UK Insolvency Intelligence
August 2026
1,960 total appointments in August 2026, down 5% year-on-year. Administration and CVA activity rose to 126 and remains 12.5% ahead cumulatively, while CVL and other appointments continued to fall. FRP Advisory reclaimed the monthly and cumulative SPK Index lead.
Simon Carter, CCO
Insolvency Intelligence
1,960
Total Appointments
-5% vs Aug 2025
126
Admin / CVA
+6 vs Aug 2025
394
MVL
+58 vs Aug 2025
1,440
CVL / Other
-163 vs Aug 2025
Executive Summary
August recorded 1,960 appointments, 99 fewer than a year earlier and down 5%. The year-to-date total reached 18,635, which is 1,015 below the equivalent 2025 period.
Administration and CVA activity remains the exception to the wider decline. The month recorded 126 appointments, six more than August 2025, taking the cumulative total to 1,133. That is 126 appointments, or 12.5%, ahead of the 2025 pace. MVLs delivered their strongest month of 2026 at 394 but remain 252 behind cumulatively, while CVL and other appointments fell by 163 in the month and are 889 lower year to date.
Retail insolvency pressure featured prominently. Harvey Nichols entered administration under FTI Consulting before a pre-pack sale, while Magnet Group moved from its July CVA into administration under Interpath. Other significant appointments included Blue Motor Finance, Airband Community Internet, Accell UK & Ireland, Strathmore Hotels and Precision Colour Printing.
| Type | Aug 2025 | Aug 2026 | Mvmt | 2025 YTD | 2026 YTD | YTD Mvmt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admin / CVA | 120 | 126 | +6 | 1,007 | 1,133 | +126 |
| MVL | 336 | 394 | +58 | 5,247 | 4,995 | -252 |
| CVL / Other | 1,603 | 1,440 | -163 | 13,396 | 12,507 | -889 |
| Total | 2,059 | 1,960 | -99 | 19,650 | 18,635 | -1,015 |
Excludes Official Receiver and subsidiary appointments. YTD = January to August cumulative.
- FRP Advisory reclaimed the monthly SPK Index lead with 1,113 points from 89 appointments, including 18 Admin/CVA cases.
- FRP also moved back into the cumulative lead at 9,976 points, narrowly ahead of Begbies Traynor on 9,914.
- The South East produced the strongest regional monthly growth, adding 76 appointments, while London added 40 and remained 160 ahead cumulatively.
- Complex retail and consumer cases stood out, led by Harvey Nichols and Magnet Group, alongside Blue Motor Finance and Raleigh owner Accell UK & Ireland.
Sector Breakdown (Non-MVL)
Cumulative year-to-date comparison by sector for January to August 2026 versus January to August 2025. Food and beverage services remains the largest category. Building construction, real estate, human health, financial services, architecture and engineering, metal manufacturing, education, civil engineering and media production are above the 2025 pace.
| Sector | 2025 YTD | 2026 YTD | Mvmt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food & beverage services | 2,048 | 1,931 | -117 |
| Specialist construction | 1,399 | 1,328 | -71 |
| Retail trade | 1,240 | 1,065 | -175 |
| Building construction | 820 | 834 | +14 |
| Office & business support | 686 | 616 | -70 |
| Personal services (other) | 635 | 595 | -40 |
| Wholesale trade | 618 | 546 | -72 |
| IT programming / consulting | 536 | 505 | -31 |
| Head offices & consultancy | 445 | 409 | -36 |
| Real estate | 394 | 401 | +7 |
| Wholesale & retail trade | 393 | 350 | -43 |
| Employment services | 343 | 337 | -6 |
| Land transport & pipelines | 293 | 288 | -5 |
| Prof, scientific & tech | 289 | 238 | -51 |
| Human health | 220 | 224 | +4 |
| Financial services excl ins | 187 | 202 | +15 |
| Architecture & engineering | 197 | 204 | +7 |
| Manufacturing (metal) | 182 | 189 | +7 |
| Sports & recreation | 206 | 188 | -18 |
| Education | 153 | 171 | +18 |
| Building + Landscape services | 201 | 172 | -29 |
| Manufacturing (other) | 152 | 141 | -11 |
| Civil engineering | 110 | 131 | +21 |
| Music / TV / Film Production | 113 | 131 | +18 |
Appointments by Firm - SPK Index Leaders
Firms ranked by monthly SPK Index points for August 2026. The cumulative column shows total 2026 SPK points through August.
