Get Cyber Essentials for £80. The government pays the other 75%.
Two new government schemes cut the cost of Cyber Essentials for UK small businesses, or pay for it in full. Here's who qualifies, what you'll pay, and what the funding doesn't cover.
Checked against GOV.UK, 4 November 2026. I don't take a cut of any funding.
Which one fits your business?
Most small businesses will use the first. The second only works if one of your customers puts you forward.
Cyber Essentials First Step Fund
- What you get 75% off a new Cyber Essentials certificate
- Who it's for UK micro, small and medium businesses not certified in the last four years
- Money available £2.4m, about 6,000 businesses
- Closes End of March 2027, or when the money runs out
- How Apply on IASME's First Step Fund website
Cyber Essentials for Suppliers grant
- What you get Cyber Essentials paid in full, and for some businesses, help from an NCSC-assured Cyber Advisor
- Who it's for UK small suppliers to organisations that have signed the government's Cyber Resilience Pledge
- Money available Up to £7m, about 8,000 businesses
- Closes End of March 2029
- How You can't apply. Your customer nominates you
What you'll pay with 75% off
| Staff | Normal fee | With the First Step Fund | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 9 | £320 + VAT | £80 + VAT | £240 |
| 10 to 49 | £440 + VAT | £110 + VAT | £330 |
| 50 to 249 | £500 + VAT | £125 + VAT | £375 |
Normal fees are IASME's standard Cyber Essentials fees. The discounted prices match the £80 to £125 range in the government's announcement.
Do you qualify?
Your answers stay on your device. This website doesn't store them.
How to claim the 75% discount
- Check you're ready first. The funding pays for one assessment. The questions changed in April 2026, and some answers now fail you straight away, such as software that no longer gets updates or cloud services without multi-factor authentication. Read the question set or take my free security check before you start.
- Apply for the discount. Go to firststep.iasme.co.uk. It's first come, first served, so apply once you're ready, not next spring.
- Answer the questions and submit. An assessor marks your answers. If something needs fixing, you usually get a short window to sort it.
- Get your certificate and insurance. If your turnover is under £20m, you also get up to £25,000 of cyber liability insurance included.
What the funding doesn't pay for
The discount covers the assessment fee. It doesn't cover the work to pass, and that's where most businesses get stuck. In my experience the fee is the smallest part of the cost. The bigger part is time spent working out what each question means for your setup.
- Cyber Essentials Plus. The hands-on audit isn't funded by either scheme.
- Fixing gaps. Replacing old laptops, turning on multi-factor authentication or tidying admin accounts is still down to you or your IT provider.
- A pass. The government is clear that funding doesn't guarantee certification.
Where I can help
I'm independent. I don't certify you and I don't take a cut of the funding. I help you understand the questions and get ready, so your one funded assessment counts.
Cyber Security Clarity Review
A 90 minute session and a one page priority list, so you know what to fix before you apply.
See the Clarity Review From £995 + VATGuided Cyber Essentials
We go through the questions together, one by one, until you're ready to submit.
See Guided Cyber EssentialsA worked example. A business with 30 staff used to pay £440 + VAT for Cyber Essentials. With the First Step Fund it pays £110 + VAT. Add Guided Cyber Essentials at £995, and the total is £1,105 + VAT instead of £1,435.
If you're a larger business or an IT provider
If you've signed the Cyber Resilience Pledge, or plan to, you can put small suppliers forward for fully funded Cyber Essentials. Register your interest with IASME at info@iasme.co.uk. The Pledge also asks you to make cyber security a board-level responsibility, join the NCSC's free Early Warning service and take a risk-based approach to asking suppliers for Cyber Essentials.
If you're an IT provider, this is a good moment to tell your customers about the First Step Fund. Your customers do the applying.
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Cyber Essentials funding questions
Who can get 75% off Cyber Essentials?
UK micro, small and medium businesses that haven't held a Cyber Essentials certificate in the last four years. You apply yourself through IASME's First Step Fund website. You don't need anyone to nominate you.
How much will Cyber Essentials cost with the discount?
IASME's standard fees are £320 for 1 to 9 staff, £440 for 10 to 49 and £500 for 50 to 249, all plus VAT. With 75% off, that becomes £80, £110 or £125 plus VAT.
When does the First Step Fund close?
The government says it runs until the end of March 2027, or until the £2.4m runs out. It's first come, first served, so don't leave it until March.
Does the funding cover Cyber Essentials Plus?
No. Both schemes pay for the Cyber Essentials assessment and certificate only. Cyber Essentials Plus, with its hands-on audit, is still paid for in full.
We renewed last year. Can we still claim?
Not through the First Step Fund. It's for businesses that haven't been certified in the last four years. If a large customer has signed the Cyber Resilience Pledge, ask them about the suppliers grant instead, although that is also aimed at first-time certification.
Can I use my own certification body?
Yes. The government's policy paper says the discount still applies if you certify through a certification body.
Does the funding mean I'll pass?
No. It pays for the assessment, and if you pass, the certificate. You still have to meet every requirement, including the automatic fails added in April 2026.
Do I get the free cyber insurance as well?
Yes, if your turnover is under £20m. Certified businesses get up to £25,000 of cyber liability insurance included, whether or not they used the funding.
Correct on 4 November 2026. Funding is limited and the details may change, so check the official pages before you apply.
Want to use your funded assessment well?
Send me one quick question and I'll give you a straight answer in plain English, usually within one working day. Prefer to talk it through? Book a free 30 minute call.