GOVERNMENT AND DEFENCE Companies in United Kingdom: Full List
Approximately 38,923 real businesses classified under Public Administration and Defence in United Kingdom, with officer, shareholder and beneficial ownership records sourced directly from official government registries.
Approximately 38,923 real businesses operate in the Public Administration and Defence sector across United Kingdom. Government bodies do not have beneficial owners — they have budgets and mandates. Ministries, defence entities, and compulsory-social-security bodies are state functions, not shareholder-owned companies, so the ownership-verification questions that apply everywhere else in this directory largely do not translate here.
58 companies in this sector are indexed on Zavia so far, part of a continually growing dataset.
Beneficial-ownership and registration rules for Public Administration and Defence companies in United Kingdom follow the same national framework as every other sector there.
Full United Kingdom beneficial ownership overviewTop Public Administration and Defence Companies in United Kingdom
Live from the register. Every row opens the full record — officers, shareholders and resolved group structure.
Data Coverage
Record counts for NACE section O in United Kingdom, as of the last reconciliation.
Section O is 0% of the United Kingdom register by entity count and its 18th largest sector — see all sectors.
Analysis
What this data actually tells you
Public Administration and Defence in the UK is largely delivered through arm’s-length bodies rather than ordinary companies. The government’s own framework classifies these as executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) or non-ministerial departments — NDPBs specifically perform a government function without belonging to a department, ranging from executive bodies implementing policy directly, to advisory groups, to tribunals handling quasi-judicial matters, each operating under the ‘arm’s-length principle’ that gives them day-to-day independence from ministers.
For verification, that structure means a public-sector counterparty’s real accountability runs through a sponsoring department rather than a boardroom: ministers set strategic objectives and approve frameworks, but are prohibited from directing specific operational decisions. NDPBs of all types are contracting authorities eligible to use UK procurement frameworks, so confirming a public body’s standing as a counterparty in a tender or contract means checking its arm’s-length-body classification and procurement eligibility, not a commercial-register entry it likely doesn’t have in the normal sense.
United Kingdom Public Administration and Defence, by the register
Charts render from live counts. Modules are suppressed where coverage is too thin to be meaningful.
Active vs. inactive
Section O entities currently on the register as active, vs. struck off or dormant.
Company size, by disclosed headcount
By number of employees on file, Section O, United Kingdom. 84 entities with no disclosed headcount are not counted in any band.
Who uses United Kingdom public administration and defence ownership data
The three checks this sector's data is most often run for.
NDPB vs. company distinction
UK central-government functions often sit inside a non-departmental public body (NDPB) — operating at arm’s length from ministers, with day-to-day operational independence but accountable through a sponsoring department, rather than being incorporated like an ordinary company.
Arm’s-length-body procurement eligibility
Executive, advisory and tribunal NDPBs are all contracting authorities eligible to use UK public-procurement frameworks — verifying a public-sector counterparty in this sector means checking its arm’s-length-body status and procurement authority, not its commercial filing.
Sponsoring-department accountability
Ministers set strategic objectives and approve frameworks for NDPBs but can’t direct day-to-day operational decisions — a governance structure that shapes how financial and operational accountability actually works compared to a private company.
Get complete shareholder and officer records, ultimate beneficial owner resolution, and ongoing ownership monitoring for United Kingdom companies — via API or a bulk data feed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Public Administration and Defence companies are registered in United Kingdom?
Approximately 38,923 real businesses operate under Public Administration and Defence in United Kingdom.
What does the Public Administration and Defence sector include in United Kingdom?
Government bodies do not have beneficial owners — they have budgets and mandates. Ministries, defence entities, and compulsory-social-security bodies are state functions, not shareholder-owned companies, so the ownership-verification questions that apply everywhere else in this directory largely do not translate here.
How is company ownership disclosed for Public Administration and Defence companies in United Kingdom?
The same national framework applies here as for every other sector in United Kingdom — there is no sector-specific beneficial-ownership regime for Public Administration and Defence.
Can I see all industries present in United Kingdom?
Yes — the United Kingdom company directory lists every industry with recorded companies for that jurisdiction, alongside the full beneficial-ownership overview for United Kingdom.
Can I see Public Administration and Defence companies in other countries?
Yes — the Public Administration and Defence sector directory lists every country with recorded Public Administration and Defence companies on Zavia.
Can Zavia monitor changes to Public Administration and Defence companies in United Kingdom over time?
A directory listing is a snapshot, not a live feed. Zavia's monitoring API tracks changes to registered shareholders, officers, and group structure for Public Administration and Defence companies in United Kingdom going forward, flagging updates as they are filed instead of requiring a manual recheck.
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Every NACE section on this register, with live company counts.