The Consumer Protection Association

What The Consumer Protection Association does

The Consumer Protection Association (CPA), trading as CPA Consumer Guard Ltd, is a UK consumer protection membership body for the home improvement industry, headquartered in Shefford, Bedfordshire. The organisation is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and operates as a TrustMark Scheme Provider — the government-endorsed quality accreditation for trades working in and around the home. Its core offer to trade members centres on two regulated financial protection products: an Insurance Backed Guarantee (IBG) that protects consumers if a contractor ceases trading, and a Deposit Protection scheme covering up to 25% of contract value or £7,500 for a maximum of 120 days. The company also runs a public-facing "Find/Validate a CPA member" directory that connects UK homeowners to vetted installers.

Operationally, CPA runs a B2B subscription membership model targeted at home improvement tradespeople (window/door fitters, solar installers, heat-pump specialists, and similar domestic installation contractors), generating recurring revenue from trade membership fees. Members gain accreditation, consumer trust signals, access to IBG and deposit protection, finance and insurance packages (interest-free credit, buy-now-pay-later, liability/motor/household insurance), MTC compliance support, and consumer survey tools. The consumer side is a non-revenue-supporting trust layer: a searchable directory and a guarantee-registration portal that together funnel demand toward accredited tradespeople. Distribution is dual-track — direct trade membership sales, complemented by data-sharing integrations with the UK Competent Person Schemes (FENSA, Certass, Assure) for windows/doors work, and the TrustMark scheme for government-funded retrofit programmes such as ECO. Card payment processing is offered via a partnership with LibertyPay.

The business is privately held, founder-independent, with no disclosed parent company, fundraising, or revenue figure, and the headcount is small (1–10 employees). Technology is not proprietary; the value of the proposition rests on regulatory authorisation, FCA oversight, government-endorsed TrustMark status, three-way data integrations with major Competent Person Schemes, and accumulated brand recognition as one of the most widely recognised consumer protection agencies in the UK home improvement sector.

Name

The Consumer Protection Association

Legal name

CPA Consumer Guard Ltd

Website

https://www.thecpa.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Consumer Protection Association is a UK FCA-authorised membership body providing accreditation, Insurance Backed Guarantees, deposit protection, and TrustMark scheme services to home improvement tradespeople, with a public-facing directory of vetted installers for UK homeowners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Protection Services

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Protection & Product Safety Regulators (BPAIAOAE)

Keywords

• Consumer protection services
• Insurance backed guarantees
• Deposit protection schemes
• Home improvement accreditation
• Trade membership association

Headquarters

HQ city

Shefford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Trade Membership Fees: Tradespeople and contractors pay membership fees to join the CPA, gaining access to accreditation, Insurance Backed Guarantees (IBG), deposit protection schemes, finance options, and consumer trust signals. The membership model generates recurring revenue from contractor members.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Consumer Protection Association (CPA) provides consumer protection services for the UK home improvement industry, including the issuance and administration of Insurance Backed Guarantees (IBGs) and Deposit Protection for consumers. The CPA also accredits home improvement tradespeople through its trade membership programme, offers Finance and Insurance Packages, MTC Compliance Support, and consumer surveys, while operating as a TrustMark Scheme Provider.

Product overview

The Consumer Protection Association (CPA) is a consumer protection organization for the home improvement industry, operating as a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core consumer-facing offerings include an Insurance Backed Guarantee (IBG) and a Deposit Protection scheme — both designed to protect homeowners when engaging trade professionals. These are supported by a member directory and guarantee registration portal. For trade members, CPA provides the same IBG and Deposit Protection products (offered as trade-provision services), a Finance and Insurance Packages module (covering interest-free credit, buy-now-pay-later, and liability insurance), MTC Compliance Support for Competent Persons Scheme accreditation, Consumer Surveys for customer feedback, and TrustMark Scheme Provider accreditation. CPA is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Insurance Backed Guarantee (IBG) An Insurance Backed Guarantee issued to consumers upon completion of home improvement projects, providing financial protection through an FCA-authorised and regulated guarantee product. Delivered to consumers via accredited CPA trade members on project completion.
• Deposit Protection Deposit protection for consumers engaged in home improvement projects, issued and administered by the CPA under FCA authorisation. Provides consumer recourse for deposits paid to tradespeople undertaking home improvement work.
• CPA Trade Membership Membership programme for UK home improvement tradespeople (installers, contractors) providing accreditation, consumer protection infrastructure, and access to CPA services including IBG and Deposit Protection issuance. The CPA is one of the leading consumer protection bodies for the UK home improvement industry.
• Finance and Insurance Packages Trade-facing bundled finance and insurance offerings for CPA member tradespeople, providing access to financial and insurance products to support their home improvement business operations.
• MTC Compliance Support Compliance support service for tradespeople related to Minimum Technical Competency (MTC) requirements in the home improvement industry, helping members meet regulatory standards.
• Consumer Surveys Consumer research surveys made available through the CPA website and CPA Member Portal to help future-proof the consumer experience in home improvements. Latest edition supports member businesses with consumer insight.
• CPA Member Directory (Find/Validate a CPA Member) Online public directory allowing consumers to find and validate accredited CPA trade members, and allowing validation/registration of guarantees.
• Trade IBG Provision Trade-facing service through which CPA member tradespeople provide Insurance Backed Guarantees to consumers on completion of home improvement projects, operationalising the IBG product for the trade membership base.

