Competentia

What Competentia does

Competentia is a Norwegian-headquartered workforce solutions provider specializing in the placement of technical and engineering professionals across the full asset lifecycle of oil and gas extraction, with adjacent reach into energy, process, infrastructure, mining, and technology industries. Founded in 1998 and based in Stavanger, the company supplied staffing, payroll management, and global mobility services — including visa processing, work permits, and relocation support — to blue-chip and mid-market technical employers across more than 40 countries and five continents, supported by over 1,000 deployed contractors and local teams in North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

The underlying technology consists of a workforce management and global talent placement platform supporting international contractor management, multi-country payroll processing, and global mobility workflows. Revenue derives from three streams: staffing and recruitment (professional services), global payroll outsourcing (managed services), and global mobility services (professional services), delivered through a consultative enterprise field sales motion targeting major technical employers. No public pricing exists; services are quote-based and tailored to client requirements. Distribution is anchored in a network of 60 regional offices (combined with Airswift post-merger) enabling localized delivery across global markets.

In June 2021, Competentia merged with Airswift, an international workforce solutions provider, with the combined entity retaining the Airswift name. The merger created one of the world's largest energy and engineering workforce solutions providers, with largest combined market share in the Americas and APAC regions and a strong Nordic presence. Competentia had previously executed acquisitions of Argonauta Energy (2014), Link Oil & Gas Professionals (2016), and DARE (2020), reflecting a sustained roll-up strategy prior to the transformational Airswift combination.

Name

Competentia

Legal name

Competentia

Website

https://competentia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Competentia supplied technical and engineering staffing, payroll, and global mobility services to blue-chip employers across energy, process, infrastructure, mining, and technology industries in over 40 countries. Founded in 1998 in Stavanger, Norway, it merged with Airswift in 2021.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy & Engineering Workforce Solutions / Technical Staffing

NAICS

Professional Employer Organizations (561330), Temporary Help Services (561320), Temporary Help Services (56132)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Help Supply Services (7363)

akta.pro primary industry

Contractor Payroll, Invoicing & Payment Services (BPACAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Global Payroll & Multi-Country Payroll Management (BPACAHAC), Global Mobility, Immigration & Relocation Administration Outsourcing (BPACAKAM)

Keywords

• Energy workforce solutions
• Technical staffing services
• International contractor management
• Global payroll outsourcing
• Engineering recruitment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Stavanger

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Staffing and Recruitment Services: Provides staffing solutions to technical employers including talent acquisition, professional search, and international contractor placement for energy, engineering, and technology sectors.
2. Payroll Management: Global payroll outsourcing services for contractors deployed across multiple countries, handling payroll processing and compliance.
3. Global Mobility Services: Manages international workforce mobility including visa processing, work permits, and relocation support for contractors on global projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Competentia supplied staffing, payroll, and global mobility services to technical employers across energy, engineering, and technology sectors worldwide. The company provided international contractor management, professional search, and global employment outsourcing, connecting businesses with technical contractors in more than 40 countries and managing cross-border payroll, visa and work permits, and relocation support.

Product overview

Competentia operates as a unified workforce solutions platform offering staffing, payroll, and global mobility services to technical employers. The company provides these integrated services to help organizations manage their global workforce needs, offering end-to-end solutions for hiring, paying, and relocating contractors internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Staffing Services Provides staffing solutions for technical employers globally, including talent acquisition, professional search, and international contractor placement across energy, engineering, and technology sectors.
• Payroll Services Manages international contractor payroll, ensuring compliant payment processing across multiple countries for globally deployed technical contractors.
• Global Mobility Services Facilitates international workforce mobility, including visa processing, work permits, and relocation support, helping contractors and employees navigate cross-border employment requirements.

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AirswiftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2021Merger bringing together Competentia and Airswift to form one of the world's most forward-thinking workforce solutions providers. The combined entity serves energy, process, infrastructure, mining and technology industries with the biggest market share in Americas and APAC regions. Merger combines high-performing cultures and shared ambition for the future, with focus on energy transition and disruptive technologies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ManpowerGroup: Global staffing and workforce solutions leader with broad industry coverage including energy and engineering; offers temporary staffing, EOR/PRO, and managed services at much larger scale.
• Hays: Large UK-listed global staffing firm with energy, engineering, and technology practices; offers permanent and contract placement plus payroll services across multiple geographies.
• Robert Half: Global specialty staffing firm covering finance, technology, legal, and administrative roles; overlaps with Competentia on technical and professional placement but with different end-market mix.

Direct peers

• Airswift: Combined entity formed by the 2021 merger of Airswift and Competentia; serves as the direct successor and most directly comparable workforce solutions provider for energy and engineering sectors.
• Brunel International: Global workforce solutions and recruitment firm specializing in energy, engineering, and mining technical professionals, with comparable contractor placement and global mobility offerings.
• Fircroft: Technical workforce solutions provider focused on oil & gas, energy, and engineering sectors; offers international contractor management, payroll, and recruitment comparable to Competentia.
• NES Global Talent (now part of SLR Consulting): Global technical staffing and engineering services firm focused on energy and engineering sectors, providing contractor placement, EOR, and payroll services similar to Competentia.
• Spencer Ogden: Energy, engineering, and infrastructure recruitment specialist with global contractor placement, payroll, and mobility services directly comparable to Competentia's offerings.

Emerging players

• Wood (John Wood Group): Energy and engineering services firm that hires and deploys large technical contractor workforces in energy projects, partially overlapping Competentia's contractor placement business.
• Petrofac: Energy services contractor that deploys technical workforces on oil & gas and energy transition projects; adjacent to Competentia as both compete for technical talent on major projects.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Competentia_AS
• Facebookfacebook.com/CompetentiaAS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/competentia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Competentia