OPTOS PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY

Active
Company number SC139953Public limited companyIncorporated 1992

Key figures

£358,900,000+11.1%
Net assets 2025/26
+11.1%
Average annual growth 2024/25–2025/26
0100 m200 m300 m400 m2024/252025/26

† OPTOS PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY 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

2025/26

Sector comparison

SIC 26701

Where the company stands among the 295 active companies whose first SIC code is 26701 (Manufacture of optical precision instruments).

Net assets£358,900,000
Higher than 99% · median £82,932
Total assets£414,100,000
Higher than 99% · median £306,056
Cash£118,500,000
Higher than 99% · median £138,891
Employees316
Higher than 99% · median 1
Company age34.2 years
Older than 90% · median 10.7 years
Largest in this sector by net assets
  1. OPTOS PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY£358.9m
  2. GOOCH & HOUSEGO LIMITED£117.4m
  3. CARL ZEISS MICROSCOPY LIMITED£44.7m
  4. VISION ENGINEERING LIMITED£38.4m
  5. HAWKE OPTICS LIMITED£30.8m
  6. ZEPHIR LIMITED£30.3m
  7. EDINBURGH INSTRUMENTS LIMITED£25.2m
  8. OXFORD NANOIMAGING LIMITED£23.3m
  9. LUMENTUM TECHNOLOGY UK LIMITED£20m
  10. PRIOR SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS LIMITED£18.6m

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 295. The line on each bar marks the median.

Summary: OPTOS PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY

What kind of company is it?

OPTOS PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY is a public limited company registered with Companies House under company number SC139953. It was incorporated on 26 Aug 1992. Its status is active. The registered office is in Dunfermline (KY11). Its nature of business (SIC 2007) is manufacture of optical precision instruments (26701), manufacture of other special-purpose machinery n.e.c. (28990).

How is the company doing financially?

The latest accounts in the database are for 2025/26 (period ending 31 Mar 2026); the company files full accounts. Turnover was £176,100,000. Profit for the year was £36,600,000. Net assets were £358,900,000, up 11.1% on the previous year. Cash at bank and in hand was £118,500,000. Total assets were £414,100,000 and total liabilities £55,200,000. The company had an average of 316 employees. Figures are available for 2 financial years (2024/25–2025/26).

How does it compare with similar companies?

Compared with 295 active companies whose first SIC code is 26701: By net assets it ranks higher than 99% of them (median £82,932). By total assets it ranks higher than 99% of them (median £306,056). By cash it ranks higher than 99% of them (median £138,891). By number of employees it ranks higher than 99% of them (median 1). It is older than 90% of them (median age 10.7 years).

Does it supply the public sector?

The company is named as a supplier in 23 public contract award notices from 19 public sector buyers since 2017. Contracts awarded to it alone have a combined published value of £1.6m. Its most frequent buyer is HULL UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUST (3 contracts). 4 of the awards are shared with other suppliers, typically framework agreements.

What do public registers and reports show?

It appears on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors (Global Business Mobility: Senior or Specialist Worker, Skilled Worker). HMRC lists it as an importer of goods, mainly machinery, electrical equipment, optical, medical and measuring instruments. HMRC lists it as an exporter of goods, mainly electrical equipment, optical, medical and measuring instruments, machinery. In its latest payment practices report it took an average of 61 days to pay suppliers, and 1% of invoices were not paid within agreed terms. Its gender pay gap report for 2025/26 shows median hourly pay for women 8.3% lower than for men. It has modern slavery statements on the government registry for 7 years.

Who runs and controls the company?

One person with significant control is registered.

When are its next filings due?

The next accounts are due by 30 Sep 2027. The next confirmation statement is due by 5 Aug 2027.

Filed accounts2024/25–2025/26
2024/25 †2025/26 †
Turnover174,400,000176,100,000
Profit for the year28,600,00036,600,000
Cash at bank and in hand137,200,000118,500,000
Total assets380,200,000414,100,000
Total liabilities57,200,00055,200,000
Net assets / total equity323,000,000358,900,000
Average number of employees302316

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

23 contracts

OPTOS PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY is named as a supplier in 23 public contract award notices from 19 public sector buyers since 2017. The 18 contracts awarded to it alone with a published value add up to £1.6m. 4 awards are shared with other suppliers and not counted in that total.

