What is a veteran-owned business?

What counts as a veteran-owned business in the UK?

A business counts as veteran-owned when more than half of it is owned by a veteran. The size of the business does not matter: a sole trader, a partnership and a limited company can all qualify. What matters is who owns it, not how many veterans it employs or which sector it works in.

There is no single statutory definition of a veteran-owned business in UK law. Different schemes set their own rules. At British Veteran Owned we use majority ownership because it is simple to check and hard to game: the person who served has to be the person who owns and controls the business.

A business that employs veterans, or signs the Armed Forces Covenant, is forces-friendly. That is valuable, but it is not the same thing as being veteran-owned.

Who is a veteran in the UK?

The UK government defines a veteran as anyone who has served for at least one day in HM Armed Forces, regular or reserve, or Merchant Mariners who have seen duty on defined military operations. There is no minimum length of service, no requirement to have deployed and no distinction by rank.

This broad definition is deliberate. It means a reservist who served part-time counts in the same way as someone who completed a full career in the regular forces. The Royal Navy, Royal Marines, British Army and Royal Air Force are all included.

Who is eligible for British Veteran Owned verification?

British Veteran Owned verifies businesses that are majority-owned by an eligible person. That includes UK veterans of any length of service from any branch, reservists who have served, and spouses, civil partners and bereaved partners of serving personnel and veterans. Verification and listing are free.

If you are unsure whether you qualify, apply anyway. Our verification team will tell you. You can start free verification here.

• UK military veterans (any length of service) from the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force or Royal Marines
• Reservists who have served
• Spouses, civil partners and bereaved partners of serving personnel and veterans
• Businesses majority-owned by an eligible person

How is a business verified as veteran-owned?

The owner sends one piece of evidence of service, such as a MOD 90 identity card, discharge documentation, a JPA service summary print or a service-leaver letter. A member of our team checks it before the business goes live with the hallmark. The evidence is never published.

We aim to decide within 14 working days of receiving evidence, and most applications are decided faster. Once verified, the business appears in the national directory and the owner can download the British Veteran Owned hallmark for their website, packaging and marketing.

Why does veteran ownership matter to buyers?

Many customers and procurement teams actively want to support people who have served. A verified hallmark lets them do that with confidence, because a real person has checked the ownership claim. For the owner, it is a way to be recognised for their service without paying for a membership.

British Veteran Owned estimates there are around 340,000 veteran-owned small businesses in the UK. You can read how we arrived at that figure, and what the wider evidence says, in our Economic Power Report and our UK veteran-owned business statistics.