Market information
At the Business & IP Centre, you can access premium market data and intelligence for free. We’ve got all the information you need to start and grow your business.
Audio-described version of Why research your market? video.
What’s in our resources?
Whether you need to research your customers and competitors, understand your industry or find suppliers and funding, our databases can help you start and grow your business. Find out more below.
Advice and funding
COBRA (Complete Business Reference Adviser) – practical information about setting up, running or growing my business in the UK. For example, an industry-specific business checklist, how to register VAT, hire employees, organises taxes and more.
GrantFinder – identify and apply for grants, funding and development opportunities.
Market research
Mintel – insight into consumer trends and what my customers want, in the UK.
IBIS World – find out everything about the industry you're planning to enter or keep up to date with the industry you are in.
eMarketer – discover the current state of online marketing and how people are shopping online.
GlobalData – find actual and forecast sales data for Fast Moving Consumer Goods.
Frost & Sullivan – market research and strategy reports for technology related businesses.
Statista – consumer, company and country statistics from around the world.
Passport (Euromonitor) – in-depth information on consumers and industries around the world.
Company data
FAME – find information about companies in the UK and Ireland to understand your competition and/or find B2B customers.
Kompass – find suppliers and distributors from around the world to support your business or become potential customers.
ORBIS – information about companies around the world to understand your competition and/or find B2B customers.
EMIS – research about international markets, companies and industries.
Trade literature
We hold an extensive collection of trade literature from the mid-19th century to the present in the BIPC Reading Room. Explore trade journals for industry trends or company mentions in the catalogues from 1980s onwards. For earlier items, please speak to a member of the team to help in the BIPC Reading Room or on bipc-research@bl.uk.
Intellectual property
We are the Library of the Intellectual Property Office and home to the national collection of patent specifications, official patent, trade mark, and design journals. We can also help you to search for patents. Find out more on intellectual property.
How can market information help you?
Find out how other businesses have used market information from the Business & IP Centre network to start and grow. More success stories.
Workshops and events
We run a regular series of workshops and webinars to help you make the most of our market information and resources:
- Start using the British Library for my business
- How do I research my market?
- How COBRA can help your business journey
- Introduction to GrantFinder
- Introduction to patents and patent searching
Not sure where to start?
Book a one-to-one session with our team who will be happy to discuss what business information you need and where to find it. We can also help with tailored research and patent searches. Contact us on bipc@bl.uk.
Access our resources
To access our databases in the Business & IP Centre, you will need a free Reader Pass from our Reader Registration at the British Library in St Pancras, London.
Explore our industry guides
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