The SIA ending its endorsement of BIIAB: what it means for you
The Security Industry Authority has announced that it is ending its endorsement of BIIAB. This page explains what this will mean for SIA licence applicants.
On 15 July 2026 we announced that we are ending our endorsement of BIIAB, an awarding body that issues SIA licence-linked qualifications. This is because of serious and persistent breaches of their agreement with us. You can read our press release for more details.
This page provides advice to licence applicants who may be affected by the action we are taking. It applies specifically to people who have been, or were supposed to be, on courses offered by training providers approved by BIIAB.
There are 5 other awarding bodies offering SIA licence-linked qualifications. You can use our search for a training provider tool to find training providers approved by these awarding organisations.
If you already have your qualification
If BIIAB has already awarded your qualification, we will accept it so long as one of the following points apply:
- you are applying for a licence for the first time, and it is less than 3 years since you got your qualification
- you are applying for a licence you have held before, and it is less than 3 years since your old licence was active
If you have done the training
If you have done the training but are still waiting for your qualification, it may be because BIIAB and Ofqual are doing extra quality assurance checks. You should contact BIIAB directly about this. We will not contact them for you.
When they award your qualification, they will upload the details into our licensing system. You will not be able to apply for a licence until your qualification appears in your SIA account.
If you have not done the training yet
If you have booked a training course but have not done it yet, you should check with your training provider that it is still going ahead.