ISO 22222 funding in the UK

Businesses looking to become ISO 22222 certified in the UK can apply for up to £1,000 of government funding towards the costs. The scheme launched in January is aimed at enhancing skills within small- and medium-sized enterprises by encouraging certification to the quality standard for providing financial services.

The UK government has teamed up with the certification body Standards International to give financial advisors the opportunity to achieve certification for £437.50 instead of the usual fee of £1,375. To be eligible for the funding businesses must have between five and 249 employees and complete an eligibility application form, available from Standards International.

ISO 22222 provides a framework for the ethical behavior, competences and experience of professional financial planners. Advisers accepted onto the scheme will receive a copy of the standard, attend a training and gap analysis workshop and submit to an on-site assessment of documentation, internal processes and procedures.

The government-funded certification scheme will run until June 2009. For information on how to apply visit www.standardsinternational.co.uk