Contracts per year
Main buyers19
HULL UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUST
3 contracts · £169.8k
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
2 contracts · £45.8k
Supply Chain Coordination Limited
2 contracts
Department of Health and Social Care
1 contract · £758.3k
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
1 contract · £170.5k
Contracts
  1. California Optos equipment‡Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · £23,856 · runs until Jul 2027
  2. SERVICE MAINTENANCE OF AQUA RETINAL IMAGING SYSTEMHULL UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUST · £12,888 · runs until Aug 2027
  3. Southend & Broomfield - Optos -California ICG , - 12 months maintenance‡Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust · £11,688 · runs until Jun 2027
  4. ESNEFT3206 Purchase of Ophthalmic Imaging Machine‡East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust · £170,491
  5. Ophthalmic scanner‡Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · £101,995
Show 18 more
  1. Service Contract for Retinal Screening EquipmentUNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF DERBY AND BURTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST · £11,964 · runs until Feb 2027
  2. OPTOS California RG and ICG maintenanceSOMERSET NHS FOUNDATION TRUST · £14,649 · runs until Mar 2027
  3. Maintenance of Medical EquipmentYORK TEACHING HOSPITAL FACILITIES MANAGEMENT LLP · £24,066 · runs until Dec 2026
  4. CF - Complete Ophthalmology Solutions 3Supply Chain Coordination Limited · shared by 53 suppliers, up to £360,000,000 in total · runs until Nov 2027
  5. FTS - Complete Ophthalmology Solutions 3‡Supply Chain Coordination Limited · shared by 53 suppliers, up to £360,000,000 in total
  6. SERVICE MAINTENANCE OF AQUA RETINOL IMAGING SYSTEMHULL UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUST · £11,958
  7. California Optos equipment‡Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · £21,900
  8. Optos software/equipment‡University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust · £62,000
  9. Maintenance of California Optos equipment‡Gloucestershire Shared Service for NHS · £21,900
  10. 6 months maintenance service contract 2x Optos retinal cameras‡King's College Trust · £8,325
  11. Optos Silverstone‡University Of The West Of England · £145,000
  12. 718 - Ultra-widefield Retinal Imaging Supply & Installation‡Aston University
  13. Maintenance of OPTOS California RG‡Calderdale & Huddersfield Solutions Ltd · £10,768
  14. CALIFORNIA AQUA RG/AF/FA/ICG CAP SALE‡HULL ROYAL INFIRMARY · £78,000
  15. Complete Ophthalmology Solutions 2 (COS 2) - AWARD‡NHS Supply Chain Tower 4 · shared by 48 suppliers
  16. NHSX AI Award: AI Lab - Optos‡Department of Health and Social Care · £758,345
  17. SILVERSTONE OCTHULL UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUST · £145,000 · runs until Jul 2030
  18. Ophthalmic Capital Equipment and Associated Accessories‡NHS SUPPLY CHAIN · shared by 25 suppliers

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.

Statutory reporting

Payment practices1 Apr 2026 – 30 Sep 2026
Average time taken to pay invoices
61 days
Invoices not paid within agreed terms
1%
Standard payment terms
30–45 days
Member of a payment code
No
  • Within 30 days 29%
  • 31 to 60 days 42%
  • After 60 days 29%
Earlier periods (7)
Period ending
Days to pay
Within 30 days
Late
31 Mar 2026
47
37%
2%
30 Sep 2025
38
42%
2%
31 Mar 2025
42
38%
1%
30 Sep 2024
42
38%
0%
31 Mar 2024
43
41%
0%
30 Sep 2023
37
40%
1%
31 Mar 2023
49
21%
0%

View the latest report on GOV.UK

Gender pay gap2025/26
Median hourly pay
women 8.3% lower
Mean hourly pay
women 4.4% lower
Median bonus pay
women 4.6% lower
Employer size
250 to 499 employees
Lower pay quarter35% womenLower middle22% womenUpper middle25% womenUpper pay quarter23% women
Earlier years (3)
Year
Median hourly pay
Mean hourly pay
2024/25
women 8.6% lower
women 12.2% lower
2023/24
women 10.4% lower
women 16.5% lower
2022/23
women 7.5% lower
women 14.1% lower

A positive gap means women's average hourly pay is lower than men's across the whole employer; it is not a comparison of pay for the same work. View on the Gender pay gap service

Modern slavery statements7
2026
Statement · summary on GOV.UK · group statement (Nikon Corporation)
2025
Statement · summary on GOV.UK · group statement (Nikon Corporation)
2024
Statement · summary on GOV.UK · group statement (Nikon Corporation)
Earlier years (4)
2023
Statement · summary on GOV.UK · group statement (Nikon Corporation)
2022
Statement · summary on GOV.UK · group statement (Nikon Corporation)
2021
Statement · summary on GOV.UK · group statement (Nikon Corporation)
2020
Statement · summary on GOV.UK · group statement (NIKON UK LIMITED)

Figures the company reported itself to the government's Check payment practices service, Gender pay gap service and Modern slavery statement registry (Open Government Licence v3.0). Only large companies and employers with 250 or more staff have to report, so most companies have nothing here.

Registers and licences

Sponsor licence‡
Licence type and rating
Worker (A rating)
Routes
Global Business Mobility: Senior or Specialist Worker, 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 importer of goods in 12 of the last 12 months on record, most recently August 2026. Main goods: machinery, electrical equipment, optical, medical and measuring instruments, furniture and lighting and other textile articles.

Listed by HMRC as an exporter of goods in 12 of the last 12 months on record, most recently August 2026. Main goods: electrical equipment, optical, medical and measuring instruments, machinery, glass and soaps and waxes.

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 2025/26 endedAccounts: turnover £176.1m, net assets £358.9m, 316 employees
  2. Financial year 2024/25 endedAccounts: turnover £174.4m, net assets £323m, 302 employees
  3. Nikon Corporation registered as a person with significant control
  4. Company incorporatedPublic limited company

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.