Emailing and calling businesses in the United Kingdom

Can I email businesses from a list in the United Kingdom?

The ICO says you can send marketing emails to any corporate body, such as a limited company, an LLP or a government body. Sole traders and some partnerships are treated as individuals and need to have consented. Every message must say who you are and give a way to opt out.

Main rules: PECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations) and UK GDPR. A summary of the official guidance linked below, checked 2026-11-11; not legal advice.

Email

  • Corporate bodies: the ICO says you can email companies, LLPs, Scottish partnerships and government bodies.
  • Sole traders and some partnerships: only if they specifically consented, or bought a similar product from you and did not opt out.
  • Do not disguise or conceal your identity, and give a valid contact address so the recipient can opt out.
  • The ICO says UK GDPR also applies when you use personal data, including personal corporate email addresses.

Phone calls

  • For business-to-business calls, the ICO says to screen against both the TPS (sole traders, some partnerships) and the CTPS (companies, some partnerships, government bodies).
  • Do not call a business that has objected to your calls. Claims management services have stricter rules, so check the ICO's guidance.
  • Say who is calling, show your number, and give a contact address or freephone number if asked.

Sole traders and small firms

The ICO treats sole traders and some partnerships as individuals, and their numbers may be on the TPS rather than the CTPS.

Sources

Other countries: outreach rules by country.