What Lime Licensing Group does

Lime Licensing Group (legal entity: TFALC Ltd) is a UK-based full-service franchise consultancy and brand licensing agency operating since 1992/1993, with the current company founded by Andy Cheetham in 2008. The firm provides advisory services to businesses seeking to franchise their operations, including franchise system design (typically ~8 weeks), franchisee recruitment campaigns, ongoing network management support, and brand licensing programs that extend brand reach into new sectors, categories, and countries. It also offers royalty collection, intellectual property protection, and franchise funding advisory, including referrals to the UK Government Start Up Loans Scheme.

Revenue is generated through professional services engagements with franchisors (retainer and project-based consulting), franchisee recruitment fees, and licensing royalty arrangements from brand extension programs. The firm self-describes as the UK's largest franchise consultancy and operates a regional director model with offices covering 10 UK regions plus a European HQ in Estepona, Spain and a joint venture office in New Brunswick, Canada. It is affiliated with the British Franchise Association and a member of Licensing International.

The company is privately held with 1-10 employees and co-owned 50/50 by CEO Andy Cheetham (based in Spain) and Managing Director Richard Pakey (Cambridgeshire). Distribution relies on field sales via regional directors, franchise exhibitions (70+ attended since mid-1990s), content marketing (blog, podcast, YouTube), referral partnerships (including with FSB since December 2024), and a free franchise magazine. There is no proprietary technology platform; the offering is a human-delivered professional services franchise.

Name

Lime Licensing Group

Legal name

TFALC Ltd

Website

https://limelicensinggroup.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lime Licensing Group is a UK-based franchise consultancy and brand licensing agency advising businesses on franchising their operations and recruiting franchisees, serving 50+ franchise brands across 10 UK regions with international presence in Spain and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Yeadon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Franchise Consultancy Services: Advisory services to franchisors including franchise system design, franchisee recruitment, and network management support. Retained by select franchisors for ongoing consultancy.
2. Brand Licensing Services: Design, roll out and maintenance of licensing programs to stretch brands into new sectors, categories or countries. Includes royalty collection services.
3. Franchisee Recruitment: Recruitment services for franchisors to find suitable franchise partners. Prolific franchise recruiters with over 2,000 franchise sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Lime Licensing Group provides full-service franchise consultancy and brand licensing agency services to businesses looking to franchise their operations and to individuals seeking franchise opportunities. Its core offerings include franchise system design, franchisee recruitment campaigns, brand licensing program rollout, royalty collection, and franchise funding advisory, delivered through a UK-wide regional office network supplemented by international presence in Spain and Canada.

Product overview

Lime Licensing Group operates as a franchise consultancy and brand licensing agency, offering a comprehensive suite of services for businesses looking to franchise and for franchisees seeking opportunities. The company functions as a service-based consultancy rather than a software platform. Core offerings include franchise consultancy (advisory services for franchising a business), brand licensing (agency services for brand extension), and franchisee recruitment. The company also provides supporting services including franchise case studies, online training, FSB partnership services with exclusive member discounts, funding guidance, and international market entry support for Canada. The business is organized around regional franchise consultants covering 10 UK regions, with additional presence in Scotland, Spain, and Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Franchise Consultancy Services Expert advisory services helping businesses franchise their operations and supporting franchisees in selecting the right franchise opportunity. Includes business planning, brand assessment, and franchise system design delivered over approximately 8 weeks.
• Brand Licensing Services Brand licensing agency services that design, roll out, and maintain licensing programs stretching brands into new sectors, categories, or countries. Includes sub-services for brand licensing sales, style sheets, brand management, and royalty collection.
• Franchisee Recruitment Recruitment services to help franchisors attract and select qualified franchisees using online and offline marketing campaigns, exhibitions, and PR activities. Reported over 2,000 individual franchise sales completed.
• Royalty Collection Royalty collection services as part of brand licensing programs, supporting brand owners in tracking and collecting license fees from licensees.
• Franchise Mediation Mediation services for disputes and conflicts that arise within franchise networks, helping franchisors and franchisees resolve issues.
• Online Franchise Training Training programs for franchise consultants and franchisors delivered through the Lime website platform.
• Canadian Franchise Market Entry Service Pathway services for UK franchisors seeking to enter the Canadian franchise market, delivered via the New Brunswick joint venture office headed by Jeff Hughes.
• Master Franchise Opportunities Opportunities for entrepreneurs to acquire master franchise rights in various territories through Lime's network of franchisor relationships.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £100 million in client royalties generated
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FSB (Federation of Small Businesses)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 December 2024Strategic partnership announced December 2024 to empower small businesses across the UK. Provides FSB members with exclusive discounts on Lime's franchise consultancy services, educational resources, workshops, and hands-on support for franchising. Collaboration designed to break down traditional barriers to franchising and make it more accessible for small business owners.
• Licensing InternationalminorOthersMembership organization for licensing industry professionals. Lime Licensing Group joined almost 20 years ago and maintains membership as part of their brand licensing pedigree.
• British Franchise AssociationcoreOthersGold standard UK franchising association. Lime Licensing Group is an affiliated member recommended to potential franchisors and franchisees.
• XerominorGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of the brands that recommends Lime Licensing Group as their preferred franchise consultancy partner.
• Jeff Hughes - New BrunswickcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partnership with Jeff Hughes based in New Brunswick, Canada. Works closely with UK team to assist UK franchisors entering the Canadian franchise market. Represents expansion of Lime's international franchise consultancy services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Global Franchise Magazine: Industry publication and events organiser covering international franchising news and exhibitions. Adjacent rather than directly competitive; relevant because exhibition sponsorships (like the 70+ UK franchise exhibitions Lime attends) sit within the same event ecosystem Global Franchise curates.
• British Franchise Association (bfa): The UK's gold-standard franchising industry association that accredits and refers vetted consultants - including Lime. Not a competitor, but the governing body whose endorsement underpins Lime's referral flow; adjacency explanation for why the bfa matters strategically.
• International Franchise Association (IFA): Global US-headquartered industry body for franchising, with educational and accreditation offerings for franchise consultants. Adjacent peer in the sense that consultants pursue IFA credentials and benefit from association-driven referral pipelines.
• CLD Franchise Solicitors (CLD Legal): UK specialist franchise law firm that frequently co-serves the franchisor journey alongside a consultancy like Lime. Adjacent enabling partner rather than direct competitor; comparable because both sit in the franchisor advisory ecosystem and often refer clients.

Direct peers

• The Entrepreneur's Source: Large US-based franchise coaching and consulting network that advises aspiring franchisees and helps franchisors recruit them. Highly comparable business model: fee- or commission-based franchise advisory with a coach/consultant network and recruitment focus.

Broad incumbents

• FranConnect: Best-known franchise operations management SaaS serving global franchisors with CRM, operations, and marketing tools. Comparable because it serves the same franchisor-fundee base on the franchise-development side of the value chain; broader incumbent as it is software-led rather than pure advisory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Limelicensing
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC0TE3PrKSnrTdh9dtelFkyQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/limelicensing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lime-licensing-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Lime Licensing Group