EQ DESIGN LIMITED

⚰️Wound downdissolved
SC223407 · ltd · incorporated 2001-09-20
Investment thesis
Company dissolved — not a live target.
Why interesting: Historical record only; useful for precedent research.
Why risky: Not transactable.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
52/100
Worth a look
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Advertising agencies
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)
Distressed unclear — structural issues outweigh the discount.

Opportunity 52/100 (worth a look), bankability 50/100. Strong seller-intent signal (65/100, director aged 64). Asset purchase likely safer than share purchase given structural signals. Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: Company dissolved. Company has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only. Most likely exit: strategic trade sale (53/100). Current lenders should be on monthly review.

Data confidence

Overall: low (48/100)

Sparse data coverage. Treat AI-generated outputs as preliminary. Manual diligence essential.

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
7 officers (3 active, 7 linked, 4 with DOB)
81
Ownership & PSC
No PSCs filed (unusual — worth investigating)
35
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
55 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
52/100Worth a look
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Mixed signal. Worth opening the full target workup before deciding to pursue.

Business quality
10
Concerning — overdue filings or status flags present.
Acquirability
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
49
Multiple red flags — proceed with caution.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (38 events)Click to expand
  1. 2018-01-25
    ⚠️
    gazette-dissolved-liquidation
    gazette · GAZ2
  2. 2018-01-25
    🏁
    Company dissolved
  3. 2017-10-25
    ⚠️
    liquidation-compulsory-return-of-final-meeting-scotland
    insolvency · 4.17(Scot)
  4. 2016-01-21
    ⚠️
    liquidation-compulsory-notice-winding-up-scotland
    insolvency · CO4.2(Scot)
  5. 2016-01-21
    ⚠️
    liquidation-compulsory-winding-up-order-scotland
    insolvency · 4.2(Scot)
  6. 2016-01-06
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  7. 2016-01-06
    ⚠️
    liquidation-compulsory-appointment-provisional-liquidator-scotland
    insolvency · 4.9(Scot)
  8. 2015-10-21
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  9. 2015-09-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  10. 2014-10-08
    📄
    second-filing-of-form-with-form-type-made-up-date
    document-replacement · RP04
  11. 2014-10-02
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  12. 2014-09-30
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  13. 2014-09-08
    ➖
    WINGFIELD, Karen resigned
    director
  14. 2014-06-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  15. 2013-09-27
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  16. 2013-08-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  17. 2013-02-22
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name
    officers · AP01
  18. 2013-02-11
    ➕
    WINGFIELD, Karen appointed
    director
  19. 2012-10-02
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  20. 2012-05-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  21. 2011-10-12
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  22. 2011-05-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  23. 2011-03-03
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name
    officers · TM01
  24. 2011-02-25
    ➖
    BRAITHWAITE, Martin Iain Christopher resigned
    director
  25. 2010-10-01
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  26. 2010-08-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  27. 2010-03-01
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name
    officers · AP01
  28. 2010-02-28
    ➕
    BRAITHWAITE, Martin Iain Christopher appointed
    director
  29. 2009-10-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  30. 2009-09-28
    📄
    legacy
    annual-return · 363a
  31. 2008-02-01
    ➕
    KEMP, Mark Gordon appointed
    director
  32. 2006-04-01
    ➕
    LEDINGHAM CHALMERS LLP appointed
    corporate-secretary
  33. 2006-04-01
    ➖
    LEDINGHAM CHALMERS resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  34. 2001-10-30
    ➕
    SUTHERLAND, Gary John appointed
    director
  35. 2001-10-30
    ➖
    DURANO LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  36. 2001-09-20
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As EQ DESIGN LIMITED
  37. 2001-09-20
    ➕
    LEDINGHAM CHALMERS appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  38. 2001-09-20
    ➕
    DURANO LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

76/100
High — earn-out structure required

Material 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.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

86/100
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 64. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 24 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

2 high ·
Company dissolved
high

Company has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only.

Evidence: Dissolved on 2018-01-25

5 insolvency-related filings on record
high

Filings relating to insolvency, liquidation, or administration exist in the company's history. Review before proceeding.

Evidence: 2018-01-25: gazette-dissolved-liquidation; 2017-10-25: liquidation-compulsory-return-of-final-meeting-scotland

🔒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 →

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

9 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

Statusdissolved
Typeltd
Incorporated2001-09-20
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC73110 — Advertising agencies

Registered office

56 Palmerston Place
Edinburgh
EH12 5AY

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: —
Last made up to: 2014-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: —
Last: —

Officers (0 active · 4 resigned)

LEDINGHAM CHALMERS LLP→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2006-04-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
KEMP, Mark Gordon→
director · ~53y · appointed 2008-02-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
SUTHERLAND, Gary John→
director · ~64y · appointed 2001-10-30
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
LEDINGHAM CHALMERS→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2001-09-20 · resigned 2006-04-01
Resigned
BRAITHWAITE, Martin Iain Christopher→
director · ~48y · appointed 2010-02-28 · resigned 2011-02-25
Resigned
WINGFIELD, Karen→
director · ~61y · appointed 2013-02-11 · resigned 2014-09-08
Resigned
DURANO LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2001-09-20 · resigned 2001-10-30
Resigned

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

Recent filings (55 total)

gazette-dissolved-liquidation
gazette · GAZ2
2018-01-25
liquidation-compulsory-return-of-final-meeting-scotland
insolvency · 4.17(Scot)
2017-10-25
liquidation-compulsory-notice-winding-up-scotland
insolvency · CO4.2(Scot)
2016-01-21
liquidation-compulsory-winding-up-order-scotland
insolvency · 4.2(Scot)
2016-01-21
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2016-01-06
liquidation-compulsory-appointment-provisional-liquidator-scotland
insolvency · 4.9(Scot)
2016-01-06
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2015-10-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
accounts · AA
2015-09-07
second-filing-of-form-with-form-type-made-up-date
document-replacement · RP04
2014-10-08
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2014-10-02
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2014-09-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
accounts · AA
2014-06-16
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2013-09-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
accounts · AA
2013-08-07
appoint-person-director-company-with-name
officers · AP01
2013-02-22