Cyber Essentials, 75% off. Pass it first time.
The government’s new First Step Fund cuts the Cyber Essentials fee to as little as £80 + VAT. fromIT is backing the scheme with 15% off its own fee too, then checks you qualify, helps you claim it and gets your business ready to pass first time.
- Cyber Essentials certified
- UK based
- Pass promise
off the Cyber Essentials assessment fee for eligible organisations.
+ VAT is the new fee for up to 9 staff. It was £320.
2027 is the last day to buy, if the funding hasn’t run out first.
Sources: Cyber Essentials funding package, DCMS, 3 November 2026, and IASME.
Do you qualify? Three questions.
The fund is for UK-registered micro, small and medium-sized organisations that haven’t held Cyber Essentials in the last four years. Answer three questions to see where you stand and what it would cost.
This is a quick guide, not the official check. IASME confirms eligibility when you register, using your organisation details and Cyber Essentials history. There’s also a subsidy limit: your organisation must stay within the Minimal Financial Assistance limit of £315,000 under the Subsidy Control Act 2022, including this discount.
The First Step package
The fund takes 75% off IASME’s fee. fromIT is backing the scheme by taking 15% off its own fixed fee too, for every First Step Fund client who signs up by 31 March 2027.
- Save £330Micro0 to 9 staffAll in, first year£585Usually £915
- fromIT fee 15% off
- £505
£595 - IASME fee, with the fund 75% off
- £80 + VAT
£320
- Save £480Small10 to 49 staffAll in, first year£955Usually £1,435
- fromIT fee 15% off
- £845
£995 - IASME fee, with the fund 75% off
- £110 + VAT
£440
- Save £645Medium50 to 249 staffAll in, first year£1,650Usually £2,295
- fromIT fee 15% off
- £1,525
£1,795 - IASME fee, with the fund 75% off
- £125 + VAT
£500
You pay the discounted IASME fee directly when you buy the assessment, so the government discount always goes straight to you. The 15% off fromIT’s fee applies to organisations that qualify for the First Step Fund and sign up by 31 March 2027. 250 staff or more? The fund doesn’t cover you, but the standard packages do.
Everything in a full Cyber Essentials package
The discount doesn’t change the standard. Every First Step client gets the same support as a full-price one.
Claim made with you
fromIT checks you qualify and walks you through registering and buying the discounted assessment on IASME’s site.
Readiness review
A proper look at your devices, cloud services, accounts and multi-factor authentication.
A written fix list
In plain English, ranked by what would fail you first.
Guidance while you fix
By call and email, for you or your IT provider, until every item is done.
Help with the questions
How to answer the question set honestly and clearly, with nothing left to guesswork.
Pre-submission review
Nothing goes in until fromIT is confident it will pass.
Assessor feedback
If the certification body comes back with questions, fromIT helps you answer them.
Pass promise
If you don’t pass first time, fromIT keeps helping, at no extra cost, until you do.
Not included: the IASME fee itself, any resubmission fee charged by the certification body, and hands-on fixes to your systems (£125 an hour, or 5 hours for £585). See all add-ons.
Lock in the discount now. Get ready properly.
Once the assessment is bought, you have six months to submit it. That’s plenty of time to fix things without rushing.
Check and claim
A 30 minute call to confirm you qualify and your size band, then you register on IASME’s Supplier Assurance Tool and buy the assessment at the discounted price.
Get ready
fromIT reviews your setup and hands you a plain-English fix list. You or your IT provider work through it, with fromIT on call and email throughout.
Submit and pass
fromIT reviews every answer before it goes in. Most organisations are certified within a few weeks of the first call.
Why it’s called a first step
Cyber Essentials sets the baseline. Keeping it true all year, and making sure your team knows what to look out for, is what stops most attacks.
First Step Fund questions
What is the Cyber Essentials First Step Fund?
A UK government fund, delivered by IASME, that takes 75% off the Cyber Essentials assessment fee for micro, small and medium-sized organisations seeking a new certificate. It was announced by DCMS on 3 November 2026 as part of a Cyber Essentials funding package.
Who is eligible?
According to IASME, UK-registered micro, small and medium-sized organisations (up to 249 staff) that haven’t held Cyber Essentials in the last four years. Your organisation must also stay within the Minimal Financial Assistance limit of £315,000 under the Subsidy Control Act 2022, including this discount. IASME checks eligibility when you register.
How much does Cyber Essentials cost with the fund?
The IASME assessment fee drops to £80 + VAT for 0 to 9 staff (usually £320), £110 + VAT for 10 to 49 staff (usually £440) and £125 + VAT for 50 to 249 staff (usually £500). With fromIT’s First Step package, the total for your first year starts at £585. For the full breakdown, including Plus and renewal, see what Cyber Essentials costs.
When does the First Step Fund close?
You must register and buy your discounted assessment by 31 March 2027, or sooner if the funding runs out. Once bought, you have six months to complete and submit it.
How do I claim the discount?
You create an account on IASME’s Supplier Assurance Tool at firststep.iasme.co.uk, which checks your eligibility, then buy the discounted assessment there. fromIT walks you through it on your first call. The government says the discount still applies if you certify through a certification body.
Do I have to use fromIT to get the discount?
No. Anyone eligible can claim it directly from IASME. fromIT’s part is getting you ready so you pass first time. The funding covers the assessment, not the work of meeting the standard, and it doesn’t guarantee you’ll pass.
We had Cyber Essentials years ago. Can we still claim?
Yes, if your certificate lapsed more than four years ago. If you’ve held it more recently, you’re not eligible for the fund, but fromIT’s standard renewal support starts at £350.
Does the fund cover Cyber Essentials Plus?
The First Step Fund is a discount on the Cyber Essentials assessment for a new certificate. The government’s funding package doesn’t mention Cyber Essentials Plus.
What is the Cyber Resilience Pledge grant?
A separate part of the same package. Large organisations that have signed the government’s Cyber Resilience Pledge can nominate their SME suppliers for fully funded Cyber Essentials and support from an NCSC-assured Cyber Advisor. You can’t apply yourself, but if a big customer has signed the pledge, it’s worth asking them.
Claim it while
it lasts.
Book a 30 minute call. fromIT will check you qualify, walk you through claiming the discount and tell you honestly how ready you are. No obligation, no sales script.
Thanks. That's with us.
fromIT will read it properly and reply by email, usually within one working day.