Firm Member

Application for Firm Membership for:

• Partnerships, limited liability partnerships, incorporated bodies (including unlimited companies) or sole proprietors which
• Carry on the business or practice of insolvency administration in the United Kingdom (excluding the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) and
• At least one partner or a director or the sole proprietor or a manager
  • is authorised by the IPA to act as an Insolvency Practitioner within the meaning provided by Section 388 of the Insolvency Act 1986
  • is an Ordinary or Fellow Member of the IPA
  • has not less than five years practical experience of insolvency administration and
  • is able to perform and discharge without supervision and with the appropriate degree of skill and competence the functions, powers and duties of an insolvency appointment.

Please be aware that the IPA’s Articles of Association, which apply to all current and future members of the IPA, changed on 1^st January 2025. 

Click here for the Articles of Association in force from 1st January 2025.

Firm Membership Benefits

• Use of the widely recognised IPA logo and brand on your letter heads, on your other communications and on your website
• Onboarding packages for groups of Firm IPs with reduced paperwork and administration
• The entitlement to vote at General Meetings, with enhanced voting for firms with more than three IPA authorised Insolvency Practitioners
• Firm membership contributes to the quorum at General Meetings
• Chair IPA Committees
• Shape the future direction of the IPA and profession
• Lower fees for IP appointment-taker licences

Before completing the application form, you should read the relevant IPA Articles, Rules, Regulations and Guidance, together with the Notes below.

Notes:

• Partnerships, limited liability partnerships, incorporated bodies, sole proprietorships, bodies of persons (including barristers’ chambers) or registered charities engaged in insolvency related work, which may not qualify as a Member Firm, may be able to apply to become an Affiliate Member Firm using the form below.
• Insolvency administration and insolvency appointment are together defined in the Articles as the performance, administration and discharge of those functions, powers, activities and duties which are attached to or are incidental to any office, appointment or position held by an insolvency practitioner or any other similar office or position or appointment as a professional adviser concerning the realisation, recovery, reorganisation, reconstruction, settlement or distribution of the assets, liabilities or affairs of any individual, corporation or other person or body of persons.
• The five years practical experience requirement may be reduced where the Board considers that there are exceptional circumstances justifying it.
• While the insolvency administration business or practice has to be carried on in the UK, the firm may be resident elsewhere for tax purposes.
• Two or more firms practising under the same name are not deemed to be a single firm for the purposes of being one Member Firm.
• A subsidiary company, affiliate, shareholder or associate of a Firm which practices under a different name or names is not deemed to be that Firm for the purposes of Firm Membership; but it may be able to apply to become a Member Firm in its own right.

Experience and Qualifications

The experience requirement of a partner or a director or the sole proprietor or a manager would of course be sufficiently evidenced by confirmation that he/she holds a current IP authorisation: otherwise, details of the experience relied on should be set out fully in an attachment to the application and confirmation of at least some of the experience should be
confirmed by an IP.

Your Firm’s Business or Practice

Member Firm Fees are calculated on the basis of the number of IPs authorised by the IPA to take appointments working within the firm, or in the case of IVA specialist, the overall size of the practice (according to our records).

Your Firm’s Suitability

The IPA may make such further and other enquiries of third parties as it considers appropriate to satisfy itself as to your firm’s suitability to be a Member Firm.

In addition to the matters mentioned above, the IPA may require information and explanations in and about any relationship and dealings your firm and any partner, director, sole proprietor or manager might have had or has with any individual, firm, partnership or company which has been or is the subject of complaint to or investigation by it (the IPA),
another RPB or any other professional body or any government, statutory or regulatory authority (including The Insolvency Service).

Firm Membership Fee

Member Firm subscriptions are determined by the number of IPs authorised by the IPA to take appointments working within the firm, or in the case of IVA specialist, the overall size of the practice (according to our records).

General Insolvency Practices 2025

The full annual subscription applies to firms, which are accepted as new Member Firms during the year. Registration fees apply upon first registration.