UK SMEs offered 75% off Cyber Essentials certification

On 3 November 2026 the UK government opened the Cyber Essentials First Step Fund. Eligible UK micro, small and medium-sized businesses can receive a 75% discount on new Cyber Essentials certification. After the discount, the government says the price is £80 to £125 plus VAT, depending on organisation size. The £2.4 million fund is expected to support about 6,000 businesses; that is an estimate, not a guarantee of availability.

Who qualifies?

The business must be UK-based and must not have held Cyber Essentials certification in the previous four years. Discounts are offered first come, first served until March 2027 or until funding runs out. The government has not specified a final day in March. Applications can be started from 3 November on the scheme operator IASME's official portal. Check current terms and the final price there before paying.

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A separate free offer for suppliers

Eligible UK SME suppliers of organisations that signed the Cyber Resilience Pledge can receive fully funded first-time certification and tailored Cyber Advisor support. Up to £7 million is available until March 2029, with an estimated reach of about 8,000 businesses. A pledge signatory must nominate the supplier; the government announcement does not describe an independent application route without that referral.

What to do now

Check your last certification date and business size, gather basic details about your organisation and IT systems, then start on the official IASME portal. If you supply a Cyber Resilience Pledge signatory, ask your customer about nomination. Cyber Essentials assesses five core technical controls; certification does not guarantee protection from every attack. The government also says certified organisations with turnover below £20 million receive cyber liability insurance of up to £25,000; check the policy terms when applying.

Official sources: UK government announcement, 3 November 2026; official IASME application portal.