About Our Data and the Rules for Calling Businesses
Our database holds 1,486,280 UK business telephone numbers in more than 2,000 business categories, with 1,219,031 named contacts. This page explains what a record contains, what our counts mean, and the rules for using a phone list for telemarketing.
What a record contains
A record can include the business name, telephone number, postal address and postcode, a named contact and their job title, business category and employee size band, and in some cases an email address and website. Not every record has every field. Your free count shows exactly what's available for the businesses you want.
What our counts mean
- Telephone numbers is the number of records in a sector with a phone number. It's the figure shown first on every sector page.
- Named contacts available is how many of those records include a person's name, so your callers can ask for someone rather than "the owner" or "the manager".
- UK workplaces (ONS) is the size of the whole market, from the Office for National Statistics' UK Business Counts 2026. It's an independent figure, not our count. ONS only includes businesses registered for VAT or PAYE, and its SIC codes don't always match a sector exactly, so our count can be higher or lower; each sector page explains why.
How the data is kept up to date
Records are checked by telephone researchers every day, and businesses that have closed or moved are updated or removed. Counts on this site were last updated in November 2026. We guarantee that at least 95% of the records you buy are accurate.
The rules for calling businesses
Business-to-business telemarketing is legal in the UK. Live sales calls are governed by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), and the key points are:
| Who you're calling | Register to screen against |
|---|---|
| Limited companies, LLPs, public bodies, charities and other organisations | Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS) |
| Sole traders and partnerships in England, Wales and Northern Ireland | Telephone Preference Service (TPS) |
| Scottish partnerships (legal persons) | Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS) |
- Don't call a registered number for sales unless that business has told you it's happy to take your calls.
- Screen before every campaign. New numbers are registered all the time, so screen the list close to the day you call. Screening against both registers covers every type of business.
- Say who you are on every call, and show your number: don't withhold it. If asked, give an address or freephone number where you can be contacted.
- Keep a do-not-call list. If anyone asks you not to call again, don't, whether or not their number is registered.
- Named contacts are personal data, so UK GDPR also applies: have a lawful basis (usually legitimate interests), tell people where you got their details, and honour objections.
Automated (recorded message) marketing calls have stricter rules and need prior consent; our lists are for live calls. The Information Commissioner's Office has full guidance on direct marketing.
Delivery
Data is sent by secure email transfer in Excel or CSV format, usually within 24 hours of payment, ready to load into a dialler or CRM.
Questions? Email hello@ukphonelists.co.uk or use the form on any sector page.