AFA SPECIAL PROJECTS LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
04268397 · ltd · incorporated 2001-08-10
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
£96.8k
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch
What this business does
Primary activity: Other engineering activities
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Asset-holding vehicle with a 65-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 65). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (78/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
8 officers (2 active, 8 linked, 5 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
79 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 105 (micro)
Positive net assets
Net assets £96,799

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
£97k
↑ 4.8% YoY
Current Assets
£54k
↑ 13% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£19k£39k£58k£77k£97kMar 2024Mar 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 105 (micro)
Metric2025-03-312024-03-31
Total assets£100.1k£95.6k
Current assets£54.4k£48.0k
Net assets£96.8k£92.3k

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-12-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-04-22
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  3. 2024-12-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-12-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-12-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  6. 2022-10-11
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  7. 2022-10-11
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  8. 2022-10-11
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  9. 2022-01-06
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2021-01-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2020-08-21
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  12. 2019-12-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  13. 2018-11-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2017-12-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2017-09-15
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  16. 2015-01-23
    ➖
    FRAME, Alexander resigned
    director
  17. 2011-03-31
    ➖
    LOVEDAY, Peter Steven resigned
    director
  18. 2006-03-31
    ➖
    WEST, Richard John resigned
    director
  19. 2003-02-04
    ➕
    FRAME, Alexander appointed
    director
  20. 2003-02-04
    ➕
    WEST, Richard John appointed
    director
  21. 2003-02-01
    ➖
    CUE, Richard resigned
    director
  22. 2002-02-04
    ➕
    LOVEDAY, Peter Steven appointed
    director
  23. 2001-08-10
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As AFA SPECIAL PROJECTS LIMITED
  24. 2001-08-10
    ➕
    BYARD, Antony Michael appointed
    secretary
  25. 2001-08-10
    ➕
    BYARD, Antony Michael appointed
    director
  26. 2001-08-10
    ➕
    SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  27. 2001-08-10
    ➖
    SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  28. 2001-08-10
    ➕
    CUE, Richard appointed
    director
  29. 2001-08-10
    ➕
    INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  30. 2001-08-10
    ➖
    INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

100/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 25 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 65 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

95/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 65. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 25 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 25 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Anthony Michael Byard
Individual · British · DOB 02/1961 · age 65
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

🔒Co-director network graph

Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Similar companies

Active · Professional services · HR postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
ABACUS GLOBAL ASSOCIATES LIMITED→
13772400 · est 2021 · no financials extracted
————4y——
ABOVE AND BEYOND MARKETING SERVICES LTD→
15207849 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
ACCASION MARQUEES LIMITED→
06198762 · est 2007 · no financials extracted
————19y——
ACCOUNTS4PROBATE LTD→
15621028 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————2y——
ACE GLOBAL CONSULTANCY GROUP LTD→
16364161 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
————1y——
ACE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CONSULTANTS LTD→
15583488 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————2y——
AD ACCOUNTING AND BUSINESS SOLUTIONS LIMITED→
15772904 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————1y——
ADAM CONSULTANCY LIMITED→
17053682 · est 2026 · no financials extracted
———————
ADAM SPACEY LTD→
14015566 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————4y——
ADVISE HR LIMITED→
09920343 · est 2015 · no financials extracted
————10y——
AERO FOUNDRY LTD→
16036960 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————1y——
AFRICA INVEST LTD→
16150138 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————1y——
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

8 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →
🔒Advanced scoring suite

Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Company details

Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated2001-08-10
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC71129 — Other engineering activities

Registered office

Old Court Barn
Brobury
Hereford
HR3 6DX
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-29
Last: 2025-08-15

Officers (2 active · 6 resigned)

BYARD, Antony Michael→
secretary · appointed 2001-08-10
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BYARD, Antony Michael→
director · ~65y · appointed 2001-08-10
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2001-08-10 · resigned 2001-08-10
Resigned
CUE, Richard→
director · ~77y · appointed 2001-08-10 · resigned 2003-02-01
Resigned
FRAME, Alexander→
director · ~69y · appointed 2003-02-04 · resigned 2015-01-23
Resigned
LOVEDAY, Peter Steven→
director · ~63y · appointed 2002-02-04 · resigned 2011-03-31
Resigned
WEST, Richard John→
director · ~55y · appointed 2003-02-04 · resigned 2006-03-31
Resigned
INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2001-08-10 · resigned 2001-08-10
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Recent filings (79 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-12-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-15
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-04-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-12-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-12-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-12-13
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2022-10-11
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2022-10-11
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-10-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-01-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-09-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-01-05