Guidance

Community interest companies: forms and step-by-step guides

The processes you need to follow, and the documents you need to submit, when you are a community interest company or you wish to form (or convert to) a community interest company.

From:
Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies
Published
1 September 2012
Last updated
8 January 2026 — See all updates

Documents

CIC business activities: forms and step-by-step guidelines

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Details

A Community Interest Company (CIC) is a limited company, with special additional features, created for the use of people who want to conduct a business or other activity for community benefit, and not purely for private advantage.

This step-by-step guidance explains what you need to do to:

  • Handy Hits and Tips befor completing your CIC application
  • Online application checklist
  • form a CIC online or by post
  • form a community interest public limited company (plc)
  • convert an existing company to a CIC
  • convert a charitable company to a CIC
  • convert a Registered Society to a CIC
  • convert a private company to a community interest plc
  • convert a plc to a community interest plc
  • change or specifying an asset-locked body in the articles of association
  • alter clauses in the articles of association
  • alter the object statement of a CIC
  • change the status of a CIC to a community interest plc
  • convert a CIC to a charitable company
  • convert a CIC to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
  • convert a CIC to an IPS
  • arrange the voluntary dissolution of a CIC
  • file an annual CIC report and accounts online or by post

It includes links to the appropriate forms, model constitutions (including the memorandum of association and articles of association) and model special resolutions.

Updates to this page

Published 1 September 2012
Last updated 8 January 2026 show all updates

  1. Updated guidance on the use of Artificial Intelligence

  2. Added Conversion application checklist

  3. Added a checklist for the online process for Community Interest Companies

  4. Updated contact details on point 18

  5. Updated guidance on converting a Registered Society to a Community Interest Company

  6. Updated broken link for information on Person with significant control (PSC)

  7. Updated fees for incorporation & conversions

  8. Customers can no-longer send the form CIC34 to Scotland - removed the Scottish address

  9. Add video of webinar on Community Interest Company or Charity do you know the difference?

  10. Updated broken link for the form DS01 for dissolution

  11. Added information that Community Interest Companies (CICs) can now file Resolution online by using Companies house upload system

  12. Added information on Peron of Significant Control

  13. Updated information on filing CIC accounts

  14. Added helpful tips

  15. Updated information on filing CIC accounts online

  16. Updating step-by-step guidelines to incorporate and convert an application.

  17. Updated the Regulators Office address

  18. Uploaded online account filing webinar

  19. Updating link to online accounts facility

  20. amendments to guidance notes

  21. To ensure the new online process is at the top of the document

  22. Coding for addresses amended

  23. Added links to main list

  24. Adding further information - online incorporation

  25. New process for a CIC converting to a CIO

  26. Form IN01 continuation sheet added

  27. Updated the notice of intent to remove the company from 3 to 2 months.

  28. Companies House addresses amended

  29. Step-by-step guides updated to reflect new version of IN01

  30. Updated office address

  31. Updated form IN01 link

  32. Updated the convert a CIC to a Registered Society step-by-step guide.

  33. Voluntary dissolution step by step guide updated.

  34. Convert an existing comapny to CIC step-by-step guides updated

  35. First published.

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