Thu, 26 Jun 2025 | BUSINESS SALE
Recruitment firm Affinity Workforce Solutions Limited has expanded its national portfolio with the acquisition of a Nottingham-headquartered group. The acquisition of The Protocol Group adds significant expertise in education and digital safeguarding services to Affinity’s portfolio.
The Protocol Group brings three established brands into the Affinity Group: Protocol FE, a recruitment partner working with colleges, training providers and prisons; Bookmark, a supplier of staff for nurseries and schools; and eSafeguarding, a platform providing secure processing and managing of DBS checks.
Post-acquisition, The Protocol Group will continue to trade under its own name, with the group’s staff operating as part of Affinity’s national network.
The deal is the latest in a series of acquisitions by Affinity, following the recent additions of Career Teachers, Monarch Education, CER Education and Sugarman Education.
Following the acquisition of The Protocol Group, the combined company will support nearly 28,000 candidates placed across colleges, schools and training provider each year.
Esme Bianchi-Barry, Chief Executive of Affinity Workforce, (pictured above) said: "Protocol strengthens our presence in further education and brings a digital compliance offer that’s already trusted across the sector.”
Bianchi-Barry added that the acquisition was considered a move “that supports our growth and the high standards our clients expect."
Bill Williams, interim Chief Executive of the Protocol Group, added: "We've built our reputation on sector knowledge and trust. Affinity brings national scale and infrastructure that will help us do more of what we do best — for the clients and settings we know."
Despite a tumultuous jobs market and broader economic uncertainty, the UK recruitment sector has continued to perform well, with dealmaking in the sector proving resilient in recent years, driven by strong activity among trade and private equity buyers.
Find out more about the trends influencing M&A activity in the UK recruitment sector with this in-depth insight.
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