What Hudson Contract does

Hudson Contract Ltd is a UK-based CIS compliance and employment law protection provider focused exclusively on the construction industry. Founded in 1996 by David Jackson and headquartered in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, the company serves more than 2,600 construction firms and processes payroll for approximately 72,000 self-employed tradespeople (subbies), handling 1.8 million payments annually across more than £2bn of group payment flows. Core services include Business Protection (CIS compliance and employment status guarantee), HMRC Representation, Supply Chain Due Diligence, Tribunal defence, Right to Work Checks with Home Office penalty indemnity, CIS and Payroll processing, and Labour Management.

The product stack is built on proprietary, in-house technology. Hudson EPAY is the bespoke payroll platform used to instruct and process same-day payments on weekly, fortnightly or monthly cycles. 4Site is a digital labour management platform for site attendance, digital timesheets, safety briefings, competency cards and training records. A three-stage Right to Work check process integrates a Home Office-approved Digital Verification Services partner for passport and status verification, layered with live imposter video or in-person checks and GDPR-compliant record keeping. Hudson Freelance, launched in 2016, extends the same compliance and employment status indemnity model into IR35 freelance engagements for construction firms. Aggregate earnings data drawn from the client base feeds the publicly published Construction Pay Trends tool and is supplied to the Bank of England for skilled labour demand modelling.

Revenue is generated primarily through transaction-based fees on each CIS payment processed for sub-contractors, with rates negotiated client-by-client and no setup, cancellation or consultation fees. 4Site now operates as a paid monthly subscription for new business clients (with discounts for existing Hudson customers and free access for operatives), and Hudson Freelance engagements contribute IR35-driven compliance revenue. Customer segments span small construction SMEs, mid-tier contractors, large national contractors, and freelance professionals, with go-to-market delivered through five regionally-based account managers covering England and Wales plus an email, webinar, Trustpilot and referral-rewards marketing mix. The company is privately held, family-owned, ISO 9001:2015 and Cyber Essentials certified, and has maintained a stated 100% success rate against HMRC and tribunal employment status challenges.

Name

Hudson Contract

Legal name

Hudson Contract Ltd

Website

https://hudsoncontract.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hudson Contract is a UK-based CIS compliance provider serving the construction industry, delivering employment status protection, HMRC representation, payroll processing, Right to Work checks and supply chain due diligence to 2,600+ construction firms and 72,000 self-employed tradespeople.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Compliance Services

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Contractor of Record (COR) / Global Contractor Management (BPACAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Contractor Payroll, Invoicing & Payment Services (BPACAGAD), Workforce Compliance & Employment Law Risk Management (Local Labor Law, Tax, Statutory) (BPACAHAH), Agent of Record (AOR) / Contractor Engagement Services (BPACAGAB)

Keywords

• Construction compliance services
• CIS payroll processing
• Employment status protection
• IR35 freelance compliance
• Construction subcontractor payments

Headquarters

HQ city

Bridlington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CIS Compliance and Payroll Services: Fees are competitive and negotiated on a client-by-client basis depending on services required. No setup, cancellation or consultation fees. Revenue is derived from processing 1.8M payments annually for 2,600+ clients.
2. 4Site Labour Management Platform: Fees negotiated client-by-client with discounts for existing Hudson clients. Became a paid service for new business users while remaining free for operatives.
3. Construction Pay Trends Data: Aggregated earnings data compiled monthly from client payroll information, supplied to Bank of England for policy decisions on skilled labour demand.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hudson Contract is the UK's largest CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) compliance provider, offering subcontractor contract, audit, payroll and tax-deduction services to construction firms. It processes payments to self-employed tradespeople, protects construction firms from employment status and HMRC challenges, and supplies complementary services including Right to Work checks, supply chain due diligence, HMRC representation and tribunal defence.

