21,876 active companies are currently registered in Bradford, a major UK business hub. Out of 25,733 companies ever registered here, 96 are no longer active — a 85% survival rate. The area has seen significant recent growth, with 67.9% of active businesses incorporated since 2020. Over half (77%) of active companies were formed since 2020, making this one of the UK's fastest-growing business locations. The most common industry sector is retail sale via mail order houses or via internet, with 1,159 companies. The area hosts 202 large enterprises, 121 small firms. Bradford is home to 422 FCA-regulated firms and 243 registered charities. Companies here hold 448 government contracts worth £5.8B in total. The average company age is 6.2 years. The earliest company registration in Bradford dates back to 1869.
Source: Companies House register via UVAGATRON, August 2026
Bradford is a growth hotspot — over half of its active companies were formed since 2020.
The average active company in Bradford is 6.2 years old. There are 422 <Link href="/glossary/fca-financial-conduct-authority">FCA-regulated firms</Link> in the area. 243 registered charities operate locally.
Companies in Bradford have been awarded 448 government contracts with a combined value of £5780.9M. See the Top Government Contractors report.
There are 21,876 active companies registered in Bradford, out of 25,733 total. 96 (0%) are no longer active.
The top industries in Bradford include Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet (1,159 companies), Buying and selling of own real estate (1,008 companies), Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate (1,000 companies).
67.9% of currently active companies in Bradford were incorporated since 2020, indicating strong recent growth.
Our database contains 129,195 data signals across 12 categories for active companies in Bradford. The largest category is Governance with 66,242 signals from 6 sources.
The oldest company registration in Bradford dates back to 1869, spanning over 157 years of business history.