Ten Years In, 10,000 CICs, and We're Still Answering the Same Questions

Ten years ago today, the Community Interest Company legislation came into force. I remember watching it happen from the outside, then scrambling to be one of the first hundred to incorporate. I thought we were creating something that would change how social enterprise works in this country.

On that front, I was right. Ten years on, there are over 10,000 CICs on the register. The anniversary events this year — Cardiff, Newcastle, Birmingham, Plymouth, Cambridge, Bristol, London — have been genuine celebrations of what the CIC community has achieved. Community transport, social care, renewable energy, the arts — CICs are everywhere, doing everything, and doing it well.

The numbers tell a story that even the most cynical observer can’t dismiss. Ten thousand organisations. Billions in collective turnover. Thousands of communities served. A regulatory framework that’s been tested, refined, and proven to work.

But here’s what nobody talks about at the anniversary events. Ten years in, and we’re still answering the same basic questions. What’s a CIC? How is it different from a charity? Can it really be a business and a social mission at the same time? I’ve been answering those questions since 2005, and I’m tired of it.

The CIC Regulator’s office does a good job with limited resources. The Technical Panel — which I’ve served on — has helped shape sensible policy. The anniversary roadshow has been genuinely uplifting. But the fundamental problem hasn’t changed: the CIC model is still poorly understood by the people who control the resources we need.

Banks don’t understand CICs. Government procurement doesn’t understand CICs. The investment community doesn’t understand CICs. Ten years and ten thousand organisations later, and we’re still having to explain ourselves to every new person we meet.

The next ten years need to be different. We can’t afford to spend another decade on basic awareness. The CIC Association now has the membership base and the evidence to push for more. But push for what? A dedicated CIC investment fund? Statutory recognition in procurement? A seat at the table when social enterprise policy is being made?

I don’t have all the answers. But I know that celebrating 10,000 CICs while still fighting the same battles doesn’t feel like success. It feels like survival. And after ten years, I’d like to think we’ve earned more than that.