Employee stock option plans (ESOPs)

Set up and manage an employee stock option plan (ESOP) on Vestd, the UK’s leading equity platform. Tax-efficient, guided, and fully digital.

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What is an employee stock option plan (ESOP)?

An employee stock option plan (ESOP) gives team members the right to purchase company shares, usually at a fixed price, after meeting certain conditions. In the UK, these plans often take the form of EMI schemes or Unapproved Options, offering flexible structures and potential tax advantages for both employees and employers.

The UK’s equity experts

Vestd was the first purpose-built platform for ESOPs. We have helped thousands of founders to create share and option schemes.

Guided scheme design

Vestd provides UK companies with a fully guided service for share and option schemes. You’ll always get five star support.

100% accurate data

Vestd is the UK’s only equity management platform that is fully synced to Companies House with a two-way, read-and-write connection.

Why launch an employee stock option plan?

Employee stock option plans (ESOPs) help you attract, retain and motivate top talent. Vestd makes it easy to launch a tax-efficient plan tailored to your company’s needs.

✓ 95% of customers say their scheme has increased employee retention

✓ You can set specific conditions for recipients

✓ Equity improves productivity and engagement

How to issue shares and options

The old way involves lawyers and accountants. The new way is much more straightforward. You can issue stock options and shares directly via the Vestd platform, with automatic updates to Companies House.