Better Business Act
Better Business Act is a UK non-profit policy campaign, operated by B Lab UK since 2021, that advocates amending Section 172 of the Companies Act to require directors to consider stakeholders alongside shareholders. It serves UK policymakers and businesses through a 3,000+ member coalition and direct MP advocacy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Better Business Act does
Better Business Act is a UK policy campaign operated by B Lab UK, a registered charity (No. 1164694) established in 2015. Launched in March 2021, the campaign advocates amending Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 to require UK company directors to balance shareholder interests with those of employees, communities, and the environment — effectively shifting the legal default from shareholder primacy to stakeholder governance. It is not a commercial enterprise: it sells no products or services, generates no revenue, and operates through a small 4–5 person core team supported by B Lab UK as Secretariat.
The campaign's go-to-market is community- and coalition-led. It has assembled a coalition of more than 3,000 UK businesses and organisations — up from approximately 300 at launch — including prominent names such as Virgin, Iceland, Tony's Chocolonely, The Body Shop, Patagonia, John Lewis Partnership, Danone, and Ben & Jerry's, alongside institutional endorsers like the Institute of Directors, ShareAction, and RSPB. The coalition is co-chaired by Mary Portas OBE and Douglas Lamont (CEO of Tony's Chocolonely, former CEO of innocent drinks) and enjoys public endorsements from figures including former Unilever CEO Paul Polman. Distribution relies on direct MP advocacy (letter-writing tools, constituency MP meetings, an annual Better Business Day in Westminster), multi-channel digital communications, earned media, and research outputs such as the 2023 'Purpose Dividend' report with Demos, which claimed a potential £149bn annual uplift to UK GDP from purpose-led reform.
Better Business Act does not use underlying technology beyond standard digital communications infrastructure. Its primary outputs are policy advocacy, research publications, toolkits, and events. The campaign is funded indirectly through B Lab UK's charitable operations rather than the Better Business Act entity itself. By 2024–2025, the campaign had achieved inclusion of its proposals in Liberal Democrat and Green Party manifestos and secured a Private Members' Bill aligned with its aims, signalling growing cross-party traction — though the core legislative change has not yet been enacted.
Better Business Act firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Better Business Act
- Legal name
- B Lab UK
- Website
- https://betterbusinessact.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Better Business Act is a UK non-profit policy campaign, operated by B Lab UK since 2021, that advocates amending Section 172 of the Companies Act to require directors to consider stakeholders alongside shareholders. It serves UK policymakers and businesses through a 3,000+ member coalition and direct MP advocacy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Better Business Act industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Policy Advocacy / Corporate Governance Reform
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (81392), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Affairs, Government Relations & Lobbying (BPAFADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Government Accountability, Ethics & Anti-Corruption Advocacy (BPAGAFAN), Governance, Democracy & Rule of Law (BPAGABAI), Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)
Keywords
Where Better Business Act is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Better Business Act business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- The Better Business Act is a non-profit policy campaign initiative. It does not generate revenue from products or services. The campaign is led by B Lab UK as Secretariat and funded through B Lab UK's operations as a registered charity (No. 1164694).
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Better Business Act product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Better Business Act is a policy campaign advocating for the amendment of Section 172 of the UK Companies Act 2006 to require company directors to align shareholder interests with those of wider society and the environment. The campaign recruits businesses into a coalition, engages MPs, publishes research, and organises events to build political support for changing the legal default for UK companies from shareholder primacy to stakeholder governance.
Product overview
Better Business Act is a policy campaign organization led by B Lab UK, not a product or software company. It does not offer commercial products or services. The organization operates as a coalition advocating for amendments to UK company law (specifically Section 172 of the Companies Act) to require businesses to balance shareholder interests with wider society and environmental considerations. The campaign provides toolkits, resources, and advocacy materials for supporters but these are informational/political campaign assets rather than commercial products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- £149bn potential boost to UK GDP per year from purpose-led business reform
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Better Business Act
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Better Business Act technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Better Business Act partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- DemoscoreDemos is a leading UK think tank that partnered with B Lab UK to produce 'The Purpose Dividend' report (November 2023), exploring the potential economic benefits of purpose-led business in the UK. The research found that changing company law could add £149bn to UK GDP per year.
- Kin + CartaminorKin + Carta provided support for the 'Wake Up to Better Business' campaign launch in April 2023, helping to amplify the campaign message and engage with policymakers in Westminster.
- Holly BransonminorHolly Branson, Chief Purpose and Vision Officer at Virgin Group, participated in campaign events including the 'Wake Up to Better Business' Westminster breakfast, speaking on the importance of amending company articles to change business for good.
- Douglas LamontcoreDouglas Lamont, CEO of Tony's Chocolonely (formerly CEO of innocent drinks for 9 years), serves as Co-Chair of the Better Business Act campaign alongside Mary Portas. He provides leadership from the business community and has grown innocent drinks to £300m turnover.
- Mary Portas OBEcoreMary Portas, founder and chief creative officer of Portas agency and former government advisor on high streets, joined as Co-Chair of the Better Business Act campaign in March 2022. She brings high-profile advocacy, media presence, and business expertise to the campaign.
