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EO Readiness Scorecard

Employee Ownership Ireland

EO Readiness Scorecard

Answer the questions below to see how ready your business is to explore employee ownership via an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). You will get a readiness score, a traffic light result, and next steps you can take today.

Answer the questions

Choose the answer that best reflects your business today.

0 Not in place 1 Early 2 Partly 3 Mostly 4 Strong

Succession clarity

Owner intent, timeline, and decision readiness

1. The owners have a clear exit or succession timeline.

2. The owners can describe what “success” looks like after exit (money, control, legacy, people).

3. The owners have explored more than one succession option (trade sale, MBO, EOT, wind-down).

4. The owners feel ready to start structured due diligence within the next 6–12 months.

5. The business has a realistic view of valuation and affordability (even if approximate).

Financial fundamentals

Profitability, cash generation, and stability

6. The business has stable, repeatable profit over the last 3 years.

7. The business generates enough cash to service a long-term purchase of shares.

8. The management accounts are up to date and used for decisions.

9. The business can explain key drivers (margin, utilisation, churn, working capital) with confidence.

10. The business has manageable debt and no hidden liabilities likely to derail a transaction.

Leadership depth

Capability beyond the founder or owner

11. The business can operate day-to-day without the owner present.

12. You have a strong second layer of leadership with clear accountability.

13. Roles and decision rights are clear (who decides, who recommends, who informs).

14. You already run structured leadership routines (weekly ops, monthly performance, quarterly planning).

15. Key client or supplier relationships do not depend on a single person.

Culture and communication

Trust, transparency, and employee engagement

16. Employees trust leadership and feel the business treats people fairly.

17. You already share business performance information with staff in a meaningful way.

18. You handle change well (consultation, feedback loops, clarity on decisions).

19. You have mechanisms for employee voice (forums, reps, surveys) and people use them.

20. You can explain employee ownership in plain language without overselling it.

Governance readiness

Ability to adopt EOT governance and trustee structures

21. The business already follows consistent governance routines (board packs, minutes, actions).

22. You have professional advisors who can support a transition (accountant, solicitor, tax advice).

23. You can identify potential employee representatives who could step into trustee roles.

24. You can commit time to the process without damaging operations.

25. You are willing to build a long-term ownership culture, not just complete a transaction.

This scorecard gives a directional view. It does not replace professional advice. If you want to explore whether employee ownership fits your succession plan, you can access fully funded feasibility study support through Employee Ownership Ireland.

OVERALL READINESS

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Complete the scorecard

Succession clarity–

Financial fundamentals–

Leadership depth–

Culture and communication–

Governance readiness–

Next steps

Answer the questions, then calculate your score to see tailored next steps.

Take a funded feasibility step

If you want a confidential conversation and a structured view of fit, you can explore fully funded feasibility study support.

Explore feasibility support

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