ACER TRAINING LIMITED
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
Opportunity 72/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 66). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: 1 insolvency-related filing on record. Filings relating to insolvency, liquidation, or administration exist in the company's history. Review before proceeding. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Data confidence
Overall: high (80/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 0 | 0 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
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
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 2 capital
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 insolvency
Corporate timeline (18 events)Click to expand
- 2026-02-17📄capital-statement-capital-company-with-date-currency-figurecapital · SH19
- 2026-02-17📄legacycapital · SH20
- 2026-02-17⚠️legacyinsolvency · CAP-SS
- 2026-02-17📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2025-12-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-10-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-10-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-11-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-09-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-08-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-10-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-11-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-11-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2016-09-19📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2016-04-15📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2016-03-25🏢Company incorporatedAs ACER TRAINING LIMITED
- 2016-03-25➕HOULTON, Anne Elizabeth appointeddirector
- 2016-03-25➕HOULTON, Stephen Christopher, Dr appointeddirector
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 66 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
- +No director turnover: Company is 10 years old with no director changes — suggests a very tight-knit founder team never broadened.
Succession & seller-readiness
Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 66. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
1 high ·Filings relating to insolvency, liquidation, or administration exist in the company's history. Review before proceeding.
Evidence: 2026-02-17: legacy
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Anne Elizabeth Houlton Individual · British · DOB 08/1960 · age 66 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 06/04/2016 |
Dr Stephen Christopher Houlton Individual · British · DOB 12/1961 · age 65 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
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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 →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
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (2 active · 0 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.