Companies House: Business plan 2025- 2026

On 17 June 2025, Companies House published its corporate business plan for April 2025 to March 2026. Publication of Companies House strategy for 2025 to 2030 is expected later in 2025. The business plan highlights the key priorities of Companies House for the period, aligning with its forthcoming strategy.

Key priorities 

The business plan focuses on enhancing data quality, tackling economic crime, implementing legislative reforms, improving customer services, modernising technology, and evolving organisational culture.

• Authoritative and transparent data - Companies House aims to improve the accuracy, reliability, and accessibility of its register data, supporting economic growth and user trust. Initiatives include scaling up data quality assurance, developing a new cloud data platform and monitoring identity verification.
• Preventing, detecting and disrupting economic crime - Building on its recent strategic intelligence assessment, Companies House will target non-compliance and abuse of UK corporate structures. Plans include more sophisticated compliance approaches, using data capabilities to monitor levels of suspicious activity, developing automated risk assessment capabilities, and closer collaboration with enforcement agencies such as the Insolvency Service and HMRC.
• Implementing reforms to UK company law - The next phase of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA 2023) will see compulsory identity verification for directors and persons with significant control, and a requirement for third party agents filing on behalf of companies to be an authorised corporate provider (ACSP). Additional measures will protect personal information, increase transparency of overseas ownership by providing access to certain trust information on the Register of Overseas Entities on request, and ensure ongoing communication and evaluation of reforms including in relation to the ECCTA 2023.
• Providing seamless services - Companies House is committed to maintaining high service standards while introducing new digital contact channels, clearer guidance, and streamlined online processes for users.
• Modernising technology - A major programme of digital infrastructure modernisation is planned, including migration to cloud solutions, expanded use of AI tools, and enhanced security capabilities.
• Evolving culture and conditions - Organisational changes will support the implementation of legislative reforms and the planned changes to Companies House’s digital and data capabilities. 

(Companies House, Business Plan 2025 to 2026, 10.06.2025)

Commencement of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme and updated guidance on transactions notifiable under the NSI Act

The UK’s new Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) commences on 1 July 2025.  Set out in Part 4 of the National Security Act 2023, this two-tier scheme is intended to provide transparency regarding foreign influence in UK politics and greater assurance around activities of foreign powers that pose the greatest risk to the UK.  The scheme requires individuals and organisations to register their arrangements with foreign powers and certain foreign power-controlled entities where they are directed to carry out certain activities in the UK:

• Political influence tier – Individuals and organisations must register if instructed by a foreign power to carry out, or arrange for others to carry out, certain “political influence activities” in the UK.
• Enhanced tier – Individuals and organisations must register if instructed by a specified foreign power or a specified foreign power-controlled organisation to carry out, or arrange for others to carry out, “relevant activities” in the UK.  Specified foreign power-controlled organisations must also register any “relevant activities” they carry out themselves in the UK.  The foreign powers and organisations currently specified under the enhanced tier are from Russia and Iran.  

Various guidance has been published which provides further detail – see:  Foreign Influence Registration Scheme - GOV.UK).  

Guidance regarding transactions notifiable under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 has also been updated to refer to the FIRS guidance and flag that those investing at the direction of certain foreign powers may need to register under FIRS (see:  Check if you need to tell the government about an acquisition that could harm the UK's national security - GOV.UK).