Bedford is proud to be associated with some well-known and highly regarded businesses, many of which are significant employers.
Bedford's economy also thrives on small enterprise, which accounts for 80% of the businesses in the town. The area has many strengths and the East of England is known for its knowledge and skill based businesses.
| Company | Nature of Business | Employees |
| Accenture | Accounting centre | 150 |
| Argos | Direct Distribution centre | 800 |
| Arrow Electronics | Electronic components | 400 |
| ASDA | Distribution centre | 720 |
| Autoglass | Administrative HQ | 350 |
| Box Clever | Retail and rental of white goods | 400 |
| Bourns Ltd | Semi conductor components | 150 |
| BTB | Mailflight Mailing and distribution | 150 |
| Casella | Environmental monitoring equipment | 700 |
| Charles Wells | Brewers | 400 |
| Hanson Brick | Manufacturer of facing bricks and pavings | 280 |
| Healthcare Logistics | Pharmaceutical distributor | 120 |
| Telecom Express | Call centre | 150 |
| Unilever | Food and beverage consumer research | 1000 |
| Unipath | Medical diagnostics | Medical diagnostics |
| Woodbridge Foam | Foam Producer | 200 |
