Formation provider procurement
Limited Company Formation Services: How to Compare Providers
Compare what a provider must prove, deliver and hand over before you accept the engagement.
Compare limited company formation services by the provider’s authority, the exact work included and the evidence you receive at completion. Require clear answers on identity verification, registered-office support, ownership documents, filing access and ongoing responsibilities. Use the same written brief for each quote so you can judge a complete engagement against your actual needs.
The procurement method below is broadly useful; the regulatory examples concern a UK private company limited by shares and were checked on October 30, 2026. Confirm local rules if you are forming elsewhere, and treat company registration, tax administration and operating permissions as separate workstreams.
Key takeaways
- Compare deliverables and exclusions before ranking quotes.
- Verify the authority of whoever performs a Companies House identity check.
- Specify address permission, statutory-mail handling and renewal terms separately.
- Approve the application before filing and test access at handover.
- Assign recurring duties even when a provider offers ongoing support.
Set the brief before comparing providers
Give each provider the same instruction sheet: proposed incorporation jurisdiction, private company limited by shares, intended activity, owners, directors and whether the company will trade immediately. Add the people who live abroad, any corporate shareholders and any nonstandard share rights. Request an explicit statement of what the provider will prepare, check, submit and return.
A straightforward company with agreed ownership and standard articles may need filing support. Multiple founders, tailored investor rights or a corporate ownership chain may need legal or accounting input before filing. Ask who supplies that advice and who contracts with you for it. A larger bundle is useful only when its additional work answers a need in your brief.
Separate five services in every proposal: formation, identity verification, addresses, tax or accounting work, and ongoing company administration. A certificate of incorporation confirms legal existence; it does not itself establish permission for a regulated activity, a bank account or a particular tax outcome. Companies House explains the certificate and registration process .
For the UK worked context, HSJGlobal’s UK company registration service provides a relevant starting point for a scoped discussion. Request a written proposal against your instruction sheet rather than assuming every listed service is included in one engagement.
Use a procurement matrix with stop conditions
Compare evidence rather than the length of a feature list. Send the matrix below to shortlisted providers and ask them to mark each item included, optional or excluded. Save the response beside the proposal. The pass and stop tests are purchasing controls, not a statutory accreditation scheme.
| Deliverable | Evidence to request | Pass or stop test | Contract question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formation record | Draft application and proposed ownership schedule | Pass: you approve the details before filing | Who fixes an error that differs from our approved draft? |
| Identity verification | Named verifier, route and authority evidence | Stop: no clear authorised verifier for an agent-led check | Is verification included, referred out or completed directly? |
| Registered office | Address permission and mail-handling terms | Pass: statutory post reaches a responsible person | Which mail is covered, and what happens on termination? |
| Company handover | Document inventory and access demonstration | Stop: company access depends solely on the supplier | What must we receive before marking the job complete? |
| Recurring work | Named filing owner and renewal schedule | Pass: preparation and submission duties are distinct | Which reminders, returns and correction work are excluded? |
Apply the stop conditions before ranking price or convenience. A provider should explain a gap, offer an acceptable alternative or revise the scope. A polished website does not cure an unidentified contracting entity, an unexplained subcontractor or an inaccessible handover. Verify the supplier’s legal name and match it to the invoice and engagement terms.
For providers that pass, compare named support contacts, handling of unusual facts, response commitments and the effort your team must supply. Ask for a redacted sample handover inventory. A sample can demonstrate format and scope without exposing another client’s personal information. Record unresolved questions as conditions to appointment.
Verify identity-check authority and address scope
In the UK, Companies House identity-verification guidance distinguishes direct verification through GOV.UK One Login from verification by an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). Directors and people with significant control have verification requirements; the timing depends on the role and circumstances. Ask how the provider will confirm the applicable step for each person, including someone holding both roles.
As checked on October 30, 2026, the current ACSP rules require registration for agents that verify clients’ identities for Companies House. The broader requirement for all agents filing for clients is described as future. Do not treat ordinary filing assistance as proof of authority to perform an agent-led identity check, or describe every filing-only provider as already required to be an ACSP.
For an agent-led check, obtain the verifier’s legal name and claimed UK anti-money laundering supervisory body. Confirm the supervisory status with that body and request evidence of ACSP registration. The Companies House ACSP list is voluntary to appear on and may be incomplete; absence alone is inconclusive. It is not an endorsement. Follow its link to check ceased or suspended agents before engagement.
An address bundle needs its own review. UK registered-office guidance requires an appropriate physical address in the UK country of registration, where statutory post comes to someone’s attention and delivery can be acknowledged. A PO Box is insufficient. Confirm permission to use the address, the service term, statutory-mail alerts and the procedure for changing it when the service ends.
Distinguish the registered office from a director’s service address, general trading correspondence and parcel handling. Ask which are included and whether scans, forwarding or overseas postage are extra. Confirm who monitors the registered email address. Mail forwarding is an operating service ; its coverage should be written into the contract.
