# SIA Business Approval Scheme Explained | Go Security > The SIA plans to replace the Approved Contractor Scheme with a new Business Approval Scheme, with digital pilots planned for spring 2027. What it means. Source: https://gosecurity.uk/blog-sia-business-approval-scheme.html --- [Home](https://gosecurity.uk/) / [Blog](https://gosecurity.uk/blog.html) / SIA Business Approval Scheme Regulation # The SIA Business Approval Scheme: what's replacing the ACS Published 13 September 2026 · 5 min read For two decades, the mark of a credible security supplier in the UK has been **SIA Approved Contractor** status. That is set to change. The **Security Industry Authority (SIA)** is developing a new **Business Approval Scheme (BAS)** that will, in time, replace the long-standing **Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS)**. For anyone who buys security, it is worth understanding where this is heading. ## Why the ACS is being replaced The ACS has served the industry well, but the SIA has signalled that it wants a more robust, capability-driven approval model, one that puts greater weight on public protection and gives buyers better information when choosing a supplier. The move forms part of the regulator's wider **2026 to 2029 strategy**, which places quality of service, company integrity and public safety at its centre. In short, the bar is being raised. Rather than a scheme a business can treat as a badge to display, the BAS is intended to scrutinise the things that actually matter: integrity, financial probity, competence and the quality of service delivered on the ground. The direction is clear: approval should mean more, not less. That is good news for buyers who take supplier quality seriously. ## What we know so far The SIA has run a consultation on the scheme and published its findings. Its Business Plan for 2026 to 2027 sets out its intention to develop the BAS during that business year, with a digital application service planned for **pilots in spring 2027**. The SIA has said the ACS will eventually close and approved businesses will transition to the new scheme, but no closure date for the ACS has yet been set. Importantly, none of this happens overnight. Until the transition formally takes place, the existing ACS framework remains in force, and approved contractors should continue to operate under it. ## What it means for buyers of security If you procure security services, the shift towards the BAS reinforces something we have always believed: **approval and standards are there to protect you**, the buyer. A tougher, more transparent scheme makes it harder for weak operators to hide behind a logo, and easier for you to identify genuinely capable providers. It also sits alongside the other changes reshaping the industry, from the new [Fair Work Agency](https://gosecurity.uk/blog-fair-work-agency.html) consolidating employment-rights enforcement, to standards such as [BS 10119](https://gosecurity.uk/blog-bs-10119.html) governing the labour supply chain. The common thread is a sector being asked to demonstrate quality and integrity, not just claim it. ## How Go Security is positioned We welcome a higher bar, because we already operate to it. Our officers are SIA-licensed and screened to [BS 7858](https://gosecurity.uk/blog-bs-7858-vetting.html), our workforce of around 300 monthly is 100% PAYE, and our pay, hours and vetting records are transparent and auditable. A scheme that rewards integrity, competence and financial probity is a scheme built for providers like us, and for the clients who choose us. ### Choose a provider that's ready for a higher standard Don't wait for a badge to change. Book a free security audit and see the vetting, employment and quality standards we hold ourselves to today. [Book a Free Audit](https://gosecurity.uk/security-audit.html) Sources include SIA and GOV.UK publications on the Business Approval Scheme consultation and the SIA business plan and strategy for 2026 onwards. Scheme details and timelines are subject to change as the SIA finalises its plans; this article is general information, not regulatory advice. [← Back to all posts](https://gosecurity.uk/blog.html) --- Go Security Ltd, Unit 2K1, Hastingwood Business Park, Wood Lane, Birmingham B24 9QR. Tel 0800 471 4792 (24/7 control room). Email control@gosecurity.uk. Registered in England & Wales no. 11722692. ICO registration ZB604756.