Meeting Aims:

1. Demonstrate synthetic data
2. Perseus agentic update
3. Look ahead to 2027

Summary:

It was agreed that:

• Following the successful deployment of the sandbox and integration by multiple participants, a lower demand for technical decision-making means that AG2 will move towards predominantly demand-led engagement in 2027, with targeted questions and short calls where needed rather than a standing quarterly meeting.

It was noted that:

• IB1 had generated predictable synthetic energy readings from the OpenSynth/Faraday v5 dataset for four test scenarios, covering dates from January 2020 to December 2028. External and internal incidents remained planned additions.
• The demo energy provider’s data has been extended to cover a full year of electricity readings and added gas readings derived using Ofgem data.
• CO2 Target had built a Perseus-readiness prototype using AI coding agents in just half a day.
• A separate agent-built CAP client took IB1 approximately 40 minutes; the app and prompt were made available on GitHub.
• A certificate viewer was available to show certificate attributes, directory links, issuer and validity information.
• The stated 2027 priorities were end-to-end SME financial-product case studies, a first technical integration by a financial service provider, and exploration of domestic use cases.

It was discussed that:

• The synthetic-data specification could be extended to provide data in SmartDCC’s data format
• SmartDCC and SDR data each has relative advantages: SDR could provide rapid retrieval of stored data for carbon reporting, while SmartDCC remained a route for most-recent data fetched from the meter
• Perseus should include an assurance signal for SDR-originated data when it becomes available in 2027
• SDR’s proposed aggregated-data capability raised a question about evidence of entitlement to data across multiple buildings
• CCS compatibility and consent needed to be considered. Perseus requires evidence of consent and specified permission text, while members provide assurance about compliance with applicable energy-sector consent requirements. Using CCS accreditation to reduce duplicate onboarding was raised as a possible approach, not a decision.

Next meeting : TBC

Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat. 

These are confidential to the Advisory Group Members.

Meeting Aims:

1. To introduce all participants 
2. To establish ways of working and expectations
3. To introduce and discuss work to date on the I&C Flex use case
4. To establish the agenda for the next meeting alongside the areas for prioritisation for the next six months

Summary:

It was agreed that:

• members would send suggestions for additional stakeholders and end users through Icebreaker One before making direct approaches, to avoid duplicating outreach.
• members could add future use-case ideas to the shared log and provide further comments when the minutes were circulated.

It was noted that:

• discovery research has engaged more than 80 people across 51 organisations, but direct engagement with industrial and commercial (I&C) end users remains difficult.
• the proposed problem statement was that I&C businesses lack the trusted data needed to build robust business cases for flexibility participation. The two proposed use cases were accelerating access to diverse, cost-effective finance for flexibility-enabling technologies, and better evidencing the carbon impact of flexibility actions for ESG and corporate decarbonisation purposes.
• a decision on the UKRI Consumer-Led Flexibility Fund application is expected by 28 October 2026, however, the programme will continue in some form regardless of the outcome.
• a concern was raised that the project could lose its data-sharing focus if it tried to address every barrier to I&C participation.
• the group planned to meet quarterly, with the next meeting expected 21st January 2027.

It was discussed that:

• the draft problem statement prompted questions about whether the required data does not yet exist, or exists but is not reaching I&C businesses.
• the business case for flexibility could consider:
  • the value of assets across different markets and the disruption involved in installing them;
  • whether available revenue forecasts extend far enough to support investment decisions, although the appropriate forecast horizon remains open.
• further direct engagement with I&C end users could help establish what data they need. The commercial sector and geographically distributed businesses were identified as underserved.
• case studies were suggested to help I&C customers understand opportunities and potential revenue. Relevant ESG-reporting work and existing data-sharing standards were raised separately as possible areas to explore.

Next meeting: Thursday 21 January 2027

Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat. 

These are confidential to the Advisory Group Members.

Meeting Aims: 

1. Update members on SPV and milestone progress made since the last meeting
2. Deeper discussions and alignment on key SPV priority areas raised in the last SG

Summary:

• It was agreed that:
  • the next SG should be postponed until the anticipated consultations on the Digitalisation Coordination Function and Architectural Reference Framework have been released.
• It was noted that:
  • further consultation activity on the Digitalisation Coordination Function and the Architectural Reference Framework is is anticipated later in 2026, scheduled to be November/December.
  • the Smart Data Repository is continuing to be developed, with work on licence conditions by Ofgem and a review of security identified as key areas of work.
  • the SPV is a proposed, rather than agreed, route to provide an independent, cross-sector coordination model while retaining Data Domain Coordinator representation and expertise in governance.
  • the future coordination model remains under development.
  • it would be useful to test a number of the aspects that had been discussed through individual one to one engagement with SG members, preceded by a “pulse survey” as a simple way to gauge views.
• It was discussed that:
  • the Digitalisation Coordinator would need to balance deep domain expertise with credible independence, including management of both actual and perceived conflicts of interest.
  • there may be a need for cross-sector and cross-domain coordination where data journeys, trust frameworks, and associated legal, identity and security requirements extend beyond individual energy data domains.
  • clear roles, remit boundaries, decision rights, escalation routes and dispute-resolution processes are needed between Data Domain Coordinators and the future Digitalisation Coordination Function, to avoid duplicated activity.
  • behavioural safeguards, including ring-fencing and ethical walls, were raised as possible ways to manage conflicts. The discussion did not conclude whether these would provide sufficient independence without a separate legal structure.
  • a cross-cutting, use-case-led approach could help address data needs that are not clearly covered by the current domain model.
  • Trust frameworks may need to support alignment across sectors while reflecting differences in data sensitivity, security and access requirements.
  • the SPV’s funding, governance, implementation approach and pace of establishment require further consideration.
  • the value case for coordination should consider both costs and benefits, recognising that the benefits of data governance can be difficult to quantify directly.

Next meeting: TBC

Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat. 

These are confidential to the Steering Group Members.

Meeting Aims

1. Summarise and endorse Q4 outcomes alongside members expectations 
2. Endorse the transition process and timeframe

Summary:

• It was agreed that:
  • consensus will be used as the decision threshold for the transition decisions, with general agreement and minor reservations permitted, awaiting final endorsement from members.
  • a concise value proposition based on the discussion should be developed for members to use in internal conversations.
  • ‘Esri AI’ tool recommendation is to not enable the tool at this stage, based on member AI-policy considerations, uncertain future pricing and the balance of benefits and risks.
  • the proposal to move to managed WordPress and Hotjar had support across all forums.
• It was noted that:
  • AG1 has begun discussion on what “value” means for Stream and the future direction of use case work, with further development planned through Open October.
  • Q4 outcomes include readiness for the 2027 engagement strategy, iteration of the data-sharing governance framework, technical readiness for the new website, and transition planning.
  • new website work will start in Q4, with launch hoped for in Q1 2027.
  • existing collaboration agreements end in August 2028, requiring a transition to an enduring arrangement before then.
  • next Steering Group is on 27 October, with the transition-options decision proposed for 1 December.
• It was discussed that:
  • member input for completing Q3 projects may be greater than estimated, and that delivery is subject to external dependencies.
  • executive sponsor involvement at Open October is important to ensure that the 2027 strategy is deliverable and appropriately resourced.
  • members should identify the appropriate internal procurement, finance and senior stakeholders early, to avoid blockers to the transition process.
  • a transition working group is proposed to evaluate options and make a recommendation to the Steering Group, with volunteers sought from member organisations.
  • Stream was described as “supporting consistent open-data practice, common standards, usable metadata and licensing, national coverage, and collaboration across the sector”.

Next meeting: Tuesday 27 October 10:00-12:00 BST

Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat. 

These are confidential to the Steering Group Members.

Meeting Aims

1. Summarise Q4 outcomes and the expectations on members 
2. Members to endorse the technical requirements for website development 
3. Explore solutions to NAV boundaries development to allow for further feasibility research

It was agreed that:

• Item 4: Website technical requirements + roadmap
  • the proposed website tooling could proceed to the next stage of approval.
• Item 8: Esri AI tools  
  • ESRI’s new AI features should not be turned on at this stage.
  • if ESRI AI features are reconsidered in future, the decision should return through AG2 and steering group.

It was noted that:

• Item 3: Q3 outcomes progress
  • progress has been made on this quarter’s outcomes
• Item 4: Website technical requirements + roadmap
  • the proposed website redevelopment would move the front end to a managed WordPress setup, while keeping the existing data portal unchanged.
    • the website cost would be covered by savings from the previous ESRI renewal, with no additional cost to members. 
    • the new website would also support future communications, engagement and commercial activity beyond the data portal.
• Items 5-7: Q4 outcome proposal
  • the proposed Q4 outcomes would be revised to reflect member feedback before returning for endorsement.
• Item 9: NAV boundaries
  • the NAV boundaries dataset remains important to users, but Ofwat is no longer maintaining it in the same way.
• Item 10: Change champion request
  • members were asked to complete the endorsement form and were invited to sign up as change champions.

It was discussed that:

• Item 4: Website technical requirements + roadmap
  • the new website tools raised some issues including analytics and security considerations.
    • The issues that were discussed included:
      • Limited visibility of user activity within the existing data portal.
      • Options for embedding ESRI visualisations to provide a more seamless user journey.
      • Where supporting information for datasets should sit across the website and data portal.
      • The proposed security arrangements for the managed WordPress setup.
• Item 8: Esri AI tools
  • further work would be needed to decide whether contextual content and ESRI visualisations should sit within the website, the portal, or across both.
• Item 9: NAV boundaries
  • further options for handling NAV boundaries would need to be explored following the change in Ofwat’s approach.

