The SIA Approved Contractor Scheme Explained

A licence shows that an officer has passed identity, criminality and training checks, but says nothing about the business that employs and deploys them. The ACS fills that gap. It gives security businesses a way to demonstrate that they meet a defined standard across areas of the business including staff training, financial management and health and safety policies. The SIA describes the ACS as a progressive standard, meaning expectations can rise over time.

However, many public and private sector buyers specify ACS approval in tenders as a minimum requirement or weight it in evaluation.

1. Eligibility. The company must have provided security services under contract in the UK for at least 12 months, deploy at least two licensable operatives in each activity it seeks approval for, and pass “fit and proper” checks on those who control the business. Directors and operatives must hold valid SIA licences.
2. Self-assessment. The company assesses itself against the ACS standard using the SIA’s self-assessment workbook.
3. Application. It applies to the SIA and pays an application fee.
4. Independent assessment. The company books an assessment with an SIA-appointed assessing body. The SIA’s guidance currently names British Assessment Bureau, NSI and SSAIB. The assessor reports to the SIA.
5. Decision and registration. The SIA decides whether to approve the company and, if approved, the company registers and appears on the public register.

There is also a “passport” route, under which businesses certified through an accredited passport scheme can gain approval.

• Annual assessment. Each year an SIA-appointed assessing body must assess the company to confirm it still meets the standard.
• Annual return and registration fee. The company submits an annual return to the SIA and pays a registration fee for each licensable individual it deploys.
• Renewal. Approval does not renew automatically; companies renew every three years by repeating the application process.
• Withdrawal. The SIA can withdraw approval if a company fails to meet its approval conditions or the standard, for example after a poor assessment that is not remedied.

Because approval is time-limited and can be withdrawn, checking the register at the point of procurement, and again at renewal, is sensible.

A company is approved for particular licensable activities, such as:

• Security Guarding
• Door Supervision
• Key Holding
• Public Space Surveillance (CCTV)
• Close Protection
• Cash and Valuables in Transit
• Vehicle Immobilisation

A company approved for security guarding is not thereby approved for key holding or CCTV monitoring. If your tender requires ACS approval for a particular service, check that the register lists that specific activity against the company.

You can:

• search by contractor name;
• filter by one or more licensable activities (selecting several shows only contractors approved for all of them);
• filter by region.

When you check a supplier, confirm that the legal name on the register matches the company you are contracting with (check the company number on Companies House if names are similar), that the approval is current, and that the activities listed match what you are buying. If a supplier claims approval for an activity that is not on the register, ask them to explain before you proceed.

The SIA itself advises that scores and approval do not capture everything, and that buyers should also consider factors such as reputation and the quality of a tender response.

• State in the tender which ACS activity, if any, is required for each service.
• Verify approval on the register rather than relying on a logo or a statement in a proposal.
• Ask whether any part of the service will be subcontracted and to whom.
• Combine ACS checks with your own due diligence on licensing, insurance, mobilisation, supervision and reporting. Our guide on how to choose a security company sets out a full checklist.
• Diarise a re-check before contract renewal.

Build this into your contract management:

• Include a contractual obligation for the supplier to tell you promptly if its approval for any relevant activity is suspended, withdrawn or not renewed.
• Record the approval expiry date shown on the register in your supplier file and check it again shortly before that date.
• Agree what will happen if approval is lost, for example a remediation period, re-tender, or termination rights where ACS status was a mandatory requirement.

Useful questions include:

1. Which licensable activities are you approved for, and which will you deliver on our contract?
2. Will any part of the service be subcontracted, and is the subcontractor also approved for that activity?
3. Which assessing body carries out your annual assessment, and when is the next one due?
4. How do the management systems assessed under the ACS (training, supervision, complaints, health and safety) apply on our site in practice?
5. What improvement actions came out of your most recent assessment, and how have they been addressed?

A supplier that is confident in its approval should be able to answer these clearly and in writing.

Officers carrying out licensable activities hold the relevant SIA front-line licence. Full details are on our accreditations page. To discuss security guarding for your site, request a quote.