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Coddan CPM Ltd. – Company Registration Agent in the UK

Follow the CLG formation journey from assessing whether the structure fits your organisation through to incorporation and selecting the support needed afterwards.

Step 1
Assess CLG Suitability
Step 2
Define Your Structure
Step 3
Prepare Formation Details
Step 4
Complete Identity Verification
Step 5
Submit Your Incorporation
Step 6
Choose Ongoing Support
Companies Registry's e-Services Portal Identity Verification Director ID Verification Fast and Secure Establishing a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) & a Non-Government Organisation (NGO)

Fast and Secure Establishing a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) & a Non-Government Organisation (NGO)

Establish the Private Company Limited by Guarantee Your Organisation Actually Needs

Form a private limited by guarantee company for your club, association or membership organisation, with Coddan’s preparation and personal help. You provide the proposed name, purposes and people’s details; we help clarify the requirements, prepare suitable documents and submit your approved e-Application to Companies House. Choose a listed e-Filing package or discuss your plans before ordering.

Available for England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, with appropriate address arrangements. A CLG is not automatically a charity; charitable companies, CICs and CIOs have their own appropriate routes.

A personal manager comes with every formation order.

During working hours, your manager helps by telephone and email with instructions, required information and documents, questions, progress and next steps. This normal assistance is separate from paid priority handling, extended consultation and continuing services.

Choose Your CLG Formation Package

Questions first? Ask Coddan before ordering.

For CLGEssential™ with your own suitable registered office: £119.99 + VAT — £123.99 total payable. This comprises the £100 Companies House statutory incorporation fee, Coddan’s £19.99 formation and electronic processing fee and £4.00 VAT on Coddan’s fee. Separately selected services add to this base-package total.

Practical help with your NPO/CLG simplest formation

Affordable preparation for your NPO

We help you clarify your organisation’s purposes, directors and guarantor-members, and choose suitable articles. Established Coddan articles can serve straightforward requirements; you can also provide your objects or prepared articles. Describe what you want the organisation to do, and we will explain the preparation needed. Particular further drafting is discussed and agreed separately.


| ✓ Includes £100 Statutory Fee | ✓ Professional Application Review Before Submission | ✓ Credas Checks Where Separately Ordered; Coddan Reviews and Confirms Verification When Satisfied; Companies House Issues the Personal Code | ✓ Complete Set of Digital Company Documents

Cost-effective Non-Profit Organisation incorporation

Your selected package provides professional preparation, application review and submission, with digital incorporation documents following successful registration. Compare the scope and costs below, then choose the address, document and continuing services your organisation needs. Multiple directors or guarantor-members, including corporate members where appropriate, do not automatically mean a higher formation package.


| ✓ Includes £100 Govt. Fee | ✓ London EC3 Registered Address | ✓ Non-Profit / CLG Compliant Articles | ✓ Offline Board Kit Included

Easy to start a new Non-Profit Organisation, with personal help

Order a suitable published package online when you are ready. Have your proposed name, purposes, director and guarantor-member details, and address arrangements available. Your personal manager explains missing information and the next steps, so you can resolve questions before electronic submission. If you are unsure where to begin, ask us before ordering.

Arrange the service your non-profitable organisation needs

Choose a straightforward formation or discuss a suitable combination of articles, addresses, company documents and administration. UK and overseas customers can use the same CLG formation service. Tell us about particular requirements, such as a proposed name without “Limited” or a charitable purpose; we will explain the appropriate service and any separately agreed work.

A listed company formation agent

Coddan CPM Limited E-Quick Package appears on the Companies House electronic-formation agents list. As your formation agent, Coddan checks the details you supply, clarifies inconsistencies, prepares suitable documents and obtains the necessary customer approval before submitting the incorporation application. Companies House makes the registration decision.

HMRC-supervised TCSP and registered ACSP

Coddan CPM Limited is an HMRC-supervised trust or company service provider and a Companies House-registered Authorised Corporate Service Provider. AML customer checks and Companies House identity verification are separate processes. If you select Coddan verification, the individual completes supported Credas checks; Coddan reviews the evidence, seeks clarification and submits ACSP confirmation when satisfied. Verify Coddan’s ACSP registration; understand HMRC supervision of TCSP activities.

Identity verification and your Personal Code

Proposed individual directors need their Companies House Personal Codes for incorporation. Guarantor membership alone does not create that requirement. You can use the free official verification route where you can complete its checks, or select suitable, separately charged Coddan ACSP assistance.

Companies House issues the Personal Code after successful verification. The same person may be both a director and a PSC: one accepted verification normally serves that person across roles and companies, with the code supplied separately through each applicable role procedure. Two roles do not automatically mean two verification purchases. Already verified? Use that accepted verification and address only what remains; completed requirements do not need repeating. Role submissions and company filings remain separate.

Formation is normally expected within 24–48 hours where complete and suitable information has been received, applicable identity-verification requirements have been completed and the selected service is ready for submission, subject to Companies House processing and any additional issue or regulator requirement. Where priority same-day handling is selected and the required information and applicable verification position are complete, Coddan can prioritise preparation and submission. Companies House controls processing and independently decides whether the company is incorporated.

Your formation and related services, through Coddan

Ask about preparation, addresses, documents or later CLG company-secretarial support. For a charitable company or another particular requirement, describe your organisation and what you want to achieve. We confirm the work we can accept, selected services, charges and any service period. A written service agreement, engagement letter or service schedule is available as applicable; connected services are separately scoped.

Ask Coddan before ordering

An enquiry creates no obligation to order. Email info@coddan.co.uk or telephone 020 7935 5171. Keep identity documents and confidential codes for the appropriate secure process we provide.


Start Your Business Today: Fast Formation Services to Meet All Compliance Standards
£119.99
+VAT

“CLGEssential™”

Recommended for

1
package

Buy Now CLGEssential™ – Professional Non-Profit Organisation Formation for £19.99 Plus the £100 Companies House Fee.
Ready to establish your club, association or membership organisation as a company? CLGEssential™ suits customers who have chosen a CLG and already have a suitable registered office address. You provide the proposed company name, organisational objects and details of the directors and members or guarantors; Coddan reviews the information, clarifies outstanding points and prepares suitable formation documents for your approval before submitting the eligible incorporation application to Companies House. The formation can accommodate one or multiple directors and individual, corporate or mixed members or guarantors where appropriate, without an automatic surcharge merely because more participants are involved. Your personal manager helps by telephone and email during working hours with required information, documents, progress and next steps, including guidance on the applicable director and PSC verification requirements. Company formation, identity verification, Personal Code issue and use of that code for a relevant director or PSC role remain separate stages. Suitable Coddan ACSP verification is separately charged. Accepted existing verification and the free official route remain available; two roles held by the same individual do not automatically require two checks.

