IT services and managed services firms to acquire in the UK

Name: IT services and managed services firms to acquire in the UK
Creator: Firmbase
License: https://firmbase.co/terms

Updated 9 November 2026

Looking to acquire an IT services or managed services firm in the UK? Firmbase ranks 3,386 IT services and managed services firms using public company information to help buyers prioritise firms for research and potential outreach. The Approach Score ranks firms using public signals including director age and tenure, ownership, business scale, financial strength and recent changes. These firms are not listed for sale, and the ranking does not indicate that an owner is considering a sale.

The median firm has 18 staff and has been in business for 16 years; 54 firms are owned by groups that have acquired several firms in this sector.

Managed service providers earn income from ongoing contracts to support and manage clients' IT systems, while IT consultancies can work on specific projects. Buying an IT services business means checking whether income comes from continuing support, project work or other products and services. This list includes consultancies, support firms and managed service providers, so check each firm's website to understand the services it provides.

Choose IT firms whose client promises you can keep

Managed service agreements should shape how an IT buyer thinks about shared systems and team capacity. Firmbase covers 3,386 UK limited-company and LLP IT services and managed services firms with ten or more staff. The category spans consultancies, support businesses and managed service providers, so establish each firm's actual service mix before comparing them.

Ownership and scale help narrow a broad market into firms worth researching. 18% of the IT firms listed have a single owner with 75% or more. The median headcount is 18. Size and ownership data cannot show whether an owner is considering a deal. Use the underlying company records to find independent businesses that match the capacity and geography your group can support.

AI can change how teams handle support requests, documentation and routine monitoring, but client contracts define what the firm must deliver. Examine service levels, security duties, subcontracting and access to client systems before assuming work can be standardised. Compare continuing support income with projects and hardware work so that a promising headline figure does not hide different obligations.

Build a regional pipeline, prioritise outreach from the facts behind each score, and test the operating model with the people responsible for delivery. Treat this as a sourcing tool, not a list of businesses for sale. Qualify each firm directly, including customer permissions, cyber controls and any applicable Information Commission requirements for managed services.

3,386

Firms

17%

Every director 55+

18%

Held 75%+ by one person

Median years in business

Median headcount

£1m to £2.5m

Median turnover band

includes our estimates

54 firms owned by 17 groups that have bought several firms in this sector. That is 2% of this list. Groups that own firms on this list include SCG, Lyra Technology Group, Focus Group and Zenzero. To have a group's name removed, email dave@firmbase.co.

Key facts

The National Cyber Security Centre recommends checking a managed service provider's certification and client references. NCSC

A security certificate does not establish that every service a provider delivers is configured securely. NCSC

Government policy would bring qualifying managed service providers within the Information Commission's cyber security remit after the relevant legislation and regulations take effect. GOV.UK

