A1.10.2: Which government body and contract number require certification?
Who is the government contracting organisation and the contract number?
Source: IASME Cyber Essentials Danzell question set v16.3
A1.10.2 appears when you chose 'required for government contract' in A1.10. Give the contracting government organisation and the contract number. Do not give bid or project numbers that are protectively marked, as IASME's A1.10 guidance asks. If the number is sensitive or not yet issued, name the department and say so. The answer is not marked.
Is A1.10.2 an automatic fail?
No. A1.10.2 records information about your organisation and is not marked against a technical requirement, so no answer to it fails the assessment. Inaccurate or contradictory details may be returned by the assessor for correction.
- Answer type
- Notes a notes question, answered in free text
- IASME guidance
- Please provide the contract number and the contracting organisation.
- Requirement enforced
- Section A1 collects the details that appear on the certificate and shape which later questions are shown.
- Outcome if non-compliant
- Not marked against a requirement; inaccurate details may be returned for correction
What does A1.10.2 ask?
A1.10.2 asks: “Who is the government contracting organisation and the contract number?”
A1.10.2 asks who the government contracting organisation is and what the contract number is. The guidance asks for both.
UK central government contracts that involve handling personal information or providing certain ICT services commonly require Cyber Essentials; see Cyber Essentials for UK government contracts. Defence suppliers have their own route, covered in MoD and defence suppliers.
What should you write in the notes field for A1.10.2?
Write two to four specific sentences for A1.10.2: what you do, who owns it, how often it happens and the record that proves it.
A model answer to adapt. Replace everything in square brackets with your own facts, and delete anything that is not true.
[Department or agency name], contract number [number] (or: tender stage, contract number not yet issued; or: details protectively marked)
What mistakes do applicants make with A1.10.2?
A common mistake with A1.10.2: entering a protectively marked bid or project reference.
- Giving a framework name with no contracting body.
- Leaving it blank because the contract is still at tender stage; say so instead.
- Naming the prime contractor when the requirement actually came from them, which belongs in A1.10.1.
How do you get A1.10.2 right?
Work through these steps before you enter A1.10.2 in the portal:
- Give the contracting department or agency and the contract number.
- If the contract number is protectively marked, do not enter it: name the department and say the reference is protectively marked.
How do assessors check A1.10.2?
Where to go next
- UK government contractsWhen certification is required
- MoD and defence suppliersThe defence route
- How to get certifiedThe application, step by step
- What Cyber Essentials costsIASME fee bands and assessor prices
- All A1 questionsYour organisation
- Cyber Essentials checklistThe evidence to gather for every question
- Check your readinessScore your answers, auto-fails first
Other A1 questions
Frequently asked questions
A1.10.2 in the 2026 Danzell Cyber Essentials question set asks: "Who is the government contracting organisation and the contract number?" It is a notes question, answered in free text.
A1.10.2 appears when you chose 'required for government contract' in A1.10. Give the contracting government organisation and the contract number. Do not give bid or project numbers that are protectively marked, as IASME's A1.10 guidance asks. If the number is sensitive or not yet issued, name the department and say so. The answer is not marked.
No. A1.10.2 records information about your organisation and is not marked against a technical requirement, so no answer to it fails the assessment. Inaccurate or contradictory details may be returned by the assessor for correction.
No. If you are at tender stage, name the department and say the contract number has not been issued yet. The answer is not marked.
If a Ministry of Defence contract requires certification, yes. Do not include any protectively marked references.
Would you pass the 2026 question set?
Answer 24 yes or no questions, built by the assessors who mark Cyber Essentials, and get a readiness score in about five minutes, with any auto-fail questions you miss flagged first in your results.
- IASME Certification Body
- CREST accredited
- IASME fee included
- UK offices in Leeds, Newcastle, London and Edinburgh