The Coddan professional formation fee is £19.99 plus VAT. The separately identified £100 Companies House fee is included in the displayed £119.99 subtotal and is not subject to VAT. At the current 20% VAT rate, the package total payable before selected additions is £123.99. Formation is normally expected within 24–48 hours after complete and suitable information has been received, applicable verification requirements have been completed and the application is ready for submission, subject to Companies House processing and approval. Digital incorporation documents are provided following successful registration. Normal manager assistance is separate from paid priority handling and continuing services; additional work and charges are agreed before proceeding. Customers requiring a Coddan registered office should compare CLG AddressPro™. Before ordering, read about the advantages and characteristics of a Company Limited by Guarantee. A charitable company, CIC or CIO requires its appropriate specialist route and is not automatically included in this conventional CLG package.



£159.99
+VAT

“CLG AddressPro™”

Recommended for

2
package

Buy Now CLG AddressPro™ – Non-Profit Organisation Setup With a Registered Office for £59.99 Plus the £100 Companies House Fee.
Need Coddan to arrange your company’s official address as well as its formation? CLG AddressPro™ combines professional CLG incorporation with a registered office from the outset. It includes everything provided through CLGEssential™, together with a Coddan registered office address for 12 months from incorporation and professional handling of qualifying company correspondence. Available locations include London, Manchester, Birmingham, Aldershot, Edinburgh and Belfast, subject to service availability, compliance acceptance and the company's jurisdiction of registration. An English or Welsh company must use an address in England or Wales, a Scottish company must use a Scottish address and a Northern Irish company must use a Northern Irish address. Included mail scanning and uploading of qualifying company correspondence to the client portal lasts 12 months. You provide the proposed company details and approve the preparation; Coddan reviews, clarifies and submits the approved incorporation application, with digital documents after successful registration. Normal personal-manager assistance by telephone and email during working hours is included. The package is suitable for an organisation that needs both CLG formation and a compliant public registered office, without automatically adding a director service address or company-secretarial appointment.

The Coddan professional package fee is £59.99 plus VAT, and the separately identified £100 Companies House fee is included without VAT. At the current 20% VAT rate, the package total payable before selected additions is £171.99. The registered office is supplied for 12 months from incorporation and must be renewed if the company wishes to continue using it. Renewal fees depend on the selected location and applicable service terms; any annual renewal price displayed with the package applies to the corresponding address option. Physical forwarding, postage and services outside the stated package scope may be charged separately. Paid priority handling and continuing services are separate from normal manager help. Coddan ACSP verification is not automatically included; use accepted existing verification or the free official route where suitable. Formation is normally expected within 24–48 hours, subject to a complete application and Companies House processing. Organisations requiring a separate address for their directors should compare CLG ProtectPro™. More information about available locations and service terms appears on the registered office address services page



£199.99
+VAT

“CLG ProtectPro™”

Recommended for

3
package

Buy Now CLG ProtectPro™ – Non-Profit Organisation Incorporation With Registered Office and Director Service Address for £99.99 Plus the £100 Companies House Fee.
Arrange the company’s registered office and one individual’s public correspondence address together. CLG ProtectPro™ establishes your CLG with a professional company and director address solution. It includes everything provided through CLG AddressPro™, together with one individual’s director/PSC service address for 12 months. The same individual holding both roles does not automatically need two address subscriptions; additional individuals requiring a service address are separately charged. The registered office is the company's official address, while the director service address is used for the director's public corporate correspondence; these are distinct legal functions even where the same Coddan location is selected. Available locations remain subject to jurisdiction, service availability, compliance acceptance and applicable terms. Included mail scanning and uploading of qualifying correspondence to the client portal lasts 12 months. Coddan reviews your information, clarifies outstanding points, prepares suitable documents and obtains your approval before submission. Your personal manager helps by telephone and email during working hours, with digital incorporation documents after successful registration. This package is designed for organisations that require both a compliant registered office and an appropriate public correspondence address for their directors from incorporation. It does not remove the requirement to provide residential-address information privately where legally required.

The Coddan professional package fee is £99.99 plus VAT. The separately identified £100 Companies House fee is included without VAT, making the package total payable before selected additions £219.99 at the current 20% VAT rate. The registered office lasts 12 months from incorporation; the included individual service address lasts 12 months. Both require renewal to continue afterwards. Ask Coddan to confirm the charge and applicable VAT treatment for any additional individual’s service address before ordering. Renewal charges depend on the selected location and address arrangements. Physical forwarding, postage and additional work remain separately chargeable where applicable. Paid priority handling, continuing secretarial work and Coddan ACSP verification are separate from normal manager assistance. Accepted verification and the free official route remain available. Formation is normally expected within 24–48 hours once the required information and verification position are complete, subject to Companies House processing. Organisations that do not need a director service address can select CLG AddressPro™; those requiring continuing company-secretarial support can consider CLG ContinuityPro™. The separate functions of a director service address are explained in our address guidance.



£299.99
+VAT

“CLG ContinuityPro™”

Recommended for

4
package

Buy Now CLG ContinuityPro™ – Forming a Non-Profit Organisation With Address Services and Named Company-Secretarial Support for £199.99 Plus the £100 Companies House Fee.
Want a continuing professional contact during your CLG’s first year? CLG ContinuityPro™ combines formation and address arrangements with 12 months of named company-secretarial support. It includes everything provided through CLG ProtectPro™, together with the named company-secretarial service for 12 months, with the appropriate company authority where Coddan is formally appointed in that capacity. You supply the formation details and decisions; Coddan reviews and prepares the agreed documents, obtains your approval and submits the incorporation application, providing digital documents after successful registration. Coddan then provides a continuing professional point of contact for the directors and practical assistance with relevant Companies House administration, company correspondence, changes in corporate information and applicable HMRC administrative matters. The service can also provide relevant reminders and help the directors identify when a filing, resolution or further professional action may be required. A private Company Limited by Guarantee is not required to appoint a company secretary, so this is a chosen continuing-support service rather than a condition of incorporation. Normal personal-manager assistance by telephone and email during working hours comes with every formation order. This package adds the stated continuing service; paid priority handling remains separate. Directors retain their statutory responsibilities.

