Coordinating flexibility: the market facilitator blueprint
- Publication type:
- Consultation
- Status:
- Closed (with decision)
- Publication date:
- Last updated:
- Closed date:
- Topic:
- Electricity transmission, Electricity distribution, National Energy System Operator (NESO)
- Industry sector:
- Distribution Network,
- Transmission Network
- Licence type:
- Electricity System Operator Licence,
- Electricity Distribution Licence
Related links
- Decision on future of local energy institutions and governance
- Decision: Market facilitator delivery body
- Decision: flexibility market asset registration
- Decision: market facilitator policy framework
- Proposed licence conditions to support the operation of the market facilitator
- Market Facilitator Governance Framework Document 2026 to 2028
We sought views on draft governance and regulatory documents to set up the Market Facilitator.
Details of outcome
We received 18 responses in total from a range of stakeholders, including all Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), National Energy System Operator (NESO), Elexon, several suppliers and a trade association.
Our decision sets out our consultation position, stakeholder views and our rationale for any changes we are making to the documents we consulted on. We are making small changes to the Governance Framework Document and Impact Assessment and very minor changes to the licence changes (to address formatting issues and typos).
Our decision also includes the direction to Elexon to move from Market Facilitator Implementation Services to Operational Services. In practice this means that the Market Facilitator will go-live on 12 December 2025, the day after publication of this decision.
Read the full outcome
Original consultation
Consultation description
We are publishing a suite of consultation documents to implement the regulatory changes required to set up the Market Facilitator and support its operation.
The Market Facilitator is a new role, to be delivered by Elexon, with a mandate to standardise local flexibility markets and align with national flexibility markets.
The overarching consultation (main link below) provides an overview of the overall consultation package, summarising each of the documents and setting out the consultation questions. The key documents we are seeking input on are:
- a draft governance document that sets out Elexon’s roles and responsibilities as Market Facilitator
- a draft impact assessment
- new licence conditions for NESO and DNOs to support the operation of the Market Facilitator (published as a statutory consultation)
The statutory consultation proposes licence changes to support the operation of the Market Facilitator. The proposed licence changes were previously articulated in a policy consultation held between 10 July 2025 and 8 August 2025.
We are also publishing an open letter setting out our decision on Elexon’s proposed governance arrangements for the Market Facilitator.
Consultation documents
Related links
- Decision on future of local energy institutions and governance
- Decision: Market facilitator delivery body
- Decision: flexibility market asset registration
- Decision: market facilitator policy framework
- Proposed licence conditions to support the operation of the market facilitator
- Market Facilitator Governance Framework Document 2026 to 2028
All updates
11 December 2025 decision document and supporting annexes and responses uploaded