Private security regulator removes recognition of awarding body

On 14 July 2026, the SIA gave notice to BIIAB to terminate the recognition agreement under which the SIA approved BIIAB as an awarding organisation for certain SIA licence-linked qualifications.

This means that, with immediate effect, BIIAB should not register any new learners for any of its SIA licence-linked training. BIIAB must also not issue any new licence-linked qualifications at all with effect from 10 August 2026.

The SIA has moved to terminate the awarding organisation recognition agreement with BIIAB due to serious and persistent material breaches of their obligations within the recognition agreement which are not capable of being remedied.

This unprecedented action follows a series of unannounced inspections by the SIA, as part of operation RESOLUTE, to training centres, which uncovered serious concerns. It also follows Ofqual’s decision to issue a Direction under section 151 (3) of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 preventing BIIAB from taking on new learners for SIA licence-linked door supervisor and security guarding training courses.

Tim Archer, the SIA’s executive director of licensing and standards, said:

Licensing is a visible safeguard that protects the public and requires licence holders to be appropriately qualified. It is critical to public safety that front line security operatives obtain their SIA licence through legitimately earned qualifications, delivered by training providers that meet our rigorous standards.

The public, and businesses that buy security, rely on the SIA licence to show that operatives have been vetted and have completed the required training for the role.

Through Operation RESOLUTE, we will continue to act swiftly to deal with non-compliance, root out malpractice in training centres, and ensure the public have trust in security licensing, which must be protected from those who seek to exploit it.

The SIA has carried out intelligence-led unannounced inspections that uncovered serious examples of training malpractice amongst providers registered with BIIAB.

The SIA is working jointly with Ofqual to tackle training malpractice and ensure that the appropriate monitoring, auditing and quality assurance over qualification systems expected of awarding organisations are met. On Thursday 9 July, the SIA removed BIIAB from its course finder tool for door supervisor and security guarding qualifications. This came after Ofqual issued a Direction notice to BIIAB citing serious concerns regarding its arrangements for ensuring the validity of qualifications and compliance.

Ofqual has written to BIIAB highlighting its obligations to protect the interests of learners on these qualifications following the SIA’s termination of recognition as an awarding organisation. The exams and assessment regulator will be monitoring BIIAB to ensure it complies with these obligations.

Amanda Swann, executive director for delivery at Ofqual, said:

We want to demonstrate clearly that regulators are working together to tackle malpractice, and to protect the interests of learners and the safety and security of the general public.

This case reflects how Ofqual has improved our intelligence-gathering and sharpened our enforcement tools.

We have published clear guidance on awarding organisations’ responsibilities. Those that do not take these matters seriously will be held to account.

Over the last 18 months, under Operation RESOLUTE, the SIA has increased its unannounced inspections and targeted poor standards, training malpractice and fraud in the commercial training sector that provides training for qualifications for an SIA licence.

While most providers who deliver SIA licence-linked training meet the high standards the SIA and Ofqual set, poor standards and training malpractice are not acceptable, damage public and employer trust in the licence, and risk public safety.

To find out more about how the SIA tackles training malpractice, visit Tackling security training malpractice - GOV.UK.

Notes to editors

The SIA has issued a termination notice to BIIAB giving them 20 working days’ notice of the ending of their recognition agreement. This is to bring their involvement in awarding SIA licence-linked qualifications to an orderly conclusion and minimise the disruption to learners.

Following Ofqual’s Direction notice, BIIAB has been prevented from registering any new learners for SIA licence-linked door supervision and security guarding courses (including refresher courses) but has been able to offer CCTV courses. The SIA’s action extends this restriction to all other SIA licence-linked qualificators offered by BIIAB and delivered by its training providers.

The SIA has recognition agreements in place with five other awarding organisations. Last year (financial year 2025 to 2026) 158,000 licence-linked security qualifications were issued from all six awarding organisations. The SIA will be working closely with Ofqual and the other approved awarding organisations to ensure that sufficient capacity is available to meet the demands of learners wanting to enter or working in the private security industry.

SIA front line licences require mandatory qualifications to be held before an applicant can apply for or renew their licence. This training is provided by 650 independent training providers throughout the UK. Each training provider is required to be approved by a regulated awarding organisation to offer qualifications. Awarding organisations are responsible for awarding qualifications and ensuring the integrity of those qualifications. Each awarding organisation uploads qualification certificates awarded to learners to the SIA as proof the qualification has been lawfully and properly obtained. Awarding organisations are regulated by Ofqual.

The SIA’s joint working with Ofqual and other qualification bodies is part of the SIA’s approach and action to tackle poor standards by commercial providers who supply licence-linked qualification training for security operatives.

Under Operation RESOLUTE the SIA has been carrying out proactive and intelligence-led inspections activity to combat training malpractice concerns across the UK, including undertaking 24 unannounced inspections at training centres across England in the last month.

The SIA approved BIIAB as an awarding organisation in respect of the following licence-linked qualifications:

• BIIAB Level 2 Award for Door Supervisors in the Private Security Industry
• BIIAB Level 2 Award for Door Supervisors in the Private Security Industry (Refresher)
• BIIAB Level 2 Award for Security Officers in the Private Security Industry
• BIIAB Level 2 Award for Security Officers in the Private Security Industry (Refresher)
• BIIAB Level 2 Award for CCTV Operators (Public Space Surveillance) in the Private Security Industry