The Start-up Employee Share Ownership Plan

Drive Growth, Retention, and Ownership with a Start-up ESOP

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There's no better growth strategy than having employees who are as committed to success as you are.



Forget losing your best to better offers; our Start-up ESOP ensures they're here to stay.



Hassle-free, sit back and relax. Let us take care of the entire process for you.

The Start-up ESOP by ESOP Pal

Who is it for?

For Australian Start-ups looking to give equity to co-founders, employees, contractors and are looking for continued growth!

One Plus Employees

Less Than Ten Years Old

Growth, Attraction & Retention

Just one additional team member is all it takes to leverage our Start-up ESOP. It's also a perfect strategy for offering equity to co-founders, bolstering your protection and commitment.

Eligibility for the Start-up ESOP under Australian Employee Share Scheme (ESS) rules requires meeting specific criteria, ensuring it's tailored for genuine startups seeking growth.

Seeking top talent and aiming to keep them engaged? Looking to outpace your competitors? Our Start-up ESOP is designed to accelerate growth and retention.

That's me! I'm interested!

What are the benefits?

The Pal ESOP has many benefits but here are 3 major ones!

Benefit 1 Image
Employee Attraction & Retention
    Make your team part of the company's success. Our Start-up ESOP turns jobs into opportunities to own a piece of the pie. When employees win as the company grows, they're more likely to stick around and give their best.
Benefit 2 Image
Continued Growth & Employee Ownership
    Grow your business with a team that's all in. The Start-up ESOP makes every employee a part-owner, driving them to work harder for shared success. It's not just about working for a paycheck; it's about building something great together.
Benefit 3 Image
Better Protection
    Keep your company safe as it grows. The Start-up ESOP helps protect both you and your employees, making sure everyone's hard work is recognized. It's about building a strong, trusting team ready to face any challenge together.
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How Does The Start-up ESOP by ESOP Pal Work?

The Start-up ESOP allows you to issue equity to your most important people

First, we check if your business qualifies for our Start-up ESOP. Don't qualify? We'll look into alternatives before any fees come into play.

Are you Eligble?

You decide how much company ownership (equity pool) you're willing to share with co-founders, employees, and contractors. This is all about setting aside a piece of your business for those who help it grow.

add image, maybe eligible people under the rules + equity poool image?

Then, we'll help you figure out the right amount of equity for each key team member, ensuring everyone's rewards match their contributions.

Equity Allocation Formula

We'll also set clear goals for your team. They need to meet these goals before their share options can turn into actual shares.

Vesting Coniditions

Once your team earns their shares, we put them in a trust. This keeps your company and its shares safer and under your control.

Trust set-up

This is just a simplified version of how the Start-up ESOP by ESOP Pal works, if you want a detailed version click the button below.

Request more information on the Start-up ESOP by ESOP Pal

Got Questions?

Explore our FAQs on the Start-up ESOP below.

The Start-up ESOP by ESOP Pal is crafted for cost efficiency, ensuring you don't face the steep fees common in the industry.

You get expert advice at a fraction of the price, forgot about extremely high consultant fees that can be above $750+ an hour! Sometimes running up Start-up ESOP bills to $50k!

We won't charge you $50,000, heck we won't even charge you $25,000.

At ESOP Pal we really want to be your Pal as such our fees for a start-up are fixed at $9,999 + GST!

The Start-up ESOP package is comprehensive, designed for easy implementation and to enlighten your team. Here's what you get:

  1. A safe-harbour valuation which is required to offer start-up options to your employees, valued at $4,999**
  2. Comprehensive drafting of the share plan, trust deed rules, and the offer letter, valued at $11,599.
  3. An indepth consultantion on vesting conditions and what works best for your industry, stage of growth and employees, valued at $15,999
  4. An educational session on equity and the advantages of employee ownership, valued at $8,999.
  5. An online offer detailing the equity offered, including a plan handbook for employee reference at any time, valued at $6,399.
  6. An option to purchase ongoing ESOP administration at a discounted rate. This includes tax reporting, vesting tracking, managing future employee offers, and employee sessions, plus access to an equity professional for both you and your employees.

The total estimated value of these services is approximately $47,995!

All available for a fixed fee of $9,999 + GST.

**Applicable for start-ups less than 7 years old or with a turnover less than $2 million, not having raised more than $10 million in capital in the last 12 month.

While the Start-up ESOP is priced at $9,999 + GST, significantly below its estimated value of $47,995, you might wonder how we manage this. The answer lies in our commitment to long-term partnerships rather than immediate profits.

Our primary focus isn't on the initial setup fee; instead, we derive our success from the ongoing management of ESOP plans. This approach allows us to invest in our relationship with your business, ensuring we're there to support you and your employees over the long haul.

We see the implementation of Employee Share Ownership Plans (ESOPs) as the beginning of a journey. Through ongoing administrative services, we're able to offer continued support, whether it's helping employees understand their equity, providing assistance with accounting, managing ESS tax reporting, or offering sessions on financial literacy. We're also equipped to create custom surveys to gauge employee perceptions of the business and the ESOP.

This long-term partnership model allows us to make the initial setup of ESOPs accessible while ensuring we can offer valuable, ongoing support to you and your employees for as long as you have an ESOP.

Ideal for Australian Start-ups, you must fit the below cirtera:

  • The company must be an unlisted Australian company
  • Have less than $50 million in aggregated turnover
  • All companies in the group must be less than 10 years old

No, the Start-up ESOP is only for start-up companies, if you don't meet the elgibiltiy unforuntatley you cannot use this ESOP however, we have a few others you might be interested in:

More Questions? Schedule a call with us!