Expert stock plan & equity plan administration services
We run your equity compensation program day to day, from grant processing and vesting through employee questions and year-end reporting.
Comprehensive stock plan administration for growing companies
Most equity teams are small, and often it is one person. That person is expected to know SEC reporting, tax withholding, an administration platform, and how to answer a participant who does not understand their grant.
AEP takes that work on. You can hand us the whole program, a defined set of tasks, or an interim, fractional, or on-demand stock plan administrator during peak periods.
We work in your systems, on your calendar, and alongside the people who already own the plan. Where a process creates manual work or repeat errors, we redesign it and document what changed.
If you are evaluating whether to keep equity administration in-house or partner with an equity management company, our team can support the operating model that fits your business: fully outsourced administration, co-sourced support, temporary coverage, or project-based help during reporting cycles and strategic transactions.
What our equity administration team handles
Day-to-day stock plan operations
Grant processing, vesting events, exercises, releases, ESPP activity, data reconciliation, participant support, and recurring administration workflows.
Reporting & compliance support
Section 16, ASC 718 coordination, proxy and audit support, Section 6039 reporting, participant statements, and controls that reduce filing and data risk.
Flexible administration coverage
Interim, fractional, outsourced, and on-demand stock plan administrator support when your team needs specialist capacity without adding a full-time hire.
For additional context, read our guides to stock plan administration, Section 6039 reporting, and equity compensation services.
Our equity administration services
Full grant lifecycle management
We manage the grant lifecycle from issuance through vesting, exercise, and settlement. Our administrators coordinate directly with Payroll, HR, Accounting, Legal, and Treasury so transactions are processed correctly and on time.
Employee education & onboarding
We give employees clear materials, onboarding sessions, and a place to bring their questions. They learn what they have been granted, how it works, and where to find the information they need.
Outsourced administration & scalable support
Our team can own day-to-day administration or take responsibility for selected workflows. You can increase or reduce support as transaction volume, deadlines, and internal capacity change.
Interim, fractional & on-demand support
Bring in an interim administrator for a vacancy, a fractional administrator for ongoing part-time coverage, or short-term help for annual grants, year-end reporting, and M&A. You get an experienced equity professional for the period you need.
Benefits of partnering with AEP
Regulatory compliance expertise
Our team works with SEC reporting, tax rules, accounting standards, and plan requirements every day. We build the required checks and deadlines into the administration process to reduce missed filings and avoidable errors.
Process efficiency & automation
We find repetitive work, unnecessary handoffs, and places where errors enter the process. Then we simplify or automate those steps so your team spends less time correcting data and moving files.
Vendor platform expertise
Our team works across major equity platforms. We can correct configurations, introduce useful features, and remove workarounds that no longer make sense.
Flexible engagement models
Choose full outsourcing, support for a defined set of tasks, or temporary staffing. The engagement can change when your workload or internal team changes.
Who we serve
Private companies
Pre-IPO companies get an experienced administrator without a full-time hire. We set up the processes and records early, which is what makes a later funding round, audit, or public offering manageable.
Public companies
Public company programs run on deadlines: Section 16 filings, proxy season, ASC 718 support, and Section 6039 statements by January 31. We can take those on, or add capacity to the team that already does.
Companies undergoing transitions
Whether you're preparing for an IPO or navigating an M&A transaction, implementing a new equity platform, or experiencing rapid growth, these are the periods when equity work outruns the team that handles it. We add administrators for the duration.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about our Equity Plan Administration services