The Coddan professional package fee is £199.99 plus VAT, while the separately identified £100 Companies House fee is included without VAT. At the current 20% VAT rate, the package total payable before selected additions is £339.99. The registered office lasts 12 months from incorporation; the included individual director/PSC service address, mail scanning and portal uploading, and named secretarial service each last 12 months. One individual’s service address is included; additional individuals are separately charged. Renewal is required to continue the relevant services, with the location, scope and applicable renewal charge confirmed for that service. Individual Confirmation Statements, annual accounts, tax returns, resolutions, applications, amendments and other future filings are not automatically included and can be instructed separately when required. Formation is normally expected within 24–48 hours after the application and applicable verification position are complete, subject to Companies House processing. Organisations needing addresses without continuing secretarial support may select CLG ProtectPro™. The wider continuing role is explained on Coddan's CLG company-secretarial and governance support page. Coddan ACSP verification is separately charged where selected; accepted verification and the free official route remain available. Specialist charitable-company and CIO routes require separate assessment and scope.




Choose your fast-track NPO/CLG formation service or ask us first

I Know What I Need

Ready to Start Your CLG

If you already know that a Company Limited by Guarantee is the right structure, provide your proposed company name, objects and details of your directors and members or guarantors.

Choose Your NPO Formation Package
I Have Questions

Not Sure About the Details?

You may already know that you need a CLG but still have questions about the objects, directors, members or guarantors, identity verification, Companies House requirements or the available support.

Discuss Your Requirements

Registering a Company Limited by Guarantee in the UK is fast and easy, especially if you’re building an ambitious non-profit or NGO. A Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) is a corporate legal structure commonly used by non-profit organisations to lock in your mission, keep profits where they belong, and set up robust governance from day one. With flexible Articles of Association—yours to tailor or use standard models—your group’s values and rules are crystal clear. Forming a company limited by guarantee at Companies House? That’s your first step toward transparency and credibility, and you can submit your application by post for added convenience. Remember, a CLG isn’t automatically tax-exempt, so you’ll still need to notify HMRC and manage your Corporation Tax status. Registering a Company Limited by Guarantee in the UK is fast and easy, and registering with Companies House gives your cause a strong legal backbone.

Choose a published package when it fits, or describe your plans to Coddan before ordering. Your enquiry creates no obligation to order. Keep identity documents and confidential codes for the appropriate secure process.

CLG formation: the essentials

A company limited by guarantee (CLG) is an incorporated structure commonly used by non-profit organisations, clubs, associations and membership bodies that need corporate status. It has guarantor-members instead of shareholders and share capital. As a separate legal entity, the company can enter contracts, hold property and employ staff in its own name. Its purposes and articles determine how it operates; incorporation alone does not make it a charity or automatically impose an asset lock.

Tell us your proposed name, purpose, directors, initial members, guarantees and address arrangements. Coddan helps clarify the requirements, prepares suitable documents, reviews the information and submits the approved application. If you are working with an existing association, explain its present rules and arrangements too.

Use suitable established articles, give us purposes to include in Coddan’s articles, provide prepared articles or discuss separately agreed drafting. You do not need to diagnose the technical solution before asking. Allow time to gather information, clarify requirements and approve the documents before submission. The preparation and processing guidance below distinguishes these stages from incorporation and identity verification.

Directors and individual PSCs have their own identity-verification requirements; guarantor membership alone does not create them. Accepted existing verification can be used where applicable, and the free official route remains available. Coddan verification and additional company work are separately instructed.

Compare the package scope and total payable. Your personal manager helps with information, questions and next steps during working hours. After registration, keep the supplied documents and arrange the company’s records, decisions and continuing duties.

Key Differences at a Glance

“Non-profit” describes an organisation’s purpose, not a single legal structure. This comparison is between an unincorporated association and a company limited by guarantee. Either may be charitable where the relevant requirements are met.

Unincorporated association compared with a company limited by guarantee
Feature Unincorporated association Company limited by guarantee (CLG)
Legal personalityNo separate legal personality. People act on the association’s behalf under its rules.A separate legal entity, distinct from its members and directors.
Share capital and governanceNo share capital. Members and usually a management committee operate under the association’s rules.No share capital or shareholders. Guarantor-members take membership decisions; directors manage the company.
Member and personal liabilityNo company-style guarantee limit. Individuals can be personally responsible for debts and contractual obligations.Members’ contribution on winding up is limited to the agreed guarantee amount, for example £1. This is not a blanket limit on every personal liability.
Registration and regulationNo Companies House incorporation. Charity registration and tax or other regulatory duties may still apply.Incorporated at Companies House, with continuing company filings. A charitable CLG must also follow the applicable charity-registration rules.
Contracts, assets and staffContracts and property arrangements rely on people acting for the association rather than a separate corporate body.The company can enter contracts, hold assets and employ staff in its own name, subject to its purposes and applicable rules.
Funding and practical suitabilityMay suit a smaller membership or voluntary group. A bank, landlord or funder decides whether its structure and arrangements meet their requirements.May suit an organisation needing a continuing corporate body. Incorporation does not guarantee bank acceptance, a lease, grant eligibility or funding.

On a narrow screen, scroll the table sideways to compare both structures. Charity-registration rules depend on jurisdiction; the £5,000 income threshold is not a general UK registration rule for all non-profit organisations. See official unincorporated-association guidance, guarantor guidance and charity-structure guidance for England and Wales.

Company limited by guarantee formation through Coddan

Obtain suitable preparation, a reviewed incorporation application and practical help from people who handle company formation. Choose the services your organisation needs now, with separately agreed assistance when particular requirements arise.

Prepare your organisation for formation

We help clarify purposes, membership, guarantees, voting, directors and control. You supply the facts and decisions; Coddan turns the accepted instructions into suitable preparation and an application for approval.

