Free Web Hosting for Community Interest Companies (CICs)
We're proud to support Community Interest Companies by offering discounted and free hosting to help you focus on what matters most - your community.
What's available?
If you're a registered CIC, you're eligible for one of the following:
- Free Amethyst hosting - our starter shared hosting package, completely free of charge.
- 50% off any other hosting package - if you need something bigger than Amethyst, we'll apply a 50% discount to whichever plan suits your needs.
Who's eligible?
To qualify, your organisation must be a registered Community Interest Company (CIC) with Companies House. You'll need to provide your CIC number during the sign-up process so we can verify your registration.
The person signing up must be a director or authorised representative of the CIC, as we need to confirm that the request is coming from someone officially involved with the organisation.
How to sign up
Step 1: Place your order
Head over to krystal.io/hosting and choose the hosting package you'd like. If you're going for the free Amethyst package, select Amethyst. If you'd prefer a larger plan with the 50% discount, choose whichever package best fits your needs.
When you reach the payment stage, select Bank Transfer as the payment method. This means no payment will be taken at that point.
Step 2: Raise a support ticket
Once your order has been placed and your account is set up, raise a support ticket through the Krystal client area. You can do this by going to Support > Open a Ticket on the left-hand side, or by heading directly to krystal.io/client/submitticket.php (scroll to the bottom of the page).
In your ticket, please include:
- Your order number
- Your CIC number (as registered with Companies House)
- A brief description of what your Community Interest Company does
Step 3: We'll take it from there
Our team will verify your CIC registration with Companies House. Once approved, we'll either make your Amethyst package free or apply the 50% discount to your chosen plan.
Frequently asked questions
Can I upgrade later? Yes. If you start on a free Amethyst package and later need more resources, you can upgrade to a larger plan and the 50% CIC discount will apply.
What if my CIC isn't registered yet? You'll need to be registered with Companies House before we can verify and approve the discount. If you're in the process of registering, feel free to get in touch and we can advise on next steps.
Does the discount apply to renewals? Yes, the discount remains in place for as long as your organisation holds valid CIC status.
Can I register a domain at the same time? Absolutely. You can register a domain through our domain registration service as part of the sign-up process or at any time afterwards. Domain registration is charged at the standard rate.
