Common Mistakes When Registering as a CIC

And how to avoid them.

Setting up a Community Interest Company (CIC) is, for the most part, a straightforward process. However, it’s important to remember that the documents you complete at the very beginning don’t just sit in a filing cabinet—they become part of the public record. That means anyone, including potential partners and funders, can access them. Getting things right from the start helps you present your organisation professionally and avoid unnecessary delays.

Getting the CIC36 Form Right

The CIC36 form is simple, and the registrar even provides a completed example to guide you through it. Despite this, we often see applicants accidentally leaving the guidance notes in place—usually shown in red. These notes are meant to help you complete the form, not to be included in your official submission. Make sure you remove them before sending everything off.

Completing Your Articles of Association

The registrar also offers a template Articles of Association, which is incredibly useful for new organisations. But even with this template, we frequently see small but significant mistakes. These can slow down your registration or raise unnecessary questions about your organisation’s readiness.

Here are the most common errors we’ve come across:

1. Leaving Square Brackets in the Document

Square brackets are simply prompts that indicate you need to make a choice. Once you’ve decided how a clause should read, remove the brackets and any unused text. Leaving them in suggests the document hasn’t been properly reviewed.

2. Not Removing the Asset Lock Guidance

Within the Articles, you’ll see helpful notes—often in blue—explaining how to complete the asset lock section. These notes should be deleted before submission. Guidance text left in the final document can cause confusion and delay.

3. Incorrectly Completing the Asset Lock

The asset lock is a core part of what makes a CIC a CIC. It tells the registrar who will receive your remaining assets if your organisation ever closes. Many applicants enter the wrong type of organisation here, or leave the section incomplete. Make sure the named organisation is eligible and aligns with CIC regulations.

4. Not Completing the Section for your Objectives

   
   

Keep Your Information Up to Date

Once your CIC is registered, ongoing accuracy matters. Director details, registered addresses, and similar information must be kept current. Out‑of‑date records can lead to compliance issues and give a poor impression to anyone checking your public filings.