Choosing a Cyber Essentials provider can be surprisingly confusing. Some advertise turnaround times in hours, some offer guaranteed passes, and many hide pricing behind a quote form. For businesses that simply want to certify quickly and correctly, that uncertainty adds stress at the wrong moment. Solusec, based in Albrighton, Shropshire, takes a straightforward approach, combining published fixed prices, a clear turnaround commitment and review by certified assessors. Businesses know what they are paying, when to expect a decision and who is reviewing their submission.

An Appointed IASME Certification Body

Solusec is an appointed IASME Certification Body for Cyber Essentials and IASME Cyber Assurance, and a Certification Body for Defence Cyber Certification Level 0. The assessment is carried out in-house and the certificate is issued directly by Solusec, with no reseller in the middle. When you buy, you receive access to the IASME portal to complete your self-assessment, and your submission goes straight to the team that will assess it. These credentials can be verified independently through the BlockMark registry and IASME's list of certification bodies.

Clear, Fixed Pricing by Organisation Size

Cyber Essentials fees follow IASME's bands, based on organisation size, and Solusec publishes its prices openly. Micro businesses with one to nine staff pay £320, small businesses with ten to forty-nine staff pay £440, medium businesses with fifty to two hundred and forty-nine staff pay £500, and organisations with two hundred and fifty or more staff pay £600, all plus VAT. Optional add-ons are an urgent turnaround for £100 and a gap analysis for £300. There are no hidden extras.

Turnaround You Can Plan Around

Solusec aims to assess every submission within one business day as standard. For tighter deadlines, the urgent option moves the submission to the front of the queue and aims for same-day assessment when it arrives before midday. These commitments are expressed as dates rather than hour counts, which makes planning simple. If your deadline is Friday, submitting by Thursday morning with the urgent option should get you a decision that day. Solusec is also open that the assessment is rarely the slow part; preparation is.

Expert Review Rather Than Automation

Every submission Solusec receives is reviewed by a qualified, certified assessor and never passed through an AI system. The company holds CREST accreditation for AI-enabled penetration testing, so it knows the technology well, but deliberately keeps assessment in human hands. Plausible but inconsistent answers get queried rather than waved through, and failed submissions receive clear feedback. For businesses considering fast cyber essentials, that matters, because a carefully made decision produces a certificate that stands up to customers, insurers and future renewals.

Honest Advice When Deadlines Are Tight

Perhaps the most distinctive part of Solusec's approach is honesty about what is achievable. If a business explains its deadline and its setup clearly cannot meet the standard in time, Solusec will say so upfront rather than taking payment and leaving the customer to discover the problem later. It will not pass a submission that falls short, whatever the pressure. The gap analysis exists to find problems early, while they are still fixable. Fixed pricing, prompt expert assessment and straight answers make fast certification genuinely useful.