Workfare provider A4e acquired for £34.5m

A4e, the welfare-to-work provider, has been taken over by recruitment services group Staffline in a £34.5 million deal.

Following the acquisition, Staffline will become one of the UK’s largest work programme providers in terms of the number of jobseekers supported and regions served.

Staffline chief executive Andy Hogarth said: “This is an exciting milestone in Staffline’s growth, considerably expanding the size and geographic reach of our employability offering. The significant strengths of both businesses will be united and we are confident that our leading position will be a strong platform from which to develop our strategy, services and innovation.”

A4e, founded in 1991, employs more than 2,00 people and is understood to have generated a pre-tax profit of £10.2m in the year to 31 March, on revenues of about £140m.