Choose suitable company articles

Use suitable Coddan articles, include your purposes, provide prepared articles or discuss further drafting. Special Coddan articles are available for suitable new CLGs seeking exemption from “Limited”. We explain the appropriate route and scope.

Arrange checks, addresses and initial records

Coordinate the relevant personal-verification position, separate customer checks, appropriate company and director addresses, and the initial company records required for the agreed work. Existing verification and your own suitable addresses may already meet the need.

Fast incorporation through Coddan

Once the ordinary electronic application is ready, Coddan submits it to Companies House. In our experience over more than 20 years, Companies House usually issues the incorporation certificate within a few hours of our submission. Preparation, Northern Ireland and special routes have their own timing considerations.

Choose your formation package with clear costs

Compare the professional work, documents, addresses and continuing assistance in the published packages. CLGEssential™ with your own suitable office is £119.99 + VAT: £100 statutory incorporation fee, £19.99 Coddan formation and processing fee and £4.00 VAT on Coddan’s fee, giving £123.99 total payable before selected additions.

Your company documents, professionally prepared

Retain the incorporation certificate, prescribed memorandum and suitable articles, together with the records or membership certificates included in your instruction. Digital files, prepared printed documents or both can serve different practical needs; select the actual scope and format.

Normal personal-manager assistance comes with every formation order. You can ask about the information, documents, progress and next step by telephone and email during working hours; paid priority handling, extended consultation and continuing services are separate.

Compare CLG formation packagesAsk Coddan before ordering

Help with setting up your organisation before incorporation

A CLG is a corporate structure commonly used by non-profit organisations, charities, clubs, membership associations, and community groups. It provides a formal legal identity that lets an organisation enter into contracts, hold assets, appoint directors, and carry out its activities. A CLG suits organisations that need a recognised corporate structure without issuing shares to shareholders.

Unlike a company limited by shares, a CLG has members who act as guarantors rather than shareholders, and it has no share capital. Although a CLG can generate income and a surplus, it does not distribute dividends to shareholders. Any surplus can generally be retained or applied towards the organisation’s purposes, subject to its constitution and applicable legal obligations. Whether the structure is appropriate depends on the organisation’s objectives and how it intends to operate.

Each guarantor agrees to contribute a specified amount towards the company’s assets if it is wound up, as required by the applicable legal framework. This amount is known as the guarantee and is normally set at a relatively modest figure. The guarantor’s liability is limited to the agreed amount, subject to the applicable law and circumstances. Members may also participate in the company’s governance and decision-making under its articles of association.

When establishing a CLG, consider the proposed company name, its objectives, the directors and members or guarantors, and the registered office arrangements. Identity-verification requirements may also apply to relevant individuals under the Companies House process. Coddan CPM Ltd can provide professional assistance with CLG formation and help applicants understand the applicable identity-verification requirements. Company formation, identity verification and any separate charitable registration are distinct matters; incorporating a CLG does not automatically make it a registered charity or exempt it from tax.

Describe what the organisation will do, who participates and how you intend decisions to be made. Coddan can help you understand the available structure and services, identify the information needed and prepare the agreed formation work. Straightforward arrangements can use suitable established articles; particular requirements do not automatically require a more expensive package.

Purpose, name and existing arrangements

Provide the intended activities and objects, proposed name, existing constitution or other documents, and relevant dates. Tell us if an existing club, association, property arrangement or charitable project lies behind the instruction.

People and decision-making

Provide the directors, initial guarantor-members, guarantees, membership/voting arrangements and actual control information. Explain who instructs Coddan and who can approve the proposed arrangements; payment alone does not establish authority.

Company information and addresses

Choose the jurisdiction, an appropriate registered office, a monitored registered email and relevant activities/SIC information. Supply the required director particulars and service/residential addresses through the instructed process.

Clarification and approval

Coddan checks the supplied information, raises omissions or inconsistencies and prepares the accepted documents and application. You make the organisation’s decisions and arrange the required approval before submission.

Give Coddan your detailed formation instructions

Use our detailed Word form when you need more space to explain the organisation’s purposes, people, membership, voting, appointment rights, articles and selected services. Describe the arrangements in ordinary language; Coddan helps identify suitable preparation. Where several people are involved, coordinate the relevant non-confidential information and approvals. Suitable straightforward online ordering remains available.

Download the CLG Formation Order Form (Word)

How Coddan reviews and processes your instructions

Your personal manager helps clarify outstanding information and supporting documents. Coddan reviews your instructions, confirms suitable work and charges, prepares and checks the agreed documents, obtains the necessary approvals and handles the agreed submission. Downloading or using the form does not itself create a surcharge; additional work is separately agreed. Providing instructions offline does not mean the Companies House application must be filed by post.

Preparation and processing stages
Compare formation packages

Ask your Coddan contact or info@coddan.co.uk for return instructions. Return non-confidential sections by the agreed method. Keep the whole confidential Section 9, including all copies and verification-status answers, separate from ordinary email attachments and shared committee copies; agree its return arrangement with Coddan. Do not email the entire completed document. Keep identity-document copies, confidential codes, passwords and payment-card details out of the form and ordinary email.

Choose how your company’s articles are prepared

The articles set the company’s internal rules. The memorandum uses prescribed wording; the statement of guarantee records members’ winding-up commitments. These documents do different jobs.

1. Suitable established Coddan articles

Use an established version where it fits the proposed organisation. This remains a valid preparation route, with professional handling of the formation application.

2. Your purposes in Coddan’s articles

Describe the organisation’s purposes or provide proposed objects. Coddan includes the accepted wording in its version of the articles; you do not have to prepare a complete constitution to enquire.

3. Your prepared articles

Send prepared articles or related documents to info@coddan.co.uk before ordering if you want us to consider the requirements. Coddan confirms the appropriate submission arrangements, work and charges. We explain how to provide the documents for the accepted work.

4. Particular requirements and further drafting

Explain any proposed membership, voting, board-appointment or other provisions. Coddan identifies work it can accept and agrees any further customisation or drafting separately; a preliminary enquiry is not unlimited free legal review.

