Statistical Notice 2026/04 - BEEDS User Acceptance Testing (UAT) Environment – Statistical Taxonomy v1.3.1 FINAL
Executive Summary
The Bank of England has opened a new BEEDS User Acceptance Testing (UAT) window (02–12 June 2026) to allow statistical reporting firms and software houses to test submissions under the Bank of England Statistics Taxonomy v1.3.1 ahead of go‑live for end‑May 2026 data due from mid‑June 2026. This matters for compliance teams because firms must ensure their reporting systems can generate valid XBRL submissions without the Bank’s Statistical Utility Tool, segregate test and live data correctly, and meet reporting deadlines using the updated taxonomy and BEEDS processes.
What Changed
- - The Bank of England has opened a BEEDS UAT environment specifically for testing statistical submissions under Statistical Taxonomy v1.3.1 FINAL, distinct from the BEEDS LIVE production environment.
- A dedicated UAT window is set from 02 June to 12 June 2026, during which the UAT environment will run in parallel with live reporting for some firms and returns.
- Statistical reporting firms are automatically enabled for BEEDS UAT using their existing BEEDS LIVE firm and user information and do not need to request UAT access.
- Software houses that wish to use this UAT window must request access by emailing the BEEDS queries mailbox by a stated cut‑off date (25 May 2026).
- All principal and additional user details for firms will be mirrored from the BEEDS LIVE environment into BEEDS UAT, with UAT‑specific temporary passwords issued from the designated BEEDS UAT email address.
- Access credentials for BEEDS UAT are segregated from BEEDS LIVE, and access to UAT does not confer or modify access rights to the LIVE environment.
Suggested Considerations
- Identify all Bank of England statistical returns in scope of Taxonomy v1.3.1 and confirm that internal reporting calendars and responsibilities reflect the end‑May 2026 effective period and mid‑June 2026 submission deadlines.
- Ensure that all in‑scope statistical reporting firms’ BEEDS LIVE user and firm information are accurate and up to date, so that automatic mirroring into the BEEDS UAT environment creates correct and controlled user profiles.
- Instruct software houses and third‑party vendors supporting Bank of England statistical reporting to request BEEDS UAT access by emailing the BEEDS queries mailbox no later than 25 May 2026 if they intend to participate in this UAT window.
- Coordinate with internal IT and vendors to schedule, prepare, and execute test submissions in BEEDS UAT between 02 June and 12 June 2026, covering all relevant entry points and reporting scenarios under Taxonomy v1.3.1.
- Implement or validate an alternative XBRL generation solution to replace the withdrawn Bank of England Statistical Utility Tool, and complete end‑to‑end testing (source data to BEEDS receipt) ahead of the mid‑June 2026 live submission deadline.
- Establish clear operational procedures and access controls to prevent live production data from being submitted to BEEDS UAT and to ensure all mandatory live returns during the UAT window are routed correctly through BEEDS LIVE.
Key Dates
Compliance Impact
The immediate compliance risk is operational and reporting‑accuracy related: failure to implement and test Taxonomy v1.3.1 and alternative XBRL tooling increases the likelihood of rejected filings, late submissions, or mis‑reported statistical data. Persistent defects or missed deadlines may trigger supervisory attention, remediation expectations, and potential prudential concerns about data quali
Who is Affected
References
AI-generated analysis. May contain errors or omissions — verify with the original BoE source before acting. Full disclaimer.
Summary
Statistical Notices update the definitions and guidance contained in the Banking Statistics Yellow Folder