The Regulator Predicts 30,000 CICs by 2025 — Let's Think About What That Means

CIC-growth prediction infrastructure regulation

The CIC Regulator’s office made a prediction that should have made headlines. They said they expect 30,000 CICs by 2025. That’s more than double the current number. That’s a rate of growth that would make most industries jealous.

And nobody outside the CIC bubble noticed.

I’ve been thinking about that prediction a lot. Not because I doubt it — if anything, it might be conservative. The growth trajectory has been consistent since 2005, with occasional spikes driven by policy changes or external events. The underlying trend is clear: more people are choosing CICs as the structure for their social enterprises. The question isn’t whether we’ll hit 30,000. It’s whether we’ll have the infrastructure to support them when we get there.

The Regulator’s projection is based on current trends. It assumes steady growth, no major policy shocks, and continued organic adoption. What it doesn’t assume is the transformation in support infrastructure that would be needed to make 30,000 CICs work effectively.

Thirty thousand CICs means:

  • 30,000 sets of annual accounts to file
  • 30,000 community interest reports submitted
  • 30,000 organisations potentially needing investment, advice, and support
  • A regulatory caseload that’s more than double the current level

The Regulator’s office has done a decent job with limited resources. But the staff hasn’t grown at the same rate as the register. If we hit 30,000 CICs with the same level of regulatory support, something will have to give.

And it’s not just regulation. It’s the broader ecosystem. Where are the 30,000 CICs going to find affordable legal advice? Where are they going to access appropriate finance? Who’s going to train their boards, support their founders, and connect them with each other?

The CIC Association does what it can. But we’re a CIC ourselves, operating on a shoestring. We can’t scale at the rate the register is growing without resources that we don’t have.

The Regulator’s prediction should be a call to action. Thirty thousand CICs by 2025 is an opportunity. But only if we start building the infrastructure now to support them.

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