The Big Lemon is a Community Interest Company (CIC).

CICs are registered limited companies with special additional features, created for people who want to conduct a business for community benefit, and not purely for profit.

This is achieved by a “community interest test”, an “asset lock”, and a “dividend cap”. These ensure that the company is established for community purposes and the assets and profits are dedicated to these purposes.

CICs are regulated by the CIC Regulator.