Meeting Aims:

1. Summarise Q4 outcomes
2. Gauge sentiment towards outcomes and expectations on members
3. Reflecting on the year so far to define the right ambition level for 2027

Summary:

It was agreed that:

• Q3 outcomes were broadly on track, and the updated website timeline would continue through Q4 and Q1 with a target launch at Open Data Day in March.
• feedback from the session would be taken away and shared with all team members and co-chairs so that it could inform Q4 and 2027 delivery.
• recruitment for the next cohort of Change Champions will proceed through the usual channels.

It was noted that:

• the website refresh has been delayed due to additional tooling due diligence.
• the AI readiness work was expected to result mainly in smaller metadata changes rather than major schema changes.
• delivery during 2026 had been affected by changing priorities, delayed funding, and limited team capacity.
• a significant part of the meeting focused on where Stream delivers most value for members and whether the current balance between commercial work and broader open data ambitions is the right one.
  • Some members weren’t sure what to expect from their Stream membership.
• there was a question around the current model and whether the team size is sufficient to deliver the level of ambition being discussed.

It was discussed that:

• there’s a risk of losing momentum if too few new datasets are published.
• a lightweight and continuous approach to publishing datasets alongside the current use case process could be supported, to maintain momentum and enable more organic open data release.
• membership fees could be framed around the value delivered rather than around keeping costs low.
• there’s a challenge of supporting members who are at very different stages of open data maturity.
• individual stakeholder turnover within member organisations means the case for Stream and its value may need to be repeatedly restated within organisations.
• it is important to consider value for external innovators and other non-member users of the data, not only member organisations.

Next meeting: Thursday 24 September 2026 10:00-11:30 BST

Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat. 

These are confidential to the Advisory Group Members.

Meeting Aims 

1. Update on the roadmap, AGs and DOC
2. Discuss engagement and tactics for Perseus
3. Plan a 2026 gathering

Summary:

• It was agreed that:
  • Five live case studies remain the year-end delivery target.
  • The Perseus for Domestic briefing note will be circulated
  • Innovation workshops with individual members will be explored as a complement to the top-down engagement approach.
  • AG4 will build a joined-up coalition narrative, including what it means for end customers
• It was noted that:
  • Xero has joined as a new member alongside Intuit and Sage, giving the ecosystem combined reach to over 1 million SMEs.
  • 2026 roadmap milestones are broadly on track, albeit with FSP case studies slow, but progress is being made. Q3 priorities include agreeing interoperability with Open Banking.
  • Palace of Westminster events are planned for the autumn with a sponsor secured: a build-up session in a committee room and a larger terrace event.
  • AG1 highlighted the need to resolve marketing permissions, embed finance where the customer is, and consider energy intensity as a metric.
  • AG2 highlighted sandbox improvements, better synthetic data, member-contributed datasets, and a planned autumn developer meetup focused on AI-assisted integration.
  • AG4 highlighted the need to demonstrate short-term value to members, tailor communications to different organisational priorities, and better articulate non-product value.
  • The DOC highlighted that Perseus’ financial outlook for 2026 has been revised down again, as membership commitments in principle are converting slowly to paid invoices. Prioritisation is ensuring core delivery is on track and the Perseus team is focusing on helping members deliver use cases.
• It was discussed that:
  • Identifying advanced, specific SME users who could champion Perseus use cases, would complement top-down institutional messaging with bottom-up engagement.
  • Messaging should lead with opportunity and optimism. There is scope to interlock with the Climate Hub’s existing “grow, save costs, be resilient” framing.
  • Members imagining the counter-outcome: without Perseus reaching scale, sustainable finance risks will fail to reach mass market.
  • ‘Perseus for Domestic’ could align with the Warm Homes Initiative, this is at a coalition-building and political alignment stage.

Next meeting: Monday 2 November 2026 13:00-15:00 BST

Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat. 

These are confidential to the Steering Group Members.

Meeting Aims

1. Surface levels of comfort and any concerns regarding Stream’s direction of travel to function as an independent entity
2. Clarify and identify the stakeholders required to sign off on the direction of travel
3. Agree and sign off the Open Data Maturity Assessment policy and implementation activities

Summary:

