT for the Financial Services Investment Hub include:
1. Offer the right support to the right investors
a. Create tailored services for different types of investors — offering hands-on, personalised help for the biggest, most strategically important investors, and easy, efficient services for others.
2. Speak with one voice across the UK
a. Make sure all parts of the UK, from government departments to regional investment agencies, give investors a clear and consistent message about what the UK can offer, backed up by high-quality information and marketing.
3. Adopt an investor-focused service delivery approach to make it easier for investors to get started, grow and succeed
a. Provide seamless, tailored support along the entire investor journey, from market entry to expansion, regulatory guidance and reinvestment.
4. Establish strategic governance to deliver results
a. Create a multi-tier model to ensure decisions are joined up, delivery stays on track, and responsibilities are clear, with a strategic board led by HM Treasury, supported by an Advisory Committee chaired by the Corporation, and an independent Delivery Office to align priorities, gather expert insights, and deliver investment objectives efficiently.
5. Utilise technology to make investment faster, smoother and automated
a. Use modern digital tools, including AI, to match investors with opportunities, automate processes like onboarding, and make services quicker and more efficient.
6. Crowdsource expertise and insights by harnessing private sector know-how
a. Use secondments and partnerships with professional services firms and regulators to co-create services efficiently and bring real market expertise into the delivery process.
Chris Hayward, Policy Chairman at Corporation, said:
“This is a now or never moment for UK financial services. If we don’t act decisively, we risk losing our global position and the economic prosperity, jobs and innovation that come with it.
“Other markets have introduced services that fast-track market entry, including investor concierge services and fully coordinated government and regulatory support. The UK must urgently first match, then exceed these standards to remain competitive.
“We need a nationally joined-up service that makes the UK the easiest and most attractive place in the world to invest in financial services. This is an opportunity to protect and grow our future prosperity by encouraging government departments and regulators to work more collaboratively.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
The Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile, London’s financial and commercial district. It supports the UK’s economic growth, promotes London’s global competitiveness, and provides world-class services to residents, workers, and visitors.
- These recommendations build on the momentum achieved through existing measures to bolster economic growth.
- This report’s recommendations were informed by a comprehensive methodology combining qualitative and quantitative analysis, including:
- Stakeholder Interviews: more than 200 engagements with investors, industry associations, national and regional partners, and key regulators.
- Investor Segment Definition and Prioritisation: Classification and prioritisation of investor types by strategic value, risk appetite, and sector alignment.
- Investor Journey and Service Audit and Mapping: Development of an investor-centric journey and diagnostic review of current offerings across the end to-end journey.
- International Benchmarking: Comparative analysis of investor services by key investor journey steps from top global markets.
- Co-Design Workshops: Collaborative sessions with public and private stakeholders to co-create and validate our recommendations.
- Investment Analysis: FDI and capital investment trends analysis and estimates of gains from proposed changes to investment attraction approach.
- The analysis and design was supported by and performed in collaboration with knowledge partners – Global Growth Partners and OCO Global.
';
