Publication scheme
Information about what we do and how we do it is readily available via our publication scheme.
You can find everything you need to know about what we do below.
If you can’t find the information you need in our publication scheme, or elsewhere on the website, then you can make a request for information in line with Freedom of Information Act 2000, or Environmental Information Regulation 2004.
Who we are and what we do
- About Ordnance Survey – Find out more about what we do, who we are, our history, careers and stay up to date with our latest news.
- Organisational structure chart (PDF) - Also see our annual report and accounts which details our business model.
- Roles, responsibilities and articles of association – Find all the information you need about our company status, responsibilities and how we work, including our Public Task.
- Shareholder Framework (PDF) sets out our role and objectives, and outlines the governance and accountability framework between us and our shareholder.
- Companies House – Filing history for Ordnance Survey Ltd can be found at Companies House.
- Our Directors – Find out more about our decision-makers.
- Our boards, committees and governance groups.
- Travel directions to our head office.
- Get in touch with us
What we spend and how
- Annual reports and accounts – Download our latest annual report and accounts. They include information on budgets, loans, capital programme and our financial statements.
- Corporate expenditure – We publish details of expenditure over £25,000, including costs, supplier and transaction information for the current year, by month and the past three years.
We are no longer required to publish details of expenditure for items over £500
- Allowances and expenses – Expenses for all OS staff for the current year and last three years are available. This covers accommodation, travel and subsistence.
- Pay and grading structures – We reward employees competitively based on their contributions to the overall success of the organisation. Our pay and performance philosophy is underpinned by the following principles:
- External market
- Internal relativity
- Individual performance
- Budget
More information, including our Directors pay, the 'pay multiple, and our pay and awards features in our annual reports and accounts.
- Procurement and tendering procedures – Find out details on:
- Current opportunities
- Guide for suppliers
- Purchase orders
- Supplier code of conduct
- Key suppliers
- View our 2020/21 Procurement Contracts Register for contracts over £25K
Our priorities and how we are doing
We report annually to Parliament via our annual reports. These include further information on our priorities and performance, including our annual financial statement.
Download our latest annual report and accounts.
How we make decisions
Our Board of Directors is the main decision-making board for Ordnance Survey.
- Terms of reference – Find out details of the governance structure of OS.
- Annual report and accounts – Find a summary of OS Board’s activities and how they operate in the annual report and accounts. Along with the Chief Executive Officer’s statement and the Chairman’s statement.
Our policies and procedures
- Our policies – See our policies on data protection, the environment, re-using public sector information and others.
- Recruiting and employing staff – Where will OS take your career? Find out about current vacancies and the recruitment process.
- Life at OS - Benefit from an OS career. You can read our latest Gender Pay Gap report
- Diversity and inclusion - See what diversity and inclusion means to OS
- Making a complaint – See our complaints procedure, including complaints under the Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations.
- Data protection and Subject Access Requests – How we handle your personal information (find out via a Subject Access Request) and our compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
- Charging for requests of information – We may charge for requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations.
- Licensing – Discover what you can do with OS licensing.
Lists and registers
- Disclosure log – View responses to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act and Environment Information Regulation for the current year and the last three years.
- Gifts and hospitality – Download monthly information showing gifts and hospitality returns.
- Register of interests – Our interests include:
- Ordnance Survey Leisure Limited (wholly owned subsidiary).
- Ordnance Survey International Services Limited (wholly owned subsidiary).
- GeoPlace LLP – a limited liability partnership with Local Government Association, for the creation and maintenance of the National Address Gazetteer.
- PointX Limited – 50/50 joint ownership company with Landmark Information Group Ltd, creating and distributing points of interest data.
- Dennis Maps Limited – Ordnance Survey Limited is a shareholder of 25% of the issued share capital.
- Astigan Limited – joint venture between Ordnance, Survey Limited and joint investors.
- Place of deposit:
Ordnance Survey works with The National Archives (TNA) to ensure the appropriate deposit of documents and records with the relevant national archives, under the terms of the Public Records Act 1958 as amended by the Public Records Act 1967 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
We are also accredited by TNA as a designated distributed 'Place of Deposit' for annual digital copies of the National Geographical Database.
We also deposit copies of all of our published paper maps with the Legal Deposit Libraries under the terms of the Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 and deposit copies of published digital map data with the Legal Deposit Libraries under the Legal Deposit Libraries (Non-Print Works) Regulations 2013.
Contact information for the Legal Deposit Libraries and information about access to historic mapping can be obtained on our historical map archives page.
- CCTV
We have CCTV at our Adanac Park site for the prevention and detection of crime.
The services we offer
See more about some of the services we offer by visiting the following pages on our website:-
- Leisure - paper maps, OS Maps and more.
- Business and Government - learn how you can benefit form the power of location data.
- Education resources to help teach and meet the national geography curriculum.
- OS Shop - purchase maps and outdoor gear.
- Media centre - get the latest news, view our media tool kit and find out how to apply for a media licence.
Environmental information
Ordnance Survey is in the process of externally certifying the Environmental Management System to the ISO14001:2015 standard, and we are currently on track to achieve certification within Q2 of 2021.
In line with the Environmental and Sustainability policy and Greening Government Commitments, Ordnance Survey will disclose its environmental and sustainability performance on this website via the following
- Annual reports – Provides sustainability information (see ‘Sustainability’ within the report). This covers the following:
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- Business travel (fleet, air and rail, flights etc)
- Water and paper consumption
- Waste
- Sustainable procurement
- Anti-slavery policy
- Future looking
- Environmental and Sustainability policy
- You can make a request for specific environmental information, as permissible under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
FOI and EIR compliance statistics
We publish statistical information in relation to our performance on handling requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) and Environmental Information Regulations (EIR). The information is made available on an annual basis.