New UK REACH Fees Now Active as of 1st April 2025

On 07th March 2025, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) published a new fee structure for UK REACH. The amendment to the regulation has been laid out before parliaent and is currnetly going through the legislative process (it is at the Statutory Instrument (SI) stage - to read the full text Click Here).

The new registration fees will alter compliance costs for manufacturers, importers, and downstream users across the chemical supply chain. Fees will be reduced for all tonnage bands, except for 1-10T. The alternative fee structure and reduction to businesses is something that the BPF has been advocating for since the introduction of UK REACH.

Summary of Key Changes:

For Large Companies:

• Registration fees will increase by ~95% to £2,222 for 1-10 tonne per annum tonnage band
• Registration fees will now be reduced and uniformly set at £2,222 for all tonnage bands equal to or above 10 tonne per annum, significantly reducing fees for high-volume registrations
• As an example, the >1000 tonne per annum tonnage band fees are reduced from £22,064 to £2,222.

For SMEs:

SME discounts have been revised. Instead of basing discounts on submission type (individual vs. joint), the new structure considers company size:

• Medium Enterprises: A substantial reduction in fees for all tonnage bands. Medium Enterprises will now pay £740 for all tonnage bands
• Small Enterprises: A substantial reduction in fees for all tonnage bands. Small Enterprises will now pay £399 for all tonnage bands
• Micro Enterprises: The most significant reductions, with fees as low as £57 for all tonnage bands, making it easier for smaller businesses to comply with registration requirements.

Authorisation Fee Structure Also Announced

Costs for applications for Authorisation also change for both SMEs and large sized companies, with charges for new applications.

The updated fees can be seen here. 

Updating a Registrant’s Legal Identity

The cost of updating a registrant’s legal identity will also be reduced by 80% (will drop from £1,424 to £290)

Summary

Updating tonnage ranges will now be cheaper for most businesses, with fees dropping by up to 92%.

These revised fees will bring significant savings for businesses, particularly for large sized companies in higher tonnage bands. For SMEs, these changes also make compliance under UK REACH more accessible and affordable.

However, it’s important to note that registration fees for the lowest tonnage band (1-10 tonne per annum) for large companies will increase, so businesses within this band should prepare for the adjustment.

For further regualtory support, the BPF has regular events on REACH including the UK REACH webinar which occured on 20th March 2025 (webinar archive) and the annual REACH seminar due to take place on 20th May 2025. 

Please contact Mary Aiken-Wood ([email protected]) for any REACH related questions.