The Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100 league table ranks Britain’s 100 private companies with the fastest-growing profits over their latest three years. It is compiled by Fast Track and published as a supplement in The Sunday Times each April, with a national awards event in June and alumni dinners throughout the year.

The closing date for nominations for the 2020 league table is 2 February 2020, with publication on 5 April 2020.

View Criteria Nominate

Profit Track 100 entry criteria

The closing date for nominations for the 2019 league table is 2 February 2020, with publication on 5 April 2020.

  • UK registered, unquoted, and not subsidiaries
  • Profits of at least £500,000 in the base year (2014 or 2015)
  • Profits of at least £3m in the latest year (2017 or 2018)
  • Profits are defined as operating profits before exceptional items
  • Profits must increase in the latest year, from 2016 to 2017, or 2017 to 2018
  • Trading weeks in the base and latest years have to exceed 25
  • Excluded companies include pure property and financial trading companies, and those with restricted accounts; companies that are equal joint ventures, or majority-owned by quoted or other companies
  • Companies that do not meet the criteria can still be considered for the Ones to Watch programme. This is a selection of companies that have either achieved, or predict, good profit growth
  • We reserve the right to change the qualification criteria set out above and to make exceptions. This is not a competition; the compiler’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into

 

Types of company

Total profits

£3m - £40m

Total sales

£10m - £350m

Average 3 year profit growth

50% - 170% pa

Staff

20 - 1,000
League Table
Nominate
The Profit Track 100 companies put the 'Great' into Great Britain, contributing a serious input into the UK economy Dame Mary Perkins, Specsavers
This is still the best business gathering and networking event in the calendar Tim Hinton, head of corporate & commercial banking UK, Santander
Profit Track 100 recognises great talent, true entrepreneurial spirit and excellent private companies that drive our economy Dame Rosemary Squire OBE, co-founder, Ambassador Theatre Group
Great congregation of inspiring and life changing companies upon which the UK will increasingly depend Colin Tenwick, non-executive chairman, Addison Lee
This is the best networking event in the UK Stuart Hennell, Watchfinder
Fast Track is a great accolade for any business to include on its letterhead and demonstrate your success Peter Swift, Peninsula Business Services
No other awards ceremony brings together a higher quality of entrepreneurs and successful businesses Christian Nellemann, XLN
A great showcase for the unsung but oh-so-important private businesses who generate so much for the UK economy Sir James Wates, Wates
Best networking event you ever go to! But you have to earn your place Keith Knowles OBE, founder & chief executive, Beds and Bars

Alumni success stories

Featured with profits of £15m. Floated in 2000, now worth £1.4bn after merger with Dixons
First featured with profits of £6m. Sold to Bavaguthu Shetty for £1bn in 2014
First featured with profits of £24m, profits of £1bn on sales of £4bn in 2018