Business regulation

Sign up for updates to this topic page

Services

• Search for a trade mark

  Look up a trade mark to see if something identical or similar to your brand is already registered.

• Contracts Finder

  Use Contracts Finder to find out about current contract opportunities with the government and its agencies

• Check if a vehicle, part or accessory has been recalled

  Check if a vehicle model, part or accessory has been recalled because of a fault in how it was made

• Apply to register a trade mark

  Protect your brand by registering it as a trade mark - how to apply, fees, responding to objections to your trade mark, using the ® symbol

• Get help and support for your business

  Get business support and advice over the phone and online - setting up and running a business.

See more services in this topic

Guidance and regulation

• Using personal data in your business or other organisation from 1 January 2021
  • Detailed guide
  • 24 November 2020
  • Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Office for Civil Society, and Information Commissioner's Office
• Placing manufactured goods on the market in Great Britain from 1 January 2021
  • Detailed guide
  • 10 November 2020
  • Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
• State aid
  • Detailed guide
  • 10 July 2015
  • Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
• Changes to copyright law from 1 January 2021
  • Detailed guide
  • 30 January 2020
  • Intellectual Property Office and Government Digital Service
• CE marking
  • Detailed guide
  • 8 October 2012
  • Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy

See more guidance and regulation in this topic

News and communications

• Funerals
  • 3 December 2020
  • Competition and Markets Authority
  • Cma case
• Crowdcube / Seedrs merger inquiry
  • 3 December 2020
  • Competition and Markets Authority
  • Cma case
• Planned system maintenance: 11pm 31 December 2020 to 1pm 4 January 2021
  • 3 December 2020
  • Intellectual Property Office
  • News story
• STAY GRANTED PENDING APPEAL: Written decision for Thandi Coaches (Red) Ltd (PD0000154)
  • 2 December 2020
  • Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain
  • Decision
• XPO Logistics / Kuehne + Nagel Drinkflow Logistics merger inquiry
  • 2 December 2020
  • Competition and Markets Authority
  • Cma case

See more news and communications in this topic

Research and statistics

• E.CA economic research on loyalty price discrimination
  • 1 December 2020
  • Competition and Markets Authority
  • Research
• MHRA: Business Impact Target
  • 27 November 2020
  • Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
  • Research
• National Security and Investments Bill: RPC opinion
  • 26 November 2020
  • Regulatory Policy Committee
  • Research
• Monthly statistics: Patents, trade marks, and designs: September 2020
  • 26 November 2020
  • Intellectual Property Office
  • Official statistics
• Regulatory Policy Committee: minutes September 2020
  • 12 November 2020
  • Regulatory Policy Committee
  • Research

See more research and statistics in this topic

Policy papers and consultations

• CMA Annual Plan consultation 2021/22
  • 3 December 2020
  • Competition and Markets Authority
  • Open consultation
  • Closing date 28 January 2021
• Environment Agency's engagement plan for geological disposal
  • 30 November 2020
  • Environment Agency
  • Policy paper
• Government response to the CMA digital advertising market study
  • 27 November 2020
  • Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
  • Policy paper
• SIA privacy policy
  • 26 November 2020
  • Security Industry Authority
  • Policy paper
• VAT (Miscellaneous Amendments to Acts of Parliament) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020
  • 19 November 2020
  • HM Revenue & Customs
  • Policy paper

See more policy papers and consultations in this topic

Transparency and freedom of information releases

• Merger inquiry outcome statistics
  • 2 December 2020
  • Competition and Markets Authority
  • Transparency
• Innovate UK transactions over £25,000
  • 2 December 2020
  • Innovate UK
  • Transparency
• Intellectual Property Office: structure chart
  • 1 December 2020
  • Intellectual Property Office
  • Transparency
• SIA corporate plan
  • 30 November 2020
  • Security Industry Authority
  • Corporate report
• Regulatory decisions made about the conduct of professional drivers
  • 30 November 2020
  • Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain
  • Transparency

See more transparency and freedom of information releases in this topic

Organisations

• Intellectual Property Office
• Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
• Office for Product Safety & Standards
• Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs
• Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain

Show more organisations

• Pubs Code Adjudicator
• Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
• Department for Work & Pensions
• Groceries Code Adjudicator
• Home Office
• HM Treasury
• Ministry of Justice
• Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street
• Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
• Department for Transport
• HM Revenue & Customs
• Cabinet Office
• HM Courts & Tribunals Service
• Department of Health & Social Care
• Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency
• Company Names Tribunal
• Government Digital Service
• Department for International Trade
• Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland
• Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
• Government Actuary's Department
• UK Export Finance
• Civil Nuclear Constabulary
• Civil Nuclear Police Authority
• Copyright Tribunal
• The Insolvency Service
• Crown Commercial Service
• Department for Education
• Government Equalities Office
• Ministry of Defence
• Companies House
• Veterinary Medicines Directorate
• Office of the Secretary of State for Wales
• Coal Authority
• Marine Management Organisation
• Maritime & Coastguard Agency
• Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
• Northern Ireland Office
• Rural Payments Agency
• Small Business Commissioner
• Government Office for Science
• Her Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service
• HM Passport Office
• Office of the Advocate General for Scotland
• Animal & Plant Health Agency
• Attorney General's Office
• Building Regulations Advisory Committee
• Central Arbitration Committee
• CFRA
• Civil Procedure Rule Committee
• Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency
• Immigration Enforcement
• Office for Civil Society
• Office of the Public Guardian
• Public Health England
• Race Disparity Unit
• Stabilisation Unit
• Tribunal Procedure Committee
• UK Atomic Energy Authority

• Competition and Markets Authority
• Regulatory Policy Committee
• Security Industry Authority
• Environment Agency
• British Hallmarking Council
• Government Chemist
• Innovate UK
• Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation
• Marine Accident Investigation Branch
• Ofqual
• Sellafield Ltd
• Export Control Joint Unit
• Military Aviation Authority
• Low Pay Commission
• UK Space Agency
• Youth Justice Board for England and Wales
• Natural England
• Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner
• Ofsted
• Social Security Advisory Committee
• Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
• Council for Science and Technology
• Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate
• Employment Tribunal
• Highways England
• HM Land Registry
• Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies
• UK Hydrographic Office

Explore sub-topics

• Competition
• Consumer rights and issues
• Energy industry and infrastructure licensing and regulation
• Intellectual property
• Product safety
• Regulation reform
• Sale of goods and services and data protection
• State aid