Can any company issue Cyber Essentials?

No. Only IASME-licensed Certification Bodies can issue the certificate. Anyone else is a reseller and must hand the submission to a Certification Body.

How do I check if a provider is a Certification Body?

Search the official IASME register at iasme.co.uk. The provider should be listed as a licensed Certification Body, not just an associate or reseller.

Is it better to go direct to a Certification Body?

For fast-track turnarounds, yes – there is no handoff to slow the process. For longer-term advisory, both can work depending on the relationship.

What does IASME do exactly?

IASME owns the operational delivery of Cyber Essentials on behalf of the NCSC: licensing Certification Bodies, maintaining the question set, issuing the official guidance, hosting the certification portal and running the public register.

Does IASME assess us directly?

No. IASME licenses Certification Bodies who do the assessing. IASME audits Certification Bodies, not the certifying organisations.

What is an IASME Cyber Essentials Certification Body?

The Cyber Essentials supply chain

The NCSC owns the scheme. IASME is the sole organisation appointed by the NCSC to deliver it. IASME licenses Certification Bodies (around 280 in the UK) who in turn assess organisations and issue certificates.

Certification Body vs reseller

Certification Body – licensed by IASME. Reviews submissions, performs CE Plus audits, issues certificates. Held to IASME quality standards and audited annually.
Reseller / consultant – not licensed. Helps you prepare and may submit on your behalf, but must hand the submission to a Certification Body for review and issue.

Working directly with a Certification Body removes the handoff, which is the single biggest reason fast-track turnarounds slip.

What to look for in a Certification Body

Listed on the official IASME register
UK-based assessors (not offshore call centres)
Named assessor on every engagement
Pre-submission review included as standard
Transparent IASME-aligned pricing with no rush surcharges
Genuine reviews from named UK clients

NixInfinity-AI

We are an IASME-licensed Certification Body. Our assessors are based in the UK. Every engagement gets a named assessor and a pre-submission review. We can issue Cyber Essentials in 24 hours for prepared organisations and offer Cyber Essentials Plus £1,400 + VAT. See our provider comparison guide.