CMA’s Annual Plan to drive growth by promoting competition, protecting consumers and enhancing business and investor confidence
Source: gov.uk (2025-03-27)

Ambitious 2025 to 2026 CMA programme will prioritise action to drive growth and investment whilst fulfilling its core purpose to promote competition and protect consumers.

CMA commits to improving key aspects of how it works, driving greater pace, predictability, proportionality and improved process.

CMA will support the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy, using its powers to drive growth and unlock investment.

CMA to use new powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act to unlock opportunities for growth across the UK digital economy and the wider economy; and enhance consumer confidence by supporting business compliance and tackling poor corporate practices.

Following extensive engagement with business, investment and consumer groups, and reflecting the Government’s draft strategic steer, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published its Annual Plan 2025 to 2026 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-annual-plan-2025-to-2026).

The plan sets out the CMA’s firm commitment to use its competition and consumer protection powers to drive positive outcomes for UK consumers and businesses across the economy. It also lays out how the CMA will reflect the new draft strategic steer (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/draft-strategic-steer-to-the-competition-and-markets-authority/strategic-steer-to-the-competition-and-markets-authority) from government in its activities over the coming year. The draft steer reinforces the importance of a strong, independent competition and consumer protection regime, situating this squarely in the context of the UK Government’s growth mission.

Focus areas

The CMA plans to target its markets work toward unlocking investment in critical infrastructure and identifying opportunities for key horizontal enablers (like access to data or technology adoption) which could have a multiplier effect on growth. It will also give particular focus – across its powers – to priority sectors in the Industrial Strategy where effective competition could spur growth, or remove barriers to the flow of capital, innovation, and the scaling of UK businesses.

Notably, the CMA plans to deploy its deep anti-bid rigging expertise and AI capabilities to help the Government identify and tackle bid rigging in public procurement – potentially opening up opportunities for new entrants as well as billions of pounds in savings for UK taxpayers.

The plan also frames the CMA’s carefully considered approach to its new powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA), with detail around early activity in both the new digital markets and new consumer protection regimes. The CMA particularly emphasises the value of effective consumer protection to both business and consumer confidence, signalling that it will use its enforcement powers proportionately to put money back into people’s pockets and protect the level-playing field for fair-dealing businesses.

Improving how the CMA works

The plan reasserts the CMA’s commitment to its ongoing programme of rapid, meaningful changes based around four key principles – pace, predictability, proportionality and process (business engagement). Following direct feedback from businesses and investors, the CMA committed to implementing these ‘4Ps’ across its functions late last year, starting with merger control.

The plan outlines the considerable progress made thus far and signals more to come in the near future, notably across the new digital and consumer functions. The CMA also emphasises the importance of continued, constructive engagement with a diverse range of stakeholders – particularly through the CMA Growth and Investment Council and through deeper relationships with startups and investors.

Sarah Cardell, CEO of the Competition and Markets Authority, said:

The Government has been clear that its number one priority is economic growth, and the CMA has a key role to play in supporting that. The fundamentals of our role - to promote dynamic markets, support productivity and innovation, and to protect consumer interests - remain as vital and relevant for the UK as they have ever been.

This Annual Plan lays out an ambitious programme of work to support economic growth and long-term prosperity for the UK, rooted in our commitment to promote competition and protect consumers, and clearly reflecting the clear draft strategic steer provided to us by government.

Based on valuable stakeholder feedback, we have made a firm commitment to continued, rapid evolution around key aspects of how we work, which we know are critical to business and investor confidence and UK global competitiveness.

Doug Gurr, Interim Chair of the Competition and Markets Authority, said:

We have really challenged ourselves as an organisation on how we can contribute to the growth mission set out by government, which we know is vital for the UK. Because the foundations of what the CMA does – strong competition and consumer protection – can make a big difference to achieving it.

We have a real chance now, as we deliver this rich plan of work and continued improvements in how we operate, to build that all-important confidence amongst companies and investors that the UK is a great place to do business.

Justin Madders, Minister for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets, said:

We have been clear that we expect regulators to focus on driving economic growth, as well as lending their expertise to support the Government in improving the public sector.

We welcome this plan set out by the CMA which will help it focus on delivering growth and supporting consumers across the country. I’d encourage other regulators to look to the CMA Plan as they prepare their own strategies.

Notes to editors:

In a speech (https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/promoting-competition-and-protecting-consumers-in-the-digital-age-a-roadmap-for-growth) at the techUK Tech Policy Conference 2025, CEO Sarah Cardell set out how the CMA will apply the ‘4Ps’ framework to its digital markets and consumer work in support of economic growth.

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