Inside CIC Annual Accounts
AI-powered extraction of 83,047 CIC accounts reveals workforce patterns, governance practices, and impact themes
Background
Community Interest Companies file annual accounts at Companies House, which include standard financial statements alongside a CIC34 report — a regulatory disclosure specific to social enterprises. The CIC34 requires directors to describe the company's activities and community benefit (Part 1), stakeholder consultation (Part 2), any director remuneration (Part 3), and asset transfers (Part 4). These narratives, combined with financial data such as employee counts and turnover, provide a window into CIC operations that goes well beyond what is available from standard company filings.
Using AI-powered extraction, we have processed 83,047 CIC accounts PDFs filed at Companies House, converting unstructured PDF documents into structured data. This report analyses three dimensions: workforce size and growth, director pay practices, and the impact narratives that CICs use to describe what they do.
Methodology
The extraction pipeline operates in a single pass. Each PDF is submitted to the OpenAI Batch API using gpt-4.1-mini with a JSON schema that defines the expected output structure — company information, financial line items, CIC report narrative fields, and mapped financial fields. The schema constrains the model's output, ensuring consistent field names and types across all extractions. The extracted data is then joined to the CSO Spine database to add geographic region, CIC registration year, and government era.
Data Coverage
Employees
How large are CIC workforces, and how have they changed? Employee counts are reported as part of the annual accounts; 51.9% of filings in our dataset include this field. For CICs with consecutive filings, we compare current-year and prior-year employee counts to classify whether the workforce is growing, stable, or shrinking.
Director Remuneration
CIC directors are required to disclose any remuneration in Part 3 of the CIC34 report. This disclosure ranges from simple 'Nil' statements to detailed breakdowns of individual payments. We parse these free-text disclosures to classify each filing as zero, non-zero, or not reported, and extract the total remuneration amount where available.
Activities and Beneficiaries
Part 1 of the CIC34 report asks directors to describe the company's activities and community benefit. These narratives reveal what CICs actually do and who they serve. We classify each narrative using the UK Charities Activity Taxonomy (UKCAT), extended with CIC-specific categories. Each narrative is matched against regex patterns to assign activity sector and beneficiary group tags.
Activity Sectors
CICs span a wide range of activity sectors, with health, education, and the arts consistently among the most common. The bar chart below shows the top activity categories, while the trend chart tracks how sector prevalence has changed across financial years.
Beneficiary Populations
Who do CICs set out to serve? The beneficiary analysis reveals the most commonly named beneficiary groups in CIC impact narratives. The bar chart shows the top 10 beneficiary groups, while the trend chart tracks how beneficiary focus has changed over time.
Next Steps
Appendices
A1. Sample Impact Narratives
Ten randomly selected examples of Part 1 (activities and impact) narratives from the CIC34 reports. These illustrate the range of language, length, and specificity found in the dataset.
