Options are a promise and a signal: you’re asking people to build value with you. We design and implement an EMI scheme that people understand, investors respect, and HMRC will recognise.
When to use this
- You want a proper option plan before hiring pushes cash salaries too far.
- An investor has asked for a clean option pool and sensible leaver rules before closing.
- You’ve been “promising options later” and need grants that actually exist—on paper, on time.
- You’re planning a round and want the cap table to show a tidy pool and compliant grants.
What’s included
Scheme design that fits your cap table. Pool size, exercise price approach, vesting, leavers, performance hooks where they help – not where they confuse.
Grant documents. Board and (if needed) shareholder approvals, EMI option agreement(s), leaver and exercise mechanics that won’t trip you up later.
Valuation support. Prepare the materials you’ll need, explain AMV/UMV in plain English, and help you engage with HMRC where appropriate.
Articles & registers alignment. Check your articles and tidy the option register so paper and reality match.
HMRC/ERS admin. ERS setup and grant notification within the statutory window, plus a short note for finance so year-end isn’t a scramble.
Handover. A one-page “how to operate the plan” for founders and ops, and templated grant letters for future joiners.
Pricing (fixed fees; bespoke available)
EMI scheme setup (core) — from £1,950 (ex VAT)
HMRC valuation support — from £650 (ex VAT)
ERS registration & grant notification — from £350 (ex VAT)
Exercise & leaver events pack (per event) — from £450 (ex VAT)
If your facts are unusual—group structure, past promises, complex articles—we’ll scope a bespoke bundle against our standard rates (£275) and convert it into a single fixed fee you approve.
How we deliver
Discovery. Cap table, articles, who you plan to grant to, and when.
Design & paperwork. We shape the pool and rules, draft the scheme/agreements, and prep approvals.
Valuation & grant. Valuation pack readied; board signs; grants issued.
Notify & operate. ERS/notification handled; you get a short playbook for future grants.
Timeline
We move at hiring speed. Once inputs land, first drafts follow quickly; grants and notifications are planned so you stay inside HMRC deadlines. If a round is looming, we sequence work so the data room stays calm.
Inputs we’ll need
- Current cap table and any promises already made.
- Articles and any investor conditions.
- Proposed grantees, vesting ideas, and target grant dates.
- Financials/forecasts and any valuation materials you’ve used with investors.
FAQs
Do we need a valuation before we grant EMI options?
Yes-you’ll need supportable figures for the exercise price and the value of the shares under option. We work with a preferred accountant to prepare what HMRC expects and explain the moving parts so founders, finance and investors see the same picture.
Can contractors receive EMI options?
EMI is an employee scheme with eligibility rules. Contractors usually don’t qualify. If you want to reward non-employees, we’ll discuss alternatives such as unapproved options or growth shares and explain the tax and paperwork trade-offs
What can disqualify EMI-now or later?
Eligibility rests on company and employee criteria, and there are events that can break EMI status (for example, certain changes in control or role). We brief you on the red flags, build protections into the paperwork, and keep a simple log so you don’t miss a notification window.
Understanding EMI Share Option Schemes
Early team equity is effectively part pay and part promise. EMI share options turn that promise into paper people can read and rely on, and drive motivation. We start with the facts in front of you: who’s joining this quarter, what you’ve already said in offers or Slack, how the cap table looks today, and where you want it after the next round closes. The pool follows that picture, not a standard template.
Price isn’t guesswork. We build the HMRC valuation pack and explain AMV/UMV in plain English – what we’re sending, why, and how it sets the exercise price. Grants are tied to real dates (start, probation, promotion) so you’re not back-filling later. ERS gets the notification inside the HMRC deadline. If your articles need a small tweak so exercises and leavers work without gymnastics, we draft it and run the approvals.
Vesting should reward contribution without turning exits into arguments. We’ll agree a schedule that fits how people join, then write leaver rules you can actually use on a bad day-firm, fair, workable. When someone exercises, finance gets a one-pager: who, how many, what price, and what changes on the register. No inbox archaeology.
A quick, real rhythm. Monday: cap-table snapshot on screen; we mark the pool at [10%]. Wednesday: board papers out with draft grants for your option holders people. Next Tuesday: valuation support filed; signatures back; ERS set up. No theatrics, just steady movement.
We won’t promise the moon. If past “verbal” promises would distort the pool, we’ll say so and propose a fair fix.
Good EMI options feel almost boring once live – that’s the point. People know what they’re getting, the slide in your deck matches the spreadsheet, and nobody is improvising during diligence.
