- A B2B database has two layers: company-level data about the business and contact-level data about named people in it.
- Every one of our 1,486,280 records has a postal address and phone number; 82% have a named contact and 31% a named contact email.
- The main uses are marketing campaigns, sales prospecting, territory planning, sizing a market and keeping a CRM up to date.
- B2B data follows different rules from consumer data: PECR lets you email companies and LLPs without consent, but not sole traders or ordinary partnerships.
- Judge a B2B database on field coverage for your selection, how records are checked, TPS/CTPS screening and what the licence allows.
01
What is a B2B database?
A B2B database is a structured list of businesses with the details you need to choose them and contact them. It holds two kinds of data: facts about the company, and details of named people who work there.
B2B means business to business. The database exists so you can find the organisations likely to buy from you and reach them by post, phone or email. That's different from a register such as Companies House, which proves a company exists but isn't built for contacting it.
Company-level data
This describes the business itself: its name, trading address, main phone number, sector, number of employees and turnover band. It's what you select on. It also gives you a route in when you don't know who to ask for: a letter addressed to the business, or a call to the switchboard.
Contact-level data
This describes people: a name, a job title and, where held, a personal work email. It's what lets you write to the finance director rather than "the owner". Contact-level data is personal data under UK GDPR, so it comes with duties that company-level data doesn't.
| Layer | Field | Records | Share of records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company-level | Business name, postal address, phone number | 1,486,280 | 100% |
| Company-level | General business email (info@, sales@) | 257,860 | 17% |
| Contact-level | Named contact with job title | 1,219,031 | 82% |
| Contact-level | Named contact email | 454,737 | 31% |
For a fuller field-by-field breakdown, see what a marketing database record contains in our complete guide, or the sector tables in our UK business database guide.
02
What is a B2B database used for?
Most businesses use a B2B database for five jobs: marketing campaigns, sales prospecting, territory planning, sizing a market and keeping their CRM up to date. The same data can do all five within one licence.
Marketing campaigns by post, phone or email
Select the sector, area and size you sell to, then pick the channel that suits the fields you have. Every record has an address, so post reaches the whole selection. Phone suits a short, high-value list. Email suits records with a named contact email. Test a few hundred records first, then roll out to the rest. B2B database marketing works best when one message goes to one tight audience. Our guide to choosing a channel goes deeper.
Sales prospecting and account lists
Sales teams use a B2B lead database to build a named list of target accounts and spread it across the team. Select by job title so each rep has a decision-maker to ask for. Load the list into your CRM, assign owners and log every call, so two people never ring the same business.
Territory planning
If your reps or engineers cover areas, select by postcode area or a radius around each base. Compare the counts per territory before you draw the boundaries, so each person has a fair share of prospects. Re-run the count whenever you add a rep or open a branch.
Sizing a market
Before you launch a product, a free count tells you how many businesses match your customer profile. For example, we hold 16,595 accountancy practice records. Remember that's records we hold, not the whole market: for official totals use the ONS counts, which put the UK at 2,786,985 VAT or PAYE registered businesses in March 2026. Our complete guide covers how many UK businesses there are.
Keeping your CRM up to date
Compare a fresh file against the businesses already in your CRM. Use it to spot companies you're missing, add phone numbers and named contacts to thin records, and flag businesses that no longer appear.
03
How is a B2B database different from a consumer database?
A B2B database lists businesses and the people in their working roles; a consumer database lists members of the public at home. The electronic marketing rules are different, which is why the two should never be mixed. We only supply business data.
Under PECR, the rules for email and text depend on who the subscriber is. Companies, LLPs, Scottish partnerships and some government bodies are corporate subscribers: you can email them without prior consent, as long as you say who you are and give a valid way to opt out. The ICO says you should honour corporate opt-outs and keep a do-not-email list.
Sole traders and ordinary partnerships are treated like individuals. You can't email or text them from a bought list without consent given to you. If you can't tell which kind a business is, the ICO says treat it as an individual.
Phone and post work much the same for both. Screen numbers against the TPS and CTPS before you call. UK GDPR still applies to every named contact, and they have an absolute right to object to direct marketing. Read the full picture in is it legal? or our database compliance guide.
04
How do you judge a B2B database quickly?
Look at four things: field coverage for your exact selection, how records are checked, whether phone numbers are screened, and what the licence lets you do. You can check all four before paying.
- Field coverage. Ask for a count that shows phone numbers, named contacts and named emails for your selection, not just the headline total. The share with a named contact varies a lot by sector.
- Checking. Ask how and how often records are checked. Ours are checked by telephone researchers every day, and we guarantee that at least 95% of the records you buy are accurate.
- Screening. Phone numbers should be screened against the TPS and CTPS before supply. Ours are; screen again before calling after 28 days.
- Licence. Check how long you can use the data, how often, and whether you keep it. Ours is a 12-month multi-use licence for your own business's marketing.
Then ring a handful of numbers from the sample and look up a few businesses' websites. For the full checklist, see our guide to choosing B2B database providers.
05
How do you get a B2B database into your CRM?
Import the Excel or CSV file, map each column to a CRM field, remove businesses you already deal with, and record where and when the data came from. It usually takes an afternoon.
- Check the file. Open it, sort a few columns and skim for blanks, so you know which fields are fully populated.
- Map the columns. Match business name, address, phone, contact name, job title and email to your CRM fields. Keep the sector and size columns: they're useful for later selections.
- Remove duplicates. Match on business name and postcode against existing accounts, and on email against contacts. Keep your customers' records rather than overwriting them.
- Load suppressions. Apply your do-not-call and do-not-email lists before anyone uses the new records.
- Tag the source. Add a source and an import date to every record, so you know when the licence ends and can tell people where you got their details.
After that, upkeep is what keeps the data useful: remove bounces and returned mail, and update people who move on. See using a marketing database well in our complete guide.
06
B2B database: FAQs
What is a B2B database in simple terms?
A list of businesses, and people who work in them, that you can select by sector, area and size and contact by post, phone or email.
What's the difference between company-level and contact-level data?
Company-level data describes the business: name, address, phone, sector and size. Contact-level data names a person and their job title, and sometimes their work email. In our data, every record has company-level details and 82% have a named contact.
Where can I get a UK B2B database?
You can build one from websites and Companies House, rent a list for one campaign, or buy a file under licence. Buying is the quickest way to reach a whole sector or region with phone numbers and named contacts.
Can I email businesses from a B2B database without consent?
Companies and LLPs, yes, if you identify yourself and give an opt-out. Sole traders and ordinary partnerships, no: PECR treats them like individuals, so you need their consent.
Do you sell consumer data as well?
No. We only supply business data: UK businesses and the named people who work in them.
Is a B2B lead database the same as a B2B database?
Usually, yes. "Lead database" tends to mean records selected for sales prospecting, often filtered by job title so each lead has a named decision-maker.
How much does a B2B database cost?
With us, £295 to £170 per 1,000 records depending on order size, plus VAT, with a £300 minimum. Try your numbers in the cost calculator on our complete guide.
How long can I use a B2B database I've bought?
Ours comes with a 12-month multi-use licence: use it as often as you like for your own business's marketing for 12 months. It isn't for resale.