PR agencies to acquire in the UK

Name: PR agencies to acquire in the UK
Creator: Firmbase
License: https://firmbase.co/terms

Updated 9 November 2026

Looking to acquire a PR agency in the UK? Firmbase ranks 671 PR agencies 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 9 staff and has been in business for 11 years.

Public relations work ranges from media relations to internal communications and public affairs, with ongoing support or a defined project reflected in the agreement. Acquiring a PR agency means reading its briefs and fee terms to distinguish continuing communications work from individual campaigns or other specific commissions. Wider communications consultancies can appear on this list, so check each firm's website before assuming its work centres on press coverage.

Keep client trust through a PR acquisition

Client confidence is central when you bring another PR agency into your group. Firmbase covers 671 UK limited-company and LLP PR and wider communications businesses with five or more staff. Use the ranking to investigate public ownership once you have defined the services you want. Look for local and sector knowledge before asking about client relationships.

Ownership records can help find independent agencies within the regions you want to serve. Among these firms, 38% have one person holding 75% or more. The Companies House record cannot say whether an owner wants to discuss a change of ownership. The information is useful for organising a careful search, not for presuming an intention.

Map the service gaps in your current team before deciding which agencies merit closer research. Look at how account leadership and client approvals are spread across the team. Test whether the agency documents work well enough to continue a client relationship if a senior adviser leaves. The Approach Score offers a starting order for research; it cannot show how secure a retainer is or how a campaign is performing.

Use this PR page as a sourcing tool for conversations, not a list of businesses for sale. PR has no single sector regulator, but paid lobbying of UK ministers or permanent secretaries for a client can require consultant lobbying registration. The Scottish Parliament also maintains a lobbying register for activity under its own regime. Check relevant lobbying records, client terms, staff commitments and the handling of confidential material before treating continuing fees as transferable.

671

Firms

16%

Every director 55+

38%

Held 75%+ by one person

Median years in business

Median headcount

£500k to £1m

Median turnover band

includes our estimates

Key facts

The Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists provides a public search of its register. Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists

The Scottish Parliament maintains a separate public Lobbying Register. Scottish Parliament

The Scottish register records each instance of regulated lobbying, not just the organisations that lobby. Scottish Parliament

