2C DESIGN CONSULTANTS LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
05014143 · ltd · incorporated 2004-01-13
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 Dec 2024
Net worth
£22.2k
book net assets
Opportunity
74/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Architectural activities
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: asset-holding vehicle with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 74/100 (strong), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 55). 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 (58/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
3 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 19.3y
30/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 19.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (77/100)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
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (1 active, 7 linked, 3 with DOB)
79
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
79 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
74/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £22,218
Net assets shrinking
Down £224 YoY
Cash YoY
-26%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£34k
↓ 26% YoY
Net Worth
£22k
~ YoY
Current Assets
£69k
↑ 3.5% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-12-31 | 2023-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £46.5k | £51.7k |
| Current assets | £69.3k | £67.0k |
| Cash | £33.6k | £45.4k |
| Debtors | £33.2k | £19.1k |
| Net assets | £22.2k | £22.4k |
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 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (37 events)Click to expand
- 2025-09-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-07-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-07-27📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-07-27📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-07-27🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2023-07-27🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2022-09-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-10-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-09-14📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2020-09-14📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2020-09-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-09-09➖HEWITT, Rachael Mary resignedsecretary
- 2020-09-09➖HEWITT, Rachael Mary resigneddirector
- 2020-02-17📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2020-02-17📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2020-02-17📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2020-02-17📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2020-02-14📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2019-09-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-10-15📄legacymiscellaneous · RP04CS01
- 2017-11-24🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2017-08-14🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2017-06-06🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2017-01-01➕HEWITT, Rachael Mary appointeddirector
- 2007-01-18🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited
- 2006-05-15➖HEWITT, Chris resignedsecretary
- 2006-05-15➕HEWITT, Rachael Mary appointedsecretary
- 2006-05-15➖LAMBERT, Paul resigneddirector
- 2004-01-13🏢Company incorporatedAs 2C DESIGN CONSULTANTS LIMITED
- 2004-01-13➕HEWITT, Chris James appointeddirector
- 2004-01-13➕HEWITT, Chris appointedsecretary
- 2004-01-13➕SECRETARIAL APPOINTMENTS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2004-01-13➖SECRETARIAL APPOINTMENTS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2004-01-13➕LAMBERT, Paul appointeddirector
- 2004-01-13➕CORPORATE APPOINTMENTS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2004-01-13➖CORPORATE APPOINTMENTS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
85/100
Critical — business is the founderThe 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 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 22 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 22 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
1 med ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Christopher James Hewitt Individual · British · DOB 04/1971 · age 55 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 CA LIMITED→ 10468164 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| 11 MBF LTD→ 15317050 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 13 SOLUTIONS LTD→ 13380164 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| 202C LIMITED→ 13341230 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| 21 RACING LTD→ 12383717 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| 24 SE7EN ACCOUNTANTS LIMITED→ 05462289 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| 2911 MANAGEMENT LIMITED→ 17028345 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2CEDARS LTD→ 11166958 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| 2CFUTURES LTD→ 14140589 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| 2MM GROUP LTD→ 11900798 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| 2TIX LTD→ 12371727 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| 2YE LIMITED→ 14752286 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
7 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
Incorporated2004-01-13
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC71111 — Architectural activities
Registered office
1 Rushmills
Northampton
Northamptonshire
NN4 7YB
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-01-27
Last: 2026-01-13
Officers (1 active · 6 resigned)
HEWITT, Chris James→
Activedirector · ~55y · appointed 2004-01-13
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HEWITT, Chris→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2004-01-13 · resigned 2006-05-15
HEWITT, Rachael Mary→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2006-05-15 · resigned 2020-09-09
SECRETARIAL APPOINTMENTS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2004-01-13 · resigned 2004-01-13
HEWITT, Rachael Mary→
Resigneddirector · ~46y · appointed 2017-01-01 · resigned 2020-09-09
LAMBERT, Paul→
Resigneddirector · ~56y · appointed 2004-01-13 · resigned 2006-05-15
CORPORATE APPOINTMENTS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2004-01-13 · resigned 2004-01-13
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
3
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 24/11/2017 | 27/07/2023 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | A registered charge | — | 14/08/2017 | 27/07/2023 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited | All assets debenture | 1 property | 18/01/2007 | 06/06/2017 |
Recent filings (79 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-09-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-07-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-09-18
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-07-27
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-07-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-01-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-09-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-02-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-10-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-01-13
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2020-09-14
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2020-09-14