Guidance

How to use the ACS accreditation mark

Updated 7 March 2025

This guidance explains the conditions and rules of using the ACS accreditation mark.

What the ACS accreditation mark is

The ACS accreditation mark consists of the SIA logo with the words ‘Approved Contractor’ beneath.

One of the benefits of being an approved contractor is that you can use the ACS accreditation mark to show that we approve your business. You can use the mark on your business’s stationery, livery, websites, marketing materials, tender documents, vehicles and machinery.

Your permission to use the mark

We own the ACS accreditation mark. When we approve your business, we give you permission to use the mark while you remain approved and according to certain conditions.

We may remove our permission at any time. This decision is entirely at our discretion.

You only have permission to use the mark for the business we approved. You cannot use it for any other business you may own.

You only have permission to use the mark for the licensable sectors we approved you for. You can check what these are on your entry in our register of approved contractors.

You do not have permission to use the SIA logo in isolation.

Conditions of using the mark

You can only use the mark on the following conditions:

• you display the statement of approval on your website
• you stick to the resizing limitations
• you retain the mark’s exclusion zone
• you use our specified colours
• you link to our register of approved contractors

We explain more about these conditions below.

Statement of approval

If you use the mark on your website, you must also display the following statement about your approval: ‘We currently hold SIA Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) status for the provision of (sectors approved).’

You should display the statement somewhere easily visible on your website, for example on your home page.

If we change or restrict your approval you must change your statement to reflect this. For example, if we remove our approval for one sector you must remove reference to it in your statement.

You could also add this to your statement: ‘The ACS Standard encompasses all aspects of a security provider’s operation. It takes a holistic view of how well an organisation is managed and an approved organisation must demonstrate to an independent assessor, on an annual basis, that it has met defined standards.’

Resizing limitations

You can resize the ACS accreditation mark, but you cannot display it in a size smaller than 15 mm in height.

If you resize the mark, you must keep the original height and width ratio.

If you display the mark alongside other accreditation or certification marks, the ACS mark must be at least as tall as the others.

Exclusion zone

The ACS accreditation mark has an ‘exclusion zone’.

The exclusion zone is the same height as the letter ‘a’ in SIA. It extends around the accreditation mark on all sides.

You cannot display the mark with any other text or images entering the exclusion zone.

Specified colours

You can only display the ACS accreditation mark in black or in the colours we specify.

Linking to our register of approved contractors

If you use the ACS accreditation mark on your business’s website, you must make sure it links to your company’s registration details on our register of approved contractors.

What you must not do with the mark

You must not use the ACS accreditation mark to imply or claim anything that might impair its value, be misleading, or bring the SIA into disrepute.

This might include using the mark to imply or claim:

• a broader scope of approval than what we have given you
• anything inaccurate about your relationship with us
• that we endorse your website, its contents, or the security of its transactions

Doing this will jeopardise your approval.