SFO publishes business plan for 2025-26: Geared for the future

The 2025-26 Business Plan includes a clear focus on activities to develop specialist staff’s expertise in terms of AI and other modern tools available to them. This also includes training on new cryptoasset capabilities, greater investment in covert operational capacity, and adoption of an up-to-date case management system.

A core outcome of the Business Plan is the development of a highly specialised and engaged workforce. Key outputs include the launch of a people strategy, a framework defining the SFO employee experience, upskilling managers to better support teams, delivery of an EDI plan, and the development of clear career pathways for critical roles.

To support more effective use of technology, the SFO will deliver several initiatives, including a Data Driven Review project to improve large-scale document reviews and ensuring that security is embedded within technology. The SFO is also updating its technology roadmap to reflect further opportunities for the use of AI.

The Business Plan outlines a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening the SFO’s intelligence, enforcement and prevention functions. These include the delivery of a prevention programme, the creation of an asset confiscation enforcement team, enhanced investigation and surveillance capabilities, and the introduction of a whistleblower incentivisation programme.

The SFO plans to implement projects aimed at enhancing the justice system in the UK and abroad. These will entail the SFO hosting a 2026-27 international economic crime event, development of a secondment programme, and promotion of the failure to prevent fraud offence among others.

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