• It was agreed that:
  • Outstanding SG votes must be completed promptly, including the previous meeting’s vote on Q3 outcomes and the Open Data Maturity Assessment vote from this meeting.
    • Current voting returns remain slow, causing delays and additional burden on the IB1 Secretariat, this is particularly exacerbated during the APR period.
  • Members should review the full Open Data Maturity Assessment pack and complete the Open Data Maturity Assessment by October 2026
  • Stream will proceed with drafting the transition paper explaining the move from project to independent entity, taking note of member feedback.
  • Business development principles received no objections so the process will be embedded and tested.
  • The business development process would be updated to include Member‑led (as opposed to externally requested) use cases.
  • Price‑review points will be added to Stream’s annual calendar (Oct/Nov) to ensure that what is being charged is in line with cost to serve. These will be scheduled to align with strategy planning.
  • Stream will formalise and publish its values, and define service offerings for members vs paid users.
  • Stream will support members with procurement and internal sign‑off, preparing collateral for exec‑level conversations.
• It was noted that:
  • Q3 will be a busy quarter, covering transition roadmap, Open October, three‑year strategy, WBC bids, continuous water quality monitoring, citizen science proposition, and refreshed web presence.
  • Resource constraints exist in some companies so the Product Team will provide procedural guidance where needed.
  • Transition to an independent entity is less overhead than might be perceived – primarily a change in where money flows and how contracts are held. Two transition checkpoints will occur:
    • 2027: new entity begins receiving funds within the existing project window
    • 2028: full legal transition when the collaboration agreement ends
  • Regulatory support from Ofwat is strengthening, including alignment with wider data‑sharing initiatives and future policy guidance.
  • Stream remains an exemplar of sector collaboration with strong cross‑company engagement.
• It was discussed that:
  • Members need clearer, more regular executive‑level communication from Stream to help articulate value internally.
  • Standardised service packages and repeatable processes will reduce bespoke estimation and support scale‑up.
  • The value framework is the critical decision point for assessing incoming commercial work and is being strengthened.
  • Transition planning should consider:
    • Funding risks and minimum viable membership numbers must be understood to ensure long‑term sustainability and Stream’s future funding model must balance member contributions with grants and sponsorship, keeping base costs low and avoiding discretionary‑spend risk.
    • Future recognition of Stream as a regulated business expense could support stable funding through business plans. Stream must avoid becoming a discretionary spend, requiring strong narrative, regulatory alignment, and visible outputs.
    • Breakout groups raised concerns about procurement blockers, transition clarity, scaling, and funding gaps, all to be addressed in the transition paper.
    • Procurement due diligence will be required when Stream becomes a supplier (anti‑slavery, ethics, minimum standards).
    • Scaling considerations (e.g. citizen science) must be carefully planned to remain sustainable.
  • Suggested internal member organisation stakeholders for sign off on the transition strategy include:
    • Exec sponsor (often CIO/CDO/IT Director or Chief Engineer)
    • Procurement
    • Legal
    • Open Data Governance / Data Strategy groups

Next meeting: Tuesday 10 September 10:00-12:00 BST

Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat. 

These are confidential to the Steering Group Members.

Meeting Aims:

1. Identify how comms and engagement work can position Perseus as essential to members
2. Identify milestones and comms moments in H2

Summary:

• It was agreed that:
  • IB1 should review member communications with a view to providing more regular, digestible, value-oriented summaries for members.
  • The group should better package engagement value for members, including parliamentary events, reports, and roundtables, so value is not framed only through technical progress.
  • The group should explore convening members to discuss how they maintain internal engagement and what support helps them make the case for Perseus internally.
• It was noted that:
  • The internal case for sustainability initiatives has become harder over the past 3–4 years, with executives sometimes finding reasons not to engage.
  • Members need to see short-term value from Perseus, such as visibility, knowledge, and connection, rather than only a long-term proposition.
  • The value case for Perseus needs to be calibrated to each member organisation’s priorities, which differ across firms.
• It was discussed that:
  • Perseus should position itself as business-critical and “must-have” for members.
  • There is a need for Perseus to equip members to sell the proposition internally with evidence of immediate value and organisation-specific messaging.
  • Perseus could seek to build more external prestige. Co-branding with members’ research, events, and outputs might help.
  • Perseus-convened roundtables with micro-businesses were a practical benefit for many members.

Next meeting: Thursday 8th October 2026 10:00-10:40 BST

Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat. 

These are confidential to the Advisory Group Members.

Meeting Aims: 

1. Present the proposal: what good looks like for a digital coordination entity
2. Collectively discuss a responsible body for the coordination entity
3. Seek guidance on whether to present this proposal as from Open Energy or a new independent vehicle

Summary:

