The National Record for Business Professional Standards

The National Business Conduct Authority (NBCA) is the Registrar of the National Standards Register, the United Kingdom's national record for business professional standards and conduct.

Just as Companies House verifies that a business exists as a legal entity, the National Standards Register verifies that the entity operates to the recognised professional standards of its industry. The Register provides a singular verification system for the United Kingdom's 5.5 million businesses, consolidating fragmented compliance requirements at zero cost to the taxpayer.

The National Standard

The Authority maintains a unified record of professional operation. By integrating statutory requirements with sector-led benchmarks, the Register will confirm that an entity meets its required standards under UK consumer protection, company, and safety laws. The Register will function as an objective evidence record, providing businesses with documented proof of professional standards compliance for insurance validation, dispute resolution, and commercial verification.

Governance: The National Standards Matrix

The National Standards Register is governed by a dual-matrix system to ensure standards are relevant to the specific operational context of every business. Standards for professional conduct are defined by 88 sector-led National SIC Boards, structurally indexed to the UK's Standard Industrial Classification divisions. Every business on the Register is further verified against five universal cross-sector National Technical Panels covering Fire Safety, Health & Safety, Data Privacy, Financial Conduct, and Professional Ethics. These boards are comprised of leading practitioners and trade associations, incorporating technical guidance from Public Bodies to ensure institutionally unassailable standards.

Supporting Britain's Smallest Businesses

The NBCA is an Authority serving the public interest. Professional standards verification is accessible to all UK businesses regardless of size or resources. Britain's smallest micro-enterprises access the Register without cost, while standard registration is structured at £10 per month to ensure universal accessibility. This pricing removes financial barriers that have historically prevented smaller operators from demonstrating compliance with professional standards, creating a level commercial landscape across the British economy.

Institutional Integration: The Operational Framework

The Register will provide verification infrastructure across the United Kingdom's commercial and regulatory landscape:

Insurance & Finance: Underwriters and lenders will utilise Register data to assess risk profiles, enabling premium reductions for verified businesses. The Register's objective evidence record will support faster claims processing and policy validation.
Utility Services: Providers will utilise verification data for risk assessment, allowing preferential rates for professionally verified businesses.
Rented Commercial Property: The Register will provide the verification infrastructure utilised within property management frameworks, streamlining tenant approval processes.
Public Sector Oversight: Local Councils and public-sector bodies will utilise the Register for zero-cost verification, reducing inspection and licensing administrative burden.
Consumer Protection: The public will access the Register as a free utility to verify any business before engagement. The objective record provides consumers with documented evidence of business professional standards.
Business Procurement: Corporate buyers and procurement teams will utilise the Register to verify supplier professional standards, streamlining due diligence processes.

The Register will deliver economic benefits for businesses and consumers. Businesses will access cost reductions, from insurance to utilities to licensing, through verified risk profiles. Consumers access free, objective verification of any business before engagement.

Permanent Public Infrastructure

The NBCA operates as a non-profit association under permanent constitutional protections with comprehensive asset lock provisions. All operational surplus is mandated for reinvestment in verification infrastructure, standards development, and public protection capabilities. The Register is funded entirely through business registration fees at zero cost to the British taxpayer. This constitutional structure ensures the Register functions as permanent national infrastructure, dedicated exclusively to public protection and the integrity of the British economy.

Public access to the National Standards Register is not yet available. Businesses and consumers will be notified when registration opens. Following the national rollout, all businesses will receive a 12-month grace period to complete registration.