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16 Jan 2026

The 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will start in the UK for the first time together, with ten towns and cities across Scotland, England and Wales set to host the...

16 Jan 2026

ACT Director Jonathan Harrison will feature on an expert e-bike panel at both iceBike* 2026 events, joining key industry figures to discuss safety, perception and trust in the growing UK e-bike...

15 Jan 2026

Independent retailers across Scotland have been left disappointed by the Scottish Budget, with Bira warning that the measures announced fall short of what is...

15 Jan 2026

ACT service partner Bikebook has featured alongside the most promising startup businesses of 2026 in the long-running Startups 100 Index, an annual list celebrating the UK’s most...

9 Jan 2026

ACT parent company Bira has has demanded equal treatment for small shops after the government announced plans to water down business rate rises for pubs.

9 Jan 2026

Bikeability has responded to a report that found participation in its child cycling proficiency scheme has fallen across parts of the Midlands, particularly in the West Midlands, and it believes...

8 Jan 2026

Councils across England have received more than £626m in government funding to deliver new walking, wheeling and cycling schemes, with enough investment to build 500 miles of routes and...

23 Dec 2025

An end of year message from Jonathan Harrison, Director of the ACT.

23 Dec 2025

Labour’s transport chief has talked up the government’s latest active travel funding pledge while not being drawn on specific national aims for walking and cycling, despite calls for...

23 Dec 2025

A $1.6 million anti-counterfeiting bust has seen illegal bicycle products seized after an investigation targeting listings on AliExpress, a Chinese retail giant whose website is accessible to...

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How the ACT's Independent Retailers Confederation (IRC) membership will benefit IBDs

Posted on in Business News , Cycles News

IRC full logoThe ACT has recently restructured to align itself even more closely with the partner organisations that make up the Independent Retailers Confederation (IRC).

For over two decades the ACT has worked with the IRC representing the interests of well over 100,000 specialist retailers; over recent months the challenges we have all faced together has underwritten the value of that partnership, even more so as we look towards the future of the high street.

What the IRC brings the IBD:

  • Unrivalled access to Government on business matters impacting speciality retail
  • Extensive and ever increasing engagement opportunities with the public/new customers
  • A width of knowledge and experience in delivering business support across multiple sectors, high streets and shopping parades throughout the UK
  • Increased buying power and influence with commercial, Government and national agencies
  • Information, advice and best practice standards for Indie Retail
  • IRC meets every fortnight to discuss and co-ordinate action on issues impacting Indie Retail
  • The opportunity to rebuild the high street together for the future
  • Organises the Government recognised Best Small Shops competition that celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit of independent retailers
The new membership structure will allow all businesses to embrace the ACT as their trade body; more accessible to any business who can benefit from a selection of services free of charge. Participants at every level will benefit from extended business support with new services being added to the portfolio alongside a reduced pricing structure to cater for all. 
 
The restructure means that full annual ACT membership is now available for £60p.a. the equivalent of just £5p.m.
 
To learn more about the ACT's restructure and new and improved pricing read the ACT brochure or click on the link below to join the ACT now.
 
 
 

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