• It was agreed that:
  • As the group had previously highlighted, a digital coordination layer is essential to fill the governance gap between strategic oversight and technical delivery.
  • AG1 requires a co‑chair – members should nominate themselves or colleagues.
  • IB1 will produce a synthesis paper capturing the discussion on digital coordination entity options, including SPV model.
• It was noted that:
  • Scope definition must come before deciding the organisational form of the coordination entity. Multiple members emphasised that the role, remit and success criteria for the role must be clear before choosing a responsible body.
  • The domain coordinators (NESO, RECCo, Elexon) have been working closely together but it was acknowledged that the transparency of this work is currently limited, and greater visibility would be helpful.
  • Security considerations are not expressly called out in the digitalisation coordination function slide and must be incorporated.
  • Furthermore, decarbonisation alone is not a sufficient mission framing; consumer value, affordability, and security of supply should also be considered.
  • Getting the balance of independence vs domain knowledge is critical for any future coordination entity to address conflicts and ensure practical understanding.
  • Independence might be able to be achieved through behavioural measures, such as business separation within an organisation, rather than different entities.
  • Cross‑sector learnings (open banking, open property, smart data) provide valuable patterns for governance, trust frameworks, and scheme design.
  • Ofgem/DESNZ are expected to consult on the digitalisation coordination function by the end of 2026.
  • The I&C flexibility use case discovery phase and event on 17th June concluded positively, revealing clear user needs and gaps.
  • Quarterly goals work is progressing and will continue with Q3 focus on preparation for the AGM and progressing AG1/AG2 ramp up.
  • Open Energy’s analytical approach is welcomed, provided it helps frame consultation questions rather than prematurely prescribing an answer.
• It was discussed that:
  • A “good” digital coordination entity should include:
    • Secretariat capability;
    • Monitoring & evaluation;
    • Enforcement (complex, likely shared with Ofgem/DESNZ).
  • Representation and observer roles should be considered, including:
    • Security organisations;
    • Supply chain actors;
    • Flexibility service providers.
  • There is a need for a tighter feedback loop between coordination, delivery bodies, and standards.
  • Interoperability is essential, both within the energy sector and cross‑sector, and avoiding “reinventing the wheel”.
  • There could be turbulence in the market if multiple organisations put themselves forward to host the coordination function.
  • Funding models and trust frameworks are required for any coordinating layer to operate effectively.
  • Decisive decision‑making is becoming urgent, given market movement and upcoming regulatory consultations.

Next meeting: Tuesday 8 September 2026 14:00-15:30 BST

Meeting Aims:

1. Illustrate the SME journey to a loan 
2. Update members on FCA and Perseus for Domestic discussions
3. Endorse initiative to reduce friction for SMEs to prove their address 

Summary:

It was agreed that:

• Immediate focus remains on real-world SME case studies and proving that banks can implement Perseus with their customers.
• While the business case for Perseus is clear (as per 2024 and 2025 annual reports), the internal investment cases must show material progress from the Perseus Members
• The Secretariat will continue to engage with the FCA, including preparing an updated briefing note on the potential impact of regulatory clarification.
• A working group will be formed to explore ways to streamline SME smart data access.

It was noted that:

• Perseus has been featured in DBT’s Smart Data Strategy. Discussions with DBT are positive and ongoing.
• The FCA has indicated that it can explore the potential of becoming an observer on the Perseus SG.
• From a measurement methodology perspective, there is a need for a minimum-viable, harmonised carbon intensity metric (potentially linked to revenue or EBITDA) that would meet baselining needs, but not compete with existing industry and commercial scoring models.

It was discussed that:

• From a regulatory perspective, a tension has been identified between the potential interpretation of FCA rules and banks’ perceived ability to proactively reach out to customers on climate finance. Members discussed the potential  impacting of this on the perceived size of the addressable market. This discussion helped frame inputs into the briefing note.
• From an impact perspective, smart meter data could support broader customer engagement: nudges, insights, and efficiency recommendations, not just finance offers.
• From an opportunity perspective, there is potential for Perseus (for SMEs) to expand into the domestic market (Perseus for Domestic), potential links with the Warm Homes Plan.

Next meeting: Monday 12 October 2026 10:00-11:30 BST

Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat. 

These are confidential to the Advisory Group Members.

Meeting Aims:

1. Discuss member requirements for synthetic data in the Perseus sandbox
2. Evaluate what requirements existing for sandbox testing
3. Introduce and get feedback on the idea of a dev meetup

Summary:

It was agreed that:

• The Perseus team will formalise the existing readiness-check component into something members can use to demonstrate their integration is tested and working, building on roadmap work already under way.
• an autumn session will be organised, potentially in hackathon format, exploring how the sandbox could support AI coding agents and establishing what currently works.
• AG2 will set up a working group to design a structured approach for extending organisation role information held in the Directory, such as what data an energy data provider can supply.

It was noted that:

• The sandbox exists to let members verify their integration, build confidence ahead of live deployment, and test what cannot be tested in isolation, including correct handling of error responses. Out of scope: simulating system failures, load and performance testing, and standard authentication flows already covered elsewhere.
• Several candidate synthetic data sets exist: the Centre for Net Zero’s Faraday V5 (fully synthetic, modelled on real consumption with property and location parameters), the London Datastore (smaller, built to compare tariff changes), and Open Power System Data (domestic and small business consumption, though needing adaptation for Perseus).

It was discussed that:

• Smart data sharing is front of mind for one member, who described the market as blocked and in need of help to move forward.
• The suggestion that progress requires ICO enforcement or new legislation was not considered to be the best solution, as it relies on intervention from outside the market rather than action within it.
• Data protection uncertainty is often used as a reason to avoid progress altogether. Greater assurance on this point could remove a common blocker to engagement.
• There are concerns that RECCo’s purpose-agnostic approach to data sharing sits in tension with GDPR principles on the scope of permission granted.

