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Business Asset Disposal Relief rised from 14% to 18% on 6 April 2026. The maximum additional tax is £40,000 per qualifying shareholder. That is not a number that should reshape a once-in-a-lifetime decision.
The headline numbers being paid for UK fire and security businesses look high compared with most service sectors. They are. There are good structural reasons for that — and they tell the owner-manager something useful about what to do between now and a sale.
Supported living is now the fastest-growing model in UK adult social care, and the buyer universe has followed. If you run a supported-living business with strong tenancies, low voids and diversified commissioners, you are sitting on a more saleable asset than most registered care operators.
Security systems has matured into a credible PE-active sub-sector of Fire & Security, with NSI Gold and SSAIB accreditation as the principal moat. Here is where multiples sit, who is buying, and what separates a premium-grade business from a median one.
Five years ago, a £3m UK regulated business buyer was likely trade or PE. Today, experienced operators are entering ownership — funded, prepared, and competing with institutions. That shift matters for sellers.
Most deals hit a bump. What matters is knowing how to handle it—and what to protect against before it happens. That is often the difference between a smooth completion and a retrade, delay, or failed deal.
Most first-time prep school buyers think they're buying a business. They're actually buying a regulated entity, a community, a property or lease, years of inspection history, and a reputation that shapes value. The numbers matter—but they're not where the story starts.
When I started working in education M&A two decades ago, the buyer universe for UK independent schools was substantially British. In 2026 it is meaningfully international — and the schools attracting the most competitive processes are those positioned to recognise it.
James Dixey founded Pilgrims Language Courses in 1973, built it over three decades, and sold it in the early 2000s at what was understood at the time to be a record multiple for the sector.
The UK fire and security sector is being rapidly consolidated by PE-backed platforms, making now an unusually strong moment to sell. Indeed, owners with solid maintenance contracts and clean accreditation are well-placed to achieve strong multiples.
Six weeks sounds like enough time to get a deal done. It isn't.
An overview of the key trends shaping the UK education market and what they mean if you are considering a sale.
