The UK’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has confirmed that 191 organisations have met the requirements to become signatories to the UK Stewardship Code 2026, including six newly accepted asset managers.
With the latest approvals, the code now comprises 290 signatories in total.
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This figure includes organisations that retained their status following their last successful application under the UK Stewardship Code 2020.
The current signatory base is made up of 197 asset managers, 74 asset owners and 19 service providers.
The UK Stewardship Code aims to enforce high transparency, accountability and governance standards among institutional investors.
The 2026 version of the code is intended to sustain “high standards” of stewardship while simplifying the reporting process and easing what the FRC describes as unnecessary reporting burdens.
Initial submissions under the revised framework indicate that organisations are adjusting their reporting to reflect these changes.
Around 70% of signatories have cut the length of their stewardship reports, with an average reduction of around 20%, according to the FRC.
Roughly a quarter of organisations chose to file separate documents for their Activities and Outcomes Report and their Policy and Context Disclosure.
Many others opted to submit a single report but structured it to draw a clear line between these two sections.
Over the summer, the FRC will provide feedback to signatories on their reporting, it said in a statement.
This is aimed at helping organisations navigate the updated framework and identify ways to enhance the clarity and usefulness of their disclosures.
FRC Stewardship head Andrea Tweedie said: “The UK Stewardship Code continues to play an important role in supporting high-quality stewardship and providing transparency to investors and other stakeholders.
“The transition to the 2026 Code is helping signatories focus their reporting on the stewardship activities and outcomes that matter most.
“It is encouraging to see many signatories producing shorter, more focused reports while continuing to demonstrate the quality of their stewardship practices.”
Additionally, the FRC plans to issue further commentary on the quality of reporting received and on effective approaches to reporting under the 2026 Code later this year.