Next meeting: Tuesday 6 October 2026 10:00-11:00 BST

Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat. 

These are confidential to the Advisory Group Members.

Meeting Aims 

1. Outcomes reviewed and endorsed
2. Direction set for Q4 2026 and beyond

Summary:

• It was agreed (subject to the formal voting form to follow) that:
  • Members must respond to the previous meeting’s votes as soon as possible.
  • Members accept the need to transition Stream to a more robust legal footing as a separate legal entity, provided identity and continuity are preserved.
  • Members support the website redevelopment roadmap and direction of travel.
  • Members should ensure their EIR teams are directing people to Stream.
• It was noted that:
  • Environmental Information Requests (EIRs) have a perceived increase despite proactive data publishing, possibly due to more AI‑generated requests – this should be monitored.
  • Stream’s progress is sometimes constrained by external dependencies (e.g., CReDO/CaSTCo) and should focus more on outcomes within its control.
  • Stream BAU has varying needs, maturity and internal awareness in water companies.
  • Ofwat is increasing its focus on AI adoption, regulatory reform, and potential AI sandboxes
    • The Stream team will follow up regarding AI in Stream’s roadmap, the potential for Stream to be used as a sandbox and involving Ofwat in Stream’s data sharing governance review
  • Transitioning to an independent entity could unlock grant funding, agility, and reduced corporate friction.
• It was discussed that:
  • The website redesign should better articulate Stream’s value, feel more “alive,” and improve sector engagement.
  • EIR standardisation could reduce burden, improve efficiency, and support open data pathways and conformity to regulations, however, cost savings may be limited.
  • There is a need for 1‑1 conversations with each member company to understand readiness, BAU status, and internal decision pathways.
  • It is important to articulate what happens if the legal transition does not occur, i.e. “the lights go off” – what will the impact to internal business cases be?
  • There are growing opportunities in cross‑sector use cases (health, agrifood, energy) and secure research environments.
  • Stream needs to manage the risk from multiple innovation bids requiring Stream’s support simultaneously where resources are limited.
  • lessons learned from other sectors (e.g. energy, banking, finance, smart data) should be taken into account to facilitate Stream’s next phase to move at pace. Lessons include the tensions between building tech vs building market incentives, regulatory under/over-reach and delivery of frameworks at a reasonable cost that are both adopted and used by the market.

Next meeting: Tuesday 14 July 10:00-12:00 BST

Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat. 

These are confidential to the Steering Group Members.

Meeting Aims:

1. Discuss proposed SG member communication support
2. Gather AG4 advice and feedback on how to communicate the Perseus legal contract to members

It was agreed that:

• IB1 will revise the legal scheme structure slides to reflect the feedback from the group on the communications framing for the Perseus legal contract discussion.
• The revised version of the deck will be shared as an update at the next meeting rather than returning to this group for further review.
• The July meeting should be moved later in the month, extended to one hour, and positioned as a pre-summer wrap-up, with no meeting to be held in August.

It was noted that:

• Progress had been made in refining the approach to SG member engagement, including a shift from a one-size-fits-all approach to a more bespoke model of support for target organisations.
• The priority SG member targets remain the Federation of Small Businesses, British Chambers of Commerce, and Institute of Directors, reflecting their broad reach across UK business audiences.
• The legal contract communications material is intended to support more than one audience, including legal teams and wider senior or operational stakeholders within member organizations.
• The current visual presentation of the legal contract content appeared process-heavy and may be difficult for non-technical audiences to navigate.

It was discussed that:

• Efforts to mobilise SG members to use their voice to endorse and credentialise Perseus were underway, including the intention to produce tailored one-page briefs and build stronger relationships with communications teams over the summer.
• While legal review is an important part of the process, the broader value proposition for organisations lies in the opportunity to influence rules, implementation, and future scheme development.
• Communications materials should lead more clearly with the “why” and intended outcome, with clearer explanation of component parts and less reliance on process-led diagrams.
• Whether communications could be strengthened through references to existing precedents such as open banking, smart data schemes, and wider government direction of travel.

Next meeting: Thursday July 9th 2026 10:00-11:00 BST

Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat. 

These are confidential to the Advisory Group Members.

Meeting Aims:

1. Create a clear set of recommendations for the SG members in regards to the upcoming outcomes
2. Endorse Q3 outcomes
3. Review and comment on the new website outline

Summary:

It was agreed that:

• A website testing group should be set up, with interested members invited to register by email.
• The outcomes for the two pillars would be presented as a high level summary to Steering Group:
  • Use Cases and Datasets this quarter will focus on aligning data standards for priority use cases, so members are ready for adoption and data publishing while keeping delivery as far as possible within Stream’s control.
  • Ecosystem this quarter will focus on strengthening Stream’s visibility and stakeholder engagement, including a refreshed web presence, to support the transition toward an independent entity.

