Comparator

Big Fish Group Limited is a leading UK provider of umbrella PAYE and CIS payroll services, dedicated to serving contractors and recruitment agencies with unwavering reliability. We challenge the traditional stereotype of the sector by combining rigorous professional standards with a genuine passion for what we do. Founded on the principles of authenticity and dedication, we understand that credibility and compliance are the cornerstones of the recruitment industry. For agency partners, from boutique firms to multi-national MSPs, we offer a transparent, "straight-talking" partnership that prioritises your reputation and the welfare of your workforce. While we operate with energy and a personable approach, we never compromise on quality. We are committed to delivering the precise services our partners need, ensuring contractors are paid correctly and on time, every time. Commitment to Compliance

In an industry where regulatory adherence is paramount, Big Fish Group stands as a beacon of trust. We are proud to be FCSA-accredited and SafeRec-certified, ensuring our processes are independently audited and fully compliant with UK tax law and associated legislation. Our accreditations are complemented by our cloud-based payroll compliance portal, Lighthouse. Lighthouse provides our recruitment agency partners and end clients with direct access to and insight into every stage of our payroll process, as well as real-time visibility into our PAYE liability information. Our clients are never left wondering and can rest assured that their supply chain is secure, compliant, and meets the highest standards of integrity.

Big Fish: Not Your Average Umbrella

• Experienced Leadership: Founded and led by a team with over 30 years of combined experience in the payroll and recruitment sector.

• Unrivalled Availability: We understand the demands of the recruitment cycle. We provide exceptional customer service and support that extends beyond the 9-to-5. When we say 24/7, we mean it.

• Comprehensive Service Range: Expert provision of Umbrella PAYE and CIS payroll services tailored to the needs of the modern workforce.

• Reliability & Accuracy: A steadfast commitment to ensuring accurate, on-time payments for contractors, safeguarding agency relationships.

• Client-Centric Culture: A friendly, energetic team that prioritises the things that matter most to our customers, delivering solutions with a personal touch.

Our industry knowledge and expertise is what sets us apart from our competitors. Coupled with our great customer service and friendly staff, you’ll find us very easy to work with for all of your payroll and compliance needs.

People Group Services (“People Group”) are a family owned business with a long history in the payroll and intermediary market. Headed by CEO Terry Hillier, himself a winner of many business awards over the past 10 years.

People Group trade under three key pillars; People Pay includes a range of fully compliant payroll options, ensuring workers are paid on time, every time and in the right way. People Engage is our workforce management software and contractor app, designed to make work easy for everyone. And People Compliance, our compliance software that increases business efficiencies and significantly reduces time to hire.

You can understand more about our expertise by staying up to date with our regular insight articles which you’ll find on our website below.

Pay Guardians operate a simple and efficient umbrella and PEO service for agencies and workers. Our processes are fully documented and comply wholly with employment and tax legislation leaving you free from the burden of ensuring yours and your temporary workers affairs are fully managed. Our team of qualified accountants and payroll specialists with years of experience will ensure piece of mind and provide the highest quality of personal service throughout.

ADVANCE provides world-class service and works in partnership with recruitment businesses and their candidates, adding value throughout the contracting supply chain. ADVANCE continuously invests in its infrastructure and people to ensure every part of the contracting journey for both candidate & recruiter is efficient, simple, and reliable. Whether you’re a contractor looking for support or a recruitment professional who wants the very best for your candidates, ADVANCE has the solution.

Award-winning FCSA-Accredited & Professional Passport-Approved Payroll Company: Umbrella, PAYE, CIS & Limited Company.

Ovio is the workforce partner that gets it. We support recruitment agencies, contractors and UK businesses with fully compliant payroll, workforce engagement solutions and funding, all delivered with a human touch.

Ovio was created to challenge the ordinary, to put people first, cut through complexity, and bring trust back to workforce solutions. We’re not just here to process payroll (thats the easy bit). We’re here to build something better: a company driven by values, fuelled by excellence, and united by a single rhythm.

Our platform, myOvio, is your visibility engine. We monitor contractor status, onboarding compliance, client approvals, payroll checks and supply chain health in real time. It’s everything you need to keep your staffing compliant, audit-ready, and confidence-fuelled.

Why Core?

We put you first! We have a team of experts here to ensure you have all the support you may want or need through every process. We work hard to ensure our reputation is second to none and you can rest assured that compliance, efficiency, and professionalism are key values we uphold here at Core. We are an accredited member of Professional Passport and a tier one founding member of trade association body Prism.

Lauren Baker also sits on the executive board of Prism as their Payroll Intermediary Representative, meaning we are always ahead of the curve when it comes to legislation changes. We work with thousands of contractors in both the Public and Private Sectors and are specialists in IR35, allowing you to safely navigate this legislation and get on with what you do best, your contracting work. We would welcome a call; Matt and the team would be delighted to hear from you on 0800 211 8121. You’ll receive:

• Dedicated Relationship manager

• Set up (paperless) in as little as 24 hours with no exit fee

• Online portal for payslips and document viewing

• IR35 assessments

• Weekly, Bi-Weekly or Monthly payroll services

• Insurance cover, Professional Indemnity up to £5 million, Employers Liability up to £10 million, Public Liability up to £10 million

• Workplace pension via NOW or Salary Sacrifice

• Full statutory employment rights

Umbrella Company UK was launched in 2019 and has revolutionised the way contractors and freelancers are paid through an umbrella company. We live in a digital world, and we wanted to modernise the umbrella experience. How did we achieve this? We introduced a state-of-the-art app. The app is intelligent. It will allow you to submit their hours and view your payslips – all while on the go!

We’re relatively new on the scene, but we have already received exceptional feedback from our clients. When you join us, you’ll be able to take advantage of:

• Our state-of-the-art app (meaning you’ll have hardly any administration) • Easy sign-up process • £25 million insurance package • Same Day Faster Payments • Employee Benefits, including Sick Pay and Maternity/Paternity Pay • No tie in period, and no joining or leaving fees • Access to Umbrella Company UK Rewards – our employee discount scheme* • Fully compliant payroll (PAYE) – we’re proudly accredited by the FCSA.

• Available for clients who opt for the Umbrella Company UK premium service only.

Clockwork Contracting – Precision in Payroll, Excellence in Service

Clockwork Contracting is a proud, certified member of SafeRec—one of the first umbrella companies to achieve this certification. We are committed to continuous improvement, always seeking innovative solutions that elevate industry standards for the benefit of contractors and agencies alike.

Why Choose Clockwork?

Low Contractor Fees – Unlike many competitors, we keep costs fair by forgoing large sales teams, relying instead on the trust and recommendations of our clients and contractors. This means overheads are lower and savings can be passed to our contractors. Seamless Payroll Experience – Our focus is on delivering a smooth, efficient, and hassle-free payroll service from start to finish. Swift Problem Resolution – We understand that errors can be stressful. That’s why we prioritise rapid response times with short SLAs, ensuring that mistakes become swift solutions.

At Clockwork Contracting, we don’t just provide payroll services—we set the standard for reliability, efficiency, and professionalism.