This page lists useful web addresses of agencies that provide information and support to the business community:

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Companies House provides details of companies registered in the UK.

Their main functions are to:

• incorporate and dissolve limited companies;
• examine and store company information delivered under the Companies Act and related legislation; and
• make this information available to the public.

The Department of Trade and Industry works with businesses, employees and consumers to drive up UK productivity and competitiveness to deliver prosperity for all. 

The Confederation of British Industry is business’ most powerful lobbying force in the UK. Every department of government influences the prosperity and profitability of business, but the impact of proposed legislation is not necessarily fully understood by those who devise it. The CBI is therefore of crucial importance to the entire business community because it can mobilise business opinion and successfully bring influence to bear on government.

The Patent Office is responsible for the registration of copyright, designs, patents and trade marks.

UK Trade & Investment is the Government organisation that supports companies in the UK doing business internationally, and overseas enterprises seeking to set up or expand in the UK.

CAROL is a service that provides Company Annual Reports On-Line. It offers direct links to the financial pages of listed companies in Europe and the USA. CAROL provides direct access to companies' balance sheets, profit and loss statements, and financial highlights.

Mintel is a leading supplier of competitive media, product & consumer intelligence. For three decades leading blue chip companies have relied on Mintel's reputation for providing expert analysis in these essential areas. 

The national Business Link site offers an extremely comprehensive, inter-active guide to setting up and growing your business.

Looking for British, European or International standards? Look no further than British Standards Online, the authoritative, and most current site for all BSI publications. Updated daily, the site includes over 38,500 current, draft and historic British Standards, more than 16,000 of which are BSI adopted European and International standards.

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Biz/ed is a service for students and educators on business and economics related subjects.

BUBL Link provides a catalogue of Internet Resources.

Scoot locates UK businesses and services.

Big Yellow (USA) is a US business directory.

Dun & Bradstreet provides information on businesses in the UK and around the world.