The first 25 firms, in Approach Score order

Rank	Firm	Approach Score	The facts behind the score
1	Ctms-Itsm Reading	Approach Score 93/100	Director aged 65-69 · in post since 2000 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 10 staff · turnover est. £785k Net assets £302k (Mar 2025) Director resigned Nov 2024 · PSC register changed May 2025 Company no. 03915670 · Companies House ctms-itsm.com
2	Green Lemon Fordingbridge, Hampshire A director sits on 4 or more companies	Approach Score 90/100	1 director aged 70 or over, 1 aged 65-69 · longest in post since 2008 2 individuals hold 75%+ · independent More about this firm 17 staff · turnover est. £757k Net assets £425k (Jun 2025) Director resigned Oct 2026 Company no. 05951339 · Companies House greenlemoncompany.net
3	Netmarque London	Approach Score 90/100	Director aged 65-69 · in post since 1996 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 54 staff · turnover est. £3.3m Net assets £2.4m (Jun 2025) Company no. 03215394 · Companies House ebigpicture.co.uk
4	Estafet Richmond, London	Approach Score 88/100	2 directors aged 60-64 · longest in post since 2002 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 11 staff · turnover est. £1.5m Net assets £176k (May 2024) Director resigned May 2026 Company no. 04444147 · Companies House estafet.com
5	Lexiauk Gateshead	Approach Score 87/100	1 director aged 70 or over, 1 aged 55-59 · longest in post since 2005 2 individuals hold 75%+ · independent More about this firm 28 staff · turnover est. £4.2m Net assets £5m (Oct 2025) Company no. 05580948 · Companies House lexiauk.co.uk
6	GMA Beckenham, Kent	Approach Score 87/100	In post since 1992 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 21 staff · turnover est. £822k Net assets £131k (Mar 2025) Company no. 02679059 · Companies House gmal.co.uk
7	Missing Link Wigan	Approach Score 87/100	1 director aged 60-64, 1 aged 55-59 · longest in post since 1997 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 13 staff · turnover est. £675k Net assets £297k (Mar 2025) Company no. 03430531 · Companies House mlinkuk.com
8	Spherica Birmingham, West Midlands	Approach Score 86/100	Director aged 60-64 · in post since 2009 2 individuals hold 50%+ · independent More about this firm 59 staff · turnover est. £3.4m Net assets £2.9m (Jun 2025) Director resigned Oct 2026 Company no. 06951540 · Companies House spherica.co.uk
9	Restart Consulting Exeter	Approach Score 86/100	Director aged 70 or over · in post since 2004 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 46 staff · turnover est. £5.8m Net assets £2.2m (Jun 2025) Company no. 04758924 · Companies House restartconsulting.com
10	Zizo Newport Pagnell	Approach Score 86/100	Director aged 70 or over · in post since 2002 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 10 staff · turnover est. £596k Net assets £388k (Jun 2026) Company no. 03793785 · Companies House zizo.co.uk
11	NCI Systems Surrey	Approach Score 86/100	1 director aged 65-69, 1 aged 55-59 · longest in post since 2000 2 individuals hold 75%+ · independent More about this firm 14 staff · turnover est. £976k Net assets £697k (Sep 2025) Company no. 04108788 · Companies House nci.co.uk
12	Albacore Systems Southampton	Approach Score 85/100	1 director aged 65-69, 1 aged 60-64 · longest in post since 1992 2 individuals hold 50%+ · independent More about this firm 23 staff · turnover est. £1.6m Net assets £1.1m (Mar 2025) Company no. 02699515 · Companies House albacore.co.uk
13	Riviera Networks Wickford, Essex	Approach Score 85/100	Director aged 60-64 · in post since 2003 2 individuals hold 75%+ · independent More about this firm 19 staff · turnover est. £892k Net assets £710k (May 2025) PSC register changed Jun 2025 Company no. 04794045 · Companies House
14	Systema Solutions Tring	Approach Score 85/100	1 director aged 70 or over, 1 aged 60-64 · longest in post since 2008 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 11 staff · turnover est. £399k Net assets £204k (Nov 2025) Charge satisfied Mar 2026 Company no. 06661734 · Companies House systema-solutions.co.uk
15	Dssc NEW Malden	Approach Score 84/100	Director aged 55-59 · in post since 2011 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 19 staff · turnover est. £1.2m Net assets £1.3m (Mar 2026) Director resigned Oct 2026 Company no. 07400733 · Companies House dssceurope.com
16	Abeona Ipswich, Suffolk	Approach Score 84/100	1 director aged 60-64, 1 aged 55-59, 1 aged 45-49 · longest in post since 2010 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 51 staff · turnover est. £1.7m Net assets £1m (Jun 2025) Charge satisfied Jun 2026 · PSC register changed Dec 2025 Company no. 07297226 · Companies House abeona.co.uk
17	Zepko Hampton, Middlesex	Approach Score 84/100	Director aged 55-59 · in post since 2004 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 15 staff · turnover est. £1.6m Net assets £497k (Dec 2025) Company no. 05058229 · Companies House zepko.com
18	QTM Group Telford, Shropshire A director sits on 4 or more companies	Approach Score 84/100	1 director aged 70 or over, 1 aged 55-59 · longest in post since 2010 2 individuals hold 75%+ · independent More about this firm 28 staff · turnover est. £3m Net assets £440k (Dec 2025) PSC register changed Nov 2024 Company no. 07393653 · Companies House qtmgroupltd.com
19	Centaxxi London	Approach Score 84/100	Director aged 70 or over · in post since 2001 2 individuals hold 50%+ · independent More about this firm 12 staff · turnover est. £294k Net assets £105k (Dec 2025) PSC register changed Dec 2025 Company no. 04154456 · Companies House centaxxi.com
20	Blue Saffron London	Approach Score 83/100	Director aged 60-64 · in post since 2004 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 18 staff · turnover est. £897k Net assets £192k (Jan 2026) Company no. 05008198 · Companies House bluesaffron.com
21	KCLCloud Crawley, West Sussex	Approach Score 83/100	1 director aged 60-64, 1 aged 45-49 · longest in post since 2001 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 12 staff · turnover est. £1.3m Net assets £1.6m (Aug 2025) Company no. 04314105 · Companies House kcledocs.co.uk
22	Cubematch London	Approach Score 83/100	1 director aged 60-64, 2 aged 55-59 · longest in post since 2003 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 15 staff · turnover est. £2.3m Net assets £2.5m (Dec 2025) Company no. 03605723 · Companies House cubematch.com
23	Jump Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear	Approach Score 83/100	Director aged 55-59 · in post since 2007 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 19 staff · turnover est. £535k Net assets £190k (Feb 2026) Company no. 06047314 · Companies House wesayhowhigh.com
24	Elisys Engineering Edinburgh	Approach Score 82/100	1 director aged 60-64, 1 aged 55-59 · longest in post since 2003 2 individuals hold 50%+ · independent More about this firm 10 staff · turnover est. £1.3m Net assets £855k (Mar 2025) Company no. SC243073 · Companies House elisys.co.uk
25	Critical Power Supplies Thame, Oxfordshire	Approach Score 82/100	1 director aged 65-69, 1 aged 55-59 · longest in post since 2009 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 11 staff · turnover est. £2.7m Net assets £270k (Dec 2025) Director resigned Mar 2026 Company no. 07024862 · Companies House criticalpowersupplies.co.uk

3,361 more firms are in the list, in Approach Score order.

