Standards underpin commercial activity, play a critical role in the dissemination of knowledge and provide a platform for innovation. We are working with the British Standards Institution (BSI), Confederation of British Industry (CBI), and from June 2005, the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to implement the National Standardisation Strategic Framework (NSSF), which has the overall aim of causing a step change in the understanding and use of standards and standardisation to the benefit of business, Government and society.

Innovation Report Proposal 4.36

We will implement the National Standardisation Strategic Framework (NSSF), in conjunction with Confederation of British Industry (CBI), British Standards Institution (BSI) and other partners where appropriate.

• Demonstrating the benefits of standards to businesses, both in terms of product or service developments and of business processes
• Improving the efficiency of the processes for developing formal standards
• Ensuring that standards create a competitive advantage for SMEs through developing an action plan with BSI's Small Business Policy Committee
• Developing an internet-based standards alert service for exporters with BSI, alerting them to potential new markets that have adopted common standards
• Establishing an international network of contacts - equipping commercial staff in targeted UK embassies and consulates with the knowledge to identify threats and opportunities presented by standards in the markets into which UK businesses wish to export

How Business Can Get Involved

Our work on the NSSF is geared towards making the standards infrastructure in the UK responsive to business needs and providing the evidence and guidance that will enable businesses to use standards as a strategic tool to enhance their competitiveness. The evidence gathered so far re-iterates the importance of standards and the opportunity that they offer to both business and Government. The first win will come when businesses think about standards and standardisation strategically. Following this, there is an opportunity for businesses to develop standards with different business forums/trade associations and to assess whether the existing standards and the standards infrastructure are serving their needs and, if not, to actively engage to meet those needs.