| # | SPK | Firm | Total | Admin/CVA | CVL/Other | MVL | 2026 SPK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,113 | FRP Advisory | 89 | 18 | 48 | 23 | 9,976 |
| 2 | 857 | Begbies Traynor | 212 | 11 | 171 | 30 | 9,914 |
| 3 | 574 | Leonard Curtis | 77 | 10 | 49 | 18 | 4,222 |
| 4 | 273 | Interpath | 20 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 3,108 |
| 5 | 493 | Quantuma | 51 | 13 | 25 | 13 | 3,099 |
| 6 | 363 | SFP | 130 | 3 | 107 | 20 | 2,247 |
| 7 | 74 | PwC | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2,187 |
| 8 | 85 | Opus | 36 | - | 28 | 8 | 1,577 |
| 9 | 200 | RSM | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1,548 |
| 10 | 126 | KR8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | - | 1,348 |
| 11 | 67 | BDO | 15 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 1,328 |
| 12 | 177 | FTI Consulting | 2 | 2 | - | - | 984 |
| 13 | 122 | KRE Corporate Recovery | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 978 |
| 14 | 107 | Moorfields Advisory | 5 | 3 | 2 | - | 919 |
| 15 | 88 | KBL Advisory | 9 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 894 |
| 16 | 63 | Alvarez & Marsal | 1 | 1 | - | - | 869 |
| 17 | 110 | FTS Recovery | 11 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 863 |
| 18 | 99 | JT Maxwell | 25 | 2 | 23 | - | 855 |
| 19 | 129 | EY | 3 | 1 | 2 | - | 833 |
| 20 | 35 | Leading Business Services | 42 | 1 | 35 | 6 | 816 |
About the SPK Index: The SPK Index is a proprietary algorithm managed by Spark that scores appointments using procedure type, company size and complexity factors such as property holdings, secured lenders and group structure. Read the full methodology →
Notable Appointments
Selected high-profile insolvency appointments notified in August 2026. Financial details are taken from the most recently filed accounts at Companies House.
| Company | IP Firm | Type | Region | Key filing detail | Lenders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Motor Finance Limited | EY | Admin | South East | £39.7m turnover, £94.0m trade debtors, £31.2m net assets, 244 staff; 3-company group | Citibank |
| MBJSC (Holdings) Limited | Dow Schofield Watts | Admin | South East | £21.5m turnover, £-335k net assets, 59 staff; 2-company group | Aldermore Bank, Investec Capital, Reward Finance |
| CVW SPV Limited | FRP Advisory | Admin | Midlands | £25.7m turnover, £-381k net assets, 105 staff; 6-company group | Close Brothers, Shawbrook Bank |
| Magnet Group Limited | Interpath | Admin | London | £354.1m turnover, £-1.6m net assets, 1,988 staff | Cynergy Business Finance |
| H Realisations 2026 Limited (Harvey Nichols) | FTI Consulting | Admin | London | £69.5m turnover, £-137.7m net assets, 534 staff; 6-company group | - |
| Airband Community Internet Limited | Alix Partners | Admin | Midlands | £6.7m turnover, £78.3m debts, £-44.6m net assets, 236 staff | Glas Trust, HSBC |
| Trammell Crow Company Logistics (Shepcote) Limited | Leonard Curtis | Admin | London | £-3.9m net assets, £-5.3m estimated PBT | CBRE Loan Services |
| FREP 4 (Coventry) Limited | KR8 | Admin | London | £14.2m debts, £-18.0m net assets | Paragon Bank |
