Corporate report: Memorandum of Understanding: governance of the Digital Markets Unit between DSIT and DBT

A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department for Science and Technology (DSIT) and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) delineates the department’s responsibilities within the sponsorship framework for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the digital markets regime established by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act 2024. This document marks a purposeful alignment of policy, funding, and regulatory oversight to ensure a coherent approach to innovation, competition, and consumer protection in the digital economy.

Key purpose and scope
– The MoU codifies DSIT’s role in sponsorship arrangements related to CMA operations. This encompasses guidance on strategic priorities, oversight of funded initiatives, and stewardship of resources allocated to CMA activities that intersect with science, technology, and innovation policy.
– It also specifies DSIT’s responsibilities within the DMCC Act 2024’s digital markets regime. The DMCC framework aims to foster fair competition in rapidly evolving digital markets, with particular emphasis on how data, platforms, and tech-enabled services shape consumer outcomes.
– By clarifying the division of duties between DSIT and DBT, the MoU seeks to streamline governance, reduce duplication, and bolster accountability in areas where science, technology, and industry policy intersect with competition and consumer protection.

Strategic objectives
– Strengthen innovation-led competition: The MoU underlines DSIT’s involvement in sponsorship decisions that support CMA work in areas where scientific and technological advances influence market dynamics, such as AI, data analytics, digital platforms, and emerging tech ecosystems.
– Promote evidence-based regulation: DSIT’s sponsorship role is framed to encourage the CMA to base its regulatory and enforcement actions on robust scientific evidence, rigorous data analysis, and transparent methodologies.
– Ensure proportionate resource allocation: The agreement establishes processes to monitor, assess, and adjust funding and resource distribution in line with evolving market conditions and policy priorities.
– Enhance cross-departmental collaboration: The MoU fosters closer coordination between DSIT and DBT to align policy objectives, share intelligence, and harmonise approaches to standards, innovation grants, and competition interventions.

Governance and accountability
– Roles and responsibilities: The document outlines the specific duties of DSIT in relation to the CMA sponsorship arrangements and the DMCC digital markets regime, alongside the corresponding duties of DBT. This includes decision-making authority, oversight mechanisms, and reporting requirements.
– Performance and evaluation: The MoU provides for periodic performance reviews to assess whether sponsorship commitments are delivering desired outcomes for innovation, competition, and consumer welfare. It also sets out metrics and milestones to gauge impact.
– Compliance and risk management: There are clear provisions on compliance with statutory obligations, risk assessment, and mitigation strategies to ensure that sponsorship activities are transparent, lawful, and aligned with public sector standards.

Implications for CMA, DMCC, and stakeholders
– CMA alignment with science and tech policy: By formalising DSIT’s sponsorship role, the CMA can better leverage scientific expertise, data capabilities, and technological insight to inform investigations, market analyses, and enforcement strategies under the DMCC Act 2024.
– Accountability and transparency: The MoU strengthens governance by establishing structured oversight, reducing ambiguity about how resources are used to support CMA functions connected to the digital markets regime.
– Stakeholder confidence: For businesses, consumers, and researchers, the clarified roles can enhance predictability and credibility in how government bodies collaborate to regulate digital markets and to safeguard competition.

Concluding reflections
This MoU represents a purposeful step towards a more integrated approach to science, technology, business, and regulation. By defining DSIT’s sponsorship responsibilities within CMA activities and the DMCC Act 2024’s digital markets regime, the government signals its commitment to fostering innovation and competition in tandem, underpinned by robust evidence, transparent governance, and accountable stewardship of public resources. As the digital economy continues to evolve, ongoing collaboration between DSIT, DBT, CMA, and other stakeholders will be essential to ensure that policy, regulation, and industry practice advance in step with technological progress and consumer needs.

July 7, 2026 at 09:30AM
企业报告：谅解备忘录：DSIT 与 DBT 之间数字市场单位治理的谅解备忘录
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/memorandum-of-understanding-governance-of-the-digital-markets-unit-between-dsit-and-dbt
本《谅解备忘录》（MoU）由科学与技术部（DSIT）与商业与贸易部（DBT）制定，阐明在竞争与市场管理局（CMA）的资助安排以及《数字市场、竞争与消费者法案（DMCC）2024》下数字市场体制中的 DSIT 角色。

阅读更多中文内容： 厘清职能边界：DSIT在CMA与数字市场监管框架中的赞助安排角色分析