SDL LIMITED
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Next accounts due
2026-06-30 (in 1mo)
Last filed for 2024-09-30
Confirmation statement due
2027-01-21 (in 8mo)
Last made up 2026-01-07
Watchouts
None on the register
Cash
£9M
+17.5% vs 2023
Net assets
£171M
-9.6% vs 2023
Employees
785
+41.4% vs 2023
Profit before tax
-£21M
-133.7% vs 2023
Name history
Renamed 3 times since incorporation
- SDL LIMITED 2020-11-18 → present
- SDL PLC 1992-10-26 → 2020-11-18
- SOFTWARE & DOCUMENTATION LOCALISATION LIMITED 1992-02-07 → 1992-10-26
- BOWEDGE LIMITED 1992-01-06 → 1992-02-07
Net assets
2-year trend · vs Technology median
Accounts
2-year trend · latest reflected 2024-09-30
| Metric | Trend | 2023-09-30 | 2024-09-30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £97,600,000 | £109,400,000 | |
| Operating profit | -£4,400,000 | -£13,800,000 | |
| Profit before tax | £62,600,000 | -£21,100,000 | |
| Net profit | £63,800,000 | -£18,000,000 | |
| Cash | £8,000,000 | £9,400,000 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £233,800,000 | £214,100,000 | |
| Net assets | £189,200,000 | £171,000,000 | |
| Equity | £189,200,000 | £171,000,000 | |
| Average employees | 555 | 785 | |
| Wages | £25,400,000 | £43,500,000 |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2023-09-30 | 2024-09-30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | -4.5% | -12.6% | |
| Net margin | 65.4% | -16.5% | |
| Return on capital employed | -1.9% | -6.4% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | 73.7% | 71.3% | |
| Current ratio | 0.87x | 0.75x | |
| Interest cover | -0.22x | -0.61x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 101
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Ernst & Young LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“No material uncertainties that could cast significant doubt about the ability of the Company to continue as a going concern have been identified.”
Group structure
- SDL LIMITED · parent
- SDL Poland Sp zoo 1%
- SDL Multilingual Solutions Private Ltd 1%
- SDL Software Technology (Shenzhen) Ltd 1%
- SDL France SARL 1%
- SDL Global Holdings Ltd 1%
- SDL Turkey Translation Services & Commerce Ltd 1%
- SDL Chile SA 1%
- SDL do Brazil Global Solutions Ltda 1%
- SDL Portugal Unipessoal LDA 1%
- SDL Nominees Ltd 1%
- Propylon Holdings Limited 1%
- ST Comms Language Specialists Proprietary Limited 1%
- SDL Holdings BV 1%
- Automated Language Processing Services Ltd 1%
- Interlingua Group Ltd 1%
- Alterian Holdings Ltd 1%
- Intrepid Consultants Ltd 1%
- SDL (Newbury) Ltd 1%
- Alterian Holdings Inc 1%
- SDL Belgium NV 1%
- SDL International (Canada) Inc 1%
- SDL Zagreb doo 1%
- SDL CZ sro 1%
- SDL Hellas Efarmoges Pliroforikis Limited (formerly SDL Hellas MEPE) 1%
- SDL Hong Kong Ltd 1%
- SDL Magyaror szaj szolgaltato Kft 1%
- SDL Italia Srl Unipersonale 1%
- SDL Luxembourg SARL 1%
- SDL Netherlands BV 1%
- LLC SDL Rus 1%
- SDL Multi-Lingual Solutions (Singapore) PTE Ltd 1%
- SDL doo Ljubljana 1%
- Software Development Language Solutions, Hispania, SL 1%
- SDL Sweden AB 1%
- SDL Tridion AB 1%
- SDL Sheffield Ltd 1%
- SDL Japan KK 1%
- SDL Inc 1%
- SDL XyEnterprise LLC 1%
- Trados GmbH 1%
- SDL Technologies India PVT Ltd 1%
- SDL Tridion KK 1%
- SDL Xopus BV 1%
- Language Weaver SRL 1%
- SDL Media Manager BV 1%
- LLC SDL Ukraine 1%
- SDL Tridion Ltd 1%
- Alterian Technology Ltd 1%
- SDL Government Inc 1%
- SDL Vietnam Ltd 1%
- Liones Holding B V 1%
- Liones Group B V 1%
- Liones B V 1%
- Fonto Group B V 1%
- Propylon Inc 1%
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
3 active · 40 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GREGORY, Robin Mark | Director | 2024-05-22 | Nov 1976 | British |
| HALL, Gary Peter William | Director | 2024-05-22 | Nov 1973 | British |
| JONES, William Henry | Director | 2022-02-14 | Mar 1982 | British |
Show 40 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADAMS, John William | Secretary | 1999-11-23 | 2010-04-04 |
| DONALDSON, Jola | Secretary | 1992-09-29 | 1993-01-14 |
| EVANS, Robert Anthony | Secretary | 1995-04-10 | 1997-06-04 |
| LANCASTER, Cristina Maria Elisa | Secretary | 1993-01-14 | 1994-05-16 |
| LEWEY, Christopher Guy Desmond | Secretary | 2022-04-08 | 2022-12-20 |
| PICKERING, Pamela | Secretary | 2010-04-04 | 2021-03-10 |
| POLLARD, Andrew Nicholas Geoffrey | Secretary | 1994-05-16 | 1995-04-10 |
| THOMAS, Christopher | Secretary | 1997-06-04 | 1999-11-23 |
