Big Fish Group
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersFrodsham, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Big Fish Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Big Fish Group
- Legal name
- Big Fish Group Limited
- Website
- https://bigfishgroup.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Big Fish Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Umbrella Payroll & Contractor Accountancy Services
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Contractor Benefits & Perks Administration (BPACAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Big Fish Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Frodsham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Big Fish Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Umbrella Payroll Services: Big Fish Group acts as the employer for contractors, processing payroll via PAYE system and deducting tax and National Insurance. Revenue is generated through an umbrella margin charged to recruitment agencies or end clients. The company ensures statutory entitlements including holiday pay, sick pay, maternity/paternity pay, and pension contributions.
- Limited Company Accountancy Services: Accountancy services for contractors operating through their own limited companies or personal service companies. Provides tiered service levels with expert advice on IR35 and other legislation.
- CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) Services: Specialized payment solution for genuinely self-employed contractors working in the construction industry, including employment status assessment, insurance, and year-end self-assessment tax return support.
- Oyster Rewards Premium Package: Optional employee benefits package offered to contractors for £3.50 per week (£2.08 per week when claimed as taxable benefit), providing fuel cards, medical cashback, high street discounts, and IFA consultations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Weekly | Oyster Rewards employee benefits package - premium tier for contractors |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Big Fish Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Big Fish Group Limited provides umbrella PAYE payroll services, Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) payment solutions, and limited company accountancy support to UK contractors and recruitment agencies. The company acts as the legal employer for umbrella contractors, processing payroll, deducting tax and National Insurance, and providing statutory entitlements including holiday pay, sick pay, and pension contributions. It complements these with the Oyster Rewards employee benefits package offering fuel cards, medical cashback, retail discounts, and IFA consultations.
Product overview
Big Fish Group operates as a unified umbrella payroll platform offering three interconnected core services: Umbrella PAYE payroll, Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) support, and Limited Company accountancy. All services provide payroll processing, statutory employment rights, and compliance support. The company supplements its core offerings with Oyster Rewards, an optional employee benefits package providing fuel cards, medical cover, and financial advisory services. The platform emphasizes compliance through multiple independent accreditations and same-day payment processing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Oyster Rewards: A unique package of lifestyle benefits exclusively tailored and available to Big Fish contractors, providing fuel cards, medical cover, high street discounts, and IFA consultations.
Products and services
- Umbrella PAYE Umbrella PAYE payroll service ensuring contractors get paid quickly, efficiently, and compliantly. Big Fish acts as the legal employer; contractors qualify for statutory employment rights including pension contributions, holiday pay, statutory sick pay, and statutory maternity and paternity leave and pay. The service offers same-day payments and simple, transparent payslips.
- Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) CIS payment solution supporting genuinely self-employed contractors working in the UK construction industry. Includes employment status assessment, expert CIS advice and support, comprehensive insurance cover, assistance with year-end self-assessment tax returns, and Professional Passport CIS Gross Status approval.
- Limited Company Accountancy Tiered accountancy service for contractors providing services through their own UK limited company or personal service company (PSC). Includes expert limited company and accountancy advice, daily payment runs and same-day payments, email and text payment notifications, online contractor portal, IR35 assessment and support, and comprehensive professional insurances.
- Oyster Rewards Optional employee rewards package priced at £3.50 per week deducted from earnings (or £2.08 per week when claimed as a taxable benefit). Provides a UK fuel card offering up to 4p per litre off pump prices with two-week credit terms, Health4all medical cashback with 24/7 GP access and mental health support, high street discounts on retail and entertainment, gym memberships, and free regulated IFA consultations including mortgage advice for self-employed contractors.
Quantifiable outcome
- Real-time payslip auditing for 100% of payroll processed
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Big Fish Group
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Big Fish Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
Big Fish Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Radius (UK Fuels)corePartnership with Radius, a prominent fleet and mobility services provider with 34 years of experience and strong partnerships with all major UK fuel brands. Through this collaboration, Big Fish offers exclusive fuel card benefits to contractors: up to 4p per litre off diesel pump prices, 1p off unleaded, plus two-week credit terms. This partnership is a key component of the Oyster Rewards benefits package.
