Standard Mark for Societies

Community share offers run by registered societies are exempt from any statutory regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority. This importantly keeps the cost of running public share offers down and ensures the model continues to be affordable and accessible.

The Community Shares Standard Mark award and development framework encourages voluntary regulation to ensure community share offers are honest, transparent and simple to understand.

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This Community Shares Standard Mark assessment framework can be used to develop the share offer and associated business plan and financial forecasts before enlisting a community shares practitioner to award the Standard Mark. 

The Standard Mark is awarded to a share offer by an Licensed Community Shares Practitioner who is accredited by the Community Shares Unit.

A society can independently contract a community shares practitioner to assess and award the Standard Mark: Practitioners Directory. The assessment typically takes three days. It is useful to look through the assessment framework before engaging the practitioner, to ensure the share offer documents have all fields covered. 

Funding is available through the Reach Fund (England only); grants up to £15K to become investment ready, this can include the costs of a community shares practitioner to support you on the development as well as the assessment cost for the Standard Mark. Co-operatives UK is an access point for the Reach Fund. Email [email protected] for more information. Funding for the Standard Mark may also be available via the Booster Fund (England only) and other devolved nation programmes.

Community Shares Standard Mark assessment frameworks are used by Licensed Assessors to award the Standard Mark. Check out the frameworks below to develop your share offer in line with best practice.