Standard Mark for Societies

The Community Shares Standard Mark is awarded to share offers that meet national standards of good practice.

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.

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.

“Our founder members had zero experience of community shares, so this gave the team confidence that we had not overlooked anything.”

– Shotley Heritage Charitable Community Benefit Society

A Licensed Community Shares Practitioner is accredited by the Community Shares Unit to award the Mark. Societies can independently contract a community shares practitioner to support in developing the offer and award the Standard Mark.

Funding is available through the Booster Programme in England and other devolved nation programmes to cover the costs of the award.

Find a Community Shares Practitioner

Our practitioners have a range of skills and experience to help you develop a quality community share offer

Practitioners Directory

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.