Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards' fee structure for business advice and information services for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 is set out below.
Page contents
- Business advice and information
- Business training
- Primary Authority partnerships
- About our services for businesses
- Contact us
Business advice and information
Buckinghamshire and Surrey based businesses can access half an hour of free business advice or information on first contact with Trading Standards. Requests for advice from a third party acting on behalf of your business, for example discussions with lawyers or consultants, will be chargeable.
Where you are signposted to freely available information, this service will remain free of charge.
Subsequent tailored advice or information is charged at the prevailing hourly rate. After a minimum half hour, charges are calculated in 15 minute units.
The submission of food or cosmetic samples to the service's public analyst are charged at cost payable to analyst plus one hour's consultancy at the prevailing hourly rate.
See also additional charges applicable to all partnerships.
Business training
We can provide regulatory training on specific topics or tailor a course to your business' needs. Where bespoke training is designed for you, development time will be charged at the prevailing hourly rate. Please enquire for an estimate.
| Charge description | Fee chargeable |
|---|---|
| Business training 1/2 day - one officer | £360 |
| Business training 1 day - one officer | £720 |
| Training events eg allergen training | Various |
Primary Authority partnerships
All Primary Authority advice and support is classified as VAT exempt. We recognise that businesses' needs and priorities change over time and therefore all partnerships will be reviewed annually and can choose a different payment model at renewal.
Easy 1 2 3
Designed for smaller, new or prospective businesses, an Easy 1 2 3 partnership introduces the concept of Primary Authority advice. Businesses must meet the qualifying criteria:
- be located at premises within Buckinghamshire or Surrey; and
- have been operating for less than two years; and
- have less than three full time equivalent employees (including owner).
Trading Standards, Environmental Health and Fire Safety advice can be provided by this route.
Formal set up of an Easy 1 2 3 Primary Authority partnership together with three hours of regulatory advice/information will cost £235
Additional hours of advice and support can be purchased at the prevailing hourly rate.
Easy 1 2 3 is valid for the first year of a partnership after which the business can decide whether to proceed with the partnership. Renewal is by selecting one of the below options.
See also additional charges applicable to all partnerships.
Single point of contact
All Primary Authority partnerships are offered and established with Trading Standards as the primary regulator. As an addition, our Single Point of Contact option delivers advice from multiple regulators through a single access route. You may, therefore, choose to add the following to your partnership:
- Environmental Health, Fire Safety, Welsh devolved legislation.
Ancillary to Primary Authority advice, general advice and information can also be added through access to regulators in:
- Scotland and The States of Guernsey.
National Regulators participating in Primary Authority can be accessed through the Single Point of Contact route and will be recharged at cost based on their individual charging models.
| Charge description | Fee chargeable |
|---|---|
| Set up charge for each additional regulator as part of partnership | £160 |
| Renewal charge for each additional regulator as part of partnership | £80 |
Prepay Fixed fee Mini
To be a successful partnership there is a minimum expectation of activity including communication, meetings and advice during the year. Therefore, this bundle provides enough time to complete those minimum activities and a little advice.
Including an agreement established using standard contract terms and a fixed minimum amount of 5 hours of activity, set up fee and subject to an annual renewal fee. Additional hours of advice and support can be purchased at the prevailing hourly rate.
| Charge description | Fee chargeable |
|---|---|
| Set up charge for Fixed Fee Mini Direct partnership including 5 hours of advice or consultation (valid for 12 months) | £875 |
| Renewal charge for Fixed Fee Mini Direct partnership including 5 hours of advice or consultation (valid for 12 months) | £626 |
| Set up charge for Fixed Fee Mini Coordinated partnership including 5 hour of advice or consultation (valid for 12 months) | £1060 |
| Renewal charge for Fixed Fee Mini Coordinated partnership including 5 hours of advice or consultation (valid for 12 months) | £663 |
See also additional charges applicable to all partnerships.
Prepay/fixed fee
An agreement established using standard contract terms and a fixed minimum amount of hourly advice, set up fee and subject to an annual renewal fee. By prepaying for 15 hours of advice you will benefit from one extra free hour of advice.
| Charge description | Fee chargeable |
|---|---|
| Set up charge for Direct partnership including 16 hours of advice or consultation (valid for 12 months) | £1,875 |
| Renewal charge for Direct partnership including 16 hours of advice or consultation (valid for 12 months) | £1,626 |
| Set up charge for Coordinated partnership including 16 hour of advice or consultation (valid for 12 months) | £2,060 |
| Renewal charge for Coordinated partnership including 16 hours of advice or consultation (valid for 12 months) | £1,663 |
See also additional charges applicable to all partnerships.
Bespoke
We are experienced at tailoring our services to meet individual business' or organisation's needs. Therefore, we offer a bespoke option where we will work with you to build an appropriate proposal incorporating all relevant fees, such options are quoted individually on request.
Additional charges applicable to all partnerships
In accordance with the Primary Authority Code of Practice, certain bespoke activities may attract VAT, you will be notified if this is the case.
General charges regarding mileage, travel and third party charges apply.
Analysis and consultancy as part of business advice and/or Primary Authority services - charged at cost of analysis plus 1 hour.
About our services for businesses
Full details about our business offers are set out in our terms and conditions for business advice.
Contact us
For more information, please contact our Business advice line Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm
- Telephone: 0300 123 2329
- Email: business.advice@surreycc.gov.uk
- Textphone (via Text Relay): 18001 0808 223 1133
- SMS: 07860 053465
