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
-
127MayFebruary20242025 — See all updates
Documents
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
- 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
ana industrialRegistered andSociety provident society (IPS) 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 127 MayFebruary 2024
2025
+ show all updates
-
Updated guidance on converting a Registered Society to a Community Interest Company
-
Updated broken link for information on Person with significant control (PSC)
-
-
Updated fees for incorporation & conversions
-
-
Customers can no-longer send the form CIC34 to Scotland - removed the Scottish address
-
-
Add video of webinar on Community Interest Company or Charity do you know the difference?
-
-
Updated broken link for the form DS01 for dissolution
-
-
Added information that Community Interest Companies (CICs) can now file Resolution online by using Companies house upload system
-
-
Added information on Peron of Significant Control
-
-
Updated information on filing CIC accounts
-
-
Added helpful tips
-
-
Updated information on filing CIC accounts online
-
-
Updating step-by-step guidelines to incorporate and convert an application.
-
-
Updated the Regulators Office address
-
-
Uploaded online account filing webinar
-
-
Updating link to online accounts facility
-
-
amendments to guidance notes
-
-
To ensure the new online process is at the top of the document
-
-
Coding for addresses amended
-
-
Added links to main list
-
-
Adding further information - online incorporation
-
-
New process for a CIC converting to a CIO
-
-
Form IN01 continuation sheet added
-
-
Updated the notice of intent to remove the company from 3 to 2 months.
-
-
Companies House addresses amended
-
-
Step-by-step guides updated to reflect new version of IN01
-
-
Updated office address
-
-
Updated form IN01 link
-
-
Updated the convert a CIC to a Registered Society step-by-step guide.
-
-
Voluntary dissolution step by step guide updated.
-
-
Convert an existing comapny to CIC step-by-step guides updated
-
-
First published.
Sign up for emails or print this page
Update history
2026-01-08 13:05
Updated guidance on the use of Artificial Intelligence
2025-06-13 11:07
Added Conversion application checklist
2025-06-12 14:05
Added a checklist for the online process for Community Interest Companies
2025-03-07 11:38
Updated contact details on point 18
2025-02-27 11:53
Updated guidance on converting a Registered Society to a Community Interest Company
2024-05-01 10:18
Updated broken link for information on Person with significant control (PSC)
2024-05-01 06:42
Updated fees for incorporation & conversions
2024-02-23 08:16
Customers can no-longer send the form CIC34 to Scotland – removed the Scottish address
2024-02-14 12:01
Add video of webinar on Community Interest Company or Charity do you know the difference?
2024-02-01 09:56
Updated broken link for the form DS01 for dissolution
2023-07-18 10:04
Added information that Community Interest Companies (CICs) can now file Resolution online by using Companies house upload system
2022-12-14 10:11
Added information on Peron of Significant Control
2022-11-29 13:40
Updated information on filing CIC accounts
2022-10-11 13:40
Added helpful tips
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
- 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
anaindustrialRegisteredandSocietyprovidentsociety(IPS) - 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 2012Last updated
-
Updated guidance on converting a Registered Society to a Community Interest Company
-
Updated broken link for information on Person with significant control (PSC)
-
Updated fees for incorporation & conversions
-
Customers can no-longer send the form CIC34 to Scotland - removed the Scottish address
-
Add video of webinar on Community Interest Company or Charity do you know the difference?
-
Updated broken link for the form DS01 for dissolution
-
Added information that Community Interest Companies (CICs) can now file Resolution online by using Companies house upload system
-
Added information on Peron of Significant Control
-
Updated information on filing CIC accounts
-
Added helpful tips
-
Updated information on filing CIC accounts online
-
Updating step-by-step guidelines to incorporate and convert an application.
-
Updated the Regulators Office address
-
Uploaded online account filing webinar
-
Updating link to online accounts facility
-
amendments to guidance notes
-
To ensure the new online process is at the top of the document
-
Coding for addresses amended
-
Added links to main list
-
Adding further information - online incorporation
-
New process for a CIC converting to a CIO
-
Form IN01 continuation sheet added
-
Updated the notice of intent to remove the company from 3 to 2 months.
-
Companies House addresses amended
-
Step-by-step guides updated to reflect new version of IN01
-
Updated office address
-
Updated form IN01 link
-
Updated the convert a CIC to a Registered Society step-by-step guide.
-
Voluntary dissolution step by step guide updated.
-
Convert an existing comapny to CIC step-by-step guides updated
-
First published.
Sign up for emails or print this page
Update history
2026-01-08 13:05
Updated guidance on the use of Artificial Intelligence
2025-06-13 11:07
Added Conversion application checklist
2025-06-12 14:05
Added a checklist for the online process for Community Interest Companies
2025-03-07 11:38
Updated contact details on point 18
2025-02-27 11:53
Updated guidance on converting a Registered Society to a Community Interest Company
2024-05-01 10:18
Updated broken link for information on Person with significant control (PSC)
2024-05-01 06:42
Updated fees for incorporation & conversions
2024-02-23 08:16
Customers can no-longer send the form CIC34 to Scotland – removed the Scottish address
2024-02-14 12:01
Add video of webinar on Community Interest Company or Charity do you know the difference?
2024-02-01 09:56
Updated broken link for the form DS01 for dissolution
2023-07-18 10:04
Added information that Community Interest Companies (CICs) can now file Resolution online by using Companies house upload system
2022-12-14 10:11
Added information on Peron of Significant Control
2022-11-29 13:40
Updated information on filing CIC accounts
2022-10-11 13:40
Added helpful tips