If your organisation become a DBS Umbrella Body, it puts you in a position of authority, allowing you to process DBS checks for others and operate as a trusted compliance partner. For many organisations, it is a natural progression as demand for safer recruitment and efficient vetting continues to grow.
This guide explains how to become a DBS Umbrella Body, the requirements you must meet, and how Quicker DBS provides a complete, fully branded Umbrella Body platform that eliminates the cost, complexity, and long development timelines associated with building your own system.
What Is a DBS Umbrella Body?
A DBS Umbrella Body is an organisation approved by the Disclosure and Barring Service to submit DBS applications on behalf of other organisations. Umbrella Bodies act as countersignatories, ensuring applications meet DBS standards and supporting organisations that either cannot or do not want to register directly with the DBS.
Who Can Become a DBS Umbrella Body?
To register directly with the DBS, your organisation must meet several strict conditions. You must:
- Process more than 100 eligible DBS check applications per year
- Be legally entitled to ask exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
- Comply with the DBS Code of Practice
- Register your organisation and countersignatories with the DBS
You must also provide clear and up-to-date information regarding:
- Your organisation’s legal status and structure
- Your nominated countersignatories and lead countersignatory
- The types of roles you intend to submit DBS checks for
- How you will meet or maintain the 100-check threshold
Once the DBS assesses your documentation and performs pre-registration checks, you will be invited to complete the registration process. This is when you can become a DBS Umbrella Body!
DBS Umbrella Body Registration Costs
When registering directly with the DBS, the following fees apply:
- £300 registration fee
- £5 per registered countersignatory
These are non-negotiables, and must be paid if you want to become a DBS Umbrella Body.
These fees cover the DBS’s administrative processing but do not include any of the infrastructure needed to become a Umbrella Body – software, hosting, compliance workflows, identity verification, audit trails, or applicant systems.
If You Process Fewer Than 100 Checks Per Year
Organisations processing fewer than 100 checks annually cannot register directly with the DBS. In this case, you must either use an existing Umbrella Body or operate through a white-label or co-branded solution until your volume grows. Quicker DBS provides both options and can help you transition to full Umbrella Body status once eligible.
The Biggest Challenge: Building the System to Operate as a DBS Umbrella Body
Meeting the DBS’s organisational requirements is only part of the journey. The operational challenge comes from the software and infrastructure needed to manage applications securely, compliantly, and efficiently.
Building your own DBS processing system typically involves:
- 12–24 months of specialist development
- Significant financial investment – often tens of thousands of pounds
- Integration with DBS e-bulk submission systems
- Secure hosting and GDPR-compliant data handling
- Identity verification flows, audit trails, permission management
- Support for applicants, employers, and countersignatories
- Ongoing updates to remain compliant with DBS changes
For many organisations, these barriers delay or completely halt their plans to become an Umbrella Body.
Why Quicker DBS Is the Most Efficient Way to Become a DBS Umbrella Body
Quicker DBS removes all of the development, technical, and operational barriers associated with becoming an Umbrella Body. Our platform is already built, fully compliant, and ready for immediate use—branded with your organisation’s name, logo, and identity.
This means you can begin operating as a DBS Umbrella Body far faster and at a fraction of the cost of building a system from scratch.
What Our Umbrella Body Package Includes
- A fully branded online DBS processing platform built around your identity
- A dedicated domain name exclusively for your Umbrella Body service
- Your own telephone number, answered in your organisation’s name
- All software hosting, maintenance, security updates, and enhancements
- Your organisation’s name displayed on DBS certificates
- Full support and guidance throughout operation
You handle countersigning and compliance; we handle the entire technical framework and software upkeep.
Clear Revenue Oppertunity Built In
Our Umbrella Body platform enables you to set your own admin fees, giving you full commercial control. We charge you a discounted rate, and the difference becomes your profit—paid monthly.
Included in your subscription:
- 50% discount on our standard DBS admin fees
- 33.33% discount on most additional services (international checks may vary)
This creates a scalable, recurring revenue model without the need for technical staff, developers, or large upfront investment.
Cost of Becoming a DBS Umbrella Body with Quicker DBS
The cost for a fully branded, professionally hosted, and revenue-enabled Umbrella Body system is:
£2000 per year
For organisations not yet processing 100 checks per year, our white-label and co-branding options provide a seamless starting point, with full support transitioning to Umbrella Body status when you reach eligibility.
| Co-Branding | White Labelling | Umbrella Body | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ideal For |
Organisations that just need to process DBS checks for their own staff or volunteers Sign Up |
Businesses wanting to offer DBS checks under their own brand (Revenue Oppertunity) Enquire |
Organisations wanting to operate as a full DBS Umbrella Body (Revenue Oppertunity) Enquire |
| Cost | Free | £1,000 per year | £2,000 per year |
| Revenue Sharing | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Set Your Own Prices | ❌ No – Fixed pricing by brand | ✅ Yes – You control your pricing | ✅ Yes – You control your pricing |
| Retail Oppertunity | ❌ None | ✅ Paid to you monthly | ✅ Paid to you monthly |
| Admin Fee Discount | ✅ Free Admin Credit Scheme | ✅ 33.33% discount on QuickerDBS pricing | ✅ 50% discount on QuickerDBS pricing |
| International/Other Services Discount | ❌ None | ✅ Lower discounts (some services) | ✅ Lower discounts (some services) |
| Same-Day Processing Guarantee | ✅ Yes – For checks submitted before 4pm | ✅ Yes – Backed by our system | 🟧 Optional – You set your own guarantees |
| Branding on Platform | ✅ Your logo shown alongside ours | ✅ Fully branded with your name and logo | ✅ Fully branded with your name and logo |
| Domain Name | ❌ Uses our domain | ✅ Dedicated domain included | ✅ Dedicated domain included |
| Phone Support Branding | ❌ Our team answers using our brand | ✅ Calls answered in your brand name | ✅ Calls answered in your brand name |
| Name on DBS Certificate | Yours + Ours | Organisation Requesting The Check, + Ours (you’re not the Umbrella Body) | Your organisation listed as the Umbrella Body |
| Countersigning Responsibility | We countersign | We countersign | You are responsible for countersigning |
| Software Updates Included | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
FAQs: Becoming a DBS Umbrella Body
What is a DBS Umbrella Body?
A DBS Umbrella Body is an organisation authorised to submit DBS checks for others, acting as a countersignatory and ensuring compliance with DBS requirements.
How many DBS checks must be processed to become an Umbrella Body?
To register as an Umbrella Body, you must do at least 100 eligible checks per year. If you process fewer, Quicker DBS can provide a white-label or co-branded solution until you reach the threshold.
How long does it take to build a DBS system?
Developing a compliant system typically takes 12–24 months and substantial investment. On top of this, there is the never-ending development and updates that need to be done. Quicker DBS offers an immediate alternative with a fully built system ready to deploy.
How much does it cost to become a DBS Umbrella Body with Quicker DBS?
The annual cost is £2000, which includes hosting, software maintenance, branding, a dedicated domain, telephone line, and revenue-sharing capabilities.
Will my organisation’s name appear on DBS certificates?
Yes—your organisation’s name appears on DBS certificates processed through your platform, giving you full authority and brand visibility.