You're seeing the first 25. Buy all 3,386 for £3,185 + VAT, with the facts behind each score, director names, shareholders and financials.

Buy the list of all 3,386 firms, with director names, ages and shareholders

Each row comes with the facts behind its score, financials with dates and contact details.

What's in the file

One row per firm, in Approach Score order, as Excel + CSV.

The score and the firm

Approach Score

The facts behind the score

Points for each part of the score

Financials with dates

Website

Publicly available contact details, where identified

Directors and shareholders

Director names

Director birth month and year

Director appointment dates

Named shareholders with more than 25%, with ownership bands

Some people with significant control appear as Other individual, with no further detail. Director email lookups are not included.

Frequently asked questions

How can I approach an owner of an IT services firm?

Introduce yourself at first contact and describe the kind of client support you are seeking to combine. Say you found the owner's details on the public Companies House register through Firmbase. Tell them how to object to your use of their data, and stop if they do. Check each number against the Telephone Preference Service and the Corporate Telephone Preference Service before making a call. Ask about the firm's actual services rather than treating every IT consultancy as a managed provider.

What should I check in a managed services acquisition?

Separate ongoing support contracts from consultancy projects and product income. Review service levels, rights to access customer systems, subcontracting, incident response and the people who hold technical knowledge. Ask how customers approve changes to their services and data handling. The National Cyber Security Centre recommends checking a provider's certification and client references, while its guidance makes clear that certification alone does not ensure each service is configured securely.

NCSC

How does the Approach Score help with IT services firms?

Use the score to arrange research across a broad group of IT businesses. Ownership, scale and public financial signals can help you decide which firms to examine first; they cannot tell you which owners would consider an approach. The methodology page explains the ranking. Check each firm's website and contracts to distinguish managed support from project work before comparing its fit with your operating plan.

What happens to managed service contracts after an acquisition?

Read each agreement for assignment, change of control, termination and subcontracting terms rather than assuming a contract will transfer unchanged. Review who can access client systems and how incident response is organised. Ask customers about their service needs only through an agreed process that respects confidentiality. The National Cyber Security Centre recommends checking contractual details and discussing access to systems when choosing a managed service provider.

NCSC

How this list is filtered

Active on Companies House. Companies in liquidation, administration, receivership or a voluntary arrangement, or with a proposal to strike off, are left out.
Dormant companies are left out.
Firms whose owners asked to be removed are left out.
Private limited companies, public limited companies, LLPs and private unlimited companies only. Sole traders and partnerships are not covered.
Firmbase industry tag: IT Services & Managed Services.
SIC code 62020, 62030 or 62090.
10 or more staff, from filed headcount or our estimate where none is filed.
Registered office in the UK.

How this list is built

The Approach Score ranks firms mainly on public Companies House information about owner tenure and age, ownership, size, financial strength and recent register changes.

Firms with higher scores appear first in each list.

Use the ranking to order research, then check each business directly.

Read how the Approach Score works

What it does not mean

No firm here is for sale, and the score says nothing about any owner's plans.

At least 95% of the firms where we hold directors had them checked in or after November 2026.

What we do not cover

We cover limited companies, LLPs and private unlimited companies. Sole traders and ordinary partnerships are not on Companies House, so they are not here. Regulatory information is not included in this list. Buyers should check the relevant register as part of their due diligence. IT services firms have no single sector regulator; for managed services, check whether the Information Commission's cyber security remit applies. Check any Cyber Essentials certification through the NCSC's certificate search.

Why age bands but no people's names

Age bands come from the month and year of birth on Companies House. This page shows no exact ages and no people's names. Both come with the purchased list. The band edges from 45 to 65 are the ages where the score changes. A row shows no age bands when a director's surname is in the firm's name, its group's name or its website. Those directors' ages still count towards the score.

Is this your firm?

You can ask us to take it off every acquisition page, and out of every list we sell after that. Give us your name and work email, and we send you a link to confirm. If your email address is on the firm's own website domain, the firm comes off once you confirm. If it is not, a person reviews your request first. A list already sold stays with its buyer.

To have personal data erased, see our privacy policy.

Other areas

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Related sectors

Business telecoms providers

The standard Firmbase list

IT Services Companies in the UK

Buy the list of all 3,386 firms, with director names, ages and shareholders

Each row comes with the facts behind its score, financials with dates and contact details.