What Office for Nuclear Regulation does

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) is the United Kingdom's independent nuclear regulator, established in 2011 from the former Nuclear Directorate of the Health and Safety Executive and constituted as a non-departmental public body. It discharges five statutory purposes — nuclear safety regulation, civil nuclear security regulation, nuclear safeguards, regulation of transport of radioactive materials (Class 7 dangerous goods), and conventional health and safety on nuclear sites — across 36 licensed nuclear sites in Great Britain, covering civil power stations, fuel-cycle facilities, decommissioning sites, and defence installations. Licensees include EDF Energy Nuclear Generation, Sellafield Ltd, the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), Rolls-Royce Submarines, URENCO UK, NNB Generation Company (HPC) Limited, and GE Healthcare. ONR represents the UK at the Convention on Nuclear Safety, coordinates with the IAEA, and engages with WENRA and bilateral counterparts such as France's ASN/ASNR.

ONR's regulatory practice rests on codified technical frameworks — Safety Assessment Principles (SAPs), Security Assessment Principles (SyAPs), Technical Assessment Guides (TAGs), and Technical Inspection Guides (TIGs) — benchmarked against IAEA international standards and WENRA Safety Reference Levels. Its service portfolio comprises nuclear site licensing (new, relicensing, and delicensing), inspection and assessment, enforcement, the voluntary Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process co-developed with the Environment Agency for new reactor designs, and assessment tools including the Nuclear Industry Safety Culture Inventory (NISCI). Active GDA workstreams cover Holtec's SMR-300 and GE Vernova Hitachi's BWRX-300 (both completed), TerraPower's Natrium (Step 3 underway), and Rolls-Royce SMR. Expert Panels cover natural hazards, graphite integrity, chief nuclear inspector advisory matters, and regulation of AI in nuclear.

ONR recovers its full operating costs from industry through statutory fees under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965, Energy Act 2013, Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003, Nuclear Safeguards Regulations 2019, Nuclear Safeguards (Fees) Regulations 2021, and the Carriage of Dangerous Goods regulations, issued monthly or quarterly with 30-day payment terms. It has no traditional revenue, customers, or competitors: administration is migrating from the Department for Work and Pensions to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 1 August 2026, signifying a closer operational alignment with UK energy policy and new-build strategy.

Name

Office for Nuclear Regulation

Legal name

Office for Nuclear Regulation

Website

https://onr.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Office for Nuclear Regulation is the UK government's independent nuclear regulator, established in 2011, discharging statutory oversight of safety, security, safeguards, transport and conventional health and safety at 36 licensed nuclear sites across Great Britain, funded by industry cost-recovery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nuclear Regulatory Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Regulation and Administration of Communications, Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities (92613), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

akta.pro primary industry

Nuclear Regulatory Strategy & Licensing Basis Development (EUAKAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

IAEA Safeguards Implementation & Verification Support (inspections, declarations, reporting) (EUAKAJAE), Inspection, Audit & Compliance Management (Regulator/Third-Party Oversight) (EUAKAEAD), Regulatory compliance, licensing & stakeholder engagement for disposal (permits, public consultation, communications) (EUAKAGAK), Nuclear Safety, Licensing & Regulatory Compliance (Plant Ops) (EUACADAN)

Keywords

• Nuclear safety regulation
• Nuclear security regulation
• Nuclear safeguards regulation
• Radioactive materials transport
• Nuclear site licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Merton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Safety Regulatory Fees: ONR recovers safety regulatory expenses from industry under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965, Health and Safety and Nuclear (Fees) Regulations 2022, and Energy Act 2013. Charges cover operational costs, passthrough costs, and enforcement activities including Generic Design Assessment and pre-licensing advice.
2. Civil Nuclear Security Regulatory Fees: ONR recovers civil nuclear security regulatory expenses under The Nuclear Industries Security (Fees) Regulations 2005. Industry pays fees for security regulation of nuclear premises, transport security, and Sensitive Nuclear Information (SNI) regulation.
3. Safeguards Regulatory Fees: ONR recovers safeguards regulatory expenses under the Energy Act 2013, Nuclear Safeguards Regulations 2019, and Nuclear Safeguards (Fees) Regulations 2021. Industry pays fees for inspection, assessment, nuclear material accountancy, and other safeguards activities.
4. Transport of Radioactive Materials Regulatory Fees: ONR is the competent authority for transport of radioactive material (Class 7 dangerous goods) by road, rail and inland waterways in Great Britain. Charges industry for package approval, inspection, transport incident notifications, and consignment notifications under The Carriage of Dangerous Goods regulations.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) is the UK's independent nuclear regulator delivering four statutory purposes: nuclear safety regulation, civil nuclear security regulation, nuclear safeguards, and regulation of transport of radioactive materials. It licenses and inspects 36 licensed nuclear sites across Great Britain through site inspections, assessments, licensing decisions, and enforcement actions, supported by technical frameworks including Safety Assessment Principles (SAPs), Security Assessment Principles (SyAPs), Technical Assessment Guides (TAGs) and Technical Inspection Guides (TIGs).