| Company Number | Financial Year | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 13002312 | 2021 | This is a Trampoline Club that is helping young people from deprived area to partake in a sport and to learn new skills. |
| 13520469 | 2024 | PROVIDING LOW COST CHILDRENS' CLOTHING, SHOES, TOYS AND MORE TO FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY RAISING MONEY TO LOCAL SCHOOLS AND CHILDRENS GROUPS EMERGENCY BUNDLES TO FAMILIES IN NEED PROVIDING NAPPIES TO LOCAL CHARITIES AND BABY GROUPS TO DISTRIBUTE TO FAMILIES GIVING AWAY THOUSANDS OF FREE BOOKS PROVIDING FREE SCHOOL UNIFORM TO FAMILIES PROVIDING HEAL THY SNACKS TO TODDLER/BABY PLAY GROUPS |
| 06821817 | 2025 | The company operates as a community based radio station, providing music, news and information of particular interest to general community of Oxford. It first broadcast full time in February 2012 and has built up a strong audience and following. It plans to grow and develop this service whilst continuing to focus upon its core community values. The company involves local volunteers to prepare, s... |
| 12175380 | 2021 | We produce spellbinding, collaborative theatre work that transforms and transports audiences beyond their everyday reality and manage events and activities that support, promote and champion the regional creative community in Lancaster, Lancashire and the wider North West. Our work is affordable, accessible and inclusive. This financial year, we have: 3 Continued online "FEETURED" scheme to spot... |
| 12577303 | 2021 | The company has designed and produced the Fleet Street Heritage Sundial which is now working on the wall of 61 Fleet Street and is now working on the Fleet Street Heritage Project.. |
| 12101736 | 2021 | We continue to offer dynamic community focussed interventions using the power of lived experience to support individuals and their families to initiate and sustain recovery from hardship and food poverty and to contribute their strengths locally through voluntary activity. We received funding to help delivery local based services, benefiting our existing community groups and also enabling us to e... |
| 10431775 | 2024 | During the year we have continued to operate the Cafe at Duke of York Gardens which is based in the West Marsh area of Grimsby. The area is socially deprived and we are looking to improve the local area visually through the extended gardens we have created. We work with local scouting groups and younger people as the area is a high crime area and we are looking to help younger people engage with t... |
| 10975472 | 2019 | Residents company formed to maintain the grounds and services for a private road of 9 houses and build cash reserves for future maintenance. |
| 12138471 | 2021 | 12x Healing events for staff from minoritised communities focused on racial trauma, imposterism and self-care. These sessions were attended by 89 individuals over the course of the 3months. A testimonial from one of the attendees read as follows: "The workshop was really moving, it almost felt like therapy listening to others in the group share their personal experiences which I could also relate ... |
| 05899179 | 2024 | THE PRINCIPAL ACTIVITY IS THAT OF THE SUPPLY OF POSTAL SERVICES AND GENERAL STORES TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. THE COMMUNITY IS COMPRISED OF A RURAL VILLAGE WITH POOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES AND SO SUCH SERVICES AS PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY ARE OF GREAT BENEFIT TO THE VILLAGE AND, IN PARTICULAR, THE ELDERLY AND THOSE WITHOUT THEIR OWN TRANSPORT. |
