Policy areasRSS Feed
You can access information about our policies by A to Z, by policy theme or by viewing the most recently updated pages.
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Energy Intensive Industries
5 Oct 2012
Consumer credit and debt
24 Sep 2012
Buying and selling goods and services
24 Sep 2012
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) helps to draft and regulate many of the UK laws, regulations and guidelines on advertising, package travel and timeshare, pricing and product description that help protect consumers and businesses from unscrupulous practices.
Criminal investigations and prosecutions
24 Sep 2012
One of BIS’s key aims is to deliver free and fair markets with greater competition for businesses, consumers and employees. The Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions team contributes to this aim by taking action to deter fraud.
Competition
24 Sep 2012
Competitive markets provide the best means of ensuring that the economy's resources are put to their best use by encouraging enterprise and efficiency, and widening choice.
Company and Partnership law
24 Sep 2012
Information on the law governing the establishment and operation of limited companies and partnerships - including Limited Partnerships and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs). Includes current policy developments, the implementation and evaluation of the Companies Act 2006 and European company law.
Community Interest Companies (CICs)
24 Sep 2012
Business Law
24 Sep 2012
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is committed to fostering competitive markets in the UK, EU and worldwide. By fighting anti-competitive practices and promoting open markets, we enable companies to compete freely and fairly, giving UK consumers more choice and better value.
Consumer Issues
24 Sep 2012
We want to ensure that UK consumers are treated fairly, know their rights and can use them effectively, and that consumer law is fair to both consumers and business.
Better Regulation at BIS
24 Sep 2012
Cutting red tape and improving our regulation and policies is a key priority for BIS. We aim where appropriate, for a light-touch regulatory environment, with less red tape and burdens on business, whilst protecting the public, consumers and employees.
Science funding
21 Sep 2012
BIS allocates the science budget into research via the seven Research Councils for which the Acting Director General, Knowledge and Innovation, John Alty, is responsible.
Enterprise & Business Support
21 Sep 2012
The Enterprise Directorate within BIS works across Government and the regions to develop and influence policies to boost enterprise, start ups and small business growth.
R&D tax credits
19 Sep 2012
R&D tax credits are the biggest single funding mechanism provided by Government for investment in business R&D.
Green Economy
18 Sep 2012
The transition to a low carbon world will transform our whole economy. It will change our industrial landscape, the supply chains of our businesses and the way we all live and work. The vast majority of, if not all, economic activity in Britain will have to reduce its carbon impact significantly.
Services: Professional and Business
14 Sep 2012
BIS is working with the professional and business services sector, as part of the Government’s Growth Agenda, to establish the priorities for government actions to support its growth, innovation and competitiveness over the coming decades.
Software and IT Services
13 Sep 2012
Sustainable development
13 Sep 2012
Environmental and Product Regulation
13 Sep 2012
The Environmental and Product Regulation Directorate represents UK interests in the development, domestic implementation and administration of European waste, environment and product safety legislation. We ensure business interests are properly considered in all related domestic waste policy areas.
Electronics
13 Sep 2012
Construction
13 Sep 2012
BIS's construction sector unit works with industry and other stakeholders to deliver a marked improvement in business performance in construction in terms of productivity, profitability and competitiveness.
Chemicals industry
13 Sep 2012
BIS's chemicals unit works with industry to promote productivity and competitiveness, and represents the interests of the UK chemicals (excluding pharmaceuticals), plastics and rubber processing industries in the development of government policy and regulation.
Automotive industry
13 Sep 2012
The automotive unit uses its unique knowledge of the sector, materials, companies, technologies and the regulatory framework to ensure the UK is best placed to benefit from the challenges of globalisation and help the UK Automotive Industry succeed.
Aerospace, marine and defence
13 Sep 2012
Working to promote the conditions for success of the UK aerospace, marine and defence industries.
Growth
3 Sep 2012
Regional Support
10 Aug 2012
Cyber Security
10 Aug 2012
BIS Cyber Security Team aims to enable growth of the UK cyber security sector and to embed good information security practice across the UK business community. We also help to ensure the key sectors and services which are important to the UK’s society, economy and general way of life are resilient to cyber threats.
Grant for Business Investment
7 Aug 2012
Grant for Business Investment provides capital grants to businesses to support sustainable investment in England.
Solutions for Business - simplified business support
17 Jul 2012
Solutions for Business is the government’s streamlined portfolio of business support products accessible via Business Link.
Access to the professions
13 Jul 2012
How BIS is working with employers to widen access to the professions for under-represented groups.
What is State Aid?
4 Jul 2012
Student finance
21 Jun 2012
The Government's plans for reforms to higher education and student finance will mean that universities continue to play a key role in promoting social mobility as well as economic growth. The new reforms will offer a more generous package of financial support for students from low income backgrounds to go to university.
