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Companies in Bedford

Bedford is the 41st biggest place on the UK company register, with 15,913 live companies, or 0.3% of the UK total. 1,918 of those were formed in 2025. 1,229 (7.7%) have a proposal to strike off on file, close to the UK figure of 7.3%. Compared with the UK as a whole, Bedford stands out for security systems service activities: 46 companies, 2.4 times the national share.

What Bedford has more of than the rest of the UK

Each trade's share of Bedford companies, compared with its share across the UK.

  • Security systems service activities (46 companies)2.4×
  • Sale of used cars and light motor vehicles (240 companies)2.3×
  • Medical nursing home activities (29 companies)2.2×
  • Repair and maintenance of aircraft and spacecraft (18 companies)2.2×
  • Residential care activities for learning difficulties, mental health and substance abuse (47 companies)2.1×

Biggest trades in Bedford

Live Bedford companies, by year formed

Only companies still live are counted, so older years look smaller. 2026 stops on 1 November 2026.

20122026
See every year as a table
YearLive companies
2012335
2013418
2014472
2015522
2016499
2017628
2018713
2019847
2020814
2021833
2022927
20231,129
20241,281
20251,918
20261,784

Oldest active companies in Bedford

  1. County Property Investment CompanyFormed 1891
  2. Vertiv Company GroupFormed 1891
  3. James Clark & SonFormed 1899
  4. Charles WellsFormed 1910
  5. Radio Society of Great BritainFormed 1926

Funny company names registered in Bedford

Nearest in size

Town means the post town of the registered address, which isn't always where a company trades. Many companies use an accountant's or formation agent's address. Figures come from Companies House on 1 November 2026.

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