No licence, but real reliefs
Manufacturing & Industrial Setup in the United Kingdom
There is no UK manufacturing licence. There are substantial tax reliefs, and planning is the real constraint.
GCC business setup specialists
The reliefs are worth structuring for
Manufacturing in the UK needs no industrial licence — what it needs is the right planning permission, an environmental permit where the process requires one, and compliance with product safety and marking rules. What makes the arithmetic work is on the tax side: capital allowances on plant and machinery and relief for qualifying research and development can change a project’s return materially, and both are easier to claim when structured from the outset.
- Planning and permit position established before you commit to a site
- Capital allowances and R&D relief structured from the start
- Product marking and safety requirements identified early
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Mainland, free zone and offshore jurisdictions we file in — so the recommendation is based on your activity, not on which authority we happen to be registered with.
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Companies successfully established.
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What is involved
Establishing manufacturing in the UK
Planning and permits, then reliefs.
| Element | Position |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing licence | None required. |
| Planning permission | Required; use class must permit the activity. |
| Environmental permit | Required for certain processes and emissions. |
| Product safety and marking | Applies to many goods placed on the market. |
| Business rates | Payable on commercial premises. |
| Capital allowances and R&D relief | Available; best structured from the outset. |
Planning rules, use classes, environmental permitting thresholds, product marking requirements and the capital allowance and research and development relief regimes are set by the authorities and change at Budget. All are checked for your project.
How it works
From plan to production
Site and planning before anything is signed.
01
Test the site
Whether the use class and planning position permit your process, and whether an environmental permit is needed for it.
02
Structure the investment
Entity and timing arranged so capital allowances and any research and development relief can actually be claimed on the spend.
03
Build and comply
Permits obtained, product marking and safety requirements met, payroll established and production started.
- Products to be manufactured
- Process description and equipment list
- Site identified and its current use class
- Whether planning permission exists for the use
- Emissions, effluent and waste expected
- Power and water requirements
- Whether hazardous substances are involved
- Planned capital expenditure and timing
- Whether any development work is genuinely novel
- Workforce numbers and skills
- Target markets for the output
- Target production start date
Scope
What is included, and what is not
Stated plainly, so nothing is added once the engagement starts.
Included in the service fee
- Use class and planning position review
- Environmental permit requirement assessment
- Entity set up with the industrial activity recorded
- Capital allowance planning on planned expenditure
- Research and development relief assessment
- Product marking and safety requirements identified
- Payroll and employer registrations
- VAT registration and accounting set up
Not included, quoted separately
- Planning application and permit fees, paid at cost
- Land and building costs
- Planning consultants and architects
- Environmental impact assessments
- Construction and fit-out
- Plant and machinery
- Product testing and conformity assessment
- R&D claim preparation, quoted separately
Verify independently
Relevant UK authorities
We file directly with these bodies on your behalf.
HM Revenue & CustomsCompanies HouseLocal authority licensing and planningEnvironment AgencyInsolvency ServiceOffice for Product Safety and Standards
Questions
UK manufacturing setup — FAQs
Do I need a licence to manufacture in the UK?
No manufacturing licence as such. Planning permission for the use, and an environmental permit for certain processes, are the real requirements.
What is a use class?
A planning classification determining what a property may be used for. Manufacturing in a building not permitted for it requires a change of use, which is not guaranteed.
What reliefs are available on plant?
Capital allowances on qualifying plant and machinery, with enhanced treatment available in some cases. Timing and the identity of the purchaser both matter, so plan before you buy.
Would my development work qualify for R&D relief?
It depends on whether there is a genuine advance in science or technology and technical uncertainty being resolved. We assess honestly rather than assuming it qualifies.
What usually delays a project?
Planning, and the environmental permit where one is needed. Company formation is not the constraint in the UK.
Go deeper
More United Kingdom services
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