UK Anti-Doping

What UK Anti-Doping does

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) is the National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO) for the United Kingdom, established in 2009 as a non-departmental public body and company limited by guarantee headquartered at SportPark, Loughborough. It is the sole body designated under the World Anti-Doping Code, UK National Anti-Doping Policy and UK Anti-Doping Rules to deliver anti-doping services in the UK, with functions mandated by UK Parliament via ratification of the UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sport. Operating with 51-100 employees, it conducts in-competition and out-of-competition testing (8,942 tests in 2025/26), intelligence and investigations, Therapeutic Use Exemption management, results management via the National Anti-Doping Panel, whereabouts compliance, and clean-sport education across athletes, athlete support personnel, and educational institutions.

The technology portfolio spans a set of interconnected digital services. The most recent addition is WhistleBot, an AI-based chatbot launched in February 2026 in collaboration with the University of Lincoln that guides users through reporting suspicions of doping under the Protect Your Sport campaign. Other products include the Clean Sport Hub eLearning platform, the 100% me athlete education programme, the Global DRO medication reference database, the TUE Wizard therapeutic exemption tool, the Supplements Hub, and the Glasgow 2026 Anti-Doping Hub. The organisation holds ISO 9001 (since 2009) and ISO 27001 (since 2012, upgraded to ISO 27001:2022) certifications audited annually by Alcumus ISOQAR. Critical operational suppliers include WADA (regulator and ADAMS data system), Kings College London (WADA-accredited sample analysis), and MHRA (criminal enforcement partner).

UKAD does not sell commercial products or services. It is primarily funded by grant-in-aid from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), with supplementary income generated through the International Consultancy Programme and Major Event Services such as the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Services are provided at no cost to athletes, support personnel and sports governing bodies, and the organisation publishes transparency reports and an annual report under DCMS accountability requirements.

Name

UK Anti-Doping

Legal name

United Kingdom Anti-Doping Limited

Website

https://ukad.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

UK Anti-Doping is the UK's National Anti-Doping Organisation, delivering drug testing, intelligence-led investigations, Therapeutic Use Exemption management, and clean-sport education under the World Anti-Doping Code, publicly funded by DCMS and operating from Loughborough.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Regulatory Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Anti-Doping & Integrity Bodies (WADA, match-fixing/integrity units) (MPAKAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

National Governing Bodies (NGBs) (MPAKAFAC)

Keywords

• Anti-doping testing
• Clean sport education
• Therapeutic use exemptions
• Doping investigations
• Prohibited substances

Headquarters

HQ city

Loughborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) is the UK's National Anti-Doping Organisation, delivering statutory anti-doping services including in-competition and out-of-competition testing, intelligence and investigations into Anti-Doping Rule Violations, Therapeutic Use Exemption management, prohibited substance education, and results management and sanctions. It operates a portfolio of digital tools (Clean Sport Hub, Global DRO, TUE Wizard, Protect Your Sport, WhistleBot, 100% me) to support athletes, support personnel, and educational institutions in complying with the World Anti-Doping Code.

Product overview

UK Anti-Doping is a UK government agency that operates as a unified platform delivering anti-doping services through multiple interconnected digital products. The core portfolio includes Clean Sport Hub (eLearning platform), Protect Your Sport (reporting platform with WhistleBot AI chatbot), TUE Wizard (therapeutic exemption checking tool), Global DRO (medication reference database), 100% me (athlete education app), Supplements Hub, and the Glasgow 2026 Anti-Doping Hub. Testing services, intelligence and investigations, and education programs support the regulatory mission of eliminating doping in sport under the World Anti-Doping Code.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Clean Sport Hub: UKAD eLearning platform providing clean sport education resources for athletes and support personnel.
• 100% me
• Protect Your Sport
• WhistleBot

