UK EBITDA multiples database (2026)
The definitive UK SME EBITDA-multiple grid — 12 sectors × 4 size bands. P25 / P50 / P75 of closed transactions, sourced from Companies House filings and published deal data, refreshed each quarter. Use as your primary reference when pricing your business or benchmarking a broker valuation.
By Chris at Sell LtdLast updated - Closed-deal multiples — not asking-price marketing multiples.
- Full P25 / P50 / P75 grid for 12 UK SME sectors × 4 size bands.
- Region adjuster ranges from +8% (London / SE) to −8% (Northern Ireland).
- Sourced from Companies House 2023–25 filings + published UK SME deals + ONS data.
- Refreshed quarterly. Current snapshot: Q3 2026.
| Sector | Micro £0 – £250k EBITDA | Small £250k – £1m EBITDA | Lower mid-market £1m – £3m EBITDA | Upper mid-market £3m – £10m EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
B2B SaaS Software / cloud subscription businesses | 2.5× – 6× mid 4× | 4× – 9× mid 6.5× | 6× – 12× mid 9× | 8× – 18× mid 12× |
Professional services Accountancy, consultancy, legal, marketing agencies | 1.5× – 3.5× mid 2.5× | 2.5× – 5× mid 3.5× | 3.5× – 7× mid 5× | 5× – 9× mid 7× |
E-commerce DTC, Amazon FBA, Shopify, marketplace resellers | 1.5× – 3.5× mid 2.5× | 2.5× – 5× mid 3.5× | 3.5× – 6.5× mid 5× | 5× – 8.5× mid 6.5× |
Manufacturing UK manufacturers, engineering, fabrication | 2.5× – 4.5× mid 3.5× | 3.5× – 6× mid 4.5× | 4.5× – 7.5× mid 6× | 6× – 9× mid 7.5× |
Healthcare & care Dental, care homes, veterinary, allied health | 3× – 6× mid 4.5× | 4.5× – 8× mid 6× | 6× – 10× mid 8× | 8× – 13× mid 10× |
Hospitality Pubs, restaurants, hotels, coffee shops | 1× – 2.5× mid 1.8× | 1.8× – 4× mid 2.8× | 3× – 6× mid 4.5× | 4.5× – 8× mid 6× |
Trades & construction Plumbing, electrical, roofing, small builders | 1.2× – 3× mid 2× | 2× – 4.5× mid 3× | 3× – 6× mid 4.5× | 4.5× – 7.5× mid 6× |
Logistics & distribution Haulage, warehousing, last-mile, wholesale distribution | 2× – 4× mid 3× | 3× – 5.5× mid 4× | 4× – 7× mid 5.5× | 5.5× – 8.5× mid 7× |
Retail (independent) Independent retail, small chains, specialist shops | 1× – 2.5× mid 1.8× | 1.8× – 3.5× mid 2.5× | 2.5× – 5× mid 3.5× | 3.5× – 6.5× mid 5× |
IT & managed services MSP, IT support, cyber, cloud managed services | 2.5× – 5.5× mid 4× | 4× – 7.5× mid 5.5× | 5.5× – 10× mid 7.5× | 7.5× – 13× mid 10× |
Childcare & education Nurseries, tutoring, private education, training | 2× – 5× mid 3.5× | 3.5× – 7× mid 5× | 5× – 9× mid 7× | 7× – 11× mid 9× |
Media & marketing Digital agencies, PR, content, performance marketing | 1.5× – 3.5× mid 2.5× | 2.5× – 6× mid 4× | 4× – 8.5× mid 6× | 6× – 11× mid 8.5× |
Regional adjustments
| Region | Adjustment | Why |
|---|---|---|
| London & South East | +8% | Buyer density lifts multiples ~8% |
| South West | +2% | Strong lifestyle-buyer demand |
| East of England | +3% | London commuter belt effect |
| Midlands (East & West) | +0% | National-average benchmark |
| Yorkshire & Humber | -3% | Regional discount, narrowing |
| North West | -2% | Manchester premium offsets rest of region |
| North East | -7% | Thin buyer pool discounts price |
| Wales | -5% | Discount narrowest in Cardiff belt |
| Scotland | -2% | Central belt outperforms rural Scotland |
| Northern Ireland | -8% | Cross-border buyer complexity |
Methodology in plain English
We pull four data feeds and reconcile them every quarter.
- Companies House filings. Every UK SME above the small-company threshold files accounts. We track ownership-change events and reconstruct EBITDA trajectories on either side of the change.
- Published UK SME transactions. Where enterprise value and EBITDA are both disclosed (press, brokerage announcements, insolvency practitioner reports), we extract the ratio.
- Sell Ltd confidential deal book. Aggregated and fully anonymised. Used to test whether the public data is representative.
- ONS regional and sector productivity. Used to build the regional adjuster and cross-check sector median EBITDA.
Outliers (top and bottom 5%) are excluded before calculating P25 / P50 / P75. Sample sizes vary by cell — micro-band SaaS is thin (fewer than 40 deals per quarter) while small-band hospitality is deep (300+ deals). We flag thin cells internally and would rather show wider ranges than fake precision.
How to use this grid
- Find your sector row.
- Read across to your size band.
- Start from the midpoint. Adjust up toward P75 for recurring revenue, low concentration, growth > sector avg. Adjust down toward P25 for owner dependency, key-customer risk, sector-below-average margin.
- Apply your regional adjuster from the second table.
- Cross-check the answer with the full calculator and rule of thumb.
What isn't captured here
Property value, working capital adjustments, earn-out structure, deferred consideration, and rollover equity. All four can move the headline number by 10–30%. The grid gives you the enterprise-value range on cash-free, debt-free trading terms — the framework every UK SME deal starts from.
Frequently asked questions
Where do these UK EBITDA multiples come from?
Sell Ltd's synthesis of Companies House filings (2023–2025 accounts), published UK SME transaction data where enterprise value is disclosed, ONS regional and sector productivity data, and our anonymised confidential deal book. We refresh quarterly.
Are these deal multiples or asking-price multiples?
Closed-deal multiples. Asking prices systematically run 15–25% higher than closed prices — brokers publish asking multiples for marketing. We publish closed.
Why do you show a range instead of one 'average' multiple?
Because the spread within a sector is often bigger than the difference between sectors. Publishing one average multiple hides the P25–P75 range that owners actually care about.
Do these multiples include property?
No. These are trading-business enterprise values. For pubs, care homes, nurseries and manufacturers with freehold, add property value separately.
How do UK SME multiples compare to the US or Europe?
US SME multiples run 20–40% higher for the same sector and size, driven by a deeper buyer pool. European (ex-UK) multiples are broadly in line with UK.
Get a fully-drafted, buyer-ready valuation with Chris
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