Research
Making private sector financial data discoverable and accessible; enabling impactful research into critical socioeconomic challenges.
Enabling research which has real-world impact
We take a collaborative approach to providing high-quality financial data for the UK research community. By supporting academic research into the root causes of poverty, inequality, and economic wellbeing, we help uncover insights that inform meaningful solutions. We provide the Financial Data Service (FINDS) for Smart Data Research UK.
Our goal is to work with researchers to drive data-led studies that shape policy and practice, supporting a more resilient and adaptable economy. We believe in the power of collaboration and are dedicated to helping produce research that has a real-world impact.
What data can I access?
Thanks to our trusted data partners, we provide access to previously inaccessible near real time consumer and SME financial data. This data is volumetrically, geographically, and demographically representative.
Our de-identified microdata and curated data collections offer exceptional granularity, covering a wide range of financial variables. On the income side, this includes categories such as salary, benefits, investments, child and pension credits, and more. Expenditure data is also comprehensive, capturing categories like council tax, bills, gambling, groceries, fuel, childcare, travel, and more. With persistent IDs, researchers can track individuals over a 5-year period, supporting robust longitudinal analysis. This supports the identification of long-term trends and generates valuable insights into pressing social and economic challenges .
A secure and accessible Trusted Research Environment
Our Trusted Research Environment (TRE) provides approved researchers from trusted organisations access to research-ready, de-identified, granular, near real-time private sector financial data at scale.
This environment is supported by a robust infrastructure designed for securely storing, accessing, and analysing sensitive datasets, meeting rigorous industry security standards. Our architecture prioritises accessibility, security, and efficiency, aligning with ethical standards such as the five safes framework for safe use of secure data.
Accessing the Trusted Research Environment
The TRE provides approved researchers with timely and secure access to private sector financial data. Access can be requested via myFoundry, where researchers can explore aggregated datasets and request access to datasets, tools, and research materials for your projects.
To begin, register for a myFoundry account and follow the data access request process for more information. Access to the TRE for new users is granted only after requests undergo a thorough review process.
Financial Data Service (FINDS)
Working as part of Smart Data Research UK's ecosystem of six smart data providers, the Financial Data Service (FINDS) will enhance multidisciplinary academic research into the root causes of poverty, inequality, and economic wellbeing.
FINDS provides secure access to anonymised banking and finance data from 5.3 million UK customers, with data from tens of thousands of SMEs also on the roadmap.
FINDS is a collaboration between Smart Data Foundry and the University of Edinburgh and is funded by Smart Data Research UK and UKRI.
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Learn more about our data and applying for access to the Trusted Research Environment.
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