Referral of the proposed Transformation and Network Investment subsidy to Post Office Limited by the Department for Business and Trade
Source: gov.uk (2025-07-15)

The Subsidy Advice Unit (SAU) has published a report providing advice to the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) concerning its proposed Transformation and Network Investment subsidy to Post Office Limited (POL).

Administrative timetable

Final report

15 July 2025: The SAU has published its report providing advice to DBT concerning the proposed Transformation and Network Investment subsidy to Post Office Limited (POL). The report sets out the SAU’s evaluation of DBT’s Assessment of Compliance of its proposed subsidy with the requirements set out in the Subsidy Control Act 2022.
- Final report (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-on-the-proposed-transformation-and-network-investment-subsidy-to-post-office-limited-by-the-department-for-business-and-trade) (15.7.25)
Request from DBT

3 June 2025: The SAU has accepted a request for a report from DBT concerning the proposed Transformation and Network Investment subsidy to Post Office Limited. This request relates to a Subsidy of Particular Interest.

The SAU will prepare a report, which will provide an evaluation of the DBT’s assessment of whether the subsidy complies with the subsidy control requirements (Assessment of Compliance). The SAU will complete its report within 30 working days.

Information about the subsidy provided by DBT

Post Office Limited (POL) is a Public Non-Financial Corporation (Public Corporation). It was constituted under the 2000 and 2011 Postal Services Acts and is wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade. Through POL, Government ensures the provision of a network of Post Office branches, delivering essential services to customers across the UK.

The Department for Business and Trade is proposing to award POL a grant of up to £117.95 million in Financial Year 2025 to 2026, to help the company to:

deliver cost-saving and transformational activities that will enable POL to deliver government policy more efficiently (£107.95 million)

cover costs associated with its licence-to-operate and non-discretionary investment needs, which are related to the delivery of the Post Office network and the services the Post Office delivers across this network (£10 million)

Information for third parties

If you wish to comment on matters relevant to the SAU’s evaluation of the Assessment of Compliance concerning the proposed Transformation and Network Investment to POL, please send your comments on the date stipulated in the timetable above. For guidance on representations relevant to the Assessment of Compliance, see the section on reporting period and transparency in the Operation of the subsidy control functions of the Subsidy Advice Unit (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-the-operation-of-the-subsidy-control-functions-of-the-subsidy-advice-unit/operation-of-the-subsidy-control-functions-of-the-subsidy-advice-unit).

Please send your submissions to the public authority: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

Please also provide a contact address and explain in what capacity you are making the submission (for example, as an individual or a representative of a business or organisation).

Notes to third parties wishing to make a submission

The SAU will only take your submission into account if it can be shared with DBT. The SAU will send a copy of your submission to DBT together with its report. This is to allow the public authority to take account of the submission in its decision as to whether to grant or modify the subsidy or its assessment. We therefore ask that you provide express consent for your full and unredacted submission to be shared. We also encourage you to share your submission directly with DBT using the email address provided above.

The SAU may use the information you provide in its published report. Therefore, you should indicate in your submission whether any specified parts of it are commercially confidential. If the SAU wishes to refer in its published report to material identified as confidential, it will contact you in advance.

For further details on confidentiality of third party submissions, see identifying confidential information in the Operation of the subsidy control functions of the Subsidy Advice Unit (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-the-operation-of-the-subsidy-control-functions-of-the-subsidy-advice-unit/operation-of-the-subsidy-control-functions-of-the-subsidy-advice-unit).

Contacts
- CMA press team: xx-xxxx-xxxx or xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)