Recruitment agencies to acquire in the South West
Updated 9 November 2026
Looking to acquire a recruitment agency in the South West? Firmbase ranks 390 recruitment 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 14 staff and has been in business for 11 years; 6 firms are owned by groups that have acquired several firms in this sector. Looking beyond the South West? Explore the full UK list of recruitment agencies.
390
Firms
UK 5,841
19%
Every director 55+
UK 17%
31%
Held 75%+ by one person
UK 37%
11
Median years in business
UK 10
14
Median headcount
UK 12
£500k to £1m
Median turnover band
UK £500k to £1m · includes our estimates
6 firms owned by 1 group that has bought several firms in this sector. That is 2% of this list, against 1% across the UK.
Towns with the most firms
- Bristol 124 firms
- Bournemouth 47 firms
- Plymouth 21 firms
The first 25 firms, in Approach Score order
| Rank | Firm | Approach Score | The facts behind the score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Head4talent Bristol, Cardiff | Approach Score 81/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 08141001 · Companies House |
| 2 | Iteco People Cheltenham | Approach Score 78/100 |
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Company no. 03880344 · Companies House |
| 3 | Ekim Consulting Taunton, Somerset | Approach Score 77/100 |
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Company no. 10092064 · Companies House |
| 4 | Christchurch Care Christchurch, Dorset | Approach Score 77/100 |
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Company no. 08761538 · Companies House |
| 5 | Hels Belles Bristol | Approach Score 77/100 |
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Company no. 05771150 · Companies House |
| 6 | Power Project Resources Swindon, Wiltshire | Approach Score 77/100 |
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Company no. 11229521 · Companies House |
| 7 | DH Oxfordshire Swanage, Dorset | Approach Score 77/100 |
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Company no. 10700709 · Companies House |
| 8 | Ardent Staff Gloucester, Gloucestershire | Approach Score 77/100 |
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Company no. 08757506 · Companies House |
| 9 | Verelogic Shrivenham Road, Swindon Wiltshire | Approach Score 76/100 | We hold older figures than Companies House
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Company no. 02328888 · Companies House |
| 10 | DCI Care Torquay | Approach Score 76/100 |
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Company no. 11125000 · Companies House |
| 11 | Leeward Advisory Cheltenham, Gloucestershire | Approach Score 76/100 |
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Company no. 09550551 · Companies House |
| 12 | Mosaic Search Cheltenham, Gloucestershire | Approach Score 75/100 |
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Company no. 04015659 · Companies House |
| 13 | PAS Aviation Clyst ST Mary, Devon | Approach Score 75/100 |
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Company no. 05055644 · Companies House |
| 14 | Savile Lloyd Taunton, Somerset | Approach Score 75/100 |
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Company no. 06237077 · Companies House |
| 15 | Bretsa Recruitment Bath | Approach Score 75/100 |
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Company no. 12612196 · Companies House |
| 16 | Career Directed Solutions Dorchester, Dorset | Approach Score 75/100 |
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Company no. 07514953 · Companies House |
| 17 | The HR Dept London City & Central Swindon A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 75/100 |
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Company no. 09128023 · Companies House |
| 18 | DH Team Seaton, Devon A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 75/100 |
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Company no. 10636614 · Companies House |
| 19 | RTW Transport Services Cheltenham | Approach Score 74/100 |
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Company no. 08750967 · Companies House |
| 20 | CGA Personnel Bristol | Approach Score 73/100 |
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Company no. 04385315 · Companies House |
| 21 | I & P Management Services Cheltenham, Gloucestershire | Approach Score 73/100 |
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Company no. 05222752 · Companies House |
| 22 | Oryx (executive Search) Bristol | Approach Score 73/100 |
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Company no. 02595089 · Companies House |
| 23 | Adonai Care Services Bournemouth | Approach Score 72/100 |
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Company no. 10598678 · Companies House |
| 24 | Gingersnap Model Agency Bristol | Approach Score 72/100 |
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Company no. 05654399 · Companies House |
| 25 | Harper Construction Recruitment Clevedon, Bristol | Approach Score 72/100 | We hold older figures than Companies House
More about this firm
Company no. 05790541 · Companies House |
365 more firms are in the list, in Approach Score order.
You're seeing the first 25. Buy all 390 for £799 + VAT, with the facts behind each score, director names, shareholders and financials.
Buy the list of all 390 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.
It holds the facts behind each score, points for each part of the score, financials with dates, publicly available contact details, where identified, director names and named shareholders.
Some people with significant control appear as Other individual, with no further detail. Director email lookups are not included.
How this list is filtered
- 5 or more staff, from filed headcount or our estimate where none is filed.
- Registered office in the South West.
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.
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
Regulatory information is not included in this list. Buyers should check the relevant register as part of their due diligence. Check conduct requirements with the Fair Work Agency or Northern Ireland's Employment Agency Inspectorate. For work needing gangmaster licensing, check the Fair Work Agency's public register of licensed labour providers.
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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The standard Firmbase list
Buy the list of all 390 firms, with director names, ages and shareholders
Each row comes with the facts behind its score, financials with dates and contact details.