For a suitable new CLG seeking exemption from “Limited”, Coddan uses its special articles. This involves appropriate provisions and the correct application route, rather than simply deleting the suffix. Official incorporation and company-name guidance explains the separate requirements. Charity, CIC and ordinary CLG articles are not interchangeable.

Incorporating a new company does not itself move an existing organisation’s activities, property, contracts, bank account or funding arrangements into it. Explain what already exists so any separate decisions, consents and professional work can be identified.

Discuss your preparation requirements

Your directors, guarantor-members and people with significant control

The company’s people perform different functions. More directors or individual/corporate members do not automatically mean a higher formation package. Coddan needs accurate information about their actual roles and the proposed arrangements.

Directors manage the company

An ordinary private company requires at least one director, including an individual director. A proposed individual director provides the personal information and Companies House Personal Code needed for incorporation. Particular articles or charity rules may require a larger board.

Guarantor-members take membership decisions

A CLG requires at least one member. Members give the stated guarantee rather than subscribe for shares. The guarantee is a winding-up commitment, not automatically a payment on formation. Membership alone does not create a director’s verification requirement.

Corporate or mixed membership

A suitable company or other body can be a member alongside individuals where the arrangements permit. Provide its identifying information and evidence of authority; separate AML/customer due-diligence checks may be needed.

PSCs are identified through actual control

Membership, voting rights and appointment rights may affect the control information. Supply the real arrangements so the applicable PSC particulars or statement can be prepared. Do not assume every member is a PSC or every director has identical control.

One individual may be a director, member and PSC. One accepted identity verification normally serves that individual across applicable roles and companies, but director and PSC code submissions follow their separate procedures. Count distinct individuals, not appointments, when considering verification services. For several people or a professional-intermediary instruction, describe the people, current verification position and required work so Coddan can confirm suitable services and a quotation; no automatic volume tier is implied.

A representative can coordinate the instruction within their authority. Each individual must complete their own supported personal checks; coordinating or paying does not permit access to another person’s account, evidence or confidential code.

Electronic CLG incorporation, documents and your formation portal

Coddan’s electronic service connects your agreed company information and documents to Companies House. The application corresponds to the information required by Form IN01; using our online service does not mean you must separately prepare and post a paper IN01.

Electronic incorporation, professionally prepared

Provide the information through the single-page online order form. Coddan reviews your instructions, clarifies outstanding matters, prepares the agreed documents and submits the approved application electronically. Companies House decides whether to register the company.

Electronic documents after incorporation

Digital incorporation documents follow successful registration within the selected package. Retain the certificate, memorandum and articles for the company’s administration. Printed or authenticated documents have their own selected scope; a digital file is not automatically an authenticated copy.

Your formation portal, available 24/7

You can access the online formation service at a convenient time, including from overseas. The single-page form brings the required information and available service choices together. Online access is separate from staff hours and Companies House processing.

Your portal and personal-manager assistance

Your manager explains information requests, documents, progress and next steps during working hours. Where an address service includes mail scanning, uploaded scans are accessible through the client portal. Your manager can clarify the status of instructed work during working hours.

Convenient formation, with help when you need it. Clear online instructions, suitable preparation, human review, agreed submission and the selected documents work together. Use the online service to provide the required information and ask your manager for clarification; confidential evidence and codes follow the appropriate secure arrangements.

Coddan CPM Limited E-Quick Package is listed for electronic-formation capability. Coddan CPM Limited’s Companies House ACSP registration and HMRC AML supervision concern distinct roles; they are not government endorsement or control over the Registrar’s decision.

Verify Coddan’s electronic-formation capability | Verify Coddan’s ACSP registration | Understand HMRC supervision of TCSP activities

Choose your CLG formation package

Director identity verification and the Companies House formation process

For a new CLG, each proposed individual director’s Companies House Personal Code is supplied with the incorporation filing. An individual PSC has a separate code-submission procedure and applicable period. Guarantor membership alone does not make a person subject to the director requirement.

If verification remains to be completed

The individual may use the free official Companies House route where its checks can be completed, or choose a suitable separately charged Coddan service. Overseas residence does not by itself require paid assistance. The individual supplies suitable evidence and participates personally.

If verification is already accepted

Use the existing accepted verification and Personal Code where applicable. Another role or company does not automatically require another purchase. A missing code, inconsistent details, remaining role submission and formation filing are different tasks; describe the actual position before ordering a new check.

For an instructed Coddan verification, we set up the case and explain what is required. The individual completes supported Credas checks; Coddan reviews the information and evidence, requests clarification where needed and submits ACSP confirmation when satisfied. Companies House issues the Personal Code. A technology result alone is not the complete Coddan decision, and Coddan does not generate the code.

Customer checks and Companies House verification are separate. AML/KYC customer due diligence concerns Coddan’s customer, authority and relevant people. Companies House identity verification establishes the individual’s verified identity for the applicable roles. Completing one process does not automatically complete the other, link the code to every role or file the company application.

Your Personal Code is different from the company authentication code

The Personal Code belongs to the verified individual and is used through the applicable director/PSC procedure. A company authentication code relates to authorised online company filing. Neither replaces the other, and possession or payment does not create authority to act. Use approved secure arrangements when codes are needed for agreed work.

Read Companies House Personal Code guidance or review Coddan’s director-verification support route. If all relevant verification and role requirements are complete, no further verification is required merely because help is available.

Non-UK directors and overseas applicants

Non-UK residents can use the same CLG formation services, with the appropriate registered office in the company’s jurisdiction and the required information about its people. Overseas residence is not itself a reason to treat a straightforward organisation as a complex or bespoke formation.

Prepare the organisation’s information remotely

Provide purposes, participant details, jurisdiction and address arrangements through the agreed route. A UK visa, UK residential address or UK bank account is not generally a prerequisite simply to incorporate a UK company. Required personal address information and checks still apply.

Choose verification according to the individual

Tell us the role, whether verification is already accepted, available document type/issuing country and any difficulty or relevant date. Official methods and Coddan’s supported checks have their own requirements. An initial enquiry needs a description, not identity-document copies or confidential codes.

For relevant international evidence questions, review international director identity-verification assistance or ask Coddan which work fits. We do not promise universal document/device acceptance, recovery after an app failure or a separate manual fallback.