Agree milestones before submitting the application
Use four acceptance milestones instead of a single promise that everything will be “set up”. These are recommended contract controls. Their order makes the customer’s approval, the registry result and the practical handover separately visible. Dates should identify client dependencies, provider preparation and authority processing rather than promise an unconditional completion time.
- Scope approved: agree the entity, ownership, articles, services, exclusions and the person authorised to give filing instructions.
- Submission authorised: approve the final application and confirm the required identity steps and address permissions. Record what happens if further evidence is requested.
- Handover accepted: reconcile the accepted company record with the approved instructions and demonstrate access to the delivered documents and company filing arrangements.
- Recurring owner named: assign the first compliance tasks, address renewal and monitoring duties to a named person or separately engaged adviser.
Ask how a rejected application is handled and who bears correction work for provider mistakes versus changed client instructions. A submission receipt is evidence that work was sent; it is not acceptance of the company record. If a promised document or access arrangement is outstanding, record that exception before accepting completion.
Take control of the company handover
Agree the handover inventory before paying for the service. Request the incorporation certificate, the articles and formation documents used, the approved ownership and officer details, and copies of submissions and acceptance notices. Specify which shareholder documents or internal records the provider prepares and which require a separate adviser. Check names, dates, shares and appointments against the authorised instructions.
Treat owner-controlled access as a deliverable. Use email addresses the responsible people can retain, document authorised filing access and test document retrieval. The company authentication code and an individual’s Companies House personal code serve different purposes. Keep both secure and share only with trusted authorised people; do not place them in public files or the comparison matrix.
Companies House online-filing guidance distinguishes WebFiling access from identity verification: connecting an account to GOV.UK One Login is not itself an identity check. People should use their own login arrangements. Ask the provider to demonstrate the agreed access route without asking anyone to surrender their personal login credentials.
If a provider proposes a nominee director, ask what decisions that person may make, which bank or contract authorities are proposed, how conflicts are handled and how replacement works. UK director appointment guidance says directors do not have to live in the UK. A resident nominee should therefore not be presented as a universal UK formation requirement. Obtain advice on the specific arrangement before appointing one.
For the decisions behind ownership and constitutional records, read how to compare company formation services by governance deliverables . Use that governance review alongside the provider contract and access tests here.
Compare renewals, corrections and exit terms
Normalise quotations by asking each provider to price the same scope. Separate government filing charges, the professional service, third-party items and any applicable taxes. Ask whether amounts include tax and which items recur. This comparison does not require invented package rates: it requires a current written quote with a clear inclusion list and validity period.
Check the renewal term, notice period, automatic renewal, mail charges, document retrieval and exit assistance. Identify whether the address or other service starts at purchase, incorporation or activation. Request the same first-period and renewal-period assumptions from every supplier. A low initial charge is hard to assess if the renewal scope or required add-ons are unknown.
Recurring support must distinguish reminders, preparation, approval and actual submission. Companies House requires a confirmation statement at least yearly , including for dormant companies. Annual accounts are a separate task. Director-responsibility guidance makes clear that hiring a professional does not remove the director’s responsibility for records, accounts and filings.
Obtain a responsibility schedule for annual filings, changes in company details, bookkeeping and any separately required tax work. A nominee director also retains director duties and must exercise independent judgement. Set an escalation contact for missed instructions or unavailable records. On exit, require a documented transition of address, records and filing permissions so essential communications continue to reach the company.
Choose the provider you can hold to account
Select the provider that passes the authority and handover tests, addresses your company’s complexity and accepts a clear scope. Resolve exclusions before appointment. Keep the approved instruction sheet, evidence matrix, written quote and milestone terms together so the purchase can be checked against an agreed result.
Completion means an accepted company record and a usable handover. Before signing off, confirm who holds the documents, who can administer the company and who owns the next filing. Where a bank, tax authority or sector regulator must make a separate decision, record that dependency and its owner rather than marking it complete with incorporation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I file directly instead of using a provider?
Yes, the UK provides a direct registration route. Compare the work you can confidently prepare yourself with the advice, address support and administration you want to purchase. A provider is most useful when its scope resolves a specific gap.
Does an ACSP listing guarantee service quality?
No. Companies House does not endorse listed agents, and its published list may be incomplete. Verify the agent’s current status and assess the actual contract, relevant experience and handover evidence separately.
Does a nonresident director need a UK nominee?
UK director residence is not a universal requirement. If a provider proposes a nominee, require a specific reason and advice on authority, duties and replacement. Rules in other countries may differ.
Which documents should an overseas founder expect to provide?
Ask for a role-specific checklist identifying the person, entity and identity-verification evidence needed. Request an explanation for additional documents arising from corporate ownership or unusual facts. Do not assume every foreign document requires notarisation or an apostille.
What if I change providers after incorporation?
Agree access, record transfer, replacement address arrangements and removal of unnecessary filing permissions. Confirm who completes outstanding tasks and who monitors official communications during the transition.