It was noted that:

• Several Q2 outcomes have been deferred because they depend on external projects outside Stream’s control, including:
  • CReDO has clarified the scope but funding confirmation is still outstanding
  • CaSTCo – a response on next steps is still pending
• APR is making strong progress in Q2
• The data portal would remain on ESRI for now, while the website front end would be rebuilt separately.

It was discussed that:

• There is a tension between Stream’s convening role, which depends on external partners, and the need to set outcomes that are within Stream’s control.
• Future outcomes may need to focus more on readiness and responsiveness, rather than on external milestones.
• Website content and navigation should better show Stream’s value, services, products, governance, and impact.
• The distinction between active use cases and retrospective case studies was useful and should be reflected clearly on the website.

Next meeting: Thursday 25 June 2026 10:00-11:30 BST

Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat. 

These are confidential to the Advisory Group Members.

Date: Tuesday 19 May 2026 10:00-11:30 BST

Secretariat: Icebreaker One 

Meeting Aims

1. Understand the Open Data/EIR situation and agree how to work with EIR teams. 
2. Create a clear set of recommendations for the SG members in regards to the upcoming outcomes

Summary:

• It was agreed that:
  • The outcomes for the two pillars would be presented as a high level summary to Steering Group: 
    • Data Sharing Governance will focus on establishing a sector adopted, standardised data sharing governance framework and the implementation of it for one use case
    • Technology will focus on delivering the design phase of CWQM development and redesigning and deploying Stream’s new website.
• It was noted that:
  • Work relating to citizen science data with CaSTCo was reported as deferred due to delays on the project side.
  • Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) requests were perceived to be increasing across water companies.
  • The top EIR request themes for 2025 were reported as water quality and chemicals, wastewater and pollution events, assets and infrastructure, water resources, and requests relating to particular places, assets or incidents.
  • There was concern that Stream data may be generating additional requests, despite the intention that published data should reduce handling effort.
  • AI-generated requests may be contributing to increased request volume and complexity.
  • Users may have varying levels of data literacy, affecting their ability to interpret published datasets.
• It was discussed that:
  • A survey or engagement approach should be developed with EIR teams to understand whether requests are increasing, whether Stream is affecting volumes, and what support would help those teams.
  • Any survey should likely be short, standardized, and possibly complemented by face-to-face conversations.
  • Useful metrics could include request volumes, request handling times, whether requests were closed more quickly using Stream data, and whether requests were prompted by existing Stream datasets.
  • A more standardised industry approach to EIR requests may be worth exploring, while recognising that responses would still be managed by individual companies.

Next meeting: Tuesday 30 June 2026 10:00-11:30 BST

Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat. 

These are confidential to the Advisory Group Members.

Meeting Aims 

1. Review the emergent use cases and Perseus as a proof point
2. Agree on the go to market plan and addressable market
3. How to engage FCA to turn greenwashing regulation into an opportunity
4. Ensure our communications are consistent and reflect an agreed collective position

Summary:

• It was agreed that:
  • Perseus should continue its focus on ‘doing one thing well’ in 2026: delivering 5 SME case studies by the end of 2026.
  • The Q3 meeting (July 27th) will act as a key checkpoint ahead of the November meeting to assess whether year-end case study delivery is on track.
  • ‘Perseus for Domestic’ should be explored in a contained way so it does not distract from the core SME focus.
  • SG members should increase communications activity on Perseus, with IB1 providing tailored support, with priority outreach to identified members.
• It was noted that:
  • The Perseus member ecosystem now includes sufficient scope and reach to support an addressable market of over 1M UK SMEs.
  • At least one FSP is actively developing a higher-rate savings product tied to verified carbon intensity reductions: this is an example of live commercial product development within the membership.
  • Early FCA conversations are positive. IB1 has submitted a briefing note and will continue to engage.
  • Additional DOC members with governance or data expertise are requested.
• It was discussed that:
  • Perseus could be extended into domestic property use cases, particularly aligned to warm homes, retrofit and open property data. This could provide a timely collaboration between the Open Property Data Association, Open Banking Limited, and Perseus.
  • A blurred line exists between domestic and business energy use for home-based and hybrid-working SMEs, and there will be sensitivities around data sharing.
  • Perseus supports different strategic and communications priorities, including energy security and affordability, resilience, transition planning, adaptation and cost-reduction.
  • The incentives for SMEs will vary based on their circumstances (e.g. cheaper finance, preserved access to capital, lower reporting burden, and combinations of these).

Next meeting: Monday 27 July 2026 13:00-15:00 BST

Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat. 

These are confidential to the Steering Group Members.