| Accell UK & Ireland Ltd | FTI Consulting | Admin | London | £57.7m turnover, £47.9m debts, £-32.1m net assets, 130 staff; 2-company group | Kroll Trustee Services, Standard Chartered Bank |
| Avon House School Limited | FRP Advisory | Admin | South East | £3.7m turnover, £3.3m net assets, 57 staff | Barclays Bank |
| Strathmore Hotels Limited | Interpath | Admin | Scotland | £19.2m turnover, £34.1m property assets, £19.9m net assets, 415 staff | Handelsbanken |
| Precision Colour Printing Limited | Alvarez & Marsal | Admin | Midlands | £27.9m turnover, £5.5m net assets, 186 staff | Close Brothers |
| Premier Care Partners Limited | FRP Advisory | Admin | Yorkshire / Humber | £79k net assets, 183 staff | Capify, Time Finance |
| Materials Processing Institute | FRP Advisory | CVA | North East | £5.7m turnover, £6.4m property assets, £2.2m net assets, 70 staff | Proplend |
| Beluga Group Ltd | Parker Walsh Corporate Recovery | CVA | North West | £2.4m debts, £54k net assets | PMJ Capital, Seneca Secured Lending |
| Attolife Ltd | Parker Andrews | Admin | East of England | £3.7m net assets, 28 staff; 2-company group | Bibby Finance, Bizcap |
| Avtar Construction Limited | FRP Advisory | Admin | South West | £33.0m turnover, £749k net assets, 58 staff | Ultimate Finance |
| Bulmer & Lumb Group Limited | RSM | Admin | Yorkshire / Humber | £2.6m net assets, 37 staff | Lloyds Bank, Lloyds Commercial Finance |
| Business Mortgage Finance 7 PLC | PwC | Admin | Yorkshire / Humber | £3.1m turnover, £164.4m other debts, £-133.2m net assets | BNY Mellon |
| Swimming Nature UK Limited | S&W | Admin | London | £-2.1m net assets, 128 staff | - |
SPK Index Points by Region
Top firms by cumulative SPK Index points in each of the 12 Spark sales regions through August 2026. SPK points reflect weighted appointment complexity rather than raw volume.
01. North East
- FRP Advisory1,667
- Begbies Traynor1,085
- Interpath227
- KBL Advisory166
- KRE Corporate Recovery152
02. North West
- FRP Advisory4,946
- Begbies Traynor2,234
- Leonard Curtis1,763
- KR8684
- KBL Advisory444
03. Yorkshire / Humber
- PwC3,570
- FRP Advisory3,547
- Begbies Traynor2,260
- Interpath1,218
- Leonard Curtis509
04. Midlands
- FRP Advisory1,018
- Begbies Traynor711
- Teneo619
- PwC580
- Leonard Curtis425
05. East Midlands
- FRP Advisory1,421
- Begbies Traynor886
- CFS Restructuring171
- Springfields Business Recovery155
- Opus137
06. East of England
- FRP Advisory3,354
- Begbies Traynor1,983
- Leading Business Services288
- McTear, Williams and Wood204
- SFP164
07. South East
- FRP Advisory3,238
- Begbies Traynor3,011
- Quantuma1,375
- Oury Clark612
- Opus535
08. South West
- Begbies Traynor651
- FRP Advisory501
- Monahans222
- Forvis Mazars182
- Undebt.co.uk174
09. London
- FRP Advisory12,061
- Begbies Traynor6,431
- FTI Consulting2,779
- Coots And Boots1,874
- Interpath1,411
10. Wales
- Begbies Traynor335
- FRP Advisory197
- Leonard Curtis133
- McAlister & Co114
- SFP106
11. Scotland
- Interpath449
- Begbies Traynor326
- Alix Partners305
- BDO234
- FTI Consulting204
12. Northern Ireland
- Keenan Corporate Finance168
- McKeague Morgan126
- KPMG114
- Leonard Curtis75
- Begbies Traynor66
SPK Index points reflect weighted appointment complexity. Regions reflect Spark Finance sales territories.