For agencies who want to own their workforce operation.
Direct Engagement. Complete Compliance. Full Control.
- Direct engagement means your agency sits between the client and the worker, with no umbrella company in the chain. You own the contracts, the data and the financial benefits that come with it.
- Complete compliance means PAYE, CIS and IR35 are handled through structured workflows, with a direct relationship with HMRC and a clear audit trail your agency owns.
- Full control means you see and own the entire operation end to end — onboarding, payroll, risk and liability — with clear reporting and full visibility across your supply chain.
WHY NOW
The regulatory landscape is changing.
New Joint and Several Liability and CIS Fraud legislation increases the exposure agencies carry for payroll taxes, employment status decisions and worker rights across their supply chain. As the direct engager, your agency owns all three, no longer relying on a third party to evidence their own compliance. Kova runs the operation, evidence and reporting behind you.
Since April 2026, agencies need equal control over tax liabilities, employment status and worker rights, with the evidence in one place.
Read how Kova protects agenciesWHAT KOVA IS
Direct workforce engagement. Owned by the agency. Managed by Kova.
Kova handles the operational heavy lifting, onboarding, compliance, payroll and reporting, while your agency stays the legal engager and takes back control.
Your agency, your brand
You stay the legal engager. Kova runs the operation behind you.
Compliance you can evidence
PAYE, CIS and IR35 workflows with a structured audit trail.
Controlled payroll
One auditable workflow with visible deductions and records.
Structured onboarding
ID, right-to-work, contracts and documents in one managed flow.
Real-time reporting
Live dashboards for payroll, onboarding and workforce status.
Better worker experience
Clear pay, clear deductions, a direct relationship with your agency.
WHO OWNS WHAT
Kova runs it. You own it.
Kova does
- Onboarding workflow and document capture
- Payroll processing and payslip distribution
- Compliance evidence and audit trails
- Reporting dashboards and management outputs
- Dedicated support from payroll professionals and compliance experts
You own
- The worker relationship and contracts
- Client relationships and commercial terms
- All worker data and records
- The margin and cashflow upside
- Your brand and the agency identity
- Control over your supply chain
BUILT FOR
Direct Engagement. Complete Compliance. Full Control. Better Cashflow.
Four outcomes your agency, your workers and your clients all feel, a cleaner supply chain, stronger compliance, full operational control and materially improved cashflow and cost.
DIRECT ENGAGEMENT
A clean supply chain
A direct agency-to-worker relationship that stands up to client audit, with no opaque intermediaries.
COMPLETE COMPLIANCE
Supply chain risk, mitigated
Own the status determination and manage JSL exposure, with structured evidence at every step.
FULL CONTROL
One operation, one source of truth
Onboarding, compliance, payroll and reporting in a single managed workflow you see end to end.
CASHFLOW & COST
Margin retained. Cashflow released.
Cut operational cost and release weekly working capital back into the agency.
Try the working capital calculatorTHE KOVA DIFFERENCE
Expert-led. Not system-run.
Most platforms hand you software and a support line. Kova is led by a founding team that has run payroll, compliance and umbrella operations from the inside, so every question is handled by a specialist, not a generic helpdesk.
50+ years
Combined leadership and payroll sector experience in the founding team
Specialist IR35 & off-payroll expertise
Led in-house by experienced directors
Built from the inside
Founders who have run payroll, umbrella and workforce operations end to end before building Kova
THE KOVA PROMISE
Three things every agency should own.
Control
You stay the legal engager and own the contracts, data and worker relationship.
Compliance
Off-Payroll, PAYE, CIS and AWR run through structured workflows, led by in-house specialists.
Cashflow
Weekly working capital that was leaking to intermediaries comes back to your agency.
Try the working capital calculatorWHO KOVA IS FOR
A good fit, and an honest line on when we're not.
Kova is built for agencies that want a controlled, compliant route to direct engagement. We're upfront about who we won't work with.
A GOOD FIT
Kova is for
- Recruitment agencies reviewing their payroll supply chain
- Agencies with high weekly temporary worker volumes
- Agencies concerned about JSL, PAYE, CIS or IR35 exposure
- Agencies wanting to retain margin and the worker relationship
- Agencies looking for a controlled pilot before full rollout
NOT A FIT
Kova is not for
- Agencies seeking a like-for-like replacement of an existing intermediary
- Schemes promising inflated take-home pay
- Avoiding PAYE, CIS, IR35 or employment status obligations
- Outsourcing responsibility without visibility
RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS
Supporting The Lily Foundation
Kova is proud to support The Lily Foundation, the UK charity dedicated to fighting mitochondrial disease.
As we grow, we intend to continue raising awareness and supporting fundraising for a cause that is personally important to our founding team.
Responsible business means more than compliance. It means building with purpose, integrity and contribution.
See how Kova fits your workforce operation.
Start with a focused pilot, see the workflow in action, and decide from there.