Product overview

Hudson Contract is a construction industry compliance and payroll service provider offering a unified platform of services built around CIS compliance, employment status protection, and payroll processing. The core offering includes Business Protection (compliance insurance), HMRC Representation, Supply Chain Due Diligence, Tribunal Concerns handling, Right to Work Checks, CIS and Payroll processing, and Labour Management. The proprietary product portfolio includes EPAY (payment processing software), 4Site (labour management platform), and Hudson Freelance (IR35-compliant freelance engagement solution). The Hudson Foundation provides apprenticeship sponsorship as a corporate social initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hudson 4Site: Proprietary digital platform for on-site labour management, tracking attendance, digital timesheets, safety briefings, and competency records
• Hudson Freelance

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.8 million payments processed annually without missing a payment
• +4 more outcomes

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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and supporting.

• Grenfell JamescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSpecialist accountancy firm partnered with Hudson to provide Making Tax Digital compliance solution for subcontractors. Recommended as best low-cost, comprehensive and user-friendly solution for MTD requirements. App costs £10 per month.
• Home Office-Approved Digital Verification Services ProvidercoreTechnology or IntegrationHudson partners with leading Home Office-approved DVS provider for passport and Right to Work status verification. Enables instant and secure verification based on document checks.
• East Riding CollegestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerHudson works closely with East Riding College to promote apprenticeships to young people, families, schools and construction employers. Supports apprentice awards and recruitment events.
• The Lighthouse Club - Construction Industry CharitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHudson works alongside the charity to promote vital services to construction workers and their families for emotional, physical and financial wellbeing and support.
• Bridlington Rugby Union Football ClubsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHudson Foundation pays full costs of youth development officer and vehicle at the club to visit local schools promoting rugby as a sport for all and developing junior players.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kingsbridge Contractor Insurance: UK-based specialist provider of contractor insurance, IR35 compliance, and employment status protection for freelancers and construction subcontractors. Closely comparable to Hudson on the compliance/indemnity value proposition and target customer base.
• SJD Accountancy: One of the largest UK contractor accountancy firms providing tax, accountancy, IR35 and compliance services to freelancers and subcontractors. Overlapping with Hudson on contractor compliance services and the same self-employed tradesperson customer segment.
• Brookson Group: UK contractor accountancy and compliance specialist serving self-employed professionals and limited company contractors, including IR35 and CIS advisory. Directly comparable to Hudson in the contractor compliance niche, though with a stronger accountancy-led offering.
• Nixon Williams: UK online accountant specialising in contractors, freelancers and locums, with bundled IR35 and compliance support. Comparable to Hudson's freelance division and overlapping customer persona of self-employed tradespeople needing tax and status protection.

Broad incumbents

• Orange Genie: UK contractor services provider offering umbrella, accountancy, and CIS solutions to freelancers and subcontractors. Comparable to Hudson on CIS compliance and payroll, but with a more distributed accountancy-led approach rather than a pure compliance/indemnity focus.
• Giant Pay: UK-based umbrella company providing payroll, CIS, and IR35-compliant contractor employment solutions. Comparable to Hudson in serving CIS subcontractors with payroll and compliance services, but with a smaller, more price-led positioning.
• PayStream: UK umbrella company and contractor payroll provider offering PAYE, CIS, and umbrella employment solutions. Competes with Hudson on CIS payroll processing for subcontractors but with a more generalised, multi-sector service portfolio.
• Parasol Group: One of the UK's largest umbrella companies and contractor employment solution providers, owned by APS Group. Comparable to Hudson on contractor payroll and IR35 services but operates a broader umbrella-employment model across multiple sectors, not just construction.

Others

• FCSA (Freelancer and Contractor Services Association): UK trade body that accredits and represents umbrella companies, contractor accountants, and CIS providers. Hudson competes for membership with many of its peers via FCSA, making it a relevant industry ecosystem and accreditation peer rather than a direct service competitor.

Emerging players

• JSA (James Scott & Co): UK contractor accountancy firm offering tax, accountancy and IR35 services to freelancers, particularly in construction and engineering. Overlaps with Hudson on the self-employed tradesperson customer persona but operates at a smaller scale and lacks the legal/counsel depth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hudson-contract
• Xx.com/hudsoncontract

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Hudson Contract