Fusion People

What Fusion People does

Fusion People is a UK-based independent recruitment agency founded in 2003 by former directors of a major UK recruiter, headquartered in Fareham with seven additional offices across England (Birmingham, Bristol, Derby, London, Warrington, Huddersfield, Crewe). The firm specialises in placing candidates into Rail & Safety Critical, Built Environment, Engineering & Manufacturing, and IT & Support Services roles, serving infrastructure owners, consultancies, principal contractors, subcontractors, and train operating companies across the UK. Its core services span standard permanent and temporary staffing, fully managed staffing solutions with integrated workforce management software, executive search via the Cromwell Banks sub-brand, and a Major Projects Delivery Unit for high-volume infrastructure project hiring.

The company's technology stack centres on a proprietary workforce management platform providing compliance management, workflow control, and consolidated reporting across managed staffing engagements, complemented by an online timesheet submission portal (meritportal) for contractor payroll processing. An in-house Rail Training Centre delivers Safety Critical, Mental Health, and other rail-specific courses, creating an end-to-end recruitment-plus-upskilling capability. Revenue is generated through placement fees (transaction-based) for permanent and temporary recruitment, percentage-of-salary fees for senior appointments split across assignment milestones, managed staffing service fees for contract workforce, payroll services for freelance/temporary staff, and campaign-based fees for major project re-sourcing. The company holds sector-critical accreditations including RISQS, FCSA Recruiter Partner, Constructionline, CHAS, and APSCO.

Fusion People is privately held with no disclosed external shareholders or PE backing, generating approximately £80m in annual turnover with 100+ internal employees and operating through 12 specialist companies across the group. Customers include Arcus, Thames Tideway Project, Rubix (15+ year relationship), and Mac Roofing, with the Fusion Freelancer programme serving 300+ clients. The business positions itself on a 'quality over quantity' philosophy, leveraging independent ownership and sector specialisation as differentiation from listed recruitment competitors.

Name

Fusion People

Legal name

Fusion People Limited

Website

https://fusionpeople.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Fusion People is an independent UK recruitment agency specialising in Rail, Built Environment, Engineering, and IT staffing, serving enterprise clients and major infrastructure projects through 8 nationwide offices and circa £80m annual turnover.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recruitment & Staffing Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Services (5613)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Job Placement, Matching & Career Navigation Services (EDAAAOAL)

Keywords

• Recruitment services
• Rail recruitment
• Built environment staffing
• Engineering recruitment
• Managed staffing solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Whitley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Standard Recruitment/Staffing: Placement fees for permanent and temporary recruitment across multiple sectors including Rail, Construction, Engineering, IT and Support Services. Competitive market-led pricing with fast turnaround.
2. Managed Staffing Solutions: Fully managed staffing solutions for contract workforce with consolidated supplier management, SLA benchmarking, and streamlined invoicing.
3. Senior Appointments: Search and selection for senior roles. Fees calculated as percentage of salary package - one third on taking assignment, one third on shortlist delivery, one third on candidate start.
4. Payroll Services: In-house payroll and expenses solution for freelance or temporary staff engaged directly by clients. Weekly BACS payments.
5. Major Project Delivery: High volume recruitment campaigns for large infrastructure projects with dedicated team, social media/job board advertising, pre-qualification and compliance management.
6. Campaign Management: Complete re-sourcing campaigns contracted out to Fusion People, including 30+ engineer deployments from international locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fusion People is an independent UK recruitment agency specialising in permanent and contract placement across Rail, Built Environment, Engineering, IT, and Support Services sectors. Core services include standard staffing placement, fully managed staffing solutions, senior appointment executive search, and high-volume major project recruitment campaigns. The firm also operates a Rail Training Centre and provides Infrastructure Project Delivery services including scaffolding and temporary roof installations.

Product overview

Fusion People is an independent recruitment agency offering a portfolio of staffing and talent solutions across multiple sectors. The core offering includes Staffing (standard recruitment placement), Managed Staffing (fully managed workforce solutions), Senior Appointments (executive search), and a Major Projects Delivery Unit for high-volume hiring. The company operates specialized sub-brands including Cromwell Banks (global executive search) and Fusion Freelancer (freelance recruitment platform). Supporting services include a Rail Training Centre and Infrastructure Project Delivery capabilities. The products are designed to serve the Rail, Built Environment, Engineering, and related sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cromwell Banks: Global Executive Search & Strategic Talent Solutions - specialises in tailored recruitment and workforce solutions including executive search, RPO, payroll solutions, and candidate support.