Manufacturing, Materials and Engineering
19 Jun 2012
The Manufacturing, Materials and Engineering team is comprised of two strands: The Manufacturing team is responsible for manufacturing policy and strategy, reporting progress of Advanced Manufacturing actions in the Growth Review and manufacturing issues. The Materials and Engineering team is responsible for relationship management of key companies in the materials (metals and composites), process engineering, production machinery and automation sectors (including the rail sector). The team also leads on links with the Materials Knowledge Transfer Network.
Innovation and Research Strategy for Growth
7 Jun 2012
The Coalition Government published its Innovation and Research Strategy for Growth and an associated Economics paper on 8 December 2011. The strategy centres on supporting business R&D in areas in which the UK excels, within the context of developing the wider UK innovation eco-system including universities and other organisations. The Economics paper provides supporting evidence for this policy.
LEP Toolbox
1 Jun 2012
UK Innovation Investment Fund
1 Jun 2012
Joint International Unit
31 May 2012
The Joint International Unit (JIU) plays a key role in taking forward the international agenda of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Industrial Development Advisory Board and Regional Assistance (IDAB)
29 May 2012
The Industrial Development Advisory Board (IDAB) advises Ministers on applications from companies who are proposing to undertake capital investment projects in the Assisted Areas in England and have applied for regional selective assistance under the Grant for Business Investment (GBI) scheme or the Regional Growth Fund.
Public Sector Innovation
28 May 2012
Innovation information, inspiring case studies and practical support for anyone who works in the public sector.
Local Enterprise Partnerships
24 May 2012
Local enterprise partnerships are led by local authorities and businesses across natural economic areas. They provide the vision, knowledge and strategic leadership needed to drive sustainable private sector growth and job creation in their area.
National Academies
21 May 2012
The National Academies receive government funding for specific projects and programmes, principally to allow a cadre of the most capable academics to work full-time on research.
Power Electronics
26 Mar 2012
Business sectors
26 Mar 2012
BIS's business sector units maintain one-to-one relationships with the leading firms in each industrial sector and represent their interests in the development of government policy and regulation.
Science & Innovation Analysis (SIA)
22 Mar 2012
Based in London, SIA is an interdisciplinary unit of analysts within the Science and Innovation Group of BIS
Transferring knowledge from the research base
22 Mar 2012
Within a modern, knowledge driven economy, knowledge transfer is about transferring good ideas, research results and skills between universities, other research organisations, business and the wider community to enable innovative new products and services to be developed
International Science and Innovation Unit
22 Mar 2012
ISIU acts as HM Government’s natural focal point for science and innovation issues with an international slant.
Science and Society
22 Mar 2012
The potential for science to contribute to good policy-making and sound government has probably never been greater. To ensure we make the right decisions, now and in the future, we believe there is a pressing need to strengthen the level of high-quality engagement with the public on all major science issues; and increase the number of people who choose to study scientific subjects and work in research and scientific careers.
Employment Law Review
22 Mar 2012
Employment strategy
22 Mar 2012
EMAR (Employment Market Analysis and Research)
22 Mar 2012
Employment Market Analysis and Research (EMAR) publications, reports and research, including background to the Workplace Employment Relations Survey
Devolution
22 Mar 2012
How devolution affects the work of BIS – guide to devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Clusters in the UK
22 Mar 2012
Clusters are geographic concentrations of inter-connected companies, specialised suppliers, service providers, firms in related industries, and associated institutions.
Innovation Infrastructure Partners
28 Feb 2012
Our Innovation Infrastructure Partners are working together with BIS to implement the recommendations in the BIS 'Innovation Infrastructure Report - Working towards an Innovation System' (May 2010) and its accompanying Innovation Infrastructure - Annexes to the Report.
Design Council
28 Feb 2012
Standardisation
28 Feb 2012
Effective standardisation fosters innovation, forceful competition and advances profitability, enabling a business to take a leading role in shaping the industry itself
Catapult Centres
28 Feb 2012
Technology Strategy Board
28 Feb 2012
The TSB stimulates technology innovation in industry in areas offering the greatest scope for boosting UK growth and productivity.
R&D Scoreboard
28 Feb 2012
Research and development
28 Feb 2012
These pages are intended as a guide to help companies access the practical support to invest in R&D
Finance for innovation
28 Feb 2012
A comprehensive introduction to sources of finance for business investment in innovation and how to access them, is provided in The No Nonsense Guide to Finance for High Growth and Innovative Businesses (September 2010).
Funding councils
28 Feb 2012
The UK's higher education funding councils distribute public money for teaching and research to universities and colleges in England, Wales and Scotland. Higher Education in Northern Ireland is funded through the The Department for Employment and Learning.
Research Councils UK
28 Feb 2012
Research Councils UK (RCUK) is a strategic partnership between the seven UK Research Councils
Sector Skills Councils
28 Feb 2012
Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are independent, employer led, UK wide organisations designed to build a skills system that is driven by employer demand.
Science
28 Feb 2012
BIS is committed to developing a world class UK research base responsive to users and the economy, with sustainable and financially strong universities and public laboratories and a strong supply of scientists, engineers and technologists.
Economic development
28 Feb 2012
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