| WEBBERLEY, Janet Susan | Secretary | 1992-01-30 | 1992-09-29 |
| LONDON LAW SECRETARIAL LIMITED | Corporate Nominee Secretary | 1992-01-06 | 1992-01-30 |
| BATTERHAM, Christopher Michael | Director | 1999-10-15 | 2017-04-27 |
| BRADLEY, Floyd Henry | Director | 1993-06-01 | 2001-05-10 |
| CAMPBELL, Joseph Sebastian | Director | 2005-07-01 | 2014-04-29 |
| CLAYTON, David Hugh | Director | 2009-12-16 | 2020-11-04 |
| COLLINSON, Glenn | Director | 2014-06-01 | 2020-11-04 |
| DAVIES, Candida Jane | Director | 2022-12-20 | 2024-05-22 |
| DAY, Roderick | Director | 2022-04-08 | 2022-12-20 |
| EVERITT, Timothy Mark | Director | 2021-07-22 | 2022-02-14 |
| GLASS, Desmond Kenneth Neil | Director | 2020-11-04 | 2022-04-08 |
| GORDON, Alastair Neil | Director | 1998-04-27 | 2010-03-31 |
| GRADDEN, Amanda Jane | Director | 2012-01-30 | 2020-11-04 |
| HERNANDEZ, Adolfo | Director | 2016-04-18 | 2020-11-04 |
| HUMPHREY, Christopher John | Director | 2016-06-08 | 2020-11-04 |
| HUNTER, John | Director | 2008-09-01 | 2012-11-02 |
| KNIGHT, Matthew | Director | 2011-04-14 | 2013-11-25 |
| LANCASTER, Cristina Maria Elisa | Director | 1993-07-04 | 2011-03-31 |
| LANCASTER, Mark Jonathan | Director | 1992-01-30 | 2015-10-01 |
| LAVELLE, Dominic Joseph | Director | 2013-11-25 | 2018-03-29 |
| MATTHEWS, John Waylett | Director | 2001-06-12 | 2012-04-17 |
| MCWALTER, Alan James | Director | 2014-03-01 | 2020-11-04 |
| MILLS, Keith Thomas | Director | 2000-09-01 | 2009-12-30 |
| PERCIVAL, Wolfdieter Eberhard | Director | 1997-12-01 | 1999-09-20 |
| POLLARD, Andrew Nicholas Geoffrey | Director | 1992-01-30 | 1997-06-12 |
| STUART, Gordon Mckenzie | Director | 2020-01-27 | 2020-11-04 |
| SVENDSEN, David Edward | Director | 1999-10-15 | 2001-03-28 |
| THOMPSON, Jane Anne | Director | 2009-12-16 | 2012-04-17 |
| THOMPSON, Richard James | Director | 2020-11-04 | 2021-07-22 |
| WALTERS, Xenia | Director | 2018-04-03 | 2020-11-04 |
| WEBBERLEY, Janet Susan | Director | 1992-01-30 | 1992-09-29 |
| LONDON LAW SERVICES LIMITED | Corporate Nominee Director | 1992-01-06 | 1992-01-30 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rws Holdings Plc | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2020-11-04 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 477 total filings
Material constitutional events — rename, articles re-file, resolution
- 2024-02-17 RESOLUTIONS Resolution
- 2024-02-17 MA Memorandum articles
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-13 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2026-01-12 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2026-01-07 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-05-07 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2025-03-31 | PSC05 | persons-with-significant-control | Change to a person with significant control | |
| 2025-03-31 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2025-01-20 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2024-11-11 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-06-17 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-06-17 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-06-17 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-05-09 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-02-17 | RESOLUTIONS | resolution | Resolution | |
| 2024-02-17 | MA | incorporation | Memorandum articles | |
| 2024-01-20 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-02-28 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-01-12 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-12-22 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2022-12-22 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2022-12-22 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 4
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.
Year-on-year
FY2023 → FY2024 · period ending 2024-09-30 vs 2023-09-30
-
Turnover
+12.1%
£97,600,000 £109,400,000
-
Cash
+17.5%
£8,000,000 £9,400,000
-
Net assets
-9.6%
£189,200,000 £171,000,000
-
Employees
+41.4%
555 785
-
Operating profit
-213.6%
-£4,400,000 -£13,800,000
-
Profit before tax
-133.7%
£62,600,000 -£21,100,000
-
Wages
+71.3%
£25,400,000 £43,500,000
Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. Periods don't have to be exactly 12 months apart — a long or short period (typical around incorporation or year-end changes) will distort the comparison. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers