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Community benefit societies and community interest companies

Find out more about community benefit societies (BenComs) and community interest companies (CICs) with our collection of helpsheets, model documents, books and links.
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Technical helpsheets

Exclusive Community Interest Companies (CICs)
  • Helpsheets and support
  • Nov 2019
Technical helpsheet issued to help ICAEW members understand key aspects of the legal, regulatory and reporting frameworks for Community Interest Companies (CICs).
Exclusive Which accounting standard do I use for clubs, associations and societies?
  • Helpsheets and support
  • Jul 2019
Technical helpsheet to help ICAEW members to understand which accounting standards apply to different types of clubs, associations and societies.
Exclusive Audit of clubs, associations and societies
  • Helpsheets and support
  • Jul 2019
Technical helpsheet regarding audit regulations for clubs, associations and societies.

Model documents

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. 

Company data

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.

Legislation

Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014
Full text of the Act, which replaces the ‘industrial and provident society’ legal form with two new legal forms: co-operative society and community benefit society. The Act consolidates previous legislation relating to industrial and provident societies including the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965, the Friendly and Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1968 and Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2003.

Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004
Full text of the Act, which created the community interest company as a legal form in the UK.

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).
Advising social enterprise: is a community interest company the solution?
  • Library book
  • 2023
  • E.Day
  • LexisNexis
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.
Handbook of co-operative and community benefit society law
  • Library book
  • 2016
  • I.Snaith
  • Jordan
A useful resource for societies of every size across all sectors. Provides a full treatment of the law on co-operative and community benefit societies based on the 2014 reforms and recent legal cases.
Company secretarial precedents
  • Library book
  • 2016
  • C.Gillard
  • Jordans
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

Community interest companies: guidance chapters
  • Website
Comprehensive information for people who want to form a community interest company (CIC) and those giving professional advice about CICs.
Community interest companies: leaflets
  • Website
An overview of what CICs are, their benefits, how they are set up and how they work.
Legal forms for social enterprise: a guide
  • Website
Explains the various forms of social enterprise companies available, including limited companies, CICs, industrial and provident societies (ISPs) and LLPs.
Terms of use

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

External resources - Organisations

Community Interest Companies (CIC) Association
  • Website
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.
Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies
  • Website
The CIC Regulator decides whether an organisation is eligible to become, or continue to be a CIC. It is responsible for investigating complaints and provides guidance on setting up CICs. It publishes a monthly list of new CICs registered in the last month.
Social Enterprise UK
  • Website
National body for social enterprise in the UK. Lobbies on the sector's behalf, produces research reports and runs events and courses.
Terms of use

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

External resources - Guides and publications

Community shares resources
  • Website
  • Community Shares Unit
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
  • Website
  • Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
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
  • Website
  • Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
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.
Thinking about starting a Community Interest Company? Find out if it's the right model for you
  • Website
  • Regulator of Community Interest Companies
A webinar from the Community Interest Companies (CIC) Regulator, giving a brief overview of social enterprise models and the differences, so that you can decide whether the CIC model is the right fit for your enterprise.
Terms of use

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

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