Register as a CIC ‘limited by shares’ if your CIC is more like a business. The owners will each hold shares, just as they would in a regular profit-making business. Each can have a number of shares, thereby defining the degree of control or ownership each holds. Each shareholder has as many votes as they have claims. They may also receive dividends.
Register as a CIC ‘limited by Guarantee’ if your CIC looks more like a charity. The directors can also be called trustees and will each commit to a cash guarantee to be paid if the company fails. The contract is usually set at just £1 each. Each trustee has one vote. Decisions by the committee of trustees/directors are made on a one-person-one-vote basis. No dividend can be paid. This format is more acceptable to most funding bodies.