The Assurance Desk
What does the Cyber Essentials fee cover?
The basic route uses a questionnaire about your security. A board member, or someone with the same level of responsibility, signs off the answers. An assessor then marks them. This is a verified assessment, so filling in the form is not the whole process.
You can follow that route yourself or hire a licensed certification body to help. That is a firm allowed to assess you. Its support can help you understand what each question means for your company.
| Item | What to expect | Question for the quote |
|---|---|---|
| Cyber Essentials assessment | Starts at £320 plus VAT, based on organisation size | Which size band applies? |
| Support with the questions | A licensed certification body can help | Is this support included or charged separately? |
| Cyber Essentials Plus | Technical testing, priced by network size and complexity | What will be tested, and what does the price include? |
What are the Cyber Essentials requirements?
Both levels cover the same five security controls. A control is a way to reduce a security risk. Plus goes further by testing whether those controls work in practice.
The five controls, in plain English
- Firewalls Filter traffic between your network and the internet.
- Secure settings Set up computers to reduce the ways an attacker can get in.
- Software updates Fix weaknesses that attackers could use.
- Access controls Limit who can reach data and services, and what they can do.
- Malware protection Find and stop harmful software.
Can you see the questions before you pay?
Yes. You can preview the question set for free. The requirements document explains the technology the questions cover. Read both before deciding how much help to buy.
A useful first step is to ask your IT team to go through the questions with you. Mark the answers you can explain and the ones you cannot. Use that list when asking a certification body for help.
Do you need Cyber Essentials or Plus?
Start with what the person asking for the certificate needs. Basic Cyber Essentials uses verified answers. Plus tests the same controls on your systems. The extra test, rather than a different set of controls, is the key difference.
Ask for a quote that names the assessment and any support. For Plus, ask how the size and complexity of your network affect the fee. That makes it easier to compare what you are buying.
What to do
- Read the free question set and requirements.
- Write down which certificate the customer or buyer has asked for.
- Ask whether help with the questions is included in the quote.
- For Plus, agree what the network price covers.
Common questions
Is £320 the price for every organisation?
No. It is the starting fee, plus VAT. The price depends on organisation size.
Does Plus cover different controls?
No. It covers the same five controls and adds independent testing to see whether they work.
Can someone help us fill in the assessment?
Yes. A licensed certification body can help you understand the questions and how they apply to your company.
Where next
Sources
- NCSC, Cyber Essentials, checked 7 October 2026
This is an independent editorial guide, not legal advice.