Company Formation – what are the Articles of Association?

When you form a new limited company, one of the three documents you need to provide is the Articles of Association.

The other forms you need to submit to Companies House together with the Articles of Association are; Form IN01 and the Company Memorandum of Association. You can read more about what information is provided by these forms in our dedicated article here.

What are the Articles of Association?

The Articles of Association of a limited company outline how the company will be run on an ongoing basis. It forms the ‘constitution’ of the company.

The Articles are broken down into the following key sections:

1. Interpretation and limitation of liability
2. Directors
3. Shares and distributions
4. Decision-making by shareholders
5. Administrative arrangements

On 1st October 2009, new ‘model articles’ were introduced which apply by default to new limited companies. Unless you choose to submit your own Articles of Association for whatever reasons, the model articles will apply if you apply online.

Most ByteStart readers will form companies limited by shares, whereas other organisations, such as charities and not for profit groups, may set up companies limited by guarantee. Different model Articles of Association apply to each type of company.

Download ‘model’ Articles of Association here

You can view and download a copy of the latest Model articles from Company House, as follows:

• For a private company limited by shares.
• For a private company limited by guarantee.

Do you want to incorporate a company?

Many small business owners set up limited companies via formation agents or their accountants.

Our company formations partner, 1st Formations, has set up hundreds of limited companies. You can find out more about the fast and friendly service they offer here. You can incorporate your new company for just £52.99.

You can also read our overview on how to set up a limited company, and which forms are required to form a new limited company.