Trading Standards Support for a New Bath Business
How to choose between free business guidance, tailored council advice, an on-site audit and a Primary Authority partnership, with published fees and application routes.
Published
A new Bath business can start with free trading standards guidance, then seek paid support for questions about its own products or processes. Bath and North East Somerset Council, the local authority, offers tailored professional advice, an on-site Business Health Check and Primary Authority partnerships. Choosing between them starts with the scope of your question: a general explanation, a specific query or a wider review.[1][2]
Start With Business Companion
Business Companion is a website providing free, impartial guidance on trading standards and consumer protection law. Its Get Started section is intended for people who are new to business or unsure where to begin. Quick Guides organise information around what, where and how you sell, while In-depth Guides provide more detail on particular subjects.[2]
For a new business, that structure offers a practical way to narrow a question before paying for individual advice. Start with how your business sells, then read the relevant detailed guidance. If you still need an answer about your own label, product or procedure, the council’s tailored advice service is a separate next step.[1][2]
Check the country setting when reading. Business Companion defaults to England, which is the relevant starting point for a Bath operation. Businesses trading in Scotland or Wales should select the appropriate location because some laws differ between countries. The site directs readers elsewhere for Northern Ireland guidance.[2]
Compare the Council’s Published Services
The council’s Support we offer to businesses page brings together its service descriptions, fee schedule and application routes. The listed council prices include VAT. Check that page before applying, particularly where you may need testing or work beyond the stated advice time.[1]
| Route | Published scope | Published fee including VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Business Companion | Self-service guidance | Free |
| Tailored professional advice | Advice by email or telephone, charged in half-hour slots | £54 per half-hour |
| Business Health Check | Two-hour on-site audit with a written report afterwards | £285 |
| Primary Authority Option 1 | Setup plus three hours of advice | £640, then £93 per hour for advice |
| Primary Authority Option 2 | Setup plus 17 hours of advice | £1,800, then £93 per hour for advice |
When a Focused Advice Session Fits
The council offers advice from an experienced Trading Standards professional by email or telephone. It names labelling confusion and product safety among the queries the service can address, and says the advice is tailored to the business’s needs.[1]
For a narrowly defined question, this is a useful route to consider before commissioning a whole-business audit. Prepare a short description of what you sell, the document or product you want to discuss, and the decision you need help making. Because charging is in half-hour slots, ask what can be covered within the proposed time. Apply through the Bite-sized application form linked from the council’s support page.[1]
What the Business Health Check Adds
The Business Health Check is an on-site audit covering trading standards requirements, systems and processes. An experienced, qualified Trading Standards officer carries out the visit and provides a written report afterwards. That makes it the broader option when you want your operation reviewed rather than an answer to one isolated question.[1]
The council describes the service as suitable for businesses of any sector or size. It specifically highlights new businesses, small and medium food producers, motor traders, and businesses manufacturing or importing heavily regulated goods.[1]
Allow for possible additional charges. Food analysis, product safety testing and testing of particular weights and measures equipment are among the services the council can include for an extra fee. Before applying through the Business Health Check form, ask which work belongs within the two-hour audit and which would need a separate charge. The published audit price alone won’t settle the cost of a request involving testing.[1]
Primary Authority Requires a Partnership
Primary Authority is a scheme through which businesses receive assured, tailored regulatory advice through partnerships with local authorities. The official Primary Authority Register supports those partnerships and allows businesses or their representatives to view their own partnership details.[3]
The council offers a partnership as a single point of contact for regulatory matters and identifies businesses with a base in Bath and North East Somerset, along with industry trade associations, as a particular fit. For a new business expecting an ongoing need for regulatory advice, that is a different arrangement from buying a single advice session.[1]
Register access depends on already being in a partnership. Creating an account alone does not establish one. To discuss a council partnership, phone 01225 396759 or use the B&NES Business Support email link on its support page. For guidance through the national joining process, the official register gives 0121 345 1201 and pa@businessandtrade.gov.uk.[1][3]
Before committing to either partnership option, ask the council to confirm the proposed scope and advice time for your business. Bring the specific regulatory questions you expect to need help with, so the discussion can establish whether an ongoing partnership or a smaller piece of support suits the work ahead.[1][3]
Sources and checks
These sources were used for this article. Availability, prices and service details can change after the stated check date.
- Support we offer to businesses | Bath and North East Somerset Council
Checked 20 October 2026.
Tailored professional advice is available by email or telephone at £54 including VAT per half-hour, charged in half-hour slots. Labelling and product safety are examples of subjects covered by the advice service. The Bite-sized application form is the application route for tailored advice. The Business Health Check is an on-site trading standards audit with a written report, priced at £285 including VAT for two hours. The council describes the Health Check as suitable for all sectors and sizes and identifies particular business types that may be interested. Food analysis, product safety testing and weights and measures equipment testing can carry additional fees. The council links a Business Health Check application form. The council offers Primary Authority partnerships and particularly identifies businesses based in Bath and North East Somerset and trade associations. Council partnership enquiries can be made on 01225 396759 or through its Business Support email link. Published partnership options cost £640 including setup and three advice hours or £1,800 including setup and 17 advice hours, followed by £93 per advice hour, including VAT.
- Home | Business Companion
Checked 20 October 2026.
Business Companion provides free, impartial guidance on trading standards and consumer protection law. Get Started is recommended for new businesses and readers unsure where to begin. Quick Guides are organised by what, where and how a business sells, with In-depth Guides providing further detail. The website defaults to England and advises businesses trading in Scotland or Wales to select the appropriate country. The website directs readers to a separate resource for Northern Ireland law.
- Primary Authority Register
Checked 20 October 2026.
Primary Authority provides assured, tailored regulatory advice through partnerships with local authorities. Businesses and their representatives can view details of their specific partnerships through the register. Businesses or their representatives need to be in a partnership to obtain register access. Businesses interested in joining can contact 0121 345 1201 or pa@businessandtrade.gov.uk for guidance through the process.