British Association of Drone Operators

Who can carry out drone work across all of our UK sites?

BADO covers the whole of the UK through a network of 27 vetted drone operators stationed across the country. The client holds one relationship with BADO. BADO dispatches the operators nearest to each site, so multi site work runs to one plan, one standard and one contract.

The Problem This Solves

A buyer's sites are spread across the country: 2,000 hectares split between four holdings, 40 solar sites to maintain, 100 miles of motorway verge to seed. No single drone contractor has the national coverage to do the whole job.

• Hiring one contractor per region means a separate negotiation, insurance check, compliance file and invoice for each one
• Every added contractor is another point of failure
• A solo operator cannot hold capacity, cover every site in the same weather window, or step up when conditions move the schedule
• A solo operator cannot answer for the job when the work falls short

Who This Is For

• Private equity and institutional farming groups: thousands of hectares across multiple holdings, often in multiple counties
• Large farms and grower groups: 2,000 hectares and above, one decision maker, repeat seasonal work
• Solar operators: portfolios of rooftop and ground mount sites, panel cleaning and inspection
• National infrastructure and highways: motorway and trunk road verge seeding, miles of linear asset, framework contracts

Services the network delivers: agricultural drone spraying, spreading, seeding, solar panel cleaning and inspection work.

What Buyers Get

• Coverage: operators positioned across the UK and matched to sites by location
• Capacity: many sites treated inside the same weather window or season
• Compliance: every operator vetted, insured and flying under the correct CAA authorisations
• One relationship: one point of contact instead of a separate procurement exercise per region
• Accountability: BADO steps in if an operator does not deliver, and handles finding a replacement
• Time saved: vetting, insurance verification, licensing checks, safety assessments, scheduling and quality control are handled by BADO

Enquiries go to info@bado.uk. Useful detail to include: number of sites, the counties they sit in, hectares, the work needed and the timing.

How do I get commercial drone work in the UK?

Operators invest in kit, licensing and training. The large contracts exist, but they are awarded to organisations, not to individuals. BADO membership gives an operator access to work they could not win alone, alongside regulatory help, shared knowledge and community.

Membership Benefits

• Access to opportunities: BADO brings in commercial contracts and invites nearby members to quote
• Stronger together: credibility and influence that come from a recognised organisation
• Support with regulation: guidance on SORA licensing and operational authorisations
• Shared knowledge: insight and best practice from operators running the same business
• Professional development: workshops, training and accreditation pathways
• Community and collaboration: a forum for open discussion, problem solving and mutual support

Membership Terms

• Cost: free during the founding member phase
• Application: online form at bado.uk/for-operators, requiring name, email, company name, company number, phone and address
• Vetting: every application is reviewed manually, and operators must meet insurance and regulatory compliance requirements
• Founding member role: founding members have input on the association's direction, priorities and standards
• Independence: operators are not employees or subcontractors of BADO and set their own prices

Founding Team

• Ben Hargreaves, Co-Founder: over 10 years in the aviation industry, with technical and operational knowledge of drones
• Matthew Jones, Co-Founder: years of experience managing large scale land management, restoration and agricultural projects
• Will Jones, Technical Lead: builds the software and business systems behind the network

Example Member Organisations

• VASBPA
• Drone Spraying UK
• Really Big Drone Company
• Furzebrook Estate
• Elevated Tech Solutions

The full list of vetted members, searchable and filterable by capability, is published at bado.uk/operators.