A2. Activity Tag Frequencies
All UKCAT activity tags matched in the dataset, ordered by frequency. Percentages are calculated over all 83,047 filings.
| Tag | Count | % of Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Civil society organisations | 30,473 | 36.7% |
| General public / local community | 21,896 | 26.4% |
| People with mental health needs | 19,026 | 22.9% |
| Health | 18,420 | 22.2% |
| Children | 15,683 | 18.9% |
| Schools | 15,258 | 18.4% |
| Training | 15,152 | 18.2% |
| Young people | 14,661 | 17.7% |
| Education | 14,248 | 17.2% |
| Families | 13,095 | 15.8% |
| People in poverty / disadvantaged | 12,559 | 15.1% |
| Mental health | 11,741 | 14.1% |
| Volunteering | 11,069 | 13.3% |
| Arts | 9,923 | 11.9% |
| Employability training | 9,702 | 11.7% |
| Accommodation | 9,592 | 11.6% |
| Unemployment | 9,101 | 11.0% |
| People with disabilities | 8,378 | 10.1% |
| Students / learners | 8,316 | 10.0% |
| Sports | 8,195 | 9.9% |
| Food | 8,157 | 9.8% |
| Associations | 6,810 | 8.2% |
| Businesses / small enterprises | 6,727 | 8.1% |
| Individual poverty | 6,616 | 8.0% |
| Women | 6,351 | 7.6% |
| Grant making | 6,341 | 7.6% |
| Charity and VCS support | 6,331 | 7.6% |
| Artists / creative practitioners | 6,262 | 7.5% |
| Parents and guardians | 6,093 | 7.3% |
| Loneliness | 6,005 | 7.2% |
| Music | 5,660 | 6.8% |
| Racial; ethnic or national communities | 5,324 | 6.4% |
| Health and wellbeing | 4,857 | 5.8% |
| Literature | 4,794 | 5.8% |
| Exercise and fitness | 4,578 | 5.5% |
| Green space | 4,420 | 5.3% |
| Festival | 4,398 | 5.3% |
| Older people | 4,256 | 5.1% |
| Research | 4,166 | 5.0% |
| Social activities | 4,021 | 4.8% |
| Mentoring | 3,833 | 4.6% |
| People with learning disabilities | 3,620 | 4.4% |
| Higher education | 3,588 | 4.3% |
| Visual arts | 3,469 | 4.2% |
| Carers | 3,413 | 4.1% |
| Fundraising | 3,292 | 4.0% |
| Theatre | 3,128 | 3.8% |
| Social enterprise | 2,979 | 3.6% |
| Young children | 2,859 | 3.4% |
| Further education | 2,832 | 3.4% |
| Charity shops | 2,811 | 3.4% |
| Housing | 2,680 | 3.2% |
| Policy campaigning and advocacy | 2,663 | 3.2% |
| Heritage | 2,622 | 3.2% |
| Film | 2,496 | 3.0% |
| People with long-term health conditions | 2,457 | 3.0% |
| Recreation | 2,445 | 2.9% |
| Dance | 2,420 | 2.9% |
| Animals | 2,381 | 2.9% |
| Victims of abuse / domestic violence | 2,377 | 2.9% |
| Homelessness | 2,375 | 2.9% |
| People experiencing homelessness | 2,305 | 2.8% |
| Rural and farming areas | 2,262 | 2.7% |
| Advice and individual advocacy | 2,171 | 2.6% |
| Christianity | 2,167 | 2.6% |
| History | 2,163 | 2.6% |
| Counselling and therapy | 1,986 | 2.4% |
| Unemployed / workless | 1,922 | 2.3% |
| Conservation and sustainability | 1,881 | 2.3% |
| Gardening | 1,833 | 2.2% |
| Crime and Justice | 1,820 | 2.2% |
| Museum | 1,801 | 2.2% |
| Food banks | 1,801 | 2.2% |
| Television | 1,798 | 2.2% |
| Community centre | 1,798 | 2.2% |
| Nursery | 1,789 | 2.2% |
| Asylum seekers and refugees | 1,729 | 2.1% |
| Addiction and dependency | 1,612 | 1.9% |
| Social care | 1,585 | 1.9% |
| Girls | 1,540 | 1.9% |
| Out of school club | 1,526 | 1.8% |
| People with substance misuse issues | 1,518 | 1.8% |
| Community development | 1,496 | 1.8% |
| Men | 1,463 | 1.8% |
| Abuse | 1,439 | 1.7% |
