Last updated: May 2026

These Editorial Guidelines govern all content published on entrepreneurplus.co.uk and in EP+ newsletters. They apply to all members of the EP+ editorial team, contributing writers, freelancers, and any third party producing content for publication under the EP+ brand.

1. Our Editorial Mission

EP+ exists to serve the UK startup ecosystem with credible, independent, founder-first journalism. Our mission is to inform, investigate, and give a platform to the people building Britain's most ambitious companies — with integrity, accuracy, and clarity.

We are not a press release aggregator. We are not pay-to-play. We are not a mouthpiece for investors, PRs, or anyone with a financial interest in what we publish.

2. The 70/30 Rule

A minimum of 70% of all content published by EP+ must be independent editorial — not paid, not sponsored, not commercially influenced.

No more than 30% of our content, measured monthly, may be commercially supported. This ratio is monitored monthly by the Editor-in-Chief and reported quarterly to EP+ leadership.

3. Editorial Independence

The EP+ editorial team operates independently of the sales and commercial team. Commercial relationships — sponsorships, paid spotlights, directory listings — do not influence editorial coverage.

  • A company paying for a Featured Directory Listing does not receive preferential editorial coverage
  • A company that has not purchased any EP+ product is equally eligible for editorial coverage on merit
  • Advertisers and sponsors have no right of review, approval, or veto over editorial content
  • The Editor-in-Chief has final authority over all published content, including decisions to decline commercial requests that conflict with editorial standards

4. Accuracy and Verification

All published content must be accurate and verifiable. EP+ journalists and writers are required to:

  • Verify all factual claims before publication
  • Cite all statistics with source name and year — e.g. (Dealroom, 2026)
  • Cross-reference funding figures against Dealroom, Crunchbase, or Companies House
  • Verify UK company registrations via Companies House (gov.uk)
  • Verify founder identities via LinkedIn before conducting or publishing interviews
  • Correct errors promptly and transparently — corrections are published at the foot of the relevant article with the date of correction

Unverified claims must not be published. If information cannot be verified to a reasonable standard, it must either be removed or clearly labelled as unverified and attributed to a named source.

EP+ is subject to the Defamation Act 2013 (England and Wales). All content must be reviewed against the following standards:

  • Do not publish any statement of fact about an identifiable person or company that is untrue and could damage their reputation
  • Opinions must be clearly expressed as opinions, not stated as fact
  • Serious allegations must be put to the subject before publication — a reasonable right of reply must be offered
  • Defamatory statements made by interviewees must be carefully considered before publication — EP+ as publisher may share legal responsibility
  • Content about ongoing legal proceedings must be reviewed carefully — do not publish content that could constitute contempt of court

All content involving serious allegations, legal proceedings, or sensitive claims about named individuals or companies must be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief before publication.

6. Sponsored and Paid Content

All commercially supported content must be clearly and prominently labelled. EP+ uses the following labels:

  • Paid Partnership — for content produced in collaboration with a commercial partner
  • Sponsored — for content where a commercial partner has paid for placement
  • Promoted — for directory listings and spotlight packages

These labels must appear at the top of the article, in the newsletter subject or body where applicable, and in any social media distribution of the content.

Paid content must still meet EP+'s accuracy and quality standards. EP+ reserves the right to reject or edit paid content that does not meet our editorial standards or conflicts with our values.

The Editor-in-Chief maintains a log of all commercially supported content published each month.

7. AI Content Policy

EP+ uses artificial intelligence tools to assist with research, first drafts, and editorial outlines. The following rules govern AI use in our editorial process:

  • AI-generated content must never be published without human review, editing, and approval
  • No raw AI output may be published directly under the EP+ brand
  • All published content must reflect the editorial voice, British English standards, and journalistic standards of EP+
  • AI tools may not be used to fabricate quotes, invent statistics, or generate fictional interviews
  • Where AI has been used substantially in the production of a piece, the editor must satisfy themselves that all facts, quotes, and claims have been independently verified

EP+ publishes a separate AI Code of Conduct setting out our broader approach to artificial intelligence in our editorial and operational activities.

8. Source Protection

EP+ is committed to protecting the confidentiality of sources. Journalists must not disclose the identity of a confidential source without the source's explicit consent. In the event of legal proceedings requiring disclosure, the Editor-in-Chief must be notified immediately.

9. Conflicts of Interest

All editorial team members must disclose any personal, financial, or professional relationship with companies or individuals they are writing about. The Editor-in-Chief will determine whether the relationship constitutes a conflict of interest and whether the writer should recuse themselves from that piece.

EP+ staff may not accept gifts, payments, or significant hospitality from companies they cover without prior disclosure and approval.

10. Privacy in Journalism

EP+ journalists must handle personal data collected during reporting in accordance with our Data Protection Policy and the journalistic exemption under the Data Protection Act 2018. This includes:

  • Retaining source information securely and only as long as necessary
  • Not publishing personal information about private individuals without a clear public interest justification
  • Exercising particular care with sensitive personal information (health, financial, legal status)
  • Giving individuals reasonable opportunity to respond before publication of information that concerns them

11. Corrections and Complaints

Corrections: EP+ corrects factual errors promptly. Corrections are published as an addendum to the original article, clearly dated, and noted in our corrections log. Significant corrections are communicated to newsletter subscribers where the erroneous content was distributed.

Complaints: Complaints about editorial content should be directed to [email protected]. We acknowledge all complaints within 5 working days and aim to resolve them within 28 days. If a complainant is not satisfied with our response, they may refer the matter to the relevant press standards body.

12. Contact

For editorial enquiries, corrections, or complaints:

EP+ Editorial Team Email: [email protected] Website: entrepreneurplus.co.uk