Department for the Economy publication scheme
About this publication scheme
Under section 19(1) of the Freedom of Information Act every public authority is required to adopt and maintain a publication scheme setting out the classes of information it holds, the manner in which it intends to publish the information and whether or not a charge will be made for the information.
The Information Commissioner, who is responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, has drawn up a Model Publication Scheme and a Definition Document for all public sector organisations. The Department for the Economy has formally adopted the Information Commissioner’s model publication scheme. The scheme is organised into seven classes of information which are set out below. This structure aims to save you time and effort when searching for information.
As the Department for the Economy (DfE) is a department which merged the function of the former Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) and the former Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), we have included relevant DEL and DETI information below.
You can also use our publications search which contains all the documents we have made available.
Who we are and what we do
For information about the Minister, the department’s Senior Management Team, the structure of the department, corporate governance and the department's sponsored bodies visit the following page:
The department
The business functions of the department are outlined in the Topics section of this website.
Details on where we are and how to contact the department are available on the contacts section of the site.
What we spend and how we spend it
View information relating to DfE's Annual Report and Accounts:
- DfE Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22
- DfE Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21
- DfE Annual Report and Accounts 2019-20
Our priorities and how we are doing
These publications contain information relating to corporate plans, operating plans and performance outturn:
- 10X Delivery Plan 2023/24
- Equality screening and impact assessments
- Insolvency service annual reports
- Inspection reports
How we make decisions
The topics section of the website has details on how we make decisions relating to the various functions of the department:
Details of current and past consultation exercises can be found by searching the department's consultations.
Departmental Board minutes
The Departmental Board is chaired by the Permanent Secretary and manages the department within the strategic policy and resources framework set by the Minister.
- Department for the Economy Board minutes 2024
- Department for the Economy Board minutes 2023
- Department for the Economy Board minutes 2022
- Department for the Economy Board minutes 2021
Awarding contracts
The Department for the Economy awards contracts to deliver its services or to carry out individual exercises through the Central Procurement Directorate (CPD) of the Department of Finance.
Guidance for purchasers and providers as well as advice on how to apply for these opportunities is available from the Department of Finance Procurement website. This site also contains an archive of contracts which have already been awarded.
Our policies and procedures
A list of some of the Department for the Economy's policies and procedures is provided below.
- Code of Ethics for Insolvency Practitioners
- Complaints procedure
- Draft DfE Retention and Disposal Schedule
- Equality
- FE Circulars
- Fraud Policy
- Freedom of Information
- Public Interest Disclosure guidance
- Raising Concerns guidance
- Social Media policy
You can also check the topics and publications sections of the site where other policies, procedures and codes of practice are available.
Lists and registers
The department maintains lists and registers for conducting business.
- DfE gifts and hospitality register
- Details of acceptance of outside business appointments, employment or self-employment by civil servants after leaving the NI Civil Service
- Departmental declaration of interests register
- Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) Register
The department provides a range of services as described across the pages of our website.
- News
- Statistics and Economic Research
- Advice for business (Trading Standards)
- Advice for consumers
- Employment and Skills programmes
- Employer-facing programmes
- Citizen-facing programmes
- Employment Rights
- European Fund Management
- Higher Education
- Further Education
If you can’t find a document
If you can’t find the information you want please contact DfE Information Management Unit.
If the information you want is not routinely published, you can make a request for it under the Freedom of Information Act. You can also make an Environmental Information Request. You should sent requests for information to DfE Information Management Unit.
Publication scheme charges
The department has a right to refuse a request if the costs of locating and retrieving the information exceed £600. We are also entitled to charge for disbursement costs (photocopying, postage, etc.) In all cases we will notify you of any estimated costs before proceeding with the request.
Alternative formats
You can obtain alternative / accessible formats of the department's publications by contacting DfE Information Management Unit.
Crown copyright and licensing
The material on this site is subject to Crown copyright protection unless otherwise indicated.
You may use and re-use the information featured on this website (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence with only a few conditions.
Information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Therefore information you receive which is not subject to Crown copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. You must ensure that you gain their permission before reproducing any third party (non-Crown copyright) information.