Design organisation approvals

To apply for the issue or change to a UK Design Organisation approval, you will need to complete and submit CAA Form (SRG1765). 

You will need to refer to the Official Record Series 5 CAA Scheme of Charges.

If the number of hours taken by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to carry out its investigations in relation to the application exceeds the cost shown in the Scheme or Charges, the applicant must pay an excess hourly charge.

We will determine the excess hourly charge by taking the total number of excess hours taken by the CAA to complete the required investigations in relation to the application and multiplying that number of hours by an hourly charge.

The balance for the excess hourly charge (total hourly charge less initial charge already paid) is payable by the applicant to the CAA and will be invoiced to the applicant.

Payments can be made by credit or debit card or by bank transfer or by a cheque made payable to the Civil Aviation Authority.

When using bank transfer, please identify what the payment is for by including your approval reference and receiving department.

You will need to provide the following information when sending your application:

• An online application form submitted by an Authorised Representative of the Company.
• Completed CAA Form 4 - Details of Nominated Personnel - Airworthiness Organisations for required key personnel, in other words, Head of Design Organisation, Chief of the Office of Airworthiness and Chief of the Independent System Monitoring Function.
• Please ensure that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) policy on fitness of character is fully understood before submission of an application.
• A draft copy of the Design Organisation Handbook (DOH).
• A completed Principal Place of Business Key Facts (SRG1760) form if your organisation is trading as a registered company.
• A copy of the company Certificate of Incorporation if your organisation is trading as a registered company.
• Payment of the relevant fee (this can be made online).

• UK Regulation (EU) 748/2012 (Part 21)
• Official Record Series 5, CAA Scheme of Charges
• Leaflet C-30 ‘CAA Approvals – Non- Transferability' (CAP562)

• Correctly completed applications will be processed and acknowledged within 10 working days, then passed to the assigned Design Organisation Approval (DOA) Team Leader for investigation.
• The DOA Team Leader will conduct their investigation, the timings will vary, according to complexity.
• Approval certificates will be processed and dispatched within 20 working days, following receipt of a recommendation from the assigned DOA Team Leader.

• An automated email receipt following submission of the online application form.
• An email to confirm your provisional Part 21 approval number - normally within 10 working days.
• A Technical Support Officer will make an initial assessment of your application and DOH and will contact you with any queries.
• The Resource Management Team will contact you to arrange for a Design Organisation Approval (DOA) Team Leader to carry out the on-site audit
• Any questions regarding the scheduling of your on-site visit can be directed to the Resource Management Team at 01293 573600.
• A DOA Team Leader will conduct an audit against the requirements and raise an audit report detailing any findings.
• The DOA Team Leader will review the nominated personnel (interviews for key personnel may be carried out).
• If findings have been raised the organisation should address the findings and notify the DOA Team Leader of the actions taken.
• Once the audit findings relating to the initial application have been closed and when the DOA Team Leader is able to, a recommendation for the issue of the approval will be forwarded to Applications and Approvals (A&A).
• When A&A receive the recommendation the approval certificates will be raised and sent to your organisation within 20 working days.
• On receipt of the certificates, your organisation can begin undertaking and releasing work once you receive the certificates.

Approvals remain valid unless cancelled, suspended or revoked.

Once granted, an approval requires a recommendation for continuation every 24 months from the date of issue. This is raised by the Design Organisation Approval (DOA) Team Leader following a satisfactory audit programme.