Product overview

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) is the UK's independent nuclear regulator for safety, security and safeguards, operating as a government body rather than a commercial product company. ONR's regulatory portfolio consists of statutory regulatory services delivered through licensing, inspection, assessment, enforcement, and guidance functions. The core services include nuclear site licensing (covering new site licensing, relicensing, and delicensing), nuclear safety regulation at 36 licensed sites, civil nuclear security regulation, nuclear safeguards (UK State System of Accounting for and Control), and transport of radioactive materials regulation. These services are supported by technical frameworks including Safety Assessment Principles (SAPs), Security Assessment Principles (SyAPs), Technical Assessment Guides (TAGs), and Technical Inspection Guides (TIGs). ONR also operates the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process for new reactor designs and provides assessment tools such as the Nuclear Industry Safety Culture Inventory (NISCI). Regulatory outputs include inspection records, site reports, quarterly incident statements, and research publications covering topics like cyber security, climate change, and emerging technologies. ONR recovers costs from industry through regulatory charges for its four statutory purposes: safety, civil nuclear security, safeguards, and transport.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nuclear Site Licensing Statutory service assessing and granting nuclear site licences for new sites, relicensing of existing sites, and delicensing of decommissioned sites under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965. For operators seeking to establish, continue, or end nuclear operations in Great Britain.
• Nuclear Safety Regulation Statutory regulation of nuclear safety at 36 licensed nuclear sites in Great Britain, including operating reactors, fuel cycle facilities, waste management and decommissioning sites, ensuring compliance with safety standards through inspections, assessments and enforcement.
• Civil Nuclear Security Regulation Statutory regulation of security of civil nuclear premises, nuclear material transport, and Sensitive Nuclear Information (SNI) under the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003.
• Nuclear Safeguards Regulation Operation of the UK State System of Accounting for and Control of nuclear material (SSAC), implementing IAEA safeguards and Nuclear Safeguards (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 across the UK nuclear industry.
• Transport of Radioactive Materials Regulation Statutory competent authority service for transport of radioactive material (Class 7 dangerous goods) by road, rail and inland waterways within Great Britain, covering package approval, inspection, transport incident notifications, and consignment notifications under The Carriage of Dangerous Goods regulations.
• Generic Design Assessment (GDA) Voluntary regulatory assessment service, jointly developed by ONR and the Environment Agency, to assess new nuclear power station designs for safety, security, safeguards and environmental standards before site-specific permitting in Great Britain. Used by developers of new reactors including SMRs and advanced nuclear technologies.
• Regulatory Enforcement Services Statutory enforcement powers ranging from providing advice to instigating court proceedings when licensees fail to meet required safety and security standards at nuclear sites.

Quantifiable outcome

• Regulates 36 licensed nuclear sites in Great Britain
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Singapore National Environment AgencyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026MoU on nuclear safety cooperation between ONR and Singapore's National Environment Agency.
• French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) / ASNRcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Five-year Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2026 for continued bilateral cooperation between UK and French nuclear regulators.
• Environment AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process for new nuclear power stations. Both regulators collaborate on assessing reactor designs to ensure safety, security, safeguards and environmental standards are met.
• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerONR coordinates UK comments on draft IAEA Safety Standards and participates in international missions including IRRS (Integrated Regulatory Review Service) and IPPAS (International Physical Protection Advisory Service) missions. ONR benchmarks its Safety Assessment Principles against IAEA standards.
• Ministry of Defence (MOD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerONR regulates defence nuclear sites including Atomic Weapons Establishment sites and nuclear submarine propulsion facilities under MOD ownership. Working relationship covers safety, security and conventional health and safety at defence sites.
• WENRA (Western European Nuclear Regulators Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerONR participates in WENRA and uses WENRA Safety Reference Levels in its regulatory framework alongside IAEA standards.
• Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerONR represents the UK at the Convention on Nuclear Safety Review Meetings, submitting national reports on UK nuclear safety performance.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC): The U.S. federal independent nuclear safety and security regulator, directly comparable to ONR in mandate (licensing, inspection, enforcement) over a comparable fleet of commercial and research reactors, with a similarly broad scope covering safety, security and safeguards.
• Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC): Canada's independent nuclear regulator covering power reactors, fuel cycle, waste management, and security/safeguards. Comparable in its integrated safety-security-safeguards mandate and its use of cost-recovered industry fees similar to ONR.
• Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire et de Radioprotection (ASNR / ASN): France's independent nuclear safety and radiation protection regulator, ONR's most direct European counterpart. The two regulators operate a 2026 bilateral MoU and have closely aligned roles in GDA, fuel cycle regulation, and safety/security assessment.

Emerging players

• Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), UAE: UAE's federal nuclear regulator, a younger peer that built its framework with significant IAEA and international technical assistance, comparable to ONR's role supporting newcomer nuclear nations via WENRA/IAEA engagement.

Regional players

• Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC), South Korea: South Korea's independent nuclear safety and security commission, covering an operating fleet, APR1400 new-build, and fuel cycle. Comparable in scope to ONR and an active participant in IAEA and CN peer review missions.
• Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM): Sweden's combined radiation protection and nuclear safety regulator, a peer across power reactor oversight, decommissioning, and radioactive waste regulation with a similar integrated regulator model to ONR.
• Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), Japan: Japan's nuclear regulator established post-Fukushima with enhanced independence, overseeing reactor restarts, decommissioning, and fuel cycle. A peer in rebuilding regulatory credibility and managing a large ageing reactor fleet.
• Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (BfS) / BASE: Germany's federal radiation protection and nuclear regulatory bodies (BfS for radiation/safety, BASE for nuclear oversight). Comparable to ONR's regulatory framework across decommissioning, waste management, and emerging technology assessment.
• Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK): Finland's national nuclear and radiation safety regulator, a small but technically advanced peer that also oversees new-build licensing (Olkiluoto 3, Hanhikivi/SMR) and decommissioning, sharing ONR's integrated mandate and IAEA benchmarking.

Others

• European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG): Independent expert body of EU nuclear regulators; ONR is an observer and active participant. Relevant as a peer ecosystem that shapes cross-border nuclear safety practice, transparency, and post-Fukushima stress test methodology alongside ONR's WENRA work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/@The_ONR
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@the_ONR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/office-for-nuclear-regulation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Office for Nuclear Regulation