- SafeReccoreSafeRec provides independent AI-powered software that conducts real-time audits of every payroll process and payslip generated by Big Fish. The integration provides independent review of payroll operations, systems, processes and contracts for compliance with UK tax and employment law, plus agency partner and end-client reporting on payslips.
- Professional PassportcoreProfessional Passport provides annual independent audits of Big Fish's processes and systems to ensure compliance with UK tax law and associated legislation. Also provides CIS Gross Status approval for construction contractors.
- FCSA (Freelancer & Contractor Services Association)coreFCSA accreditation required rigorous assessment of business practices, financials, and operational systems against stringent codes of conduct and best practice guidelines for the freelancer and contractor services industry.
- Health4allminorHealth4all provides medical cash back scheme as part of the Oyster Rewards package, offering Big Fish contractors 24/7 GP access, private prescription service, and reclaim costs for dental, optical treatments and counselling sessions.
- Circular BenefitsminorCircular Benefits provides lifestyle membership and discount benefits through Oyster Rewards, including discounts on gym memberships, cinema tickets, hotel bookings, and retail cards.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Big Fish Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Crown Umbrella: UK-based umbrella payroll provider focused on agency-supplied contractors, competing head-to-head for PSL placements.
- Orange Genie: Umbrella employer and contractor accountancy firm serving agency-supplied contractors across the UK. Competes in the same PSL and contractor-acquisition channels as Big Fish.
- Brookson Group: Specialist contractor services provider offering umbrella, limited company accountancy and IR35 support. Directly comparable product mix and target customer base.
- PayStream (OneAdvanced): Long-established UK umbrella company serving agency-supplied contractors with PAYE employment and same-day payments — a direct like-for-like competitor on core umbrella.
- Nixon Williams: Accountancy and umbrella services firm specialising in contractor needs, including limited company support and IR35 — overlapping with Big Fish's Limited Company and umbrella offerings.
- Giant Group: UK umbrella and accountancy provider for contractors and freelancers, offering PAYE umbrella, CIS and limited company services — overlapping directly with Big Fish's three-product stack.
- Workforce Umbrella: Umbrella employment services provider targeting agency partners and contractors across the UK, comparable in size and accreditation-led positioning.
- Mindshop (Crystal Payroll Umbrella): UK umbrella payroll provider competing on daily payments and agency PSL partnerships, with comparable contractor-acquisition channels.
- Parasol Group: One of the UK's largest umbrella employment companies, providing PAYE umbrella services to contractors placed via recruitment agencies. Direct competitor in the same PSL-driven go-to-market.
Others
- FCSA (Freelancer & Contractor Services Association): Industry body whose accreditation Big Fish holds; not a competitor but a key ecosystem gatekeeper — membership and standards directly shape competitive positioning across all UK umbrellas.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Big Fish Group social profiles
Digital presenceBig Fish Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Big Fish Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Big Fish Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Big Fish Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Big Fish Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Big Fish Group
What does Big Fish Group do?
Big Fish Group Limited provides umbrella PAYE payroll services, Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) payment solutions, and limited company accountancy support to UK contractors and recruitment agencies. The company acts as the legal employer for umbrella contractors, processing payroll, deducting tax and National Insurance, and providing statutory entitlements including holiday pay, sick pay, and pension contributions. It complements these with the Oyster Rewards employee benefits package offering fuel cards, medical cashback, retail discounts, and IFA consultations.
Is Big Fish Group a public or private company?
Big Fish Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Big Fish Group founded?
Big Fish Group was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Big Fish Group based?
Big Fish Group is headquartered in Frodsham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Big Fish Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Umbrella Payroll Services are the primary driver. The others are limited Company Accountancy Services, CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) Services and oyster Rewards Premium Package.
Who are Big Fish Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Crown Umbrella, Orange Genie, Brookson Group, PayStream (OneAdvanced), Nixon Williams, Giant Group, Workforce Umbrella, Mindshop (Crystal Payroll Umbrella) and Parasol Group. FCSA (Freelancer & Contractor Services Association) is listed as an others.
Does Big Fish Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Big Fish Group.
What industry is Big Fish Group in?
Big Fish Group's product category is Umbrella Payroll & Contractor Accountancy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAGAJ, Contractor Benefits & Perks Administration. Its SIC code is 7361.