Browse through all of our most frequently asked questions to get a full understanding of the Trader Incubator.

Trader Incubator.

FAQ

Program Overview & Eligibility

  • The Trader Incubator is a professional recruitment and development program created by SFX Proprietary. It is designed to identify, train and assess talented independent traders and prepare them for permanent roles at SFX. The program includes structured training, assessments and a live-market trading evaluation. Those who graduate from the program are offered a permanent position as Junior Trader on an SFX desk.

  • The Trader Incubator is built for traders with an existing foundation of knowledge or edge. You do not need to be a professional or full-time trader to apply — but you should already be confident in the basics of trading, markets and risk. Many of our applicants come from retail backgrounds and are looking to step into a more serious, career-focused environment.

  • The Trader Incubator is not a challenge or virtual funded account — it is a recruitment program designed to identify and develop talented traders for real roles at SFX. There are no account breaches and no arbitrary rules or illogical limitations. Every element mirrors how professional trading actually works, with long-term alignment, structured risk frameworks and multifaceted compensation structures.

  • You don’t need to be an expert, but you should have some existing trading experience. This could include independent retail trading, participation in funding challenges, previous work experience or even academic experience related to markets. We’re looking for trading potential, strong work ethic and the drive to build within a professional trading environment.

  • No formal qualifications are required to apply. We evaluate each application based on trading history, analytical ability, and personal drive — not just your CV. If you can demonstrate edge, commitment, and teachability, you’ll be considered.

  • We accept international applicants. The program is designed to be completed remotely. If you're hired, relocation to one of our physical trading floors is optional, not required.

  • Each cohort is capped at roughly 20 participants. We maintain small cohort sizes so that every participant receives proper support, personal feedback and access to staff. This allows us to filter quality more effectively and provide better opportunities to those accepted.

  • The entire program takes roughly 3–5 months, depending on your availability and how quickly you progress. The first two sections are entirely self-paced, whilst the trading assessment runs over a 90-day period. Many participants complete the program while working or studying full-time.

  • Yes — if your application is not accepted in the current cohort, you’re welcome to apply again in the future. Many strong candidates are accepted on their second or third application, especially after further experience or improved clarity in their trading profile.

Payment & Enrolment

  • The Trader Incubator costs a one-time fee of £980.00 (GBP). For more information on pricing, please visit our Trader Incubator page.

  • The one-time enrolment fee covers all training manuals, assessment phases, onboarding materials, personal support and your full practical trading assessment. There are no recurring payments and no future costs once you’re hired.

  • No, you do not pay again if you fail a theoretical assessment. You can retake these as many times as you need at no extra cost. If you fail the practical trading assessment, you will receive one free retry, with any subsequent retries priced at £400.00. Your previous progress in S1 and S2 will be saved and will never need to be redone.

  • We do not offer refunds once your place in the program has been confirmed and the training materials have been sent. This is because access to proprietary content, infrastructure and internal resources is granted from day one. If you’re unable to complete the program due to personal reasons, we can defer your place to a future cohort where possible.

  • Participants are invoiced for their enrolment fee after confirming their placement. We accept payment via bank transfer (GBP, USD or EUR), as well as cryptocurrency (BTC, USDT or USDC).

  • Yes we offer a split payment option to make the program more accessible. You can choose to pay in two monthly instalments of £540. If this method is chosen, then you’ll receive two invoices 30 days apart. The total cost via the payment plan is £1,080.

  • Once accepted, you’ll receive a confirmation email with payment instructions and a deadline to secure your place. To confirm, simply complete the payment within the specified time. You’ll be officially enrolled, receiving onboarding instructions and delivery of your welcome pack.

Training & Assessment

  • The Incubator training is split into two sections covering six training manuals. You’ll study topics including macroeconomic drivers, institutional risk management, market structure, execution, quantitative validation, proprietary data usage and more. Each module is designed to sharpen your trading edge and prepare you for life on a professional desk.

  • Both training sections are followed by an automated, multiple-choice assessment to evaluate your understanding of the concepts covered. You must pass each assessment to progress, but there are no penalties and you can retake them as many times as needed. These assessments ensure that participants meet our minimum standard of knowledge before progressing to the practical assessment.

  • No, the training does not teach a specific trading strategy to follow. Instead, it focuses on building a holistic understanding of institutional trading — from macroeconomic context and market structure to risk management and execution efficiency. The training is designed to enhance, refine and build on your own strategy.

  • The final stage of the Incubator is a 90-day practical assessment where you’ll trade under real capital conditions and risk protocols. You’ll be required to demonstrate consistent performance, proper risk management and the ability to implement a well-structured trading strategy. You’ll be monitored on key performance metrics such as profitability, drawdown and risk-adjusted return.

    The trading assessment is competed on Metatrader5 (MT5) platform with an array of tradable instruments such as: FX, equities, ETFs, commodities, precious metals, crypto and indices. The assessment account offers a maximum account leverage of 1:30. Participants are encouraged to focus on their asset or area of expertise during the assessment.

  • There’s no limit on the number of times you can take the theoretical assessments. If you don’t pass on your first attempt, you’ll receive feedback and can try again at no additional cost. Many candidates improve significantly with just one or two revisions.

  • Yes. The Incubator is designed for traders who already have an established approach or system. During the practical trading assessment, you’ll be assessed on how well you execute your own strategy within a professional risk framework.

  • While the allowed time for the trading assessment is 90 days, it can be completed at 60 days should all targets be satisfied, due to the minimum of two profitable months objective.

  • The use of expert advisors (EAs), automation tools or algorithms is permitted — but they must be your own original work and you must exclusively own the IP. You should be able to prove your EA ownership if requested.

  • Once accepted, you’ll receive a confirmation email with payment instructions and a deadline to secure your place. To confirm, simply complete the payment within the specified time. You’ll be officially enrolled, receiving onboarding instructions and delivery of your welcome pack.

Graduating the Trader Incubator

  • Once you complete and pass all sections of the Trader Incubator, you’ll graduate and be offered a permanent role as a Junior Trader at SFX. You’ll be assigned to a desk that suits your strategy, be fully onboarded as a permanent team member and begin managing your first capital allocation.

  • We offer multiple compensation models depending on desk, performance and experience. These include base salary, performance fees (profit share) and performance bonuses. We offer pay packages that reward consistent performance and long-term contribution.

  • Junior Traders typically start with a £100,000+ real capital allocation, which scales rapidly as you demonstrate consistent performance and discipline. Senior traders can manage upwards of £5M or more, depending on strategy and risk profile.

  • Yes, all traders at SFX are part of a defined internal promotion path. After joining as a Junior Trader, you can progress to Associate, then Senior Trader, and eventually to Desk Head or Portfolio Manager depending on your performance, leadership and development. Growth is merit-based and supported by clear review processes.

  • The use of expert advisors (EAs), automation tools or algorithms is permitted — but they must be your own original work and you must exclusively own the IP. You should be able to prove your EA ownership if requested.

  • No. SFX does not operate on retail-style breach rules or instant stop-outs. Once you’re a trader on the desk, you’ll operate under real institutional-style risk frameworks, not arbitrary hard loss limits. Risk is managed dynamically, with oversight and coaching to support long-term growth — not to penalise short-term drawdown.