Company formation in Nottingham

Starting a business in Nottingham

The EMCCA Growth Hub, the public business support network for the area, describes Nottingham as a major centre for business growth with two universities, a large talent pool and lower operating costs. It points to well-known employers across data and technology (Experian, GoDaddy, Ideagen), finance (Capital One), retail (Boots), leisure (Center Parcs) and fashion (Paul Smith), alongside a newer wave of creative enterprises. Across the wider East Midlands it highlights advanced manufacturing and clean energy.

That mix shows in the companies Nottingham founders start: data, software and fintech consultancies, retail and e-commerce brands, fashion and design labels, creative agencies, and engineering suppliers.

A limited company separates your personal finances from the business and gives a clear structure for sharing ownership. Whether it is right for your tax position depends on your circumstances, so speak to an accountant if you are unsure.

Which registered office do you need?

Nottingham is in England, so your company will be registered in England and Wales, and its registered office must be in England or Wales. Your choices:

• Your own Nottingham address. This is allowed, but it will be published on the Companies House register.
• Our central London address. With our Registered Office Address service at £250 a year, official letters from Companies House, HMRC and the courts are scanned and emailed to you.

Our Edinburgh address is only for companies registered in Scotland, so it cannot be a Nottingham company's registered office.

We do not have an office in Nottingham. We are based in Edinburgh and work entirely online.

Local support for new businesses in Nottingham

• EMCCA Growth Hub covers Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, the East Midlands Combined County Authority area, and is part of the UK Government's Growth Hub network. It offers free, impartial advice from experienced advisers, plus events, workshops, webinars, funding news and guidance on regional and national programmes.
• Invest in Nottingham promotes the city to businesses and signposts them to the Growth Hub.
• Business & IP Centre Nottinghamshire is part of the British Library's national network and is based at Nottingham Central Library, 1 Carrington Street, NG1 7FH. It helps with market research and intellectual property.

Some Growth Hub support depends on how long you have been trading: the sign-up form asks whether you have traded for six months or more.

Local grants also come and go. Nottingham City Council's recent growth and decarbonisation grants were only for businesses with premises in the city that had traded for at least 12 months, and both have now closed because their funding was committed. Check the current position before you plan around a grant.

Example: a fashion label

This is an illustration, not a real client. Tom recently graduated in fashion design in Nottingham and is launching a small menswear label, selling online and at pop-up events. He lives in a shared house and his landlord does not allow the address to be used for a business, so he needs another registered office.

He chose the Digital Package at £290 and added our Registered Office Address at £250 a year, rather than the full Privacy Package, to keep costs down. He verified his identity online and the company was registered the next working day. He then registered with the EMCCA Growth Hub to hear about workshops on selling online, and visited the Business & IP Centre Nottinghamshire to research trade marks for his label name.

How it works

1. Check your company name is free and order online.
2. 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.
3. We file the application with Companies House. Most companies are registered within 24 hours of us receiving complete details.
4. Find 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 Nottingham start-ups using their own address. Add our Registered Office Address if you cannot or do not want to use your home, or choose the Privacy Package to cover the registered office and director service address together. Start with a free company name check.

Frequently asked questions

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