How Much Does Cyber Essentials Cost in the UK?

How Much Does Cyber Essentials Cost?

Last updated: 27 September 2026

The Cyber Essentials cost is typically made up of two parts: the official certification fee (paid to the certification body) and the support you choose to help your organisation prepare for accreditation.

At ABCOM, we keep pricing transparent: we charge the certification fee at cost, then quote separately for our readiness and guidance work (so you only pay for the support you actually need).

1) Cyber Essentials Certification (Exam) Fee

The official Cyber Essentials certification fee is set by the certification body and varies depending on your organisation size. ABCOM charges this fee at cost — we don’t bundle or mark it up.

Fees are set by IASME, the Cyber Essentials scheme partner, and can change. Certification lasts 12 months, so the fee is paid each year at renewal. We confirm the current fee when we quote.

What about Cyber Essentials Plus?

Cyber Essentials Plus uses the same five technical controls (firewalls, secure configuration, user access control, malware protection and security updates), but adds a hands-on technical audit of a sample of your devices by an independent assessor. It must be completed within three months of passing Cyber Essentials. The price depends on how many devices, sites and cloud services are in scope, so it is quoted individually.

2) ABCOM Accreditation Readiness & Support

Guidance is priced separately from the certification fee, based on what your organisation actually needs. Some businesses only need a quick check before they submit; others need help fixing gaps such as enabling multi-factor authentication, replacing unsupported devices or tightening admin access. After a short readiness call, we give you a fixed quote, so there are no surprises.

Worked example: a 12-person office (IASME “small” tier, £440 + VAT) that needs MFA switching on and two old laptops replaced would typically fall into the Standard band, so the total is usually around £890–£1,135 + VAT, plus any hardware. We confirm a fixed price after a free readiness call.

Looking for Cyber Essentials support in West Sussex? See our Cyber Essentials certification service or call 01444 871 200.

This is where most organisations get the value: a clear review, practical recommendations, and help aligning your IT to the Cyber Essentials requirements.

• Readiness review of your environment against Cyber Essentials controls
• Gap analysis (what passes today, what needs attention)
• Recommendations to meet the standard in the most proportionate way
• Guidance on secure configuration, patching, access control, and malware protection
• Support through the application and submission process

Certification is always subject to meeting the standard. Our role is to help you prepare properly and avoid last-minute surprises — not simply submit paperwork.

Working With Your Existing IT Provider

If ABCOM already manages your IT, we can typically move faster because we already understand your environment. If you use another IT provider, we’re happy to collaborate with them to support Cyber Essentials accreditation without disrupting your current arrangements.

Why Organisations Choose ABCOM

ABCOM IT Solutions is a Cyber Essentials accredited partner and an NCSC Assured Service Provider, meaning our services have been independently assessed against UK Government standards. We don’t just help you achieve certification — we help you stay secure and compliant after certification.