Staffline offloads subsidiary to competitor in £12m deal

Nottingham-based Staffline Group has sold its PeoplePlus subsidiary for £12m to a fellow recruitment agency, the UK arm of Australia’s Swipejobs.

The buyer, Bristol-based Talent International (UK), operates as a subsidiary of Swipejobs Holdings.

Explaining the decision, Staffline’s CEO Albert Ellis said the company is shifting focus: “With our emphasis now on fast-growing recruitment activities rather than training and education, this felt like the right time to make the change.”

Staffline plans to use the funds for share buybacks and to support its ongoing growth strategy.

PeoplePlus is a training and employability business that helps individuals find and keep jobs while working with employers and government bodies to promote social and economic inclusion.

In 2024, it generated around £65m in revenue and £1.3m in profit before tax, with assets valued at approximately £16m as of December 31, 2024.

Ellis continued: “I would like to thank all the staff at PeoplePlus and wish them a prosperous future under their new owners. Moving forward, we can have greater focus and cash resources for our market-leading recruitment activities, which delivered outstanding results across 2024. We see significant opportunities for organic growth in our remaining recruitment divisions and will accelerate value creation for Staffline shareholders going forward.”