Care in preparation, review and completion

Quality preparation for your organisation

We consider the purposes, people, membership, guarantees and intended decision-making in your accepted instruction. Suitable established articles remain appropriate for straightforward work; additional drafting is agreed where the requirements call for it. Clear instructions and clarification help prepare the company documents around the intended arrangements.

Quality review, documents and completion

Coddan checks the information for apparent omissions and inconsistencies, obtains the necessary customer approval and handles the agreed submission. Following registration, the selected documents provide a record of the new company. We explain outstanding customer actions and the assistance available for its next tasks; the Registrar decides acceptance.

Choose Your Level of Support

Choose Your CLG Formation & Support Package

Our four formation packages are designed around the level of professional support you want — from straightforward Company Limited by Guarantee incorporation to a continuing relationship with Coddan for your company's registered address, director service address and corporate administration.

Need your CLG formed quickly?

24–48 hour standard formation is normally available once the required information and applicable verification requirements are complete. Guaranteed same-day formation can also be requested where the relevant requirements are completed within the applicable working-day timeframe.

Choose the package that matches the support you need — not the complexity of your organisation.

You can establish a CLG with multiple directors, members or guarantors, corporate participants or your own specific objects without automatically moving into a higher package. The packages differ principally in the additional services and ongoing support you choose.

Package 1

Essential CLG Formation

£119.99 + VAT

For clients who have their own registered office and want Coddan to handle the essential Company Limited by Guarantee formation process.

Package 2

CLG + Registered Office

£159.99 + VAT

Add a professional Coddan registered office address, with free mail scanning and digital access to scanned correspondence through your Dedicated Manager Portal.

Package 3

CLG + Director Service Address

£199.99 + VAT

Add a registered office and director service address, together with free mail scanning and digital correspondence access through your Dedicated Manager Portal.

Package 4

CLG + Named Secretarial Service

£299.99 + VAT

Add a named Coddan company secretarial relationship for continuing professional support between your company, Companies House and HMRC.

Start with the level of support you need today. You can add further professional services during formation or after incorporation. You do not need to purchase every service at the beginning, and choosing a basic formation package does not prevent you from returning to Coddan later when your organisation's requirements change.

Need something beyond a standard formation package?

Specialist services remain available separately, including guaranteed same-day incorporation, bespoke or substantially customised Articles, a legal opinion, an application for exemption from using “Limited” in the company name, document legalisation, apostille and other post-incorporation services.

Important: The packages are not different types of Company Limited by Guarantee. They are different levels of Coddan's formation and professional support. Your company's objects, number of directors, number of members or guarantors, corporate membership or international participation do not by themselves determine which package you must purchase.

A straightforward CLG does not have to be an expensive CLG.

Choose the formation package that matches the support you actually need. We do not automatically charge more because your CLG has multiple directors, members or guarantors, corporate participants, mixed membership or specific organisational objects. Additional professional services are available separately when they are genuinely required.

Compare the packages and choose the level of support that suits your organisation.

Compare All Four CLG Packages
Compare Your Options

Compare the Four CLG Packages

Every package is designed to establish your Company Limited by Guarantee. The difference is the level of address, mail-handling and continuing professional support you choose to have from Coddan.

Your organisation's structure does not determine the package. You can have one or multiple directors, one or multiple members or guarantors, corporate members or guarantors, or mixed individual and corporate participation without automatically moving to a more expensive package. Choose according to the professional services and support you actually need.

Service & Feature Package 1 Essential CLG £119.99 + VAT Package 2 CLG + Registered Office £159.99 + VAT Package 3 CLG + Director Address £199.99 + VAT Package 4 Named Secretarial Service £299.99 + VAT
Company Limited by Guarantee incorporation ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Your specified company objects ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Multiple directors / members / guarantors Included across all packages — no automatic structural surcharge
Corporate or mixed individual/corporate members Available across all packages, subject to applicable KYC requirements
Coddan registered office address — ✓ ✓ ✓
Free mail scanning + Dedicated Manager Portal — ✓ ✓ ✓
Director service address — — ✓ ✓
Named Coddan company secretarial service — — — ✓
Professional review before submission ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

* Standard formation timeframe applies once the required information has been received and applicable identity-verification requirements have been completed. Same-day formation is a separate priority service and is subject to the applicable working-day cut-off, complete information and successful completion of required verification.
You do not need to purchase every corporate service when establishing your CLG. Start with the formation package that fits your circumstances, then add a registered office, director service address, mail handling, Companies House filing, document legalisation, compliance, or secretarial support when you need it.


Package 1 — Essential

Best suited to clients who already have their own registered office and want the core CLG incorporation service with professional handling of the formation application.

Package 2 — Registered Office

Suitable when you want Coddan to provide the company's registered office together with free mail scanning and digital access to correspondence.

Package 3 — Director Address

Designed for clients who also want a professional director service address, while retaining the registered office, mail scanning and Manager Portal benefits.

Package 4 — Named Secretary

For organisations wanting a named Coddan company secretarial relationship and a professional bridge between the company, its directors, Companies House and HMRC.

Services available with any package when required.

A Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) is a corporate legal structure commonly used by non-profit organisations, and registering one in the UK is far simpler than it sounds. Coddan CPM Ltd guides you through the entire process—from drafting bespoke Articles of Association that enshrine your mission, membership rules, and non-distribution clauses to forming a company limited by guarantee at Companies House. Because a CLG holds no share capital, all surplus income stays firmly within your organisation rather than lining shareholders' pockets. You'll also receive support on notifying HMRC, establishing your Corporation Tax status, and filing any required returns. Whether you're launching a charity, NGO, or community enterprise, this service handles the legal groundwork so you can focus on the work that actually matters.

Additional services do not require you to upgrade your formation package. Depending on your circumstances, these can include Companies House filings and changes, Confirmation Statement preparation and filing, address services, certificates, document notarisation or apostille, company seals or stamps, tax and payroll-related registrations, annual compliance services and other professional corporate services.

Package 4 does not mean “everything included”. The Named Company Secretarial Service is the distinguishing feature of Package 4. It provides an ongoing professional relationship for the company's administration. Individual filings and additional services remain available when required and can be instructed separately.

Know which level of support you need?