| Ex-offenders / criminal justice | 1,427 | 1.7% |
| Secondary education | 1,403 | 1.7% |
| Hospital | 1,379 | 1.7% |
| Emergency services | 1,375 | 1.7% |
| Science | 1,332 | 1.6% |
| Community cafe | 1,314 | 1.6% |
| Dementia | 1,285 | 1.5% |
| Domestic abuse | 1,254 | 1.5% |
| Radio | 1,251 | 1.5% |
| Primary education | 1,234 | 1.5% |
| Residential care | 1,182 | 1.4% |
| Choirs | 1,177 | 1.4% |
| Community association | 1,175 | 1.4% |
| Economic development | 1,175 | 1.4% |
| Offender support and rehabilitation | 1,172 | 1.4% |
| Social club | 1,154 | 1.4% |
| Wildlife | 1,109 | 1.3% |
| Outdoor pursuits | 1,104 | 1.3% |
| Youth Groups | 1,078 | 1.3% |
| Church or place of worship | 1,037 | 1.2% |
| Clothes | 1,037 | 1.2% |
| Childcare | 1,021 | 1.2% |
| Climate Emergency | 1,018 | 1.2% |
| Historical conservation and restoration | 961 | 1.2% |
| Migrants | 950 | 1.1% |
| LGBTQ+ | 914 | 1.1% |
| Recycling | 876 | 1.1% |
| Umbrella bodies | 838 | 1.0% |
| Urban areas | 836 | 1.0% |
| Bereavement | 795 | 1.0% |
| Equality and diversity | 755 | 0.9% |
| Print media | 749 | 0.9% |
| Healthcare provider | 742 | 0.9% |
| Performing art | 696 | 0.8% |
| Energy | 665 | 0.8% |
| Media | 639 | 0.8% |
| Nursing | 629 | 0.8% |
| Cancer | 629 | 0.8% |
| Respite | 590 | 0.7% |
| Horses | 587 | 0.7% |
| Village hall | 569 | 0.7% |
| Health condition | 556 | 0.7% |
| Women's Institute | 552 | 0.7% |
| Armed forces | 551 | 0.7% |
| Religion | 550 | 0.7% |
| Children in care | 540 | 0.7% |
| Grants to organisations | 509 | 0.6% |
| Student support | 503 | 0.6% |
| Maternity | 500 | 0.6% |
| Hearing loss | 485 | 0.6% |
| Dogs | 476 | 0.6% |
| Open spaces | 452 | 0.5% |
| Housing association | 447 | 0.5% |
| Temporary or emergency housing | 442 | 0.5% |
| Healthcare workers | 409 | 0.5% |
| Visual impairment | 382 | 0.5% |
| League of Friends | 371 | 0.4% |
| Community transport | 363 | 0.4% |
| Society | 357 | 0.4% |
| Sexual abuse | 336 | 0.4% |
| Islam | 329 | 0.4% |
| Surgery | 328 | 0.4% |
| Citizenship | 328 | 0.4% |
| Hobbies | 328 | 0.4% |
| Adult education | 312 | 0.4% |
| Adult day care | 308 | 0.4% |
| Carer support | 306 | 0.4% |
| Scouting | 303 | 0.4% |
| Domiciliary care | 297 | 0.4% |
| ESOL | 295 | 0.4% |
| Racial justice | 292 | 0.4% |
| Road safety | 278 | 0.3% |
| Languages | 263 | 0.3% |
| Hospice | 250 | 0.3% |
| Playing fields | 239 | 0.3% |
| Religious ministry | 237 | 0.3% |
| Medical research | 233 | 0.3% |
| Human rights | 232 | 0.3% |
| Playground | 227 | 0.3% |
| Vocational training | 220 | 0.3% |
| IT and digital | 218 | 0.3% |
| Basic skills | 214 | 0.3% |
| Playgroup | 211 | 0.3% |
| Refuge or shelter | 200 | 0.2% |
| Philosophy | 182 | 0.2% |
| Palliative care | 169 | 0.2% |
| Strokes | 165 | 0.2% |
| Religious; racial or cross-border harmony | 164 | 0.2% |
| Search and rescue | 159 | 0.2% |
| Cats | 159 | 0.2% |
| Parent teacher | 152 | 0.2% |
| Ambulance service | 149 | 0.2% |
| Prevention and safety | 145 | 0.2% |
| Humanitarian relief | 145 | 0.2% |
| Youth centre | 143 | 0.2% |
| HIV / Aids | 139 | 0.2% |
| Water | 136 | 0.2% |
| Multiple Sclerosis | 131 | 0.2% |
| Child abuse | 131 | 0.2% |
| Emergency service workers | 130 | 0.2% |
| International development | 130 | 0.2% |
| Social Investment | 126 | 0.2% |
| Archaeology | 125 | 0.2% |
| Orchestra | 125 | 0.2% |
| Trafficking and modern slavery | 124 | 0.1% |
| Musical theatre | 122 | 0.1% |
| Physiotherapy | 120 | 0.1% |
| Army | 117 | 0.1% |
