THE COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS

Active
Company number 00514735Private company limited by guaranteeIncorporated 1952

Key figures

£84,988,921+7.6%
Net assets 2025
+7.6%
Average annual growth 2024–2025
025 m50 m75 m100 m20242025

† THE COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS filed these accounts on paper, so Companies House publishes them only as a scanned image. The figures for the years marked † were read automatically from the scan and kept only where the statements add up (for example net assets equal total equity), but a reading error is still possible — check the original accounts at Companies House.

Ratios

2025

Sector comparison

SIC 18130

Where the company stands among the 1,289 active companies whose first SIC code is 18130 (Pre-press and pre-media services).

Net assets£84,988,921
Higher than 99% · median £4,995
Total assets£91,352,304
Higher than 99% · median £23,848
Cash£5,639,329
Higher than 99% · median £18,599
Company age73.9 years
Older than 99% · median 5.6 years
Largest in this sector by net assets
  1. THE COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS£85m
  2. SGS PACKAGING EUROPE LIMITED£11.5m
  3. PRINT IMAGE NETWORK LTD£6.4m
  4. BRANDED LIMITED£6.4m
  5. VISION SUPPLIES LIMITED£4.5m
  6. RIVENDELL EUROPE LIMITED£3.8m
  7. YRG GROUP LIMITED£3.5m
  8. NETWORK (LONDON) LIMITED£3.3m
  9. CURVE DIGITAL LIMITED£2.9m
  10. POST WAVE PUBLISHING UK LTD£2.6m

Positions are approximate. Figures come from each company's latest accounts; money and employee figures are compared only with companies that filed accounts in pounds for a period ending in the last two and a half years and are not dormant, so those groups are smaller than 1,289. The line on each bar marks the median.

Summary: THE COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS

What kind of company is it?

THE COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS is a private company limited by guarantee registered with Companies House under company number 00514735. It was incorporated on 31 Dec 1952. Its status is active. The registered office is in Cambridge (CB24). Its nature of business (SIC 2007) is pre-press and pre-media services (18130), reproduction of computer media (18203), publishing of learned journals (58141), other publishing activities (58190).

How is the company doing financially?

The latest accounts in the database are for 2025 (period ending 31 Dec 2025); the company files full accounts. Turnover was £7,653,258. Net assets were £84,988,921, up 7.6% on the previous year. Cash at bank and in hand was £5,639,329. Total assets were £91,352,304 and total liabilities £6,363,383. Figures are available for 2 financial years (2024–2025).

How does it compare with similar companies?

Compared with 1,289 active companies whose first SIC code is 18130: By net assets it ranks higher than 99% of them (median £4,995). By total assets it ranks higher than 99% of them (median £23,848). By cash it ranks higher than 99% of them (median £18,599). It is older than 99% of them (median age 5.6 years).

Does it supply the public sector?

The company is named as a supplier in 5 public contract award notices from 3 public sector buyers since 2022. Contracts awarded to it alone have a combined published value of £2.3m. Its most frequent buyer is JISC (2 contracts).

What do public registers and reports show?

It is a registered charity (number 277992) with a latest reported income of £8.4m. It appears on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors (Skilled Worker). HMRC lists it as an exporter of goods, mainly printed matter, leather goods and bags, knitted clothing.

When are its next filings due?

The next accounts are due by 30 Sep 2027. The next confirmation statement is due by 7 Jul 2027.

Filed accounts2024–2025
2024 †2025 †
Turnover—7,653,258
Cash at bank and in hand5,099,0115,639,329
Total assets85,123,89391,352,304
Total liabilities6,169,6706,363,383
Net assets / total equity78,954,22384,988,921

A dash (—) means no accounts were filed for that year or the item is not in the accounts; 0 is a zero stated in the accounts. Small companies usually file only a balance sheet, so the profit and loss account is often missing.

Public contracts

5 contracts

THE COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS is named as a supplier in 5 public contract award notices from 3 public sector buyers since 2022. The 4 contracts awarded to it alone with a published value add up to £2.3m.

Contracts per year
Main buyers3
JISC
2 contracts · £1.1m
UK SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED
2 contracts · £30.4k
Jisc Services Limited
1 contract · £1.1m
Contracts
  1. The Company of Biologists Read and Publish 2027-2028JISC · runs until Dec 2028
  2. DDaT24527 - Company of Biologists SubscriptionUK SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED · £10,879 · runs until Dec 2026
  3. COB Journals 2025‡Jisc · £1,120,000
  4. COB Journals 2025‡Jisc Services Limited · £1,120,000
  5. CS22021 - Read and publish agreementUK SHARED BUSINESS SERVICES LIMITED · £19,559

From contract award notices on Contracts Finder (since 2016) and Find a Tender (since 2021), published by the Cabinet Office under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Values are as published by the buyer and usually cover the whole contract term; the total leaves out awards shared between several suppliers, where the published figure is a ceiling for all of them, placeholder values and single figures of £1 billion or more. Notices marked ‡ do not state a company number and were linked by an exact match on the registered name. Contracts below the publication thresholds and those of devolved buyers that publish elsewhere are not included.

Registers and licences

Registered charityNo. 277992
Registered with the Charity Commission
27 Jun 1979
Income, year to 31 Dec 2025
£8.4m
Spending
£9.8m

To promote research and study across all branches of biology through the publication of journals: Development, Journal of Cell Science, Journal of Experimental Biology, Disease Models & Mechanisms and Biology Open. To provide free access to journal content in the developing world and to fund worksh…

View on the register of charities

Sponsor licence‡
Licence type and rating
Worker (A rating)
Route
Skilled Worker

On the Home Office register of licensed sponsors, which lists organisations licensed to sponsor workers from overseas.

International trade‡

Listed by HMRC as an exporter of goods in 2 of the last 12 months on record, most recently December 2025. Main goods: printed matter, leather goods and bags and knitted clothing.

From HMRC's monthly lists of importers and exporters. Traders can ask to be left off the lists, so absence does not mean a company does not trade.

Sources: Charity Commission for England and Wales, Care Quality Commission, Home Office and HM Revenue & Customs, under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Entries marked ‡ come from lists that do not state a company number and were linked by an exact match on the registered name.

History

4 events
  1. Financial year 2025 endedAccounts: turnover £7.7m, net assets £85m
  2. Financial year 2024 endedAccounts: net assets £79m
  3. Name changed to THE COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTSPreviously THE COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS, LIMITED
  4. Company incorporatedPrivate company limited by guarantee

Dates as recorded at Companies House: incorporation, name changes, officer appointments and resignations, current persons with significant control, and the end of each financial year with figures in the database. Former persons with significant control are not listed.