How Much Does Cyber Essentials Cost?
Cyber Essentials certification in the UK typically costs between £300 and £800 for the self-assessed tier and £1,200 to £2,500 for Cyber Essentials Plus, depending on organisation size and whether you need remediation support before the assessment.
Direct Answer
Cyber Essentials self-assessment costs £300–£500 for the certification fee, plus any remediation work to fix gaps before applying. Cyber Essentials Plus costs £1,500–£3,000 including the technical audit. AMVIA includes Cyber Essentials certification support within its managed cybersecurity service at no additional cost for qualifying customers.
What Drives the Cost of Cyber Essentials?
The assessment fee is only one component. The total cost depends on your current IT posture and how much remediation is needed.
Assessment Fee
Set by IASME-accredited certification bodies. The fee is fixed per organisation size band and covers the questionnaire review and certificate issuance.
Remediation Work
If your current systems don't meet the five controls, changes are needed before or during the assessment. Costs vary widely depending on how far your environment is from compliance.
Scope Size
The more devices, users, and services in scope, the more work is involved. Cloud-only organisations often have a simpler path than those with on-premises infrastructure.
Support Model
Doing it alone costs less upfront but risks a failed assessment. Using an MSP like AMVIA for a guided or managed process reduces that risk significantly.
Cyber Essentials vs Cyber Essentials Plus: Cost Comparison
Understanding the cost difference between the two certification tiers helps you budget correctly.
| Feature | Cyber EssentialsSelf-assessed | CE PlusIndependently auditedRecommended |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment fee (up to 50 users) | ~£300–£500 | ~£1,200–£2,500 |
| Technical audit included | ||
| External vulnerability scan included | ||
| Internal device inspection included | ||
| Typical AMVIA managed service | £800–£1,500 | £2,000–£3,500 |
| Required for government contracts | Some | Sensitive data |
| Certificate renewal required | Annually | Annually |
AMVIA's managed CE and CE+ service includes gap assessment, remediation, and the certification audit at a fixed price. Most clients certify within four weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Organisations with Cyber Essentials certification are 92% less likely to make a claim on their cyber insurance. Certification is mandatory for UK government contracts involving sensitive data. Only 3% of UK businesses are currently certified, giving certified businesses a competitive advantage.
The top threats are phishing (85% of breaches), ransomware (doubled year-on-year), business email compromise (increased 33% in 2025), and supply chain attacks (35.5% of all breaches now originate from third parties). AI-powered attacks are accelerating all of these threat categories.
Only 14% of UK businesses formally review cyber risks from their immediate suppliers. 35.5% of all global data breaches in 2024 originated from third-party compromises. Supply chain attacks add an average of £241,620 to the total cost of a breach and take 267 days to detect and contain.
The average cost of the most disruptive breach is £3,550 for UK businesses. For businesses that experienced negative outcomes such as data loss or financial theft, the average cost rises to £8,260. Medium and large businesses face average costs of £10,830 per disruptive incident.
Yes. 50% of small businesses (10-49 employees) reported a cybersecurity breach in 2025. UK small businesses face around 65,000 hack attempts daily, with approximately 4,500 successful breaches. More than a quarter of SMBs say a single cyber attack could put them out of business entirely.
Get a Fixed-Price Cyber Essentials Quote
AMVIA will assess your current posture, identify gaps, and give you a fixed price for achieving certification — whether you need CE or CE Plus.
Related Guides
Cyber Essentials Certification
AMVIA's managed Cyber Essentials service — gap assessment, remediation, and certification at a fixed price.
Cyber Essentials vs Cyber Essentials Plus
Which tier is right for your organisation and what each certification requires.
What Is Cyber Essentials?
The UK government's baseline cybersecurity certification scheme explained.