Select Your CLG Package

Prepare your application and understand the formation timings

A smooth formation depends on suitable instructions, the relevant checks and customer approvals. Coddan reviews the order, clarifies outstanding information, prepares the agreed documents and submits when the application is ready. Completing or paying for an online order does not itself incorporate the company.

Preparation before the ready application

  • Using suitable established articles: gathering the required details and providing objectives — typically 1–2 hours.
  • Supplying your own documents: gathering the required details and supplying your own memorandum and articles — typically 2–3 hours.
  • Requesting tailored articles: gathering the required details and requesting customised articles — typically several days.

These estimates concern getting the information and documents ready, rather than Companies House processing or completion of identity verification. The prescribed memorandum remains distinct from purposes and customised governance provisions in the articles. Coddan confirms the accepted preparation and information or approvals still needed; further drafting has its own agreed scope.

Submission and Companies House processing

For an ordinary electronic application that is ready for submission, our experience over more than 20 years is that Companies House usually issues the certificate within a few hours after we submit it. Preparation and Companies House processing are separate stages. The standard-route estimate below remains subject to its stated conditions.

Where complete and suitable information has been received, applicable identity-verification requirements have been completed and the selected service is ready for submission, CLG incorporation is normally expected within 24–48 hours, subject to Companies House processing, any query or inconsistency and any additional regulator or third-party requirement. Where priority handling is selected and the required information and applicable verification position are complete, Coddan can prioritise preparation and submission. Companies House controls processing and independently decides whether the company is incorporated.

In our experience, Northern Ireland formation usually takes longer because Companies House may check the registered-office details and request confirmation. Where a third party provides the address, it may ask for a letter confirming no objection to its use. A “Limited” exemption, particular articles, required permission or another specialist route can also need separate preparation and processing; do not plan it around the ordinary ready-application estimate.

Selected priority handling concerns the agreed preparation and submission service. Any same-day service follows its actual selected terms, readiness requirements and cut-off; Companies House controls processing and incorporation. We explain what remains when information, approval or checks are outstanding.

Ask about your formation requirements

Registered office, director address and correspondence

Choose an appropriate registered office in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland according to the company’s jurisdiction. You may provide your own suitable office or select an available Coddan address service. A registered office serves the company; a director/PSC service address serves the individual’s public correspondence. They remain different functions even at the same location.

Registered office and the selected location

The relevant formation packages provide the registered office for 12 months from incorporation. Available locations and terms depend on jurisdiction and the accepted option; do not assume every location has the same price. Compare the actual package and address terms.

Service addresses and mail access

Where the package includes an individual’s director/PSC service address, the included coverage is for one individual for 12 months. Additional individuals requiring the service are separately charged. Included mail scanning and uploading to the client portal lasts 12 months; physical forwarding, postage and wider mail services follow separately agreed terms.

The current package panels and inclusion details show the selected scope and renewal information. Coddan confirms additional work and charges before it proceeds. If you want to change or end an address or support service, contact the team to agree the applicable arrangements and any replacement address or filings. Do not assume that stopping payment or moving an office automatically ends every service or changes the public record.

Keep the company’s registered email monitored. Where a service includes scanned correspondence, portal access to uploaded scans complements the actual receipt, handling and delivery arrangements; it is not a guarantee of immediate processing or unlimited mail coverage.

Compare address and support packages

Specialist requirements and the appropriate formation route

Tell us about a proposed name exemption, special membership or voting provisions, a property-management function, charitable purposes or a community-interest project. Coddan identifies suitable work within its capability and agrees additional preparation separately. The number of people, corporate membership, overseas participation or a stated purpose alone does not force a premium package.

Articles, name exemption and specialist review

Coddan can discuss further articles work and uses its special version for suitable new CLGs seeking exemption from “Limited”. If you need a formal legal opinion or specialist review, explain that requirement so an appropriate separately agreed professional route can be identified. ACSP status does not itself authorise every legal service.

Property and community management

Describe the property, management purpose, existing arrangements and people involved. The constitutional route should fit the intended function. Particular RTM, property or management requirements are not satisfied simply by choosing a generic CLG package.

Charitable companies, CICs and CIOs are different

Both a charitable company limited by guarantee and a CIO have separate legal personality: they can hold property, enter contracts and employ staff in their own names. They are different structures, with different formation and reporting arrangements.

Charitable company limited by guarantee versus CIO — England and Wales
Feature Charitable company limited by guarantee Charitable incorporated organisation (CIO)
Formation and regulatorIncorporated at Companies House. Charity Commission registration is a separate requirement where applicable; incorporation alone does not confer registered-charity status.Comes into existence through Charity Commission registration. No Companies House incorporation is required.
Continuing reportingCompany accounts and confirmation statements go to Companies House. Charity accounts, reports and Commission submissions follow the applicable charity rules.Accounts and an annual return go to the Charity Commission each year, regardless of income. No Companies House company filings are required.
Membership liabilityMembers undertake an agreed contribution if the company is wound up. The guarantee amount is specified; it is not automatically £1.The constitution states whether members have no contribution liability on winding up or must contribute up to a specified maximum.
Governing documentArticles of association containing suitable charitable purposes and governing provisions.A CIO constitution, using the association or foundation model according to the membership arrangements.

HMRC recognition for charitable tax relief is separate from these formation and registration processes. Use Coddan’s charitable-company formation route for proposed charitable-company work.

A CIC is a company with community-interest status and a compulsory asset lock; it cannot itself be a charity. It may be limited by guarantee or by shares. Explore Coddan’s CIC formation route if that is the structure you are considering.

The CIO comparison above applies to England and Wales. Scotland has the separate SCIO structure and OSCR; Northern Ireland has its own charity framework. CLG director-code rules and incorporation timings do not transfer to CIO registration.

Official charity-structure guidance helps distinguish the structures. A conventional CLG is not automatically non-profit, charitable or asset-locked; its purposes, articles and applicable rules matter. Banking, funding and regulatory eligibility are not created merely by choosing the guarantee structure.

Discuss your CLG requirements

What happens after your CLG is incorporated

Companies House registration creates the new company and its incorporation certificate. Retain the supplied documents, check the registered particulars and arrange the company’s own records and decisions. Your manager can explain the documents delivered under the accepted service, any outstanding customer action and how to request further work.