| Opera | 112 | 0.1% |
| Widows; widowers and orphans | 104 | 0.1% |
| Miners | 103 | 0.1% |
| Cemetery | 97 | 0.1% |
| Girlguiding | 97 | 0.1% |
| Victim support | 94 | 0.1% |
| School fundraising | 92 | 0.1% |
| Democracy | 92 | 0.1% |
| YWCA / YMCA | 90 | 0.1% |
| Conflict resolution | 85 | 0.1% |
| School support | 83 | 0.1% |
| Veterans | 80 | 0.1% |
| Children's homes | 73 | 0.1% |
| Monuments; statues and memorials | 65 | 0.1% |
| RAF | 61 | 0.1% |
| Complementary therapies | 61 | 0.1% |
| Cadets | 60 | 0.1% |
| University of the Third Age | 59 | 0.1% |
| Rotary club | 58 | 0.1% |
| Cerebral palsy | 51 | 0.1% |
| Judaism | 51 | 0.1% |
| Navy | 51 | 0.1% |
| Healthcare provider support | 50 | 0.1% |
| Sikhism | 48 | 0.1% |
| Hinduism | 48 | 0.1% |
| Donkeys | 47 | 0.1% |
| Natural history | 46 | 0.1% |
| Sickle Cell | 40 | 0.0% |
| Residential care with nursing | 38 | 0.0% |
| Service clubs | 37 | 0.0% |
| Fibromyalgia | 36 | 0.0% |
| Church of England | 36 | 0.0% |
| Buddhism | 32 | 0.0% |
| Student union | 31 | 0.0% |
| Chronic Fatigue Syndrome | 30 | 0.0% |
| Religious education | 26 | 0.0% |
| Society of Friends (Quakers) | 24 | 0.0% |
| Religious activities | 23 | 0.0% |
| Clergy | 22 | 0.0% |
| Chaplaincy | 17 | 0.0% |
| Motor Neurone Disease | 17 | 0.0% |
| Alternative medicine | 15 | 0.0% |
| Roman Catholic | 13 | 0.0% |
| Parochial Church Council | 13 | 0.0% |
| Planning and architecture | 11 | 0.0% |
| Friends of healthcare provider | 10 | 0.0% |
| Lions club | 10 | 0.0% |
| Riding for the disabled | 9 | 0.0% |
| Almshouse | 6 | 0.0% |
| Fraternal societies | 6 | 0.0% |
| Grants to individuals | 5 | 0.0% |
| Benevolent Society | 4 | 0.0% |
| Inner Wheel | 3 | 0.0% |
| Church of Scotland | 2 | 0.0% |
| Jainism | 2 | 0.0% |
A3. Beneficiary Tag Frequencies
All UKCAT beneficiary tags matched in the dataset, ordered by frequency. Percentages are calculated over all 83,047 filings.
| Tag | Count | % of Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Civil society organisations | 30,473 | 36.7% |
| General public / local community | 21,896 | 26.4% |
| People with mental health needs | 19,026 | 22.9% |
| Children | 15,683 | 18.9% |
| Young people | 14,661 | 17.7% |
| Families | 13,095 | 15.8% |
| People in poverty / disadvantaged | 12,559 | 15.1% |
| People with disabilities | 8,378 | 10.1% |
| Students / learners | 8,316 | 10.0% |
| Businesses / small enterprises | 6,727 | 8.1% |
| Women | 6,351 | 7.6% |
| Artists / creative practitioners | 6,262 | 7.5% |
| Parents and guardians | 6,093 | 7.3% |
| Racial; ethnic or national communities | 5,324 | 6.4% |
| Older people | 4,256 | 5.1% |
| People with learning disabilities | 3,620 | 4.4% |
| Carers | 3,413 | 4.1% |
| Young children | 2,859 | 3.4% |
| People with long-term health conditions | 2,457 | 3.0% |
| Victims of abuse / domestic violence | 2,377 | 2.9% |
| People experiencing homelessness | 2,305 | 2.8% |
| Unemployed / workless | 1,922 | 2.3% |
| Asylum seekers and refugees | 1,729 | 2.1% |
| Girls | 1,540 | 1.9% |
| People with substance misuse issues | 1,518 | 1.8% |
| Men | 1,463 | 1.8% |
| Ex-offenders / criminal justice | 1,427 | 1.7% |
| Migrants | 950 | 1.1% |
| LGBTQ+ | 914 | 1.1% |
| Widows; widowers and orphans | 104 | 0.1% |
| Riding for the disabled | 9 | 0.0% |
Data extracted February 2026 · Prepared for Social Enterprise UK
This work is proof-of-concept — please do not copy, share or use these findings for your own purposes.