What legal documents and prerequisites do I need to start an agribusiness?

To establish an agribusiness in the UK, you will need to prepare and register a variety of legal documents. Key requirements include:

• Registering your business name with Companies House (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house).
• Obtaining Employers' Liability Insurance and business insurance (e.g. public liability, professional indemnity).
• Securing Local Authority approval (if operating from a commercial premise) and a lease agreement (if renting premises).
• Having Health and Safety policies and procedures in place, compliant with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidelines (https://www.hse.gov.uk/).
• Complying with privacy and data protection policies and procedures, in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (https://ico.org.uk/).
• Registering for a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) number and, if applicable, for Value Added Tax (VAT) with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs).
• Supply Agreement: if you're working with suppliers for your business, it's important that you capture the details of your arrangement in writing. This will help clarify key roles and responsibilities of parties, as well as set out a clear dispute resolution process.