Shenward

What Shenward does

Shenward LLP is a UK-based multidisciplinary chartered accountancy and business advisory firm founded in 1989, operating as a limited liability partnership under the holding company Shenward Group Holdings Limited. The firm is registered with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) and is authorised to carry on audit work in the UK under registration number 3954. Headquartered in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, with additional offices in Leeds and London (Harrow), Shenward serves UK SMEs, start-ups, and select enterprise clients across construction, transport and logistics, and a specialism in sports, media and entertainment that includes image rights, international tax, double tax treaties, trusts, and transfer pricing.

Core services span four practice areas: Audit & Accounts (statutory accounts and audit), Business Advisory (finance function outsourcing, virtual office, growth support), HR & Payroll, and Tax & VAT, complemented by Company Secretarial services. Internally, technology is delivered through an integrated client portal that consolidates IRIS OpenSpace (document sharing and approval), Dext (mobile/computer receipt, bill and invoice capture with automatic data extraction), and KashFlow (cloud accounting software). There is no proprietary AI/ML capability; the technology layer is built on third-party SaaS integrations with OCR-style automation embedded in Dext.

Commercially, Shenward operates a quote-based, tailored professional services model with no publicly disclosed pricing. Distribution is sales-led via direct client engagement across three UK offices, supported by content marketing (blog, downloadable guides, newsletter, case studies). Customer acquisition relies on referrals, professional networks and direct outreach, with an emphasis on dedicated account managers and long-tenured relationships (evidenced by an 18+-year client and a 10-year international client). Ownership is management-led with wholly owned operating subsidiaries and no external PE/VC backing identified.

Name

Shenward

Legal name

Shenward LLP

Website

https://shenward.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shenward LLP is a UK chartered accountancy and business advisory firm founded in 1989, serving SMEs, start-ups, and select enterprise clients from offices in Cleckheaton, Leeds, and London across audit, tax, payroll, and advisory services, with a specialism in sports, media and entertainment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleckheaton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Audit & Accounts: Traditional audit and accountancy services providing statutory audits, management accounts, and financial record preparation.
2. Business Advisory: Strategic business advisory services including finance function outsourcing, virtual office services, and business growth support.
3. HR & Payroll: Human resources and payroll management services for businesses.
4. Tax & VAT: Tax planning, advice, and compliance services including international tax legislation, image rights companies, double tax treaties, trusts, and transfer pricing.
5. Company Secretarial: Company secretarial services for corporate compliance and governance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shenward is a multidisciplinary chartered accountancy and business advisory firm providing Audit & Accounts, Business Advisory & Growth, HR & Payroll, and Tax & VAT services to UK businesses of all sizes across sectors including construction, sports/media/entertainment and transport & logistics. The firm combines traditional accountancy with cloud-based digital accounting technology (IRIS OpenSpace, Dext, KashFlow) accessible through a centralised Client Portal, and assigns each client a dedicated account manager and personal support team. It also offers specialised services for Sports, Media & Entertainment clients including image rights, double tax treaties, transfer pricing and trust planning.

Product overview

Shenward is a multidisciplinary accounting and business advisory firm offering a unified portfolio of professional services. The core offerings include Audit & Accounts, Business Advisory, HR & Payroll, and Tax & VAT services, supplemented by specialized expertise in Sports, Media & Entertainment sectors. The firm operates a Client Portal platform that integrates third-party accounting tools including IRIS OpenSpace, Dext, and KashFlow to deliver digital accounting solutions. Shenward combines traditional accountancy practices with modern digital technology to support businesses throughout their growth journey.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Audit & Accounts

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully operating in the UK for 10 years (for one international client)

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• John Cumming RosscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2025Shenward acquired John Cumming Ross as its third acquisition to strengthen London operations. This acquisition expanded Shenward's presence and capabilities in the London market.
• DextcoreTechnology or Integration · 2 May 2022Shenward partnered with Dext Prepare to make digital accounting simpler for clients. Dext works to speed up the data entry process by capturing and uploading bills, receipts and invoices from mobile devices or computers in an accurate and secure way. The partnership enables automatic extraction of relevant information presented on an accessible dashboard.
• IRIS OpenSpacecoreTechnology or IntegrationIRIS OpenSpace is a tool dedicated to making life easier when sharing and approving important financial records. Due to its enhanced security, clients can upload documents safely without using external drives or less secure methods such as email.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RSM UK: Mid-tier UK audit, tax and consulting firm serving SMEs and mid-market clients across multiple sectors, with comparable office network and service portfolio overlap.
• Crowe UK: Top-10 UK accountancy and advisory firm with a comparable mid-market focus, multidisciplinary service lines (audit, tax, advisory) and regional office structure. Closest in scale and service mix to Shenward.
• Buzzacott: London chartered accountancy with sector specialists (including charities and creative industries) and a similar SME-to-mid-market focus as Shenward.
• James Cowper Kreston: UK regional accountancy group with comparable office network and audit/tax/advisory mix serving owner-managed and mid-market businesses.
• UHY Hacker Young: UK mid-market accountancy network with comparable multidisciplinary services and a similar target customer profile of growth-oriented SMEs.
• MHA MacIntyre Hudson: UK top-20 accountancy group with strong regional presence and a similar SME/mid-market advisory mix; comparable headcount and multi-office model to Shenward.
• Moore Kingston Smith: London-based mid-tier chartered accountancy with sector specialisations and similar scale to Shenward; competes directly for UK SME advisory mandates.
• Shipleys LLP: UK chartered accountancy with a well-known specialism in entertainment, media and creative industries — a directly overlapping niche with Shenward's sports, media and entertainment vertical.

Broad incumbents

• Mazars LLP (UK): International audit and advisory firm with a substantial UK practice competing in the same mid-market and SME segments as Shenward, but with much broader resources and global reach.
• BDO LLP (UK): Larger top-tier UK audit and advisory firm offering overlapping services across audit, tax and business advisory, but at significantly greater scale and breadth than Shenward.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ShenwardLLP

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shenward