UK Business Data Survey 2026: User-engagement exercise
Source: gov.uk (2025-10-02)

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is seeking views from users of the UK Business Data Survey (UKBDS) on how it could be developed.

The UK Business Data Survey (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-business-data-survey) (UKBDS) is an ongoing quantitative and qualitative research study that gathers evidence on the importance and awareness of digital data use for UK businesses. The questions currently cover a range of topics, including:

the role and importance of personal and non-personal data in UK businesses

domestic and international transfers of data

activities and opinions relating to data protection legislation and policy

The findings of the UKBDS are representative of UK businesses. They help the government understand the nature and importance of data use in industry, as well as its potential and realised economic impacts.

The UKBDS is conducted by an external supplier. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) holds and manages the contract. The current contract for the UKBDS has now concluded. However, DSIT plans to continue this research due to its value in informing policy context and decision making, and its widespread use by stakeholders.

The aim of this engagement survey is to collect user and stakeholder feedback on different aspects of UKBDS for 2026 onwards, and to understand their views on the proposed changes to the UKBDS.

Feedback is requested in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics (https://code.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/), which sets out that:

“Users of statistics and data should be at the centre of statistical production; their needs should be understood, their views sought and acted on, and their use of statistics supported”.

“Statistics producers should periodically review whether to continue, discontinue, adapt or to provide the statistics through other means, in discussion with users and other stakeholders.”

How to respond

This survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Responses can be submitted via our online survey.

Respond via the online survey (https://dsit.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ePpCkXMZUjf0hls)

If you would prefer, you can also respond via email. Please send emails to xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:%xxx@xxx.xx)

This questionnaire can be completed anonymously, and most respondent information fields are not mandatory. (* = mandatory response).

Data collected from this survey will form the evidence base for the further development of the UKBDS. Anonymised findings from the data collected will be shared with DSIT. No individuals will be identifiable.

The information we receive will allow us to make more informed decisions.

A summary of findings will be published in response to this public engagement exercise within 12 weeks of the public engagement exercise closing (by Friday 13 June 2025). No individuals will be identifiable in the published results.

Please read the privacy notice (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-business-data-survey-2026-user-engagement-privacy-notice) for more information on the data collected as part of the engagement exercise.

If you have questions about this survey or on the UKBDS, please email xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:%xxx@xxx.xx).

This public engagement exercise closes at 23:59 on Friday 13 June 2025.

Future directions and key changes

DSIT wish to understand how the following topics and themes are being used in the application of the UKBDS survey results, and to incorporate the changes outlined below.

Questions to be removed:

Previous editions of the UKBDS have explored data infrastructure, that is, the physical or virtual infrastructures that businesses use to store and process data such as physical or cloud servers. Current questions in the research cover areas such as:

What types of digital infrastructure businesses are using (including physical serves based in a business’ own premises, servers provided by an outsourced IT service, public cloud providers, private clouds etc.)

Where these servers are located (such as in the UK, in the EU / EEA or rest of the world)

Whether or not businesses have experienced server or cloud outage or downtime and the impact that this has had on the business

The UKBDS has previously also explored data collection via cookies or similar technologies, including reasons like delivering requested services, enabling communication, applying security updates, respecting user preferences, gathering information, and supporting marketing.

Due to evolving data policy priorities DSIT are reviewing whether these topics should continue to be explored by the UKBDS and whether existing areas covered by the survey should be developed further / if alternative new areas should be included in its place.

Potential questions for future inclusion:

DSIT are exploring whether some or all of the following areas of questioning should be included in the UKBDS in place of the data infrastructure questions:

Business use of advanced data processing: Understanding how businesses approach advanced data processing to help the department assess how data governance, ethical practices, and technological capabilities influence innovation, operational efficiency, regulatory compliance and public trust.

Business use of public sector data: Understanding which public sector data sources UK businesses use to help identify trends and emerging needs.

Expanding coverage of the types of data used: Understanding the types of data that UK businesses are using, such as sales or financial data, customer / user behaviour data, HR or payroll data or marketing data and research. This will help the department to produce richer insights that can drive more targeted policy.

If agreed and prioritised, these will be new additions for the UKBDS for 2026 onwards.