What Datasource does

Datasource (legal entity Datasource Computer Employment Limited) is a UK-based specialist recruitment agency headquartered in Cheltenham, founded in 1982 by Bill Macleod. The firm delivers both contract and permanent staffing solutions across five verticals: IT, Engineering, Business Operations & Support, Digital & Technical Consultancy, and Management Consultancy. Its defining differentiator is deep expertise in DV (Developed Vetting) and SC (Security Cleared) recruitment, placing candidates into defence, national security, government and blue-chip technology roles. Datasource has held HMG certified supplier status since 1998 and is a trusted resource partner on multiple government frameworks, with an onsite security controller in Cheltenham supporting an end-to-end vetting process.

The business operates a contingency / transaction-fee model, earning placement fees on contractor and permanent hires, and reports that its services account for up to 89% of named clients' Key Account recruitment spend. It services roughly 20 disclosed enterprise and government customers including BAE Systems, MoD, KPMG, HMRC, IBM, DXC Technology, Leidos, Thales, QinetiQ, Capita, FCDO Services, NCA, DWP, G4S, Roke, Ultra, Frazer-Nash, PA Consulting, Serco and QA, and operates across the UK and the Middle East. Candidate-sourcing channels include a self-service job portal, LinkedIn video advertising, a refer-a-friend programme and recruitment events; submission integrations into Taleo, Fieldglass, SAP Ariba and Jobtrain embed it inside client procurement workflows.

Datasource is a privately-held family business. As of 2025, leadership comprises Chairman Stuart Macleod (Managing Director 2004–2025, son of founder Bill Macleod) and Managing Director Lindsay Babbage (Shareholder Director since 2015), supported by a small team of around 9–10 named staff including a Key Account Director, a Head of Business Support, recruiters and consultants. The firm holds ISO 9001:2015, Cyber Essentials Plus, Investors in People Platinum (top 2% of UK organisations) and Disability Confident Committed accreditations. The technology stack is described as cloud-based CRM plus Office 365; no proprietary AI/ML capability is disclosed. Revenue is not publicly reported.

Name

Datasource

Legal name

Datasource Computer Employment Limited

Website

https://datasourcerecruitment.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Datasource is a UK-based recruitment agency founded in 1982, specialising in IT, engineering, management consultancy, and security-cleared (SC/DV) staffing for government, defence, national security, and blue-chip technology clients across the UK and Middle East.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheltenham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Recruitment: Datasource provides contractors to technology firms with payment within two weeks. Contractors have UK bank accounts and the service is safe and comprehensive.
2. Permanent Recruitment: Since 2016, Datasource has provided permanent recruitment services connecting candidates with permanent positions at engineering firms across the UK and Middle East.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Datasource is a UK recruitment agency that provides contract and permanent staffing solutions across IT, Engineering, Business Operations & Support, Digital & Technical Consultancy, and Management Consultancy. Its core specialism is the placement of security-cleared (DV and SC) technical and professional talent for government, defence, and national security clients. Services span candidate sourcing, vetting, client portal submission, interview coordination, and ongoing support.

Product overview

Datasource is a professional recruitment agency offering a dual-service model comprising Contract Recruitment and Permanent Recruitment. Their core differentiator is specialized Security Cleared Recruitment for DV and SC cleared roles in Defence and National Security. The company operates across five sector specialisms: IT, Engineering, Business Operations & Support, Digital & Technical Consultancy, and Management Consultancy. Services span candidate sourcing, vetting, submission to client portals (Taleo, Fieldglass, Ariba, Jobtrain), interview coordination, and ongoing candidate support. The company was established in 1981/1982 and rebranded in 2021, serving clients across UK and the Middle East.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Contract Recruitment Provides temporary and contract staffing solutions, placing contractors with clients across technical sectors including IT, Engineering, and Defence. Offers rapid placement with payment within two weeks for contractors.
• Permanent Recruitment Permanent placement service launched in 2016, connecting candidates with full-time positions across IT, Engineering, Defence, and National Security sectors in the UK and Middle East. Focuses on quality placements with strong communication and candidate support.
• Security Cleared Recruitment Specialized recruitment service placing candidates with DV (Developed Vetting) and SC (Security Clearance) for defence and national security roles. Features an onsite security controller in Cheltenham and a managed vetting process, with HMG certified supplier status.
• IT Recruitment Services Technical IT and digital recruitment covering specialisms including Information Assurance, Cyber Security, Data Science, Software Development, Systems Engineering, Solution Architecture, Infrastructure and Network Engineering, delivered via contract and permanent models.
• Engineering Recruitment Services Engineering sector recruitment covering Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace, Systems Safety, Hardware Engineering, Human Factors, EC&I Engineering, and Defence Systems Training disciplines.
• Business Operations & Support Recruitment Recruitment for business support functions including Project Support, Project Planning, Scheduling, Risk Management, Commercial, Procurement, Operations Management, Finance and Accounting roles.
• Digital & Technical Consultancy Recruitment Recruitment for digital transformation, agile delivery, scrum master, cloud computing, and technical director roles, with an extensive network of cleared consultants in National Security, MoD, and Police sectors.
• Management Consultancy Recruitment Recruitment for management consultants across Business Analysis, Portfolio/Project/Programme Management, HR Transformation, and Business Change at Big Four consultancy level, across the UK and UAE.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% of clients' Key Account spend is attributed to Datasource services
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HMG Government FrameworkscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDatasource has been awarded a place as a trusted resource partner on several government frameworks, enabling them to supply DV & SC cleared candidates to government departments and public sector organisations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Experis: Global IT resourcing brand under ManpowerGroup focused on contract and permanent technology talent. Comparable to Datasource in IT and digital recruitment for enterprise and government clients.
• SThree: International STEM talent solutions business placing contract and permanent professionals in technology, engineering, and life sciences. Comparable to Datasource in IT/engineering contract recruitment but operates at significantly greater scale and global reach.
• Hays: Global public-listed recruitment group with a strong UK public-sector and defence practice (Hays Public Services). Comparable to Datasource in serving government and enterprise across IT, engineering, and consulting, but at vastly larger scale.
• Reed Technology: UK division of Reed, the UK's largest family-owned recruitment business, covering technology, engineering, and professional services recruitment. Overlaps with Datasource in IT and engineering contract/permanent placement.
• Robert Half: Global publicly-listed specialist in finance, technology, and administrative recruitment. Overlaps with Datasource in IT/tech and business operations permanent and contract recruitment across the UK.
• Michael Page: Global publicly-listed professional recruitment firm with a UK technology, engineering, and consulting practice. Comparable to Datasource in permanent and contract placement for professional services clients but at much greater scale and breadth.

Direct peers

• Morson Group: UK-based specialist recruitment and engineering services group with a strong defence, nuclear, aerospace, and engineering focus. Comparable to Datasource in the cleared/engineering contract recruitment niche serving government and prime contractors.
• Matchtech: UK specialist engineering and technology recruitment agency with deep defence, aerospace, and security-cleared experience. Direct peer to Datasource in cleared technical hiring for government and engineering clients.
• Computer Futures: IT and technology specialist recruiter placing contract and permanent professionals across the UK and Europe. Comparable to Datasource in the IT recruitment specialism, though less focused on cleared defence work.
• Gattaca: UK-listed specialist recruitment and workforce solutions provider focused on engineering and technology, with defence and infrastructure exposure. Closely comparable to Datasource in cleared technical and engineering contract recruitment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DatasourceLtd

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Datasource