United Kingdom

ACT represents startups and small tech companies across the UK, providing insight and advocacy to shape a policy environment that reflects how technology is built and used in practice. ACT works with our members across the UK to understand the realities of operating a startup or small tech company and advocating for change in London.

We support a vibrant and growing community of founders, innovators, and funders dedicated to supporting each other and building a stronger small technology community.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a key element of innovation and competitiveness in the app economy. While many small developers have used AI and machine learning for years to look for bugs and to manipulate data, today the implementation models of AI are changing almost daily. Startups and small tech companies are at the forefront of this new AI revolution. As the regulatory landscape evolves, it is crucial to strike a balance between fostering innovation and protecting consumers and businesses from demonstrated harms. Policies must be crafted in a way that supports the diverse needs of the app economy, particularly the startups and small tech companies that rely on AI to compete and thrive in a dynamic market.

The UK’s AI Opportunity Depends on Certainty
The United Kingdom is at an important moment in AI policymaking. During ACT’s Global App Economy Conference: UK in April, one question kept coming up across conversations with policymakers, regulators, and industry…
AI, Standards, and the Future of Green Tech Investment
Mike Griffin doesn’t do hype cycles. He’s a UK-based developer with decades of experience working across EU and UK innovation and research programs. He’s spent enough time in the…
Written Evidence Submitted by ACT | The App Association on AI Growth Lab: Call for Evidence)

Online Marketplaces & Competition

Curated Online Marketplaces (COMs), such as app stores, help small teams reach users. But policies like the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) which mandate broad access requirements can weaken security, raise fraud risk, and create disruptive implementation churn that hits small developers first. Startups and small tech companies leverage COMs, including app stores, cloud platforms, and e-commerce hubs, to reach customers efficiently. Startups and small companies rely on the economics of trust – the long-term accretion of consumer confidence won by well-managed marketplaces – to sell products and services to customers that otherwise would be suspicious of young companies.

ACT Statement on Competition and Markets Authority Steering Conduct Requirements Consultation
ACT Statement on Competition and Markets Authority Steering Conduct Requirements Consultation LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – Association for Competitive Technology (ACT) comments on the impact for startups and small businesses in today’s…
UK Parents, Children, and Teens Deserve Real Solutions
Social Media Ban Is the Wrong Tool to Protect Kids Online LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – Reacting to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s announcement that the UK Government will work to enact…
Comments of ACT | The App Association to the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) regarding its Call for Evidence Regarding Recent Developments in Relation to Apple’s and Google’s App Store Rules

Connected Health

Technology has the power to improve patient engagement and health outcomes, but antiquated rules hold back innovation and adoption. From coverage and payment to interoperability and information blocking to privacy and security the stakes are high. In order to ensure that patients, provides, and the healthcare ecosystem as a whole can make beneficial use of digital health and AI tools rules must be updated to encourage innovation and adoption while addressing identifiable risks.

Current policy focus in United Kingdom

Recent

Startup and Tech SME Letter to UK Prime Minister
Knowing that supporting SMEs and delivering economic growth are at the heart of your mission as Prime Minister, we are reaching out in our capacity as entrepreneurs and innovators working at the coalface of the British tech economy to flag some of the issues that are most affecting our sector and which can be addressed quickly and easily, with no need for additional public spending or primary legislation.
Field Notes from the Developed Tour 2026
From 18 May to 18 June, ACT hit the road traveling across Europe for our Developed Tour, a month-long trek to sit down with the people building the digital economy:…
Chris McDonald Confirmed as Minister for Intellectual Property
ACT welcomes an MP with extensive IP experience and a commitment to supporting SME innovation LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – Comment from Stephen Tulip, UK Country Manager for the Association for…