National Share Scheme Day

22 May marks National Share Scheme Day, where we shout about the benefits of employee share schemes in the UK, creating wealth for individuals, companies and the economy.

This year, we’re celebrating National Share Scheme Day by raising awareness of the huge opportunities for businesses to join the EMI500 revolution.

Our EMI500 celebrations highlight how UK businesses can accelerate their growth using the most popular share scheme.

#SharingIsWinning
#NatShareSchemeDay

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Over recent years, Vestd has lobbied for changes to widen eligibility to the Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) - which is widely recognised as the gold standard for tax advantaged employee share schemes.

In the 2025 Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced major changes to significantly expand eligibility to EMI and open the door for larger businesses to take advantage of the scheme.

Under the reforms, as of April 2026, the limits for EMI eligibility increased significantly.

The total value of options a company can grant doubled from £3 million to £6 million, the maximum headcount is now 500 instead of 250, and the gross asset threshold rose from £30 million to £120 million.

The EMI500 revolution means scaling businesses can maintain their EMI scheme as they grow, and more established enterprise-level businesses can take advantage.

Share schemes bring undeniable value for businesses, individuals and the economy:

The data shows:

93% of business leaders say their share scheme helped their company grow
95% of business leaders said share schemes improved employee loyalty
£480 million of tax has been saved by British companies with share schemes in place
For every 100,000 companies that have a scheme, we can add £1bn to the economy

More than 18,000 UK companies have an EMI scheme in place to reward key people with tax-efficient shares.

A stake in the company motivates and aligns employees
Companies can set specific conditions for recipients
Potential tax advantages are huge
Companies can offset the costs

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There are plenty of ways to get involved, but here are two to get you going:

Talk on social media about the benefits of having a scheme using the hashtags #SharingIsWinning and #NatShareSchemeDay. Tag in your local businesses and MPs for greater impact.
If you’re a company leader, why not launch your share scheme today, or do something to celebrate your existing scheme? Have a party and share your pics on your socials using the hashtags listed above.

New to share schemes? Here's a crash course:

Employers: The Business Case for Share Schemes
Employees: Why you deserve a share scheme (and how to get one)

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Free equity consultation

What we'll cover:

Quick discovery: Your current equity setup and objectives.
Equity strategy: Design a custom share scheme or migrate an existing one.
Live demo: We'll show you how to automate equity management, shareholder governance and compliance in one secure platform.
Investment tools: Apply for SEIS/EIS advance assurance or prepare for funding rounds — we'll help you manage your raise and we don't take a cut.

Simply choose a time and let’s chat...

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