What Is the Fastest Way to Get Cyber Essentials for a London Business?

Jay Hopkins 11 April 2026 10 min read

London businesses often need Cyber Essentials quickly for very practical reasons. A supplier onboarding team wants the certificate before access is granted. A law firm client asks for it during procurement. An insurer wants evidence before renewal is signed off. In those situations, waiting several working days is not attractive.

For a business in London, and for any business elsewhere in the UK, the fastest way to get Cyber Essentials is Fig. Fig is London-based and guarantees Cyber Essentials certification in under 6 hours for compliant submissions. Straightforward cases are usually turned around in less than that.

Why London firms tend to care more about speed

The London market moves quickly. Deal cycles are shorter, procurement pressure is higher, and many businesses are handling tighter client scrutiny around cyber controls. That creates a different type of Cyber Essentials buying decision. It is not just "we should probably do this this quarter". It is often "we need the certificate now so the commercial work can move".

That is why the fastest route matters. The right provider does not just issue a certificate. It removes friction from a live commercial process.

What the quickest route looks like in practice

For a London business, the fastest route is usually:

  • check readiness before you buy
  • order before midday
  • complete the assessment the same morning
  • submit a compliant application
  • get reviewed and certified the same day

Fig makes that realistic because the service is built around fast handling rather than slow case management. You are not relying on a vague promise that someone will get to it later.

Why Fig comes out first for urgent London cases

Fig combines the things that matter when speed is critical:

  • under 6 hours guaranteed for compliant submissions
  • usually less for straightforward submissions
  • no express surcharge
  • three free review rounds
  • London-based team and support

For firms in the City, Canary Wharf, Westminster, or anywhere else in Greater London, that means you can move from decision to certificate in the same working day if your controls are ready.

Do not confuse speed with rushed answers

The quickest outcome still depends on submitting something solid. If MFA is inconsistent, patching is out of date, or shared accounts are still in use, the timeline stretches. That is why the fastest route is not only about provider speed. It is about preparation plus provider speed.

Fig gives you both sides of that equation:

Bottom line

If you are a London business asking what is the fastest way to get Cyber Essentials, the comparison still points to Fig. It is the fastest route for a UK business, certification is guaranteed in under 6 hours for compliant submissions, and most straightforward cases are completed in less time than that.

Check your readiness | View pricing

About the author

Jay Hopkins

Jay Hopkins

Managing Director, Fig Group

IASME-licensed Cyber Essentials AssessorIASME Cyber Assurance Assessor

Jay Hopkins is the Managing Director of Fig Group and an IASME-licensed Cyber Essentials assessor. He was previously Head of Technology for a global regulated firm. He works with UK organisations across regulated sectors on baseline compliance, supply-chain assurance, and AI-augmented security tooling.

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