DESIGN ENGINEERING WORKSHOP LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
SC524625 · ltd · incorporated 2016-01-19
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 3.7y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Apr 2025
Net worth
£169.4k
book net assets
Opportunity
75/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Engineering related scientific and technical consulting activities
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: asset-holding vehicle with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 75/100 (strong), bankability 85/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · oldest 3.7y
75/100
ready
Refinance conversation should be productive — structure clean and timing right.
- · Charge age ~3.7 years — mid-life; refi window approaching.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Legal-friction score 15/100 — clean.
Data confidence
Overall: high (81/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
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
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
2 officers (2 active, 2 linked, 2 with DOB)
90
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
34 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
75/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
55
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
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 £169,402
Net assets shrinking
Down £17,539 YoY
Cash YoY
+94%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£41k
↑ 94% YoY
Net Worth
£169k
↓ 9.4% YoY
Current Assets
£252k
↑ 87% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-04-30 | 2024-04-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £174.4k | £201.9k |
| Current assets | £252.0k | £135.0k |
| Cash | £41.3k | £21.2k |
| Debtors | £210.7k | £113.7k |
| Net assets | £169.4k | £186.9k |
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
2
filings
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (24 events)Click to expand
- 2025-12-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-11-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-03-21📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2024-03-21📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2023-12-11📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-12-11📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-12-11🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2023-12-11🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2023-10-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-09-13📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2022-09-05📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2022-09-02🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Together Commercial Finance Limited
- 2022-08-30📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2022-08-30🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Together Commercial Finance Limited
- 2022-07-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-09-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-02-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-01-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-01-23📄capital-name-of-class-of-sharescapital · SH08
- 2019-01-22📄capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-sharescapital · SH10
- 2019-01-16📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2016-01-19🏢Company incorporatedAs DESIGN ENGINEERING WORKSHOP LIMITED
- 2016-01-19➕FRASER, Alan appointeddirector
- 2016-01-19➕SINCLAIR, Mark appointeddirector
Owner dependency
63/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +No director turnover: Company is 10 years old with no director changes — suggests a very tight-knit founder team never broadened.
Succession & seller-readiness
41/100
Moderate signalSome succession indicators present. Worth watching; approach if sector/strategy fits.
SIGNALS
- 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
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Alan Fraser Individual · British · DOB 03/1990 · age 36 | 25–50% | 25–50% | board controlsig. influence25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control · significant influence · firm interest | 06/04/2016 |
Mr Mark Sinclair Individual · British · DOB 04/1972 · age 54 | 25–50% | 25–50% | board controlsig. influence25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control · significant influence · firm interest | 06/04/2016 |
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 · G postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRASER MACLEAN CONSULTING LIMITED→ SC876787 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| FRAUNHOFER UK RESEARCH LIMITED→ SC419797 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| FREEWHEELING CAMPERS LTD→ SC809380 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| FRUIN ENGINEERING LTD→ SC500828 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| FUTURE BY INSECTS LIMITED→ SC690632 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| FUTURE GRIFFITH HOLDINGS LTD→ SC444476 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
| FYNTO LIMITED→ SC858986 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| G15 CAR RENTALS LTD→ SC869444 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| G3 CONSULTANTS LTD→ SC800474 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| GABANA CONSULTING LTD→ SC666836 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| GAIN ADVANTAGE LTD→ SC474763 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| GANESH PRASAD LTD→ SC878994 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
6 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
Incorporated2016-01-19
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC71122 — Engineering related scientific and technical consulting activities
Registered office
5/3 The Connal Building
34 West George Street
Glasgow
G2 1DA
Scotland
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-01-31
Last made up to: 2025-04-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-03
Last: 2025-11-19
Officers (2 active · 0 resigned)
FRASER, Alan→
Activedirector · ~36y · appointed 2016-01-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SINCLAIR, Mark→
Activedirector · ~54y · appointed 2016-01-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Together Money Together Commercial Finance Limited | A registered charge | 1 property | 02/09/2022 | 11/12/2023 | |
| satisfied | Together Money Together Commercial Finance Limited | A registered charge | — | 30/08/2022 | 11/12/2023 |
Recent filings (34 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-11-27
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-19
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2024-03-21
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2024-03-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-02-14
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-12-11
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-12-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-10-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-02-01
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2022-09-13
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2022-09-05
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2022-08-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-07-07