In short: £800 forms a company limited by guarantee with articles of association drafted around your organisation, including VAT and the £100 Companies House fee. We cover membership classes, voting rights, how directors are chosen, an asset lock and anything else your rules need. Drafting time depends on how complex the rules are; once you approve the articles, the company is usually registered within 24 hours.
What's included
- The £100 government fee Companies House charges to register a new company. It's already included in our price — there's nothing extra to pay.
- We check your proposed name against the Companies House register and the naming rules, and suggest alternatives if it's taken or needs approval.
- Consultation on how your organisation is run
- The memorandum records who founded the company; the articles are the company's rulebook — how directors make decisions, how shares work and more.
- Membership classes, admission and removal rules
- Voting rights, quorum and meeting procedures
- Rules on appointing and removing directors
- Asset lock and dissolution clause where needed
- The official certificate from Companies House proving your company exists, with its name, number and date of incorporation.
- The legal records every company must keep: members (shareholders), directors, people with significant control and more. We set them up for you.
- Every director and person with significant control must verify their identity with Companies House. As an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) we can do it for you remotely and give you your personal code.
- A six-character code from Companies House that works like your company's signature for online filings. Keep it safe.
- Your certificate, articles and share certificates printed on quality paper — useful when a bank or authority abroad wants originals.
- Lifetime email and phone support
Why bespoke articles matter
The articles of association are the company's rulebook. They say who can be a member, who can vote, how directors are chosen, how meetings work and what happens to money and assets. If you do not file your own articles, the company uses the standard "model articles" set out in law.
Model articles are written for simple organisations. They do not deal with different kinds of members, weighted votes, members nominating directors, or locking assets so they can only be used for a purpose. When the rules do not match how the organisation really works, disputes follow — and the articles are what a court or regulator will look at.
Who this suits
- Associations and federations with different membership types — for example full, associate, corporate and honorary members
- Trade bodies where member companies appoint representatives
- Social enterprises and community businesses that need an asset lock
- Sports clubs and governing bodies with regional or affiliated members
- Groups converting an existing constitution into a company
- Organisations that want to apply for an exemption from using "Limited" in the name
What we can build into your articles
- Membership classes: who can join each class, what rights each class has, fees, and how members leave or are removed
- Voting: one member one vote, weighted votes, voting by class, postal or electronic voting
- Directors: elected by members, appointed by certain bodies, co-opted, terms of office and rotation
- Meetings: notice periods, quorum, AGMs, online meetings
- Asset lock: income and assets used only for your purposes, with nothing paid out to members, and remaining assets passed to a similar body on winding up
- Objects: a clear statement of what the organisation is for, which some funders ask to see
Using "Limited" in the name
A company limited by guarantee can apply to leave out "Limited" from its name if its objects are to promote or regulate commerce, art, science, education, religion, charity or a profession, and its articles require income to be used only for those objects, ban payments to members and send surplus assets to a similar body on winding up. We can draft the articles to meet these conditions.
How it works
- Tell us about your organisation: how it is run now, who the members are and what you want the rules to do. Send any existing constitution.
- We draft the articles and explain each section in plain English.
- You review and request changes. We revise until you are happy.
- We verify the identity of each director and person with significant control remotely, as a Companies House ACSP, and give each person their personal code. Anyone who prefers can verify through GOV.UK One Login instead.
- We file the application with your bespoke articles and send you the documents once the company is registered.
What you need to provide
- The proposed name
- Your existing constitution or rules, if you have them
- How membership, voting and director appointments should work
- Details of each director and first member
- A UK registered office address in the same nation as the company — see registered office address
- A registered email address for Companies House
Common mistakes
- Copying another organisation's articles. They reflect someone else's structure and may contradict each other.
- Making the rules too rigid. Articles can be changed later by special resolution (usually 75% of votes), but it is easier to build in flexibility now.
- Forgetting an asset lock. Funders, and regulators if you later apply for charity status, may expect one.
If you plan to become a charity, see our charitable company service. For a simple organisation, our standard company limited by guarantee may be enough.
Frequently asked questions
What are bespoke articles of association?
Articles written for your organisation instead of the standard model articles. They set out your own rules on membership, voting, directors, meetings and assets.
Can I have different classes of member in a guarantee company?
Yes. The articles can create several membership classes, each with its own admission rules, rights and voting powers.
What is an asset lock?
Clauses that stop the company's income and assets being paid out to members and require them to be used for its purpose, including passing any surplus to a similar body if it closes.
Can we turn our existing club constitution into articles?
Yes. Send us your constitution and we will adapt it to work as company articles, keeping your rules wherever company law allows.
Can the articles be changed after registration?
Yes, usually by a special resolution of the members (at least 75% of votes), and the new articles are filed at Companies House. Some clauses, such as an entrenched asset lock, can be made harder to change.
How long does drafting take?
It depends on how complex your rules are and how quickly you review the drafts. We agree a timetable with you at the start; registration usually follows within 24 hours of your approval.
Related services
Company Limited by Guarantee
A company with members instead of shareholders — for clubs, associations and not-for-profits.
Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee
A guarantee company with charitable purposes, set up ready for you to apply to OSCR or the Charity Commission.
Resolutions and Minutes of Meetings
Board and shareholder resolutions or meeting minutes, drafted correctly for your company's records.
Registered Office Address
Use our Edinburgh or central London address as your company's official registered office, with mail scanning.