Quantifiable outcome

• Deposit protection covers up to 25% of the price of works or £7,500, whichever is less, for a maximum of 120 days or until work commences.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TrustMarkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe CPA is a TrustMark Scheme Provider. TrustMark is the only government-endorsed quality standards scheme for trades operating in and around the home. CPA members who install products or provide services can join TrustMark to provide customers with peace of mind through the government-endorsed accreditation. TrustMark membership is required for firms undertaking government-funded work such as ECO (Energy Company Obligation) from January 2020.
• FENSA LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFENSA (Fenestration Self-Assessment Scheme) is a Competent Person Scheme operator named in Schedule 3 of the Building Regulations 2010. CPA has a data sharing agreement with FENSA to verify and confirm that appropriate financial protection (IBG) is in place for works carried out by CPA member contractors who are also FENSA-registered.
• Certass LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCertass is a Competent Person Scheme operator for building regulations compliance. CPA has a data sharing agreement with Certass to verify and confirm appropriate financial protection (IBG) is in place for works carried out by CPA member contractors who are Certass-registered.
• Assure Certification LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssure is a Competent Person Scheme operator. CPA has a data sharing agreement with Assure to verify and confirm appropriate financial protection (IBG) is in place for works carried out by CPA member contractors who are Assure-registered.
• LibertyPayminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLibertyPay provides card payment facility services to CPA members. The partnership enables CPA member tradespeople to offer card payment options to customers through LibertyPay's payment processing services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Certass Limited: Competent Person Scheme operator focused on building regulations compliance for glazing and domestic installations. Operates a strategic data-sharing partnership with CPA, and provides overlapping accreditation and consumer protection products to UK installers.
• TrustMark: UK government-endorsed quality standards scheme for tradespeople operating in and around the home. CPA is itself a TrustMark Scheme Provider, making TrustMark both a partner and the overarching scheme within which CPA operates - directly comparable consumer-protection accreditation for home improvement trades.
• FENSA: Competent Person Scheme operator for replacement windows and doors under the Building Regulations 2010. Operates as a CPA partner via data sharing agreement, but also operates its own consumer-facing trust signals and installer accreditation in the same home improvement niche.
• Assure Certification Limited: Competent Person Scheme operator for glazing, solid fuel, and heating installations. Has a data-sharing partnership with CPA similar to FENSA and Certass, making it a directly comparable accreditation scheme targeting the same installer base and consumer protection niche.
• Checkatrade: UK consumer-facing directory and accreditation service for vetted tradespeople. Operates a similar B2B2C model where tradespeople subscribe for accreditation and access consumer trust signals, directly competing with CPA's 'Find/Validate a CPA Member' directory.
• Which? Trusted Traders: Consumer protection brand (backed by Which?) that endorses vetted tradespeople through its own assessment process. Operates a comparable consumer-trust-driven accreditation model targeting UK home improvement consumers and tradespeople.
• TrustATrader: UK directory and vetting service for tradespeople offering accredited status and consumer-facing trust signals. Provides similar membership/accreditation and lead-generation value proposition to tradespeople in home improvement.

Emerging players

• MyBuilder: UK online marketplace that connects homeowners with tradespeople. While primarily a marketplace rather than accreditation body, it operates in the same consumer-tradesperson trust space and competes for control of consumer attention that drives installer acquisition decisions.
• Rated People: UK online marketplace connecting homeowners with local tradespeople. Competes for the same consumer home improvement funnel and tradesperson membership economics, though with lighter regulatory/accreditation overlay than CPA.

Regional players

• CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme): UK accreditation body providing health and safety prequalification for contractors. Operates a comparable trade accreditation model with membership economics and consumer/buyer trust positioning, though its focus is broader (all contractors, not just home improvement).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CPATrade

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Consumer Protection Association