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
13 June 2025 — 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 13 June 2025 show all updates

  1. Added Conversion application checklist

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

  3. Updated contact details on point 18

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

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

  6. Updated fees for incorporation & conversions

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

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

  9. Updated broken link for the form DS01 for dissolution

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

  11. Added information on Peron of Significant Control

  12. Updated information on filing CIC accounts

  13. Added helpful tips

  14. Updated information on filing CIC accounts online

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

  16. Updated the Regulators Office address

  17. Uploaded online account filing webinar

  18. Updating link to online accounts facility

  19. amendments to guidance notes

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

  21. Coding for addresses amended

  22. Added links to main list

  23. Adding further information - online incorporation

  24. New process for a CIC converting to a CIO

  25. Form IN01 continuation sheet added

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

  27. Companies House addresses amended

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

  29. Updated office address

  30. Updated form IN01 link

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

  32. Voluntary dissolution step by step guide updated.

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

  34. First published.

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