Have you heard of the Gazette? Surprisingly few business have, and yet it’s the official public record of the Government, a key resource for businesses of all sizes and sectors.

Let’s take a look at what it is and how you can make use of the wide range of resources it offers, as well as when and how you need to interact with it to stay legally compliant.  

The Gazette publishes statutory notices such as insolvency proceedings, company strike-offs, changes to company names and even honours and military promotions.  

This means that if your business is in the process of administration, liquidation or a merger, legal notices about it will likely appear in The Gazette. In many cases, this is a legal requirement and so must be complied with.  

Due diligence 

Checking on the financial situation of other companies is also a good idea – for many businesses, forewarned is forearmed, and navigating the Gazette can give you the inside story on whether a supplier or partner organisation is facing insolvency, or has changed their registered name recently. Knowing this can give you the edge when it comes to decision making and risk management.  

How to search The Gazette 

You can search The Gazette for free via its official website: www.thegazette.co.uk 

Once you’ve accessed the homepage, use the search bar to find a company name, individual’s name or the type of notice you’re looking for, such as ‘liquidation’.  

To extend your search further, you can use the Advanced Search Filters option. Here, you can filter by the date that a notice was published, the type or the edition in which it was published.  

If you want to keep an eye on a particular topic or company over a period of time, you can set up an email alert. This requires you to register for a free account but once you’ve done that, you can also save your searches so you don’t lose them. 

Publishing notices 

Because publication is necessary for many legal processes, including: 

  • insolvency and liquidationnotices;
  • company namechanges;
  • strike-off and dissolutionnotices;
  • trustee or probateannouncements;

it’s a good idea to find out how to publish a notice in the Gazette.  

The first step to take is the creation of an account. This is done by registering on the Gazette website. Once this has been done, you can move onto the next step, which is selecting the notice type you want to create. You’ll be given the choice of categories; each one has its own form and legal requirements.  

When completing the relevant online form, you’ll need to provide the required details – for example, company number, wording, dates. The good news is that the website will provide templates and guidance to help you complete your notice.  

There will, of course, be a fee – this can vary depending on how long or how complex the notice is. Payment will be taken during the submission process, so be sure to have your payment details to hand when you start the process.  

Once you’ve completed the submission process, the editorial team at the Gazette will review it to make sure it’s fully compliant and will then let you know when it’s scheduled for release. This is to make sure that all notices adhere to a specific format and standard.   

Good to know  

Remember to check the deadline – for many notices, there is a strict timeframe that you must stick to.  

If the notice is particularly complex, it’s best to check with a legal professional to ensure that the notice is accurate and fully compliant.  

You can keep an eye on how competitors or partners are doing by setting up an alert for related insolvency or corporate notices.