Regulator investigates charity over concerns about asset sale
The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into City and Guilds of London Institute.
The regulator is examining information about the charity’s sale of its City & Guilds awards operation (C&G) to a private company in October 2025.
The Commission was previously made aware of the proposed sale by the charity, and had sought and received assurances about the trustees’ decision making, but the sale did not require the Commission’s regulatory consent.
The statutory inquiry will now examine new information that has been reported in relation to the sale.
The inquiry will examine:
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information provided by the charity to the Commission regarding the sale of the awarding, assessment, and training businesses of the charity in October 2025 to PeopleCert (under the company known as City & Guilds Vocational Education and Apprenticeships) following concerns raised in public reporting relating to the sale and bonuses awarded to its executives
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the trustees’ decision-making regarding the sale and entering into a ’coexistence agreement’ with the new company, including the information that they were provided with and considered when making this decision.
The Commission may extend the scope of the inquiry if additional regulatory issues emerge.
Anyone with relevant information about matters under investigation is encouraged to share it with the Commission. Details of how to send information to the Commission and how the regulator deals with complaints can be found on its website.
It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing the issues examined, any action taken, and the inquiry’s outcomes.
The inquiry opened on 7 January 2026.
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Notes to editors
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The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its ambition is to be an expert regulator that is fair, balanced, and independent so that charity can thrive. This ambition will help to create and sustain an environment where charities further build public trust and ultimately fulfil their essential role in enhancing lives and strengthening society. Find out more: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission/about.
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On 7 January 2026, the Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the charity under section 46 of the Charities Act 2011. A statutory inquiry is a legal power enabling the Commission to formally investigate matters of regulatory concern within a charity and to use protective powers for the benefit of the charity and its beneficiaries, assets, or reputation.
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