In the UK, standards are the responsibility of the British Standards Institute. Founded in 1901 and with a Royal Charter since the 1920s, BSI is an independent body in close cooperation with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). BSI is active both in the UK and internationally.

Accreditation is the responsibility of the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. Formed in 1995 as a not-for-profit private company, the groups that formed UKAS were originally part of BIS.

The National Measurement Office(NMO), formed is 2009, has responsibility for legal metrology. The National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NMO), formerly responsible for legal metrology remains within the NMO. The Board of Trade Standards Department, formed in 1869, was renamed NMO in 1987.

BIS is also responsible for the national measurement system, realised through four national measurement institutes: the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), LGC Ltd (formerly Laboratory of the Government Chemist), the National Engineering Laboratory (NEL), and NMO (see above). All four were formerly part of DIUS. NPL was established in 1901, and since 1995 it has been operated on behalf of DIUS by Serco Group plc. LGC was founded over 150 years ago, and was privatised in 1996. NEL was created in 1947, and in 1995 it became part of the TÜV SÜD Group. NEL is responsible for flow metrology, LGC for metrology in chemistry, and NPL for all other areas. NPL also represents all UK NMIs internationally.