Questions bodybuilders actually ask.
Answered plainly, from the VCA's published guidance and from having done it.
The rule
Do we actually have to do this?
Yes, if your approval is GB unlimited or GB medium series — for every M, N or O vehicle built from 29 November 2026. National small series approvals are exempt. Vehicles built before 29 November don't need one, even if registered later.
We're a stage 2 builder. Do we need the base vehicle's data in the file?
No. The VCA's own FAQ says multistage builders only complete the sections that apply to their stage. What goes in and what doesn't.
Can you submit the files for us?
No, and neither can anyone else. The VCA are explicit that third parties can't submit on a manufacturer's behalf. You upload under your own portal login.
Is this "VCA approved"?
The VCA don't approve software. CoC AutoDocs's files are checked against the VCA's published schema before they're made and signed in the format the VCA portal accepts. Acceptance is always the VCA's decision.
Signing
What's the "digital signature"? We just sign the paper one.
Not a picture of anyone's signature. It's a certificate issued in the company's name, like an electronic company stamp, that seals each file. The VCA reject any file that carries no signature at all. With CoC AutoDocs the seal is included: we hold it for you, so there is nothing to buy, install or renew. A test key is built in so you can start uploading to the VCA test system today.
Where do we get that certificate?
You don't have to get one. It's included. We hold the seal for you with a provider on the UK trusted list, in your company's name. The only part that needs you is a short verification of your company: your company number, a director confirming they can act for it, sometimes a callback. The VCA's guidance says to sign the way EU manufacturers do, and today they check that a signature is present rather than which grade of seal was used. If your company already holds a certificate, you can use that in the app instead. The certificate you need before November covers the rest.
Your files and data
Where does our data go?
Nobody handles a private key. The seal's key is made and kept in the provider's certified hardware and never leaves it, so neither you nor we can copy it. The files you make and your history are stored in an EU data centre, encrypted in transit, and only your team can open them in the app. Our own access is limited to running and supporting the service, and every administrative action is logged. You upload to the VCA yourself, under your own login.
What if a file's wrong?
Correct it in the app and reissue. The new file carries the next version number, which is how the VCA's system handles corrections, and the old one is marked superseded.
Who's behind it?
An independent software business in Greater Manchester, built around what a small bodybuilder's office actually needs from eCoC and nothing more. About.