Products and services

• Clean Sport Hub An eLearning platform providing anti-doping education and training resources for athletes, support personnel, and other stakeholders across UK sport.
• Protect Your Sport A reporting platform and public awareness campaign enabling individuals to report signs of doping in UK sport, incorporating the WhistleBot AI chatbot under the Protect Your Sport initiative.
• WhistleBot An AI-based chatbot developed with the University of Lincoln to help people report suspicions of doping, addressing barriers such as fears about identity disclosure and uncertainty over the reporting process.
• TUE Wizard An online tool that helps athletes determine whether, when and how to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) under anti-doping rules.
• Global DRO A drug reference database allowing athletes and support personnel to check the anti-doping status of medications.
• 100% me An education program and app providing clean sport education resources and anti-doping awareness for athletes.
• Supplements Hub Resources and guidance for athletes on managing supplements and checking their anti-doping status.
• Glasgow 2026 Anti-Doping Hub A dedicated anti-doping information hub for Commonwealth Games Associations providing essential resources for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
• Asthma Inhaler Threshold Calculator An online tool helping athletes determine if their use of an asthma inhaler is prohibited under the WADA Prohibited List.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8,942 anti-doping tests completed in 2025/26
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• University of LincolncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2026UKAD collaborated with the University of Lincoln to develop WhistleBot, an AI-based chatbot designed to help people report suspicions of doping in sport. The tool addresses key barriers to reporting identified through research with 167 athletes and support personnel.
• Alcumus ISOQARcoreOthersAnnual certification body that audits UKAD's ISO9001 and ISO27001 compliance. Carries out process testing and sampling to ensure services and systems meet recognised industry best-practice quality and information security standards.
• MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUKAD flagged a website suspected of selling performance-enhancing drugs in the Bolton area. MHRA's criminal enforcement unit conducted the investigation leading to the dismantling of a £1.8 million illegal steroid network. Seven men were sentenced to combined terms exceeding 21 years. This was an intelligence-led partnership resulting in criminal convictions.
• WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWADA is the global regulatory body for anti-doping. UKAD operates under the World Anti-Doping Code set by WADA, contributes to the WADA budget, uses WADA's ADAMS data management system, and shares athlete data with WADA internationally. WADA sets the global Prohibited List that UKAD enforces domestically.
• Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)coreOthersUKAD's primary government funder and oversight body. DCMS sets the strategic direction and funding for UKAD's operations as the UK's National Anti-Doping Organisation. UKAD publishes transparency reports under DCMS requirements.
• National Governing Bodies and Sports BodiesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUKAD works with sports' national governing bodies, home country sports councils, National Olympic and Paralympic Committees, and Commonwealth Games Association to coordinate anti-doping testing, education, and enforcement across UK sport. Major event partners include Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
• Kings College LondoncoreTechnology or IntegrationWADA-accredited laboratory providing sample analysis services for UKAD's doping tests. UKAD's major recurring supplier of testing services. Payments to Kings College for sample analysis constitute a significant portion of UKAD's operational expenditure.
• National Anti-Doping PanelcoreOthersIndependent disciplinary panel that adjudicates Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) cases brought by UKAD. UKAD shares data and brings proceedings before the Panel for adjudication.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sport Integrity Commission (New Zealand): New Zealand's national body for anti-doping and broader sport integrity. Mirrors UKAD's combined focus on testing, education, and investigations at a national level.
• US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA): The US National Anti-Doping Organisation, operating under the same World Anti-Doping Code and performing analogous testing, education, intelligence, and results-management functions for US athletes. Closest structural peer in scale and remit.
• Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU): The independent integrity body of World Athletics, performing testing, intelligence, and disciplinary functions for athletics globally. Comparable anti-doping operating model but sport-specific rather than national in scope.
• French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD): France's independent public administrative body overseeing anti-doping testing, investigations, and sanctions. Operates under WADA code with a national scope similar to UKAD.
• Sport Integrity Australia: Australian government agency responsible for anti-doping policy, testing, and education, and increasingly broader sport integrity. Operates under a comparable public-body mandate with similar regulatory functions to UKAD.
• Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES): Canadian national anti-doping organisation, also a not-for-profit, performing testing, education, and results management under the World Anti-Doping Code. Closely comparable to UKAD in scale and mission.
• National Anti-Doping Agency of Germany (NADA Germany): Germany's National Anti-Doping Organisation, delivering testing, TUEs, athlete education, and intelligence under the World Anti-Doping Code. Comparable in mandate, governance structure, and federal funding model.

Broad incumbents

• World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA): The global regulator that sets the World Anti-Doping Code, the Prohibited List, and the laboratory accreditation framework on which UKAD depends. Not a direct operator of national testing but the apex body governing UKAD's mandate.

Emerging players

• International Cricket Council Integrity Unit: Operates anti-doping and anti-corruption functions within international cricket. A sport-specific integrity unit with overlapping operating principles (testing, intelligence, education) but a narrower competitive scope than UKAD.

Others

• International Doping Tests & Management (IDTM): Independent doping-control services provider offering sample collection and testing logistics to NADOs and sports federations. Functions as a supplier/peer ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor, supporting the operational layer of agencies like UKAD.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ukantidoping
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9eIYEWRynMBFIb2BChrYVg
• Facebooken-gb.facebook.com/UKAntiDoping
• Instagraminstagram.com/ukantidoping
• TikToktiktok.com/@ukantidoping

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UK Anti-Doping