Churchill Knights & Associates

What Churchill Knights & Associates does

Churchill Knights & Associates is a UK-based group of payroll and accountancy services companies, operating primarily through its subsidiary Churchill Knight Umbrella Limited (Company number 10624123). Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Potters Bar with a main operations office in Reading, the group provides PAYE umbrella payroll services to contractors and freelancers working on temporary assignments, alongside CIS sole trader payroll for construction workers, contractor accountancy services via its sister company Churchill Knight & Associates Limited, and complementary offerings including salary sacrifice pension boosting and a benefits/rewards program. The core technology stack includes the 'My Digital' online portal and mobile app for payslip access and timesheet management, plus a third-party AI-powered integration with SafeRec that performs independent compliance audits on every payroll run.

The business model is margin-based: Churchill Knight deducts a margin (illustrated at approximately £20 per week per contractor) from the contractor's assignment rate before processing PAYE deductions, with employment costs (Employer's National Insurance, Apprenticeship Levy) passed through. Distribution is heavily channel-led, with the company positioned on the Preferred Supplier Lists (PSLs) of hundreds of UK recruitment agencies that refer contractors, complemented by direct B2C acquisition through the website, instant take-home pay calculators, and phone-based sales. The group operates under the Darbayne Group Limited holding structure and was acquired by Magi GJJ Limited in November 2024.

Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. Key sector credentials include FCSA accreditation (one of the first umbrella companies to hold this status, with annual audits) and SafeRec certification, alongside 20,000+ contractors served cumulatively, a 4.4/5.0 Google rating (349 reviews) and a 4.8/5.0 Trustpilot rating. Customer segments span contractors, freelancers, recruitment agencies, NHS/healthcare professionals, and construction industry sole traders, all within the UK domestic market.

Name

Churchill Knights & Associates

Legal name

Churchill Knight Umbrella Limited

Website

https://churchill-knight.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Churchill Knights & Associates is a UK umbrella payroll and contractor accountancy group, providing PAYE payroll, CIS sole trader services, and compliance-focused benefits to contractors, freelancers, and recruitment agencies, with FCSA accreditation and SafeRec AI-powered payslip audits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Umbrella Payroll Services

NAICS

Professional Employer Organizations (56133), Payroll Services (541214), Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Help Supply Services (7363)

akta.pro primary industry

Agent of Record (AOR) / Contractor Engagement Services (BPACAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Contractor of Record (COR) / Global Contractor Management (BPACAHAE), Employer of Record (EOR) & Global Payroll (FSAMAKAB), Human Capital Management (HCM) & Payroll Platforms (HDAEAEAJ)

Keywords

• Umbrella payroll services
• Contractor payroll processing
• PAYE employment services
• CIS construction payroll
• Contractor accountancy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Potters Bar

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Umbrella Payroll Processing: The company deducts a margin from assignment rates before processing PAYE deductions. Example shows a weekly margin of approximately £20 per contractor. Employment costs (Employer's NI and Apprenticeship Levy) are passed through from assignment rates.
2. CIS Sole Trader Services: Construction Industry Scheme sole trader payroll services for construction workers operating as sole traders.
3. Self-Assessment Tax Services: Personal tax return submission services for umbrella employees with additional income sources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Churchill Knight Umbrella is an FCSA-accredited UK umbrella payroll company providing PAYE employment and weekly payroll processing for contractors and freelancers on temporary assignments. The company also offers CIS Sole Trader payroll for construction workers, contractor accountancy services through its sister company Churchill Knight & Associates Ltd, salary sacrifice pension optimization, self-assessment tax return services, and employee benefits (Churchill Knight Rewards). Distribution is largely via recruitment agency preferred supplier lists (PSLs), with direct self-service registration for individual contractors.

Product overview

Churchill Knight Umbrella is a compliance-focused PAYE umbrella company providing payroll services for contractors and freelancers. The core offering consists of the PAYE Umbrella service (main product), supported by CIS Sole Trader payroll for construction workers, Salary Sacrifice pension optimization, Churchill Knight Rewards (employee benefits program), My Digital online portal/app, Self-Assessment tax return services, and an Umbrella Calculator for take-home pay estimations. The company also provides a sister contractor accounting service (Churchill Knight & Associates Ltd). All services are UK-based and operate under FCSA accreditation and SafeRec certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Churchill Knight Rewards: Employee benefits program offering instant access to discounts, GP hotline, competitions, and cheap holiday savings.
• My Digital
• CIS Sole Trader

Products and services

• PAYE Umbrella Payroll

Quantifiable outcome

• Take-home pay examples: Daily rate £120 = £428.66/week (2024/25); Daily rate £250 = £816.82/week (2024/25); Daily rate £500 = £1,402.16/week (2024/25)

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FCSA (Freelancer and Contractor Services Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFCSA is the UK's leading professional body dedicated to ensuring supply chain compliance with UK tax law. Churchill Knight is FCSA accredited and undergoes annual audits.
• SafeReccoreTechnology or IntegrationAI-powered software provider that provides independent payslip audits for every payroll run. Certification allows Churchill Knight to prove compliance transparently.
• Access FinancialminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWealth management support partner for employee financial benefits
• Hundreds of UK Recruitment Agencies (PSL)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with hundreds of the UK's leading recruitment agencies through preferred supplier lists. Agencies refer contractors for payroll services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Orange Genie: UK umbrella company and contractor accountancy provider offering PAYE umbrella, CIS, and limited company accountancy to agency-supplied contractors across similar verticals.
• Giant Group: UK-listed (AIM) umbrella and contractor payroll company providing PAYE umbrella, accountancy, and pension services to contractors via recruitment channels — closely comparable in product mix and PSL distribution.
• Brookson: UK contractor services provider offering umbrella, accountancy, and IR35 support via similar recruitment agency channels — directly comparable customer base and product range.
• SJD Accountancy: UK specialist contractor accountancy and umbrella provider, serving a similar contractor persona via recruitment agencies and direct channels with overlapping accountancy and payroll products.
• ClearSky Accounting: UK contractor accountancy and umbrella provider offering PAYE umbrella and CIS payroll services, competing for similar contractor volumes through agency relationships.
• Umbrella Company UK (umbrella.co.uk): Established UK umbrella company providing PAYE umbrella services to agency-supplied contractors, comparable in product scope and PSL-led distribution model.
• Nixon Howard: Mid-sized UK umbrella company serving contractors primarily through recruitment agency PSLs, with comparable PAYE umbrella and CIS offerings targeting the same channel.
• Dolan Accountancy: UK contractor accountancy and umbrella services firm serving freelancers through recruitment channels — comparable target customer and bundled service approach.
• PayStream (Access PayStream): UK umbrella and contractor payroll provider, now part of Access Group, offering PAYE umbrella and CIS payroll to recruitment agencies and contractors — direct competitor for PSL slots.
• Parasol Group: One of the largest UK umbrella and contractor payroll providers, serving contractors via recruitment agency PSLs with comparable FCSA-style compliance positioning and weekly PAYE processing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/churchillknight

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Churchill Knights & Associates