Governance

The National Business Conduct Authority (NBCA) is an independent, non-profit organisation established to serve as permanent UK business infrastructure. Our governance framework is designed to guarantee impartiality, maintain public trust, and ensure our mission to protect consumers and support professional businesses is upheld in perpetuity.

The structure deliberately separates legal oversight from strategic guidance to ensure both mission-integrity and expert-led decision-making.

The authority and integrity of the NBCA are guaranteed by a two-tier governance structure:

‍The Board of Directors
The Board holds the ultimate legal and fiduciary responsibility for the National Business Conduct Authority. Its primary role is to provide day-to-day governance, oversee all operations, and make all final strategic decisions in service of the organisation's public benefit mission. The Board is legally responsible for ensuring strict constitutional compliance, including managing the "asset lock" and guaranteeing that all surplus revenue is reinvested into the mission.

‍The Advisory Council
The Board is supported by a high-calibre Advisory Council composed of respected leaders from relevant fields, including former government ministers, commercial property leaders, insurance sector experts, and consumer protection advocates. The Advisory Council provides expert guidance on standards development, strategic direction, and ensuring alignment with the public interest. The Board's decisions are informed and strengthened by this essential expert counsel.

The NBCA is constituted as a non-profit Company Limited by Guarantee, a legal structure that locks in our commitment to serving the public interest. This is not a commercial enterprise; it is a permanent piece of national infrastructure.

‍Reinvestment of All Surplus
‍Any surplus generated from registration fees is legally required to be reinvested directly into our mission—enhancing our technology, developing new standards, and improving consumer protection.

‍The "Asset Lock"
‍Our constitutional documents contain a permanent "asset lock." This legally prohibits the organisation from ever being sold or converted to a for-profit entity. This ensures the National Compliance Register remains dedicated to public benefit forever.

‍Zero Shareholder Pressure
‍We have no shareholders. This structure ensures our decisions are driven by our mission to advance standards, not by the need to generate profit or shareholder returns.

We are committed to operating with a level of transparency appropriate for a national authority.

‍Regulatory Collaboration
‍The NBCA operates as a collaborator with existing UK regulatory bodies, including the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and Trading Standards. Our role is to complement their work by providing a universal verification layer, not to replace them.

‍Evidence-Based Standards
‍All our standards are developed through a rigorous, evidence-based process that includes public consultation and is informed by the expert input of our Advisory Council.

‍Fair Complaints & Appeals
‍We operate a robust and impartial process for both consumers to raise concerns about businesses and for businesses to appeal our decisions.

This governance structure ensures the National Business Conduct Authority operates with the integrity, independence, and expert guidance required of the UK's universal benchmark for business trust.