www.companieshouse.find.company.info

                                                                   

Full URL: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/advanced-search

Strategic Imperative

Companies House is the primary source for factual, verifiable data on every registered company in the UK. It is the starting point for almost all of our UK-based investigations. While other tools provide context and intelligence, Companies House provides the official, undeniable record of a company’s existence, its directors, its financial state, and its ownership structure.

This platform is mission-critical for:

  • Uncovering “Stealth Consolidation”: This is the primary tool for identifying networks of companies in the same market segment that are controlled by a common directorate, a key indicator of a stealth consolidation strategy. 2222222
  • MATOIPO (Merger, Acquisition, Takeover…) Analysis: Verifying the legal status, directors, and ultimate beneficial owners (Persons with Significant Control) of any UK company involved in a transaction is a fundamental due diligence step.
  • “Benchmarking” and Competitor Analysis: The platform’s ability to search by industry code allows us to generate comprehensive lists of all registered competitors in a specific market, forming the basis of any credible market analysis. 3
  • Originating Cases: Identifying companies with red flags (e.g., overdue accounts, rapid changes in directors) can be a “Simple Indicator” of distress, presenting an opportunity for intervention.

Part I: The Search Platform’s Rules & Functionality

The power of the Companies House Advanced Search lies in its highly specific and combinable filters. It does not use complex Boolean operators but relies on structured field searching.

  • Primary Search Fields:

    • Company name: Searches for a company name. It supports “contains,” “starts with,” and excluding keywords.
    • Company number: The most precise way to find a specific company.

  • Key Filtering Options:

    • Location: Search by registered office address or postcode.
    • Company status: A critical filter. Allows you to include or exclude Active, Dissolved, Open, Closed, etc.
    • Company type: Filter by legal form (e.g., Private limited company, Public limited company (PLC)).
    • Nature of business (SIC code): This is an exceptionally powerful filter. It allows searching for companies registered under specific Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes, enabling precise sectoral analysis. 4
    • Incorporation dates: Filter for companies created within a specific time frame.
    • Dissolved dates: Filter for companies dissolved within a specific time frame.

  • Information Available on Company Profiles: Once a company is selected, its profile provides access to:

    • Filing history: A complete, chronologically ordered list of all documents ever filed.
    • People: A list of all current and former officers (directors, secretaries) and Persons with Significant Control (PSCs). This is our gateway to the beneficial ownership data.
    • Charges: A register of any outstanding charges or mortgages against the company’s assets.

Part II: The COCOO Strategic Search Model for Companies House

This protocol provides a systematic workflow for any investigation involving a UK entity.

Phase 1: The Sectoral Sweep Protocol

This protocol is used to map an entire market segment.

  • Step 1.1: Identify the SIC Code: Determine the correct SIC code for the industry you are investigating.
  • Step 1.2: Execute the Search: On the Advanced Search page, enter the SIC code into the Nature of business field. Ensure the Company status filter is set to Active.
  • Step 1.3: Extract the Competitor List: The result is a comprehensive list of every active company operating in that specific market niche in the UK. This list is the foundation for any “Benchmarking” or competitor analysis. 5

Phase 2: The “Stealth Consolidation” Network Mapping Protocol

This protocol is designed to uncover hidden ownership networks.

  • Step 2.1: Initial Target Analysis: For a primary target company, navigate to its profile and click on the People tab.
  • Step 2.2: Extract Director and PSC Names: Systematically record the names of all current directors and Persons with Significant Control.
  • Step 2.3: Reverse-Engineer the Network: Click on the name of a specific director. This will take you to a page listing all other companies where that individual currently holds or has held an appointment.
  • Step 2.4: Cross-Reference and Map: Repeat Step 2.3 for all directors and PSCs. Cross-reference the lists of their appointments. If multiple directors from different “competing” companies (identified in Phase 1) all have appointments at the same parent company or investment fund, you have found direct evidence of a common control structure. This is the “smoking gun” for “Stealth Consolid”. 6666

Phase 3: The “Red Flag” Analysis Protocol

  • Step 3.1: Monitor Filing History: For a target company, review their Filing history. Look for red flags such as:
    • Overdue accounts or Overdue confirmation statement. This is a “Simple Indicator” of administrative or financial distress.
    • A high frequency of Director resignation and Appointment of director filings, which can indicate instability.
  • Step 3.2: Check for Distress Signals: Navigate to the Charges tab. A large number of recently filed charges can indicate that the company is highly leveraged and potentially in financial trouble.

Part III: Application to COCOO Doctrines

This model directly executes our strategic imperatives as laid out in the mind maps.

Mind Map Doctrine Application of the Companies House Model
Stealth Consolid The “Network Mapping Protocol” (Phase 2) is the primary, systematic method for proving “Stealth Consolidation” in the UK. It directly uncovers the common control structures that are not visible at the surface level. 7777
Benchmarking / Competitor Analysis The “Sectoral Sweep Protocol” (Phase 1) is the essential first step for any market analysis, providing the complete list of competitors needed to benchmark our targets. 8
MATOIPO Analysis This platform is the definitive source for verifying the legal status, directorship, and PSCs of any UK target or acquirer in a transaction, forming the core of our due diligence.
Noisefilter A company’s press release is noise. Their official filing history, director appointments, and PSC register on Companies House are the verifiable, legally significant signals we use to filter that noise. 9999
Simple Indicators The “Red Flag” Analysis (Phase 3) is designed to find “Simple Indicators” of corporate distress or instability, such as overdue accounts, which allow us to qualify potential targets for intervention. 10101010

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