Pastel UK & Ireland

What Pastel UK & Ireland does

Pastel UK & Ireland, founded in 1989 and headquartered in Oldham, is a privately held Sage-authorised software reseller and bespoke developer that supplies accounting, ERP, payroll, and VAT compliance solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises across the UK and Ireland. Operating as a trading style of Equa Via Systems Limited (Co Reg 04701502) within the Pennine Ventures Ltd group, the company generates revenue primarily through annual subscription licences for Sage 200 Evolution and Sage 50cloud Pastel, supplemented by per-employee or per-module fees for proprietary products Liquid Payroll (cloud-native payroll) and Pastel VAT Filer (HMRC-recognised MTD filing), plus bespoke API development and professional services. Its modular, horizontally segmented product suite spans bookkeeping, financial management, CRM, supply chain, manufacturing, e-commerce integrations (eBay, Amazon, Magento, PayPal), and tablet-based field sales extensions, deployable on-premise, via cloud, or hybrid.

The company's go-to-market is sales-led, anchored on UK (0161) and Ireland (048) phone numbers, "Request a callback" and "Book a Demo" website CTAs, a 24/7 support portal, and a small but established management team (Directors Anthony Boggiano and Colin Maher, plus product, support, and finance staff). Distribution relies on the Sage partner channel and targeted vertical partnerships such as Advanced Manufacturing (Xperdyte). The Pastel parent brand is referenced as used by 180,000+ businesses across 52 countries, but Pastel UK & Ireland's direct customer count is not disclosed and headcount sits in the 11-50 range with approximately seven people visible on the About Us page. Certifications include UK Cyber Essentials and Living Wage Employer status, signalling baseline compliance and HR standards rather than differentiated technology.

Strategically, the business is in a maintenance-and-extension phase: it continues to ship version updates to flagship Sage products (Sage 200 Evolution V11 and Sage 50cloud V19.3.5 in November 2022), has layered on cloud and add-on revenue streams outside the on-premise Sage stack, and is pursuing vertical expansion through manufacturing and MTD-driven regulatory compliance, while remaining a relatively small, privately held operator with no external funding rounds or acquisitions disclosed.

Name

Pastel UK & Ireland

Legal name

Equa Via Systems Limited

Website

https://pastel.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pastel UK & Ireland, founded 1989 and based in Oldham, is a Sage-authorised software reseller and bespoke developer providing accounting, ERP, payroll, MTD VAT filing, and e-commerce-integrated business solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises across the UK and Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Accounting & ERP Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Document Creation & Office Suites (BPAMAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Managed Payroll Services (Full-Service Payroll Outsourcing) (BPAAAHAA)

Keywords

• Accounting software
• ERP software
• Payroll software
• MTD VAT compliance
• Business management software

Headquarters

HQ city

Oldham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses and Subscriptions: Annual subscription model for Sage 200 Evolution and related modules. Products are modular allowing customers to purchase only required features. Annual renewal payable on software registration anniversary.
2. Liquid Payroll SaaS: Cloud payroll solution with no disaster recovery license required, no installation/registration fees. Includes BACS module subscription option.
3. Pastel VAT Filer: MTD-compliant VAT filing software with multi-company and multi-user add-ons available, plus Agent Edition for batch filing.
4. MyCIS Construction Industry Scheme: Optional add-on for CIS subcontractor management at £1 per person paid per month.
5. Support and Professional Services: Included in annual license fee with unlimited telephone support, software upgrades, access to online helpdesk, and discounted training.
6. Bespoke Development: Custom development work for specific business requirements including custom API integrations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pastel UK & Ireland develops, resells, and supports accounting, ERP, payroll, and MTD VAT compliance software for small and medium-sized businesses in the UK and Ireland, operating as an authorised Sage partner offering Sage 200 Evolution and Sage 50cloud Pastel alongside proprietary products such as Liquid Payroll (cloud payroll) and Pastel VAT Filer. The company also provides bespoke API integrations and add-on modules (advanced manufacturing, branch accounting, CIS, BACS, tablet field sales) deployable on-premise, via cloud, or hybrid.