Products and services

• Staffing (Permanent & Contract Placement) Standard permanent and contract recruitment placement providing employers immediate access to a ready-to-work candidate pool of skilled technical, managerial, and supervisory professionals across multiple sectors.
• Managed Staffing Solutions Fully managed staffing solution acting as a single point of contact for managers and agencies, improving efficiency, compliance, and workforce control via integrated workforce management software with consolidated invoicing and SLA benchmarking.
• Senior Appointments (Executive Search) Executive search and selection service for qualified senior candidates, with a consultative face-to-face approach and fees calculated as a percentage of the salary package, split across assignment, shortlist, and start.
• Major Projects Delivery Unit High-touch, high-volume recruitment delivery for major infrastructure projects, with a dedicated team managing social media and job board advertising, pre-qualification, and compliance for large project hiring campaigns.
• Rail Training Centre State-of-the-art in-house training facility delivering a wide range of rail training from Safety Critical to Mental Health training for all railway staff, available onsite or at the training centre.
• Infrastructure Project Delivery Construction and engineering project delivery including scaffolding and temporary roof solutions for large-scale infrastructure projects such as the Diamond Light Roof Project.
• Cromwell Banks - Global Executive Search & RPO Global Executive Search and Strategic Talent Solutions brand under Fusion People Group, providing executive search, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), payroll solutions, and candidate support services.
• Fusion Freelancer Programme Programme for freelance recruiters providing support packages including IT equipment, HR/Legal support, and financial guidance for those starting their own recruitment business, used by 300+ clients.
• Contractor Payroll Services In-house payroll and expenses processing for freelance or temporary staff engaged directly by clients, with weekly BACS payments and supported by approved umbrella company partners (Paystream, Exact Payroll) for IR35-compliant arrangements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero injuries on site over 7,000 work days on Diamond Light Roof Project
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• PaystreamsupportingOthersApproved umbrella company partner for contractors who need to operate under IR35 compliant arrangements. Fusion People directs contractors to Paystream as one of their approved umbrella company options for assignments inside IR35.
• Exact PayrollsupportingOthersApproved umbrella company partner for IR35 compliance. Fusion People offers Exact Payroll as an alternative compliant model for contractors engaged on inside IR35 assignments.
• Cromwell BankscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Fusion People Group, Cromwell Banks specialises in executive search and strategic talent solutions globally. Works with Fusion People on senior appointments, providing executive talent capabilities to complement Fusion People's core recruitment services.
• RISQssupportingOthersAccreditation partner for rail industry compliance and safety standards. Displayed on website as recognised accreditation.
• FCSA (Freelancer & Contractor Services Association)supportingOthersAccreditation partner ensuring compliance for contractor engagements. Fusion People displays FCSA Recruiter Partner status.
• Disability ConfidentsupportingOthersGovernment scheme partner for disability-inclusive recruitment practices. Fusion People committed to inclusive recruitment.
• ConstructionlinesupportingOthersUK Government certification scheme partner for construction supply chain. Displayed as accreditation.
• CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme)supportingOthersHealth and safety accreditation partner for contractor pre-qualification in construction sector.
• APSCO (Association of Professional Staffing Companies)supportingOthersTrade association membership ensuring adherence to professional standards in staffing industry.
• Armed Forces CovenantsupportingOthersPledge supporting armed forces community in employment. Displayed as commitment to hiring veterans and military spouses.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Carbon60: UK specialist technical recruitment and workforce solutions provider serving engineering, construction, and industrial sectors. Directly comparable in offering contract and permanent technical staffing, with similar mid-market enterprise customer base and project-driven volume hiring.
• Skilled Careers: UK specialist recruiter focused on the built environment, construction, and property sectors. A near-direct vertical peer to Fusion People's Built Environment segment, offering permanent and contract placement into housebuilders, contractors, and consultants.
• Matchtech: UK specialist engineering and technology recruitment agency with deep exposure to aerospace, defence, and infrastructure. Closely comparable in vertical specialisation, consultant-led sales model, and focus on skilled technical professionals in regulated end-markets.
• Morson Group: UK-headquartered specialist recruitment and workforce solutions group with a strong focus on engineering, rail, and infrastructure. Direct competitor in the same verticals (rail, construction, engineering) with comparable managed services, contract, and permanent placement offerings, and overlapping major-project delivery capability.

Broad incumbents

• Hays UK: UK arm of global recruitment group Hays plc with deep specialisation in construction, property, and engineering desks. Operates in the same verticals as Fusion People but as part of a much larger, publicly listed multi-sector portfolio, with greater budget for marketing, technology, and international candidate sourcing.
• Reed: One of the largest UK recruitment brands with specialist desks in engineering, construction, and rail. A broad incumbent that overlaps Fusion People's verticals but competes primarily on scale, brand, and breadth of services rather than vertical specialisation.
• Michael Page UK: UK arm of PageGroup, with specialist construction, property, and engineering recruitment divisions. A broad incumbent in the same end-markets, typically focused on mid-to-senior permanent placements with a consultancy-led delivery model.
• Randstad UK: UK arm of global staffing major with significant exposure to construction, engineering, and infrastructure. A broad incumbent that competes for the same enterprise RFPs and major-project hiring programmes, with materially greater international infrastructure.

Emerging players

• Calibre Search: Independent UK specialist recruiter in construction, property, and engineering with a similar mid-market, sector-focused positioning. Smaller scale than Fusion People but directly comparable in go-to-market and customer profile.

Others

• Cromwell Banks: Global executive search and RPO provider that operates as a sub-brand within the Fusion People Group. Included as a peer given its direct exposure to senior-appointment and RPO workflows that overlap with Fusion People's Senior Appointments and Managed Staffing services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/fusionpeople
• Facebookfacebook.com/fusionpeople
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fusion-people

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Fusion People