In short: You can form a company for a Newcastle business fully online with us. As an England and Wales company it needs a registered office in England or Wales: your own Newcastle address or our central London address (not our Edinburgh one). Prices start at £290 including VAT and the £100 Companies House fee.
Starting a business in Newcastle
Newcastle City Council highlights three main sector strengths. Creative and digital is described as one of the most vibrant creative clusters outside London, with opportunities in software development, gaming and the creative industries. Science and healthcare covers life sciences, ageing, biomedicine and clinical trials; Newcastle is one of six designated UK Science Cities and home to the Centre for Life and Newcastle Helix. Offshore and marine benefits from Enterprise Zone status and access to the North Sea through the Port of Tyne, and the council notes that Newcastle is one of only six Centres for Offshore Renewable Engineering (CORE) in England.
The North East Combined Authority adds that Newcastle has one of the UK's fastest-growing tech clusters, with employers such as Sage, Ubisoft's largest UK games studio and a BBC Tech Hub, and strengths in game and software development, data analytics, e-commerce and cyber security.
So a new Newcastle company might be an indie games studio, a software or data consultancy, a health-tech start-up near Newcastle Helix, a marine engineering supplier, or a bar, café or retail business in the city centre.
A limited company keeps your personal assets separate from the business. Whether it is the best structure for your tax position depends on your situation, so ask an accountant if you are unsure.
Which registered office do you need?
Newcastle upon Tyne is in England, so your company will be registered in England and Wales. The registered office must be in England or Wales:
- Your own Newcastle address is fine, but it will be on the public register.
- Our central London address, through our Registered Office Address service at £250 a year, keeps your home address off the register. Official mail is scanned and emailed to you.
Our Edinburgh address cannot be used, because it is only for companies registered in Scotland.
We do not have an office in Newcastle. We are based in Edinburgh and work fully online.
Local support for new businesses in Newcastle
- North East Growth Hub, run by the North East Combined Authority and part of the UK Government's Business Growth Service, helps businesses of any size or stage find funding and support. It has a Start-up Toolkit, a smart technology readiness assessment, events and impartial advisers. Its start-up section directs new businesses to its Business Support Service for further help, and other toolkits cover leadership, markets, finance and funding, operations, and clean energy and nature.
- Business & IP Centre North East is part of the British Library's national network, based at Newcastle City Library, Charles Avison Building, 33 New Bridge Street West, NE1 8AX. It helps with market research, business information and intellectual property.
If you are building a games or software product, the Business & IP Centre is a sensible first stop for questions about protecting your brand and code.
Example: an indie games studio
This is an illustration, not a real client. Daniel and Chloe met while working at a large games studio in Newcastle. They want to set up their own studio, pitch a prototype to publishers and apply for funding. They have three small investors lined up, so they need share certificates and proper company registers from day one.
They chose the Digital Package at £290 and used Daniel's flat as the registered office for now. Both verified their identity with us online, and the company was registered within 24 hours, with share certificates and registers in their online account. They then signed up with the North East Growth Hub to look for funding programmes.
How it works
- Check that your name is available and order online.
- Verify your identity. As a Companies House Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), we check each director and person with significant control (PSC) and help you get your personal code.
- We file the application with Companies House. Most companies are registered within 24 hours of us receiving complete details.
- Download your documents in your online account, and we register the company with HMRC for Corporation Tax.
Next steps
The Digital Package at £290 suits most Newcastle founders using their own address. To keep your address private, choose the Privacy Package or add our Registered Office Address. Start with a free company name check.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Newcastle company use your Edinburgh registered office?
No. Newcastle companies are registered in England and Wales, so the registered office must be in England or Wales. Our central London address works.
Do I need to visit an office in Newcastle?
No. We do not have a Newcastle office; ordering, identity checks and documents are all online.
Can I use my Newcastle home address as the registered office?
Yes, but it will be public. If you rent, check that your tenancy allows it.
Where can I get free start-up support in Newcastle?
The North East Growth Hub has a Start-up Toolkit and advisers, and the Business & IP Centre North East at Newcastle City Library helps with research and intellectual property.
We have investors. Does the Digital Package include share certificates?
Yes. Every package includes share certificates and company registers, so you can show who owns what from day one.
Sources and local links
- A city of investment and growth — Newcastle City Council
- Digital growth and innovation — North East Combined Authority
- North East Growth Hub — North East Combined Authority
- Find your local Business & IP Centre — British Library
Other cities
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