Documents for the company’s work

The certificate records incorporation; the prescribed memorandum records the subscribers’ agreement to form the company; the articles govern its internal arrangements. Applicable records, guarantor membership certificates, minutes or other prepared documents depend on the instruction. A membership certificate is not a share certificate.

Digital, printed or combined documents

Use the formats appropriate to your organisation and selected service. Coddan can prepare suitable printed corporate documents and materials as separately agreed; digital incorporation documents are included where stated by the package. A Coddan-produced presentation copy is not automatically an official authenticated certificate.

Documents can support a bank-account or grant application, but the bank or funder determines its own documentary requirements, eligibility and decision. Ask about the actual recipient requirement before commissioning authentication, notarisation or apostille.

Keep the company’s records and decisions in order

Maintain the register of members and evidence of membership, guarantees and authorised decisions. The company’s own record is not replaced by a Companies House filing. Current law no longer requires local registers of directors, directors’ residential addresses, secretaries or PSCs, but the relevant Companies House information must still be kept up to date. Read the official changes to company registers.

Directors remain responsible for appropriate accounting records, company decisions, accounts, confirmation statements and event-driven notifications. Check the company’s actual dates and any separate charity or HMRC obligations. If Coddan is instructed to prepare records, minutes, filings or a continuing service, the accepted work and charges define that assistance; formation does not automatically include every later duty.

Request officer or company-change assistance or discuss the records or documents you need.

Prepare for the company’s annual work

Annual confirmation statements and annual accounts are different jobs, including for dormant companies. You can instruct suitable help when it is needed; incorporation does not enrol the company automatically in annual filing or continuing administration.

Prepare and file your annual confirmation statement

Coddan reviews the relevant company information with you, identifies discrepancies needing attention, prepares the statement and obtains the required confirmation before the agreed submission. Supply current facts and relevant director-code information through the appropriate process. Some changes need their own event-driven notifications; the statement does not correct everything or replace separate PSC code procedures. Explore CLG confirmation-statement preparation and filing.

Prepare and file your annual accounts

Provide the financial records so Coddan can agree the appropriate accounts service, prepare the accounts within that scope, obtain directors’ approval and handle the agreed submission. Dormant-company accounts, active-company accounts preparation and filing accounts already prepared by your accountant are distinct instructions. HMRC computations/returns and charity-regulator reporting have separate scope. Discuss CLG accounts preparation or filing and read official annual-accounts guidance.

Agree the period, records needed, preparation, approvals, destinations, professional charges and any official fee before instructing the work. Filing, reminders and ongoing monitoring apply only where the accepted service provides them. The company supplies accurate information and directors retain their responsibilities.

Explore Coddan’s continuing CLG assistance when the company needs support beyond a particular annual task.

Written arrangements and connected services through Coddan

You can start with formation, request one later task or agree continuing assistance. Coddan can discuss addresses, company records, changes and filings, corporate documents, notarisation or apostille, and relevant tax or payroll administration within the actual accepted service. These are connected choices, not one compulsory bundle.

A written service agreement, engagement letter or service schedule is available as applicable. It can identify the accepted work, responsibilities, charges, any service period and contact alongside the terms of business. Availability does not mean automatic issue or unlimited advice. Identify who is instructing Coddan before the proposed company exists and who has authority to approve the work.

Normal personal-manager assistance during formation remains separate from an ongoing named secretarial service or a formal company-secretary appointment. Included secretarial assistance follows the selected package’s actual scope and 12-month period; a formal appointment requires the appropriate company authority and accepted instruction. Individual future filings, accounts and other additional work are included only where expressly agreed.

Additional work and charges are agreed before proceeding. If circumstances change, ask about the relevant service, service period, renewal or ending arrangements. We do not assume that changing an address, ceasing activities or forming the company completes every later task. Existing CLGs formed elsewhere can also ask about suitable support.

Ask about additional services

An enquiry creates no obligation to place an order. Use info@coddan.co.uk or 020 7935 5171 during working hours for personal help. Identity evidence and confidential codes follow the appropriate secure process; an order-form comments field is not an evidence or code-submission facility.

Ready to establish your company limited by guarantee?

Choose a published service that fits, or tell us what you want the organisation to do and what remains unclear. Coddan confirms suitable work and information needed, prepares and reviews the accepted instruction, and obtains the required approval before submission.

Choose your CLG formation packageAsk Coddan before ordering

Every formation order includes normal personal-manager help during working hours. The formation timings distinguish preparation and submission from Companies House incorporation; subsequent company arrangements and annual work remain separate.

Questions before you proceed

1. Can another person pay while the directors complete their checks?

Yes, the ordering customer, payer and people undergoing verification may be different. Explain who is instructing Coddan and who may approve the company information. Paying does not authorise access to another person’s identity evidence, Personal Code or account. Each individual completes their own required personal checks through the appropriate process.

2. What if our name, people or plans change after we order?

Contact your manager promptly, especially before approving the application or asking for submission. Explain the changed facts and whether any documents have already been approved or filed. Coddan can identify the appropriate accepted preparation or separate company work and agree any additional charge. This does not promise free amendments or the ability to reverse a Companies House registration.

3. May we send our existing constitution before placing an order?

You can email articles or related organisational documents to info@coddan.co.uk before ordering so Coddan can consider the requirements and explain the next step. An enquiry does not commit you to an order, but it does not include unlimited drafting or comprehensive legal review. Keep identity documents and confidential codes for separately arranged secure handling.

4. What if a director has verified but cannot find the Personal Code?

Check the official Personal Code guidance and the account or communications applying to the verification route. A missing code is not automatically a failed identity check or a reason to buy verification again. Tell Coddan the stage reached and the filing needed; code access, correcting personal details and supplying the code for a role are separate matters.

5. Does formation assistance appoint Coddan as company secretary?

No. Normal manager assistance with your formation is different from continuing secretarial administration or a formal company-secretary appointment. Where you select a named secretarial service, its accepted scope and company authority govern any appointment. Future filings, accounts, tax work or specialist instructions are not automatically included simply because a contact remains available.

If a longer consultation is appropriate, review the published consultation route or ask us to confirm the work and charges. A pre-order enquiry remains available at info@coddan.co.uk.