Business guidance
Rules, requirements and how-tos for running your business — organised by topic, with industry-specific guidance on the sector pages.
Guidance for life sciences & pharma
Show all guidanceBiocides and Pesticides Authorisation
Get HSE CRD authorisation for biocidal and pesticidal products.
Retail & Consumer GoodsCLP Chemical Classification and Labelling
Classify, label and package hazardous chemicals under GB CLP.
Manufacturing & EngineeringCOMAH Compliance for Chemical Sites
Meet COMAH requirements for sites holding dangerous substances.
Manufacturing & EngineeringControl and monitor air emissions
How to comply with air emissions permit conditions for Part A and Part B regulated activities. Covers the difference between Environment Agency and local authority regulation, emission limits, MCERTS monitoring, stack testing, abatement equipment, and reporting requirements.
Food, Drink & HospitalityGet authorisation for a water activity in Scotland (EASR)
How to get authorisation for any activity affecting surface water or groundwater in Scotland — abstraction, impoundment, engineering in or near a water body, and discharges. Since 1 November 2025 water activities are authorised under the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR), which replaced the Controlled Activities Regulations (CAR 2011) framework. Covers the four-tier authorisation system (General Binding Rules, notification, registration, permit), pre-application advice, fees, and enforcement, all administered by SEPA.
Life Sciences & PharmaGet authorised to manufacture medicines: MHRA licensing, active-substance registration and GMP
A task guide for pharmaceutical manufacturers on getting the right MHRA authorisation in place before they operate. It covers active-substance registration for makers of active pharmaceutical ingredients, and the manufacturer's / importer's authorisation with a Qualified Person and Good Manufacturing Practice for makers of finished medicines, in the order you need them.
Life Sciences & PharmaManufacture controlled drugs and run a safe pharmaceutical site
A task guide for pharmaceutical manufacturers on the additional licence for controlled drugs and the duties that make a pharma site safe to run. It covers the Home Office controlled-drug licence, the environmental permit for large-scale chemical synthesis, and the workplace duties for hazardous substances, work equipment and general health and safety.
Healthcare & Social CareMedicines and controlled drugs compliance
Legal requirements for handling, storing and administering medicines including controlled drugs in healthcare settings.
Life Sciences & PharmaMeet your scientific research regulatory duties
Scientific research carries conditional regulatory duties on top of the universal workplace spine. This guide takes you through the five duties that apply depending on the type of work you do: COSHH for hazardous substances, GMO contained-use notification, animal research licensing, human tissue storage licensing, and ionising radiation controls. Each section tells you whether it applies to your operation.
Retail & Consumer GoodsMHRA authorisation for medicines and medical devices
How to obtain MHRA authorisation for medicines and medical devices in the UK. Covers Marketing Authorisations, wholesale dealer licences, manufacturer licences, and medical device registration including UKCA vs CE marking.
Retail & Consumer GoodsMHRA licensing for medicines and medical devices
MHRA licensing requirements for manufacturing, distributing, and importing medicines and medical devices in the UK.
Life Sciences & PharmaPharmaceutical manufacturer: compliance checklist
A verification checklist for pharmaceutical manufacturers. Use it to confirm that active-substance registration, the manufacturer's / importer's authorisation with a Qualified Person and GMP, any Home Office controlled-drug licence, the environmental permit for large-scale synthesis and the workplace health-and-safety duties are all in place before a production run.
Life Sciences & PharmaScientific research and development: compliance checklist
Use this checklist to confirm your scientific research and development business meets its obligations. Work through the universal workplace items every R&D business shares, then the conditional items that depend on the type of research you do. If you answer no to any item, follow the linked guide before you proceed.
Life Sciences & PharmaSet up and run a safe scientific research operation
Whatever your research discipline — biotechnology, natural science, social science or humanities — you share the same workplace-safety foundation. This guide takes you through your general health and safety duty, fire safety, employers' liability insurance, equality and data protection. Put this spine in place first, then layer the conditional regulatory duties that apply to your specific research activities.
Retail & Consumer GoodsUK REACH Chemical Compliance
Understand and comply with UK REACH chemical registration requirements for manufacturers and importers.
Life Sciences & PharmaWhich medicines manufacturing authorisation applies
A reference router for pharmaceutical manufacturers. Use it to work out which authorisation regime applies to what you make: active-substance registration for active pharmaceutical ingredients, a manufacturer's / importer's authorisation with a Qualified Person and GMP for finished medicines, and an additional Home Office licence if you make or handle controlled drugs.
Life Sciences & PharmaWhich scientific research and development regulations apply to your business
Scientific research businesses share universal workplace duties and then carry conditional duties that depend on the type of work you do — from genetically modified organisms and animal research to human tissue and ionising radiation. Most social-science and humanities R&D triggers only the universals.
General rules
Common requirements shown separately from guidance directly classified to this sector.
Check if you need to register for VAT
Find out if your business must register for VAT based on your taxable turnover. Covers the £90,000 threshold, what counts as taxable turnover, the rolling 12-month test, and when voluntary registration makes sense.
Business StructureMandatory registrations every business must complete
Step-by-step guide to the registrations every business must complete before trading, regardless of sector. Covers HMRC tax registration, ICO data protection fee, mandatory insurance, and pension auto-enrolment.
Premises & OperationsMeet your business waste duty of care
Understand your legal responsibilities when producing, storing, or disposing of business waste. Covers using registered waste carriers, completing waste transfer notes, and the stricter rules for hazardous waste.
Compliance & LegalPre-trading compliance checklist
A concise yes/no checklist to verify you have completed all mandatory pre-trading requirements, including business registration, tax, insurance, licences, premises approvals, and data protection.
Prefer step-by-step?
Guided journeys walk you through milestones like starting up or hiring, one task at a time.