Community interest companies: model constitutions
The Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies has provided these bespoke model constitutions for use when forming or converting to a CIC, with memorandum of association and articles of association templates.
The ICAEW Library holds checklists, engagement letters and other model documents. Copies of these can be supplied subject to copyright law and licences agreements - see our document delivery service for further details.
To request model documents from the Library, please call us on +44 (0)20 7920 8620 or email library@icaew.com.
We can provide data on Community Interest Companies using the FAME financial database. FAME can identify CICs in a particular sector and location, obtain company reports, create mailing lists or generate comparative lists of companies that you can use to benchmark an organisation.
We provide FAME reports free of charge to ICAEW members and ACA students. This service is not available to members of the public.
Please visit our Company research pages to order reports, profiles or mailing lists.
Articles and books in the ICAEW Library collection
The collection of the ICAEW
Library & Information Service includes a range of articles, books and reports on BenComs and CICs. Use the links below to see what we have available to request in our Library catalogue (Libcat).
A guide to club law and practice
A practical guide for those involved in the running of a club, with a focus on club constitutions and rules, as well as the potential liability which club members may incur in the course of running the club.
Advising social enterprise: is a community interest company the solution?
Contents: introduction; relevant legislation; what is a community interest company (CIC)?; key characteristics of a CIC: asset lock; key characteristics of a CIC: community interest test; community interest companies, charities and trading companies compared; forming a CIC; operating a CIC; and dissolving a CIC.
Company secretarial precedents
Contains hundreds of precedents and forms, dealing with every aspect of company administration from registration to striking off. Each form and precedent is accompanied by concise details of when and how it should be used, as it relates to both private and unlisted public companies.
To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to borrowing books.
You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports through our document supply service.
External resources - GOV.UK guidance
Conversion checklist for a CIC
Checklist for converting to a Community Interest Company to help ensure the correct documentation and that all the necessary steps are followed.
External resources - Organisations
Community Interest Companies (CIC) Association
The CIC Association provides regional and topic based discussion groups (including Accounts and Setting up a CIC groups) and video resources. It aims to be the representative body for all CICs in the UK.
Social Enterprise UK
National body for social enterprise in the UK. Lobbies on the sector's behalf, produces research reports and runs events and courses.
External resources - Guides and publications
Community shares resources
Guidance from the Community Shares Unit for societies and practitioners who provide advice on community shares. The term is used to describe the withdrawable share capital of co-operative and community benefit societies.
Mutuals public register
Search for information on community benefit societies including registered office and contact information. Public documents such as annual returns and accounts, registration documents and society rules can be obtained for a fee. The register is provided by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Registered societies: an introduction
Information on registered societies, including community benefit societies, from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Includes how to register, reporting requirements and how to change a society’s rules and details.
Accounting for friendly, mutual, co-operative and community benefit societies
A collection of resources from ICAEW Library providing quick links to practical guidance and background knowledge on accounting for societies including community benefit societies.