Product overview

Pastel UK & Ireland offers a portfolio of accounting and ERP software solutions for small to medium businesses. The core products include Sage 200 Evolution (enterprise ERP with modular add-on architecture for advanced manufacturing, branch accounting, and industry-specific requirements) and Sage 50cloud Pastel/Partner Advantage (small business accounting). Additional standalone products include Liquid Payroll (cloud payroll), Pastel VAT Filer (MTD-compliant VAT filing), and bespoke add-on modules such as tablet field sales functionality and industry-specific extensions. Products can be deployed on-premise, via cloud, or as a hybrid combination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sage 200 Evolution Enterprise business management ERP solution providing integrated financial management, CRM, supplier management, sales force automation, and operational control; built on Microsoft SQL Server with a modular architecture including add-on modules for industry-specific requirements, targeted at growing SMBs and mid-market businesses in the UK and Ireland.
• Sage 50cloud Pastel (Partner Advantage) Small business accounting software providing integrated bookkeeping, automated bank feeds, intelligent reporting, and MTD VAT compliance; single user with unlimited company licence and ability to purchase additional user licences, targeted at small UK and Irish businesses.
• Liquid Payroll Cloud-based payroll solution for small to medium businesses supporting unlimited employees with auto-enrolment, RTI compliance, BACS file generation, CIS for the construction industry, and comprehensive HMRC communication, with an integrated support centre and BACS module option.
• Pastel VAT Filer HMRC-recognised MTD-compliant software for digital VAT filing that links to any accounting software, maintains digital records required by HMRC, and provides two-way communication for VAT return submissions, available with a multi-company/multi-user add-on and an Agent Edition for batch filing.
• Advanced Manufacturing (Xperdyte) Official Sage Pastel Software Solution Partner product for advanced manufacturing, providing MRP, MRP II, production scheduling, work-in-progress tracking, serial/lot tracking, and bill of materials management fully integrated with Sage 200 Evolution ERP, targeted at UK manufacturing SMBs and mid-market businesses.

Quantifiable outcome

• 180,000+ businesses worldwide use Pastel software
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sage (Sage 200 Evolution, Sage 50cloud Pastel)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPastel UK & Ireland is an authorised Sage partner offering Sage 200 Evolution and Sage 50cloud Pastel accounting software. They provide add-on modules that seamlessly integrate with Sage's core financials, are cost-effective and can be rapidly deployed. Sage 200 Evolution is backed by Sage's extensive national service and support infrastructure.
• HMRCcoreTechnology or IntegrationPastel products are MTD (Making Tax Digital) compliant and integrated with HMRC systems for digital VAT filing and submissions. Liquid Cloud Accounts is fully VAT MTD enabled. Pastel VAT Filer provides two-way communication with HMRC ensuring successful filing confirmation.
• Pennine Ventures Ltd (PV) GroupcoreOthersParent company. Pastel UK & Ireland is a trading style of Equa Via Systems Limited and is a company within the Pennine Ventures Ltd (PV) group. Privacy policy applies to all companies within the PV Group.
• Advanced Manufacturing [Xperdyte]minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdvanced Manufacturing is the official Sage Pastel Software Solution Partner for advanced manufacturing, providing seamless integration with Sage 200 Evolution ERP for manufacturing resource planning.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Clear Books: Clear Books is a UK cloud accounting software provider targeting small businesses and accountants. Comparable to Pastel's accounting software line for UK SMBs seeking straightforward cloud bookkeeping and MTD-compliant VAT.
• Brightpearl: Brightpearl is a UK-headquartered cloud ERP/retail management platform for SMBs and mid-market retailers. Comparable to Sage 200 Evolution with its multi-location, e-commerce and operations focus.
• Xero: Xero is a leading cloud-based accounting platform targeting SMBs in the UK and globally. It competes directly with Sage 50cloud Pastel and Sage 200 Evolution for SMB accounting workloads, and represents the cloud-native benchmark Pastel is benchmarked against.
• FreeAgent: FreeAgent is a UK-focused cloud accounting platform (owned by NatWest) serving small businesses, freelancers and accountants. Directly comparable to Sage 50cloud Pastel and Liquid Payroll in the UK micro/SMB segment.
• KashFlow: KashFlow is a UK cloud accounting platform (part of the IRIS Software Group) serving small businesses. Directly comparable to Sage 50cloud Pastel and the broader Pastel UK/Ireland accounting offering.
• QuickBooks (Intuit): QuickBooks is a global SMB cloud accounting and payroll platform with strong UK presence. Competes head-to-head with Pastel's accounting and payroll offerings (Sage 50cloud, Liquid Payroll) for SMB customers seeking integrated, cloud-first finance stacks.

Broad incumbents

• Sage Group plc: Sage is the platform vendor whose products (Sage 200 Evolution, Sage 50cloud Pastel) Pastel UK & Ireland resells and extends. Comparability is direct: same product family, same SMB/accounting market, but Sage operates at vastly greater scale across the UK and globally.
• SAP Business One: SAP Business One is an enterprise-grade ERP aimed at small and mid-market businesses. Competes in adjacent deals to Sage 200 Evolution when UK mid-market customers are evaluating integrated ERP and financials at the upper end of the SMB segment.
• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: Microsoft's SMB cloud ERP competes with Sage 200 Evolution in the UK mid-market, particularly for customers already standardised on Microsoft technologies. Represents a broader incumbent threat as Microsoft deepens Dynamics 365 capabilities.

Regional players

• Exact: Exact is a Dutch-headquartered SMB ERP and accounting software vendor serving Benelux and parts of Europe. Comparable to Sage 200 Evolution for SMB/mid-market ERP, but with primarily continental European geographic focus versus Pastel UK/Ireland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pastelukireland
• Facebookfacebook.com/pastelukireland

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Pastel UK & Ireland