Meeting Aims: 

1. Events updates: feedback from webinar and details on next events
2. Discuss coordination of sector digitalisation
3. Update on roadmap quarterly milestones

Summary:

• It was agreed that:
  • The next Steering Group meeting will take place on 2 July 2026, and it will serve as the next working forum for the SPV discussions.
• It was noted that:
  • There has been progress since February 2026 on the industrial and commercial flexibility use case, including the delivery of a well-attended webinar.
  • The webinar covered the market need for a data-sharing scheme, the wider smart data landscape, and the challenges and opportunities for industrial and commercial participants.
  • A call was put out for two advisory groups: User needs and impact and technical implementation.
  • The wider context is rapidly evolving, with significant policy, regulatory and market developments shaping the environment for data sharing and digitalisation.
    • These include the joint Ofgem-DESNZ digitalisation vision, the March 2026 Smart Data Strategy, work on reformed national pricing, and the outcomes of the Ofgem review.
  • Architecture work is under way, with NESO leading development of an emerging baseline view in collaboration with domain coordinators, but that this is not yet a settled or complete architecture.
  • The Open Banking model was referenced as a possible example of how an SPV structure might work.
• It was discussed that:
  • There is a risk of fragmentation and lack of alignment across multiple parallel initiatives if governance, standards, consent and data access approaches are not adequately coordinated.
  • The proposed digitalisation coordination function is an important but still developing part of the landscape, and as a result its role, authority and practical operation remain uncertain.
  • There is a central question around whether Open Energy should operate in future through an independent nonprofit SPV structure, though no conclusion was reached.
  • If Open Energy were to play a future role, it is important to define where it could add value. Potential areas of value could include standards coordination, stewardship of shared semantic approaches, neutral convening between industry and regulators, Trust Framework implementation without holding data, and cross-sector coordination.

Next meeting: Thursday 2 July 2026 14:30-16:00 BST

Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat. 

These are confidential to the Steering Group Members.

Meeting Aims:

1. Orientate for 2026
2. Agree workshops
3. Review market based carbon accounting concept

Summary:

It was agreed that:

• The Perseus team will circulate endorsable statements reflecting the positive intent and direction discussed, for communication to members and escalation to the steering group.

It was noted that:

• The commercial workshop produced positive outcomes, with EDPs willing to work on commercial terms, CAPs ready to scale and integrate, and FSPs continuing to see an active market.
• There are specific areas where regulatory and government engagement could help reduce friction in the current landscape that Perseus can assist with.
• Progress has been made on identifying lighthouse SME customer case studies, with both FSPs and CAPs

It was discussed that:

• Narrow, targeted case studies are needed first to generate proof points before broader scaling across the community.
• Typical delivery timelines are around two to three months for relatively straightforward use cases and around six months for more advanced ones.
• Water could be a possible next area of focus, with the view that it may be more accessible than agriculture in the near term, while agriculture remains important but highly complex.
• Exploration of extending a version of Perseus to the domestic market should be taken forward to a briefing note stage.
• Future opportunities included broader application into reporting, Scope 3, credit ratings, insurance, asset management, pensions, and risk modelling, though these were framed as longer-term possibilities rather than immediate priorities and that a roadmap should be developed for them.

Next meeting: Monday 29 June 2026 10:00-11:30 BST

Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat. 

These are confidential to the Advisory Group Members.

Meeting Aims:

1. Update on onboarding flows
2. Discuss coding agents in relation to onboarding
3. Discuss automated compliance monitoring

Summary:

It was agreed that:

• Participants to send example queries and desired time ranges so the sandbox can be configured to return realistic test data.
• IB1 technical team to investigate synthetic data resembling real consumption patterns, alongside a deterministic dataset for automated emissions testing.
• Coding agent practitioners within participant organisations to be identified for further input on tooling and workflow.

It was noted that:

• Complete demo CAP flow is now available in the example app, with step-by-step guides for both CAP and EDP implementations.
• Single-step directory enrollment in progress; full API access to the directory planned.
• The sandbox EDP currently returns only ~3 days of February data, insufficient for monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting cycles and pure random synthetic data triggers anomaly detection and is not viable for testing.
• A heartbeat service is already included in the Perseus spec to check endpoint liveness and certificate validity.
• No SLA is currently in place for the sandbox; this is expected to change in production.

It was discussed that:

• Publishing skills alongside Perseus APIs is likely to significantly lower the barrier to integration when using AI coding tools.
• Agent authentication is an open design question; current thinking favours re-authenticating agents at each workflow stage rather than carrying a persistent token.
• Machine-parseable error messages and a separate agent sandbox were identified as priorities for AI-assisted integration.
• Compliance monitoring and operational/performance monitoring should be treated as distinct activities.
• In a federated peer-to-peer architecture, misbehaviour may only be apparent at points of interaction between peers; consideration needed on whether clients should be able to flag anomalies centrally.
• SMEs are out of scope for the Consumer Consent Solution at launch but expected to be included shortly after; no significant technical blockers identified.

Next meeting: Tuesday 30 June 2026 10:00-11:00 BST

Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat. 

These are confidential to the Advisory Group Members.