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Guidance

SIA approved contractors in Company Voluntary Arrangements

Learn how being in a Company Voluntary Arrangement might affect your ACS approval.

A Company Voluntary Arrangement is a legal agreement that helps a business repay its debts over time. It’s an alternative to liquidation and shows that your business is still viable, even if it’s currently insolvent. It means that you agree to repay part of what you owe over a set period. For example, 50p per £1 over 5 years.

How being in a Company Voluntary Arrangement might affect your approval

We might withdraw your approval if you enter a Company Voluntary Arrangement. We will consider:

  • why you needed the CVA (for example, bad debtors or poor financial management)
  • what you’ve done to fix the problem
  • how much you’ve agreed to repay (we usually expect at least 50p in the pound)
  • whether public bodies like HMRC are major creditors
  • whether your ACS assessments show poor financial management

We’ll make a decision based on your specific situation.

If you’re reapplying for approval

If we have withdrawn your approval because you were in a Company Voluntary Arrangement, you should wait at least one year before reapplying. This gives you time to fix the issues that led to needing the arrangement.

Updates to this page

Published 23 June 2026

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