Property data Trust Framework foundations laid as Next Gen NLIS enters testing phase

• Land Data Trust Framework certification in place to verify data provenance and support the secure, trusted exchange of authoritative data 

• Next Gen NLIS platform build complete and user testing under way 

• Land Data confirms agreement with Data Clan to build, supply and maintain Next Gen NLIS through to 2031 

The technical foundations for the trusted sharing of authoritative land and property data are now in place, following completion of the initial build of Next Gen NLIS and the establishment of the Land Data Trust Framework by Land Data and its technical partner, Data Clan. 

User testing with the programme’s Early Adopter group is now under way ahead of the launch of Next Gen NLIS in March 2027. Onboarding and training for local authorities across England and Wales will begin in the Autumn. 

The Land Data Trust Framework provides the governance, identity assurance and rules needed for authoritative land and property data to be shared securely between verified users of Next Gen NLIS. The national infrastructure has been designed to support interoperability with other future Trust Frameworks across the property market, including the proposed Smart Property Data Trust Framework being developed by the Open Property Data Association 

Supporting a Smart Data future 

This technical innovation supports wider Government policy ambitions around Smart Data and digitally connected services. Research published by the Department for Business and Trade in March: Understanding the Costs and Benefits of Smart Data Use Cases, identified home buying as the Smart Data use case with the greatest potential economic impact, estimating £14.1 billion in net social value and a £2.06 billion annual contribution to UK GDP by 2043. 

Next Gen NLIS has been funded by the Government’s Regulatory Innovation Office* and will initially focus on Official Conveyancing Searches and related datasets before scaling to additional property market use cases over time. 

Certified authoritative data 

Through the Land Data Trust Framework, the identities of local authorities, data custodians and data consumers accessing Next Gen NLIS will be verified, ensuring data is shared securely, consistently and according to agreed rules and permissions. 

Requests for land and property data through Next Gen NLIS will be certified by Land Data, providing clear provenance information including source and timestamp data.  

Certification and traceability of authoritative data will improve transparency across the property market and provide greater confidence for conveyancers, lenders and other property professionals relying on it as part of their due diligence processes. 

Market benefits  

Next Gen NLIS will: 

• Provide access to authoritative data with verifiable provenance from local authorities and other trusted data custodians across England and Wales 

• Create a marketplace for new data products and services from local authorities and other data custodians, supporting innovation across the property sector  

• Improve transparency around Official Search volumes, turnaround times and wider data transaction activity  

• Support standardisation, interoperability and consistency in the delivery of Official Searches and related data services  

  
  

Next Gen NLIS will replace the current National Land Information Service (NLIS) Hub, originally launched in 2001 by a central and local government consortium to electronically connect conveyancers with local authorities in England and Wales, HM Land Registry, the Mining Remediation Authority and other data custodians. 

Fiona Barron, Chief Executive of Land Data, said:  

“The home buying and selling market is changing rapidly as Government, regulators and industry move towards a more connected and data-driven property transaction process. Trusted data sharing, interoperability and clear standards will be essential to delivering that future. 

“The Land Data Trust Framework and Next Gen NLIS provide the foundations for that change by enabling authoritative land and property data to be shared securely, consistently and with clear provenance from source. This gives the market greater confidence in the integrity of the information being relied upon across the transaction process. 

“Completing the initial build of Next Gen NLIS is a major milestone for Land Data. Together with Data Clan, we are creating national infrastructure that supports innovation while protecting the trust, accountability and transparency the property market depends upon.” 

Chris Lees, Chief Executive of Data Clan, said:  

“Next Gen NLIS and the Land Data Trust Framework represent a fundamental shift in how property data is accessed and shared in England and Wales. Working in partnership with Land Data, we are building infrastructures that not only modernise today’s processes, but create the conditions for continuous improvement, innovation and trust in the home buying and selling journey.” 

“We are proud to be working alongside Land Data on such a nationally important programme.” 

Notes to Editors 

For more information, please contact Helen Desmond, 07984 813831, helen.desmond@land-data.org.uk. 

*Government Funding for Next Gen NLIS 

The UK Government’s Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) funds regulators and local authorities to trial new and innovative regulatory approaches enabling businesses to bring innovative products to the market quicker.  In October 2025, through the Fourth Round of the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund (RPF), the RIO awarded Land Data a grant of £999,592 to deliver Next Gen NLIS, alongside Land Data’s own reserves.   

About Land Data  

Land Data was set up in 2001 to regulate and run (under licence) the National Land Information Service (NLIS), a newly created ‘Hub’ providing a single point of access to official sources of land and property information from every local authority in England and Wales, HM Land Registry and the Mining Remediation Authority.   

A cross-Government initiative, NLIS was launched by HM Land Registry, the Improvement & Development Agency for Local Government (IDeA, now part of the Local Government Assocation), Ordnance Survey, Valuations Office Agency, DEFRA and the Cabinet Office central IT unit. Its goal was and is to make property information available to everyone. To date the NLIS Hub has processed over 27 million searches. 

Land Data is now modernising this 25-year-old national data infrastructure. Launching in March 2027, Next Gen NLIS will transform how authoritative land and property information is accessed, shared and connected across the conveyancing and property sectors. Building on the trusted foundations of NLIS, the new platform will prioritise standardisation, interoperability and innovation, enabling data custodians to deliver more efficient, secure and future-ready digital services.   

About Data Clan 

Data Clan is a UK technology, data and change company that helps organizations solve complex problems through better use of data, digital systems and multidisciplinary expertise. Founded in 2020, the company brings together specialists in data strategy, digital transformation, property and workplace data, building safety, research, organizational change, and secure digital ecosystems. 

Data Clan works with public and private sector organizations to design, build and support trusted data-driven services and infrastructure that improve confidence, transparency and interoperability. As Land Data’s technical partner, Data Clan is building, supplying and maintaining Next Gen NLIS through 2031, helping establish secure, certified and provenance-led access to authoritative land and property data across England and Wales.