Department for Business and Trade
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is a UK Government ministerial department responsible for trade policy, export controls, inward investment promotion, and business support programs, primarily serving UK SMEs through policy guidance, multilateral trade agreements, and digital adoption initiatives.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Department for Business and Trade does
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is a UK Government ministerial department formed in 2023 through the merger of the Department for International Trade (DIT) and business-and-trade functions of the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). It is headquartered in London, operates as a government state entity under His Majesty's Government (HMG), and employs between 1,001 and 5,000 staff. DBT is responsible for UK trade policy, export controls, inward investment promotion, and domestic business support programs, managing multi-billion-pound spending initiatives including £600 million in annual energy bill support for manufacturers, £1.8 billion for Project Gigabit broadband rollout, and £370 million for advanced connectivity R&D.
DBT's core offerings are policy guidance, trade facilitation, and program administration rather than commercial products or services. Its primary customer segment is Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), supported through initiatives such as the SME Digital Adoption Taskforce, which published a 2026 update with 10 recommendations. DBT engages in multilateral trade frameworks including CPTPP and bilateral dialogues such as the UK-Nigeria Economic Diversification Working Group, and administers schemes like the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) covering over 3,000 Nigerian products. Distribution occurs through GOV.UK, policy papers, consultations, and direct government channels.
DBT does not operate a commercial revenue model; all activities are funded through government budgets. No proprietary technology platforms, products, or services are disclosed. The department's value proposition rests on its statutory authority over sovereign trade functions and its ability to convene stakeholders across government, foreign jurisdictions, and the private sector. Its content governance activity — auditing 150 AI-scraped GOV.UK pages and instituting six-monthly review cycles — reflects operational risk management rather than AI capability development.
Department for Business and Trade firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Department for Business and Trade
- Legal name
- Department for Business and Trade
- Website
- https://gov.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is a UK Government ministerial department responsible for trade policy, export controls, inward investment promotion, and business support programs, primarily serving UK SMEs through policy guidance, multilateral trade agreements, and digital adoption initiatives.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Department for Business and Trade industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Government Trade Services
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161)
- SIC
- Services-Management Services (8741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Trade Compliance, Standards & Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT/SPS) (BPADAMAK)
Keywords
Where Department for Business and Trade is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Department for Business and Trade business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Department for Business and Trade product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is a UK Government ministerial department that develops and implements trade policy, negotiates international trade agreements, manages export controls, and provides business support services to UK businesses. It promotes inward investment, publishes policy guidance on GOV.UK, and administers programs such as the SME Digital Adoption Taskforce and the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SME Digital Adoption Taskforce
- Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS)
- International Trade Agreements (CPTPP Participation)
- Policy Papers and Consultations
- Inward Investment Promotion
Companies that use Department for Business and Trade
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Department for Business and Trade technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Department for Business and Trade partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) MembersflagshipDBT participates in the CPTPP trade bloc, issuing joint ministerial statements on energy security, supply chains, and trade matters. At the 26 June 2026 ministerial commission meeting, DBT ministers issued statements on disruptions to global energy supply chains caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
- NigeriacoreThe UK and Nigeria launched the UK-Nigeria Economic Diversification Working Group Dialogue to promote non-oil sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, and digital services. The event focused on trade facilitation, investment, and capacity-building, with over 3,000 Nigerian products benefiting from the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS).
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Department for Business and Trade competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS, predecessor): BEIS was DBT's direct predecessor; while dissolved in 2023, residual functions and policy continuity make it a historically direct peer in the UK domestic policy landscape.
- Department for International Trade (DIT, predecessor): DIT was the prior UK department for international trade that merged into DBT in 2023; it is the most direct antecedent peer in mandate and structure.
Direct peers
- Department of Commerce (United States): The US Department of Commerce performs an analogous role to DBT: promoting US business growth, trade, investment, and export competitiveness. It is the closest international counterpart in scope and mandate.
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia): Australia's DFAT combines trade negotiation, export promotion, and economic policy — the same core functions DBT performs for the UK, including bilateral and multilateral trade agreement work.
- Department for Innovation, Science and Economic Development (Canada): ISED is the Canadian federal ministry with a mandate that closely mirrors DBT's: business support, innovation policy, investment promotion, and market access for Canadian firms.
- Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (Germany): Germany's BMWK is responsible for national economic, trade, and industrial policy, directly comparable to DBT's mandate on business growth and international trade.
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI, Japan): METI is Japan's central ministry overseeing industrial policy, trade, and economic strategy, paralleling DBT's combined business-and-trade remit with comparable scale and international engagement.
Broad incumbents
- European Commission – DG Trade: The EU's DG Trade negotiates and manages trade policy for EU member states; post-Brexit, it remains a key counterpart to DBT on UK-EU trade arrangements.
- UK Export Finance: UKEF sits within the UK government trade ecosystem (closely linked to DBT), providing export credit and trade finance — an adjacent but distinct trade-promotion function.
Others
- World Trade Organization: The WTO is the multilateral framework within which DBT negotiates and implements trade rules; while not a peer in a competitive sense, it is the central institutional counterpart for DBT's trade policy work.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Department for Business and Trade social profiles
Digital presenceDepartment for Business and Trade financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Department for Business and Trade leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Department for Business and Trade funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Department for Business and Trade M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments3 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Department for Business and Trade
What does Department for Business and Trade do?
Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is a UK Government ministerial department that develops and implements trade policy, negotiates international trade agreements, manages export controls, and provides business support services to UK businesses. It promotes inward investment, publishes policy guidance on GOV.UK, and administers programs such as the SME Digital Adoption Taskforce and the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS).
Is Department for Business and Trade a public or private company?
Department for Business and Trade is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Department for Business and Trade founded?
Department for Business and Trade was founded in 2023. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Department for Business and Trade based?
Department for Business and Trade is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Who are Department for Business and Trade's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS, predecessor) and Department for International Trade (DIT, predecessor). Direct peers are Department of Commerce (United States), Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia), Department for Innovation, Science and Economic Development (Canada), Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (Germany) and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI, Japan). Broad incumbents are European Commission – DG Trade and UK Export Finance. World Trade Organization is listed as an others.
Does Department for Business and Trade have an API?
No public API is recorded for Department for Business and Trade.
What industry is Department for Business and Trade in?
Department for Business and Trade's product category is Government Trade Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAMAK, Trade Compliance, Standards & Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT/SPS). Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8741.