Completing an AALA licence application can feel daunting, particularly if you’re applying for the first time or have not been through the process recently.
In this article, we take you through some top tips to help you and your inspector get off ‘on the right foot’.
“How much supporting information should I provide?”“Can you put in too much information?”
“How many supporting documents is too many or not enough?”
The answer is usually the same: provide enough information to help your inspector understand how your operation is managed, but avoid overwhelming the application with unnecessary detail at the outset. The application form and supporting documentation are designed to give your inspector an initial understanding of your provision before discussions begin during the review process.
The application form: think overview, not overload
Your inspector will carefully review the information you provide in your application. To help the assessment process run smoothly, you must complete every section of the form. You can do this by either answering the question directly using text, or clearly signposting the supporting document that contains the relevant information. Note that AALA will return applications with missing information and unfilled text boxes.
The aim is not to demonstrate everything you know about safety management, but to give a clear overview of how each area of the licensing regulations is managed within your organisation.
To find the right balance between not enough and too much information, focus on giving the inspector a good feel for how each area of regulation is managed. Too much detail on your application form at this early stage can over complicate the information you are trying to share and be difficult to fully understand without context or clarifying questions. This may result in the Inspector having to ask additional questions in the management interview.
A useful approach is to:
- Provide a concise overview of your systems and processes.
- Use the questions in the form to explain how each regulation is managed in practice.
- Reference supporting policies or procedures where appropriate.
- Save time by providing relevant page numbers or policy information rather than reproducing large amounts of text in the application form.
- Keep it relevant. Submitting unnecessary documents relating to things like police disclosure checks, insurance, or training in subjects not relevant to an AALA application slows the process down, meaning that your application review could start later than you planned.
Think of the application form as the beginning of a conversation rather than the complete story.
Activities to appear on the licence
One area that frequently creates confusion is the activities section.
The application form lists the four licensable activity categories and the individual activities that generally sit within them. However, many providers also include activities that are either not licensable, or which they do not deliver within the scope of the Adventure Activity Licensing Regulations, such as orienteering or mountain biking in lowland or local terrain.
Your inspector will still ask you about the activities that you deliver outside of the scope of the regulations as part of the review process, but you can focus the review by not listing them in the licensable activities section of the application form.
Supporting documents
The supporting documentation should do just that – support your application.
As with the application form, the purpose of this information is to help your inspector begin to understand your provision and how it is managed. They will ask further questions in the management interview as part of the ‘core review’ stage of your application review. This process is described in full here.
You must include:
- Risk assessments for all the licensable activities included in your application.
You should also include:
- Operating procedures for all licensable activities (If you use these)
- Emergency procedures and supporting aide memoires for instructors/groups
- A sample of instructor competence records and/or qualification matrices (if you use these)
You may also wish to include examples of:
- Equipment checklists and inspection logs
- Aide memoirs / crib cards for instructors
- Staff handbooks
- Site or venue specific information for instructors
A good rule of thumb:
For everything other than risk assessments, rather than uploading multiple examples of the same document type, provide one or two examples that give your inspector a flavour of how your systems work.
Questions to ask before you submit:
- Based on what we have provided, would somebody unfamiliar with our organisation understand how we manage activities?
- Have we clearly explained how our safety management systems work?
- Are we providing evidence, or simply more paperwork?
- Have we included documents that genuinely help explain our provision?
The strongest applications are usually those that are clear, concise and easy to navigate.
Preparing for the management interview
It is very important to apply on time. That means no more than six months before your current licence expires, and no less than three months; or, if this is your first application, no less than three months before you wish to begin delivering activities for which a licence is required.
Once your application has been processed by AALA, Adventure RMS will contact you via email to confirm your inspector’s name and advise on the timescales for the application review. Your inspector has 42 days to complete the entire review process, which may also include a site visit. They must submit a report at the end of this period, so please ensure that you have time available to meet with your inspector in the weeks immediately following your application (for example, don’t submit your application and then go on holiday or on expedition for a month!).
Your inspector will contact you to arrange the management interview – an online meeting that typically lasts around 60-90 minutes, and helps the inspector develop a more detailed understanding of how your provision is managed in relation to the licensing regulations.
Who should attend?
The best participants for the management interview are people who:
- Have a detailed understanding of activity operations
- Are able to describe the venues used
- Understand your safety management systems
- Can explain how procedures are applied in practice
- Have direct operational experience of the activities being discussed
How many people should be invited?
Generally, fewer is better.
As a guide:
- 1–2 attendees is ideal.
- 3 attendees would normally be considered the maximum.
Larger meetings can make it more difficult for the inspector to develop a clear understanding of your provision and may slow the conversation.
Creating the right environment
Meeting location:
The management interview is an important part of the process and helps shape what the inspector does for the remainder of the review. It is important that you can focus fully on the meeting.
Choose:
✅ A quiet and private office or meeting room away from public or noisy areas
✅ A reliable internet connection
✅ The largest screen you have available (not your phone). A large laptop or tablet is best for screen sharing (e.g. Google or OS maps)
Avoid:
❌ Public spaces
❌ Background noise
❌ Taking the meeting while you have other duties or distractions
Having your camera switched on is important, it can help to create a more productive and engaging conversation.
Tech is great until it doesn’t work. Please ensure that you are familiar with your device, and that you have a stable internet connection in your chosen location.
Inspector’s perspective
“The strongest reviews often begin with an application form and documents that are easy to understand and a management interview that focuses on explaining how the organisation operates in practice. Good application forms aren’t necessarily the longest ones—they are usually the clearest.”
Final thoughts
The application review process is not about producing or providing the largest volume of paperwork. It is about helping your inspector understand how you manage adventure activities safely and effectively.
“If you find yourself tempted to ‘create’ a document for the purposes of the application process you may be going astray!”
A clear application form, relevant supporting documentation and a well-prepared management interview will help both you and your inspector make the most of the review process. They also ensure the continuation review that follows is focused, proportionate and efficient in the demands it makes upon you.
By focusing on clarity, relevance and practical evidence of how your systems work, you’ll give yourself the best possible start to a successful application review.
Useful resources:
Adventure RMS website – Application review process
HSE/AALA Guide to Completing the Application Form
HSE website – Apply for a licence
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