The first 25 firms, in Approach Score order

Rank	Firm	Approach Score	The facts behind the score
1	Aiken Communications Belfast, Antrim	Approach Score 87/100	Director aged 60-64 · in post since 2006 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 13 staff · turnover est. £845k Net assets £748k (Mar 2025) Company no. NI059553 · Companies House aikenpr.com
2	Alignment Media Canterbury, Kent	Approach Score 86/100	Director aged 70 or over · in post since 2023 2 individuals hold 75%+ · independent More about this firm 5 staff · turnover est. £139k Net assets £5k (Aug 2025) Director resigned Aug 2026 Company no. 15065367 · Companies House alignment.media
3	BCM Public Relations London	Approach Score 86/100	Director aged 65-69 · in post since 2011 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 8 staff · turnover est. £644k Net assets £472k (Mar 2026) Company no. 07755020 · Companies House bcmpublicrelations.com
4	LMC Sherington, Buckinghamshire	Approach Score 84/100	In post since 2003 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 17 staff · turnover est. £945k Net assets £322k (Mar 2026) Company no. 04708263 · Companies House lizmale.co.uk
5	Thorncliffe London	Approach Score 83/100	1 director aged 60-64, 1 aged 55-59 · longest in post since 1999 2 individuals hold 75%+ · independent More about this firm 20 staff · turnover est. £994k Net assets £671k (Mar 2025) Company no. 03870349 · Companies House thorncliffe.com
6	BOB King Creative Gillingham, Kent	Approach Score 83/100	Longest in post since 2015 2 individuals hold 75%+ · independent More about this firm 8 staff · turnover est. £575k Net assets £267k (Dec 2025) Company no. 09917586 · Companies House bobkingcreative.com
7	Velvet London, W4 4PH	Approach Score 82/100	Director aged 60-64 · in post since 2018 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 10 staff · turnover est. £844k Net assets £460k (Aug 2025) Director resigned Mar 2026 · PSC register changed Mar 2026 Company no. 04856831 · Companies House velvetpr.biz
8	McConnells Bakewell	Approach Score 82/100	Director aged 60-64 · in post since 2021 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 5 staff · turnover est. £2.5m Net assets £2.2m (Aug 2025) Company no. 13193360 · Companies House mccgp.co.uk
9	Highland Marketing Upper Caldecote, Bedfordshire	Approach Score 82/100	1 director aged 65-69, 1 aged 60-64 · longest in post since 2001 2 individuals hold 50%+ · independent More about this firm 8 staff · turnover est. £448k Net assets £259 (Mar 2025) Company no. 04207380 · Companies House highland-marketing.com
10	Flotilla Media Crediton	Approach Score 81/100	Director aged 65-69 · in post since 2012 2 individuals hold 50%+ · independent More about this firm 6 staff · turnover est. £222k Net assets £3k (Dec 2025) Director resigned Dec 2025 · charge satisfied May 2026 Company no. 07918933 · Companies House denhams.digital
11	Chamois Consulting Bridgwater, Somerset	Approach Score 81/100	Director aged 55-59 · in post since 2016 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 5 staff · turnover est. £461k Net assets £204k (Sep 2025) Company no. 10372535 · Companies House
12	Beetroot London	Approach Score 81/100	Director aged 60-64 · in post since 2014 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 7 staff · turnover est. £159k Net assets £440k (Feb 2026) Director resigned May 2026 · PSC register changed May 2026 Company no. 02229624 · Companies House beetroot.co.uk
13	Up Public Relations London	Approach Score 81/100	Director aged 55-59 · in post since 2013 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 7 staff · turnover est. £201k Net assets £55k (Mar 2026) Director resigned Oct 2026 · PSC register changed Oct 2026 Company no. 08644030 · Companies House up-publicrelations.com
14	Fullbrook Strategies Bexhill-on-SEA, East Sussex	Approach Score 81/100	In post since 2022 2 individuals hold 75%+ · independent More about this firm 12 staff · turnover est. £389k Net assets £462k (Mar 2026) Company no. 13982078 · Companies House fullbrookstrategies.com
15	MTI Network London	Approach Score 80/100	1 director aged 70 or over, 1 aged 65-69, 1 aged 60-64, 2 aged under 45 · longest in post since 1997 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 16 staff · turnover £2.8m Net assets £1.7m (Dec 2024) Director resigned Mar 2025 Company no. 03291509 · Companies House mtinetwork.com
16	Ashton Consulting Woking, Surrey	Approach Score 80/100	Director aged 60-64 · in post since 2002 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 23 staff · turnover est. £3.2m Net assets £2.2m (Dec 2025) Company no. 04007038 · Companies House ashton-consulting.co.uk
17	The Juniper Aldershot, Hampshire	Approach Score 80/100	Director aged 55-59 · in post since 2001 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 6 staff · turnover est. £472k Net assets £140k (Aug 2025) Company no. 04338976 · Companies House thejuniperco.co.uk
18	Borkowski London, Gloucestershire	Approach Score 80/100	Longest in post since 2011 2 individuals hold 50%+ · independent More about this firm 12 staff · turnover est. £1.1m Net assets £421k (Mar 2025) Company no. 07574217 · Companies House borkowski.co.uk
19	Essential Communications London	Approach Score 80/100	Director aged 55-59 · in post since 2002 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 8 staff · turnover est. £709k Net assets £366k (Apr 2024) Company no. 04498253 · Companies House weareessential.com
20	Blytheray London A director sits on 4 or more companies	Approach Score 80/100	Longest in post since 2007 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 9 staff · turnover est. £769k Net assets £534k (May 2025) Director resigned Apr 2025 Company no. 06250440 · Companies House blytheray.com
21	Keeble Brown London	Approach Score 79/100	2 directors aged 60-64 · longest in post since 2012 2 individuals hold 50%+ · independent More about this firm 7 staff · turnover est. £298k Net assets £45k (Mar 2025) Director resigned Jan 2026 Company no. 07931522 · Companies House keeblebrown.com
22	Business Horizon London	Approach Score 79/100	Director aged 65-69 · in post since 2025 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 5 staff · turnover est. £242k Net assets £819k (Dec 2025) Director resigned Sep 2025 · PSC register changed Sep 2025 Company no. 09359039 · Companies House bhig.co.uk
23	TCB Waterlooville, Hampshire	Approach Score 79/100	1 director aged 65-69, 1 aged 50-54 · longest in post since 2013 2 individuals hold 75%+ · independent More about this firm 6 staff · turnover est. £265k Net assets £23k (Mar 2025) Company no. 08475857 · Companies House thisistcb.com
24	Senderos Clifton, Bristol	Approach Score 79/100	1 director aged 65-69, 1 aged 55-59 · longest in post since 2014 2 individuals hold 75%+ · independent More about this firm 6 staff · turnover est. £281k Net assets £27k (Mar 2025) PSC register changed Jul 2025 Company no. 09124704 · Companies House senderos.co.uk
25	Lotus Land London	Approach Score 79/100	1 director aged 65-69, 1 aged 50-54 · longest in post since 2015 1 individual holds 75%+ · independent More about this firm 14 staff · turnover est. £529k Net assets £105k (Dec 2025) Company no. 09913400 · Companies House lotusinternational.net

646 more firms are in the list, in Approach Score order.

You're seeing the first 25. Buy all 671 for £799 + VAT, with the facts behind each score, director names, shareholders and financials.

Buy the list of all 671 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 might I approach a PR agency owner?

Introduce yourself in the first message and explain the communications services your group already handles. Say that 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 numbers against the Telephone Preference Service and the Corporate Telephone Preference Service before calling. Avoid asking for confidential client names at this stage.

When should a PR buyer check lobbying registers?

Some public affairs work can fall within consultant lobbying rules, so identify the activity before checking the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists register. The Scottish Parliament maintains a separate Lobbying Register for activity within its regime. Do not treat a PR agency's absence from either register as proof of a problem; first establish whether it carries out the relevant work.

Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists · Scottish Parliament

What can a PR buyer learn from the Approach Score?

Firmbase explains the ranking on the methodology page. The Approach Score helps organise research into ownership and company characteristics, while client confidence and the judgement of senior advisers require direct enquiry. Compare agency portfolios and contract terms in your own review. A higher rank does not tell you whether an owner would discuss a deal or whether a retainer will persist.

How should I compare senior adviser dependence?

Identify which client relationships and approvals sit with particular advisers, then compare account coverage across the team. Review notice terms, who would take over each account and the way the agency documents its work. Speak with the owner about what would keep key people engaged if a deal were agreed. This question is separate from the public company ranking and from lobbying-register checks.

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: PR Agency or Marketing Agency.
SIC code 70210.
5 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. PR has no single sector regulator. For consultant lobbying of UK ministers, check the Register of Consultant Lobbyists; the Scottish Parliament keeps its own Lobbying Register.

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

East Midlands East of England London North East North West Northern Ireland Scotland South East South West Wales West Midlands Yorkshire and The Humber

Related sectors

Marketing and creative agencies

The standard Firmbase list

PR Agency Companies in the UK

Buy the list of all 671 firms, with director names, ages and shareholders

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