- Virgin GroupcoreVirgin Group was one of the founding coalition members when the Better Business Act launched in March 2021. Holly Branson, Chief Purpose and Vision Officer at Virgin, has been a prominent advocate for the campaign, writing blog posts and participating in campaign events.
- B Lab UKcoreB Lab UK is the non-profit organisation that initiated the Better Business Act campaign and serves as its Secretariat. B Lab UK is a registered charity (No. 1164694) established in 2015 to serve the community of Certified B Corporations in the UK.
- Paul PolmanminorPaul Polman, co-founder and co-chair of IMAGINE and former CEO of Unilever, is a prominent supporter of the Better Business Act. He has publicly endorsed the campaign, stating that businesses need minimum expectations to contribute positively to society.
- Innocent drinkscoreInnocent drinks (now part of Coca-Cola) was an early coalition member. CEO Douglas Lamont served as Co-Chair of the campaign before moving to Tony's Chocolonely. Innocent is known for its purpose-driven approach and B Corp certification.
- IcelandcoreThe frozen food retailer Iceland is a prominent coalition member, advocating for the Better Business Act as part of its commitment to responsible business practices.
- Tony's ChocolonelycoreTony's Chocolonely is a B Corp certified chocolate company and its CEO Douglas Lamont co-chairs the Better Business Act campaign. The company is known for its mission to make chocolate production slavery-free.
- The Body ShopcoreThe Body Shop is a long-standing advocate for ethical business and a coalition member supporting the Better Business Act.
- Institute of DirectorscoreThe Institute of Directors (IoD), a prestigious UK business organisation, backs the Better Business Act campaign, providing credibility among business leaders and directors.
- RSPBminorThe Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) joined the coalition to advocate for business action to protect nature and biodiversity.
- ShareActionminorShareAction, an investment advocacy organisation focused on responsible investment, supports the Better Business Act campaign.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Better Business Act competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- B Lab Global: Global parent of B Lab UK and operator of the worldwide B Corp certification standard. Directly comparable as the institutional ecosystem that the Better Business Act campaign sits within and leverages for mobilisation and credibility.
- Business in the Community: UK business-led membership organisation focused on responsible business practice. Comparable as a coalition of UK businesses promoting purpose-led corporate behaviour, though operates through voluntary frameworks rather than legislative amendment.
- Friends of the Earth: Major UK environmental advocacy organisation running coalition campaigns on corporate accountability. Comparable as a UK NGO using coalition-building and policy advocacy to push for corporate governance reform on environmental grounds.
Direct peers
- UKSIF (UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association): Membership network for sustainable and responsible investment in the UK. Operates as an advocacy coalition similar to the Better Business Act, mobilising financial institutions to push for corporate governance and ESG policy reform.
- Corporate Reform Coalition: UK coalition advocating for reform of company law to align corporate behaviour with social and environmental goals. Directly comparable mission and tactics to the Better Business Act, working on Section 172 amendments and stakeholder governance.
- ShareAction: UK investment advocacy organisation promoting responsible investment and corporate governance reform. A coalition partner of the Better Business Act and a directly comparable NGO working on similar stakeholder-capitalism policy goals through investor engagement.
- Green Alliance: Independent UK charity and think tank focused on environmental policy and governance. Comparable as a UK-based advocacy organisation producing research and coalition campaigns to drive legislative and regulatory change.
- Make My Money Matter: UK campaign focused on sustainable finance and using pensions and savings for positive impact. Comparable as a coalition-based advocacy campaign using celebrity co-chairs (Richard Curtis) and research partnerships to drive policy change.
- Social Value UK: UK professional body for social value and impact measurement. Listed as a coalition supporter of the Better Business Act and operates as a directly comparable membership network promoting stakeholder-oriented business practices.
- InfluenceMap: UK-based research and advocacy organisation tracking corporate influence on climate policy. Comparable as a think-tank-and-coalition hybrid producing research to support policy advocacy on corporate responsibility.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Better Business Act social profiles
Digital presenceBetter Business Act financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Better Business Act leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Better Business Act funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Better Business Act M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Better Business Act
What does Better Business Act do?
Better Business Act is a policy campaign advocating for the amendment of Section 172 of the UK Companies Act 2006 to require company directors to align shareholder interests with those of wider society and the environment. The campaign recruits businesses into a coalition, engages MPs, publishes research, and organises events to build political support for changing the legal default for UK companies from shareholder primacy to stakeholder governance.
Is Better Business Act a public or private company?
Better Business Act is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Better Business Act founded?
Better Business Act was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Better Business Act based?
Better Business Act is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Better Business Act make money?
One revenue line is on record: .
Who are Better Business Act's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are B Lab Global, Business in the Community and Friends of the Earth. Direct peers are UKSIF (UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association), Corporate Reform Coalition, ShareAction, Green Alliance, Make My Money Matter, Social Value UK and InfluenceMap.
Does Better Business Act have an API?
No public API is recorded for Better Business Act.
What industry is Better Business Act in?
Better Business Act's product category is Policy Advocacy / Corporate Governance Reform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFADAB, Public Affairs, Government Relations & Lobbying, with a secondary code of BPAGAFAN, Government Accountability, Ethics & Anti-Corruption Advocacy. Its NAICS code is 81392 and its SIC code is 8600.