Overview
An 8-week targeted course empowering digital financial services stakeholders to promote competition, tackle market barriers and drive inclusive innovation across key focus areas.
Next cohort: 18 May to 19 July 2026.
Duration: 9 weeks, 5-6 hours per week, self-paced online learning.
Format: online course followed by tailored technical assistance interventions.
Language: English.
Explore the course
Overview
This tailored, comprehensive course explores the critical role of competition in digital financial services (DFS) in promoting innovation and inclusive growth. Designed to increase capacity and knowledge on competition in DFS, the course equips DFS ecosystem stakeholders with the tools to identify competition barriers, in collaboration with public and financial authorities from their country.
You will develop the expertise to conceptualise, design and implement competition-enabling initiatives, enhancing your effectiveness and impact within your respective institutions and jurisdictions. Selected participants will also receive dedicated Technical Assistance in order to support implementation of pro-competition initiatives in their market.
The course is specifically designed for public and financial authorities, including central banks, government ministries, financial regulators, competition authorities, sectoral regulators, and related agencies – for institutions in low- and middle-income countries.
Focus areas
The course covers foundational concepts in competition, with a spotlight on four critical and interrelated areas presenting intensifying competition challenges in DFS:
- Digital Payments and Digital Money
- Digital Credit and Access to Finance
- Open Banking and Open Finance
- BigTech and Artificial Intelligence
Geographic focus
Although the course draws on globally applicable insights, it has been thoughtfully designed to meet the specific needs and contexts of professionals working in low- and middle-income countries. At this stage, participation is limited to individuals residing in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya and Indonesia.
All learning materials and post-course engagement are crafted with these regions in mind, ensuring relevance and impact.
Interested but not eligible yet?
If you’re located outside the countries listed above and would like to be considered for future cohorts, we invite you to express your interest. This allows us to keep you updated as the programme evolves and expands to new regions.
Topics
- Introduction: Introduction and welcome
- Module 1: Foundations of DFS and Competition
- Module 2: Barriers to Effective Competition in DFS and Financial Inclusion
- Module 3: Regulators and Public Authorities: their Role and Powers to Promote DFS Competition
- Module 4: Overview of Competition Toolkits
- Module 5: Digital Payments and Digital Money
- Module 6: Digital Credit and Access to Finance
- Module 7: Open Banking and Open Finance
- Module 8: BigTech and AI
Benefits
Embark on an enriching 8-week online journey with the Leveraging Competition for Innovation and Inclusive Growth course. This course offers:
- live guest lectures from senior regulators, industry leaders, international organisations, and academics
- country-specific workshops to foster cross-institutional learning and collaboration
- hands-on tutorials involving participants from multiple countries
- capstone projects developed with guidance from CCAF tutors
You will:
- access tailored content and activities focused on selected countries, to maximise relevance and applicability
- acquire industry-leading knowledge and insights from global experts
- access the global Regulator Knowledge Exchange community platform
- develop a capstone project to drive impact within your institution and country
- earn a prestigious Certificate of Completion from Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education, University of Cambridge
Who should attend
Target audience
Public and financial authorities: central banks, government ministries, financial authorities, competition authorities and sectoral regulators.
Geographic focus
While the curriculum is globally relevant, it is tailored to address the unique challenges and opportunities in low- and middle-income countries. Staff from public and financial authorities in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya and Indonesia are particularly welcome to register their interest.
All course content and follow-on activities are specifically tailored for professionals from these countries.
Academic insight
The course is overseen by leading experts and academics from the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance, Cambridge Judge Business School and draws on insights from global experts on the topics of digital financial services, financial regulation and competition policy.
Register your interest
Register your interest by 8 May for our upcoming course that runs 18 May to 19 July 2026.
Note: we warmly encourage you to register your interest, even if you are not currently based in one of the qualifying countries.
Next cohort starts:
18 May
2026
Register interest by 8 May.