What Sphere Solutions does

Sphere Solutions Limited is a UK-based construction recruitment agency founded in 2005 and headquartered in Cardiff, operating as an employee-owned private limited company. The firm connects construction companies with skilled professionals across permanent, temporary, and freelance/contract placements, with dedicated specialist teams covering Building Construction, Civil Engineering, Rail, Housing, Retail, Interiors, FM & Maintenance, and Mechanical & Electrical sectors. Over its trading history, Sphere has served nearly 900 construction companies, filled approximately 19,000 vacancies, and placed around 8,500 individuals into construction roles at all levels, with marquee projects including the 2012 Olympic Park, the £600m St Davids Cardiff redevelopment, and the £200m+ University of Swansea Campus.

The company operates from at least 8 UK offices (Cardiff, Bristol, Gloucester, Plymouth, Taunton, Truro, Southampton, London, and Manchester) with 50+ staff, and earns revenue primarily through permanent placement fees (a percentage of first-year salary) and managed payroll services for temporary workers (processed weekly via approved umbrella companies, PAYE, or limited company vehicles). Its technology footprint is limited to a WordPress-based website for candidate and client engagement and a bespoke timesheet portal for payroll processing — no proprietary AI platform or matching technology is disclosed. Distribution is sales-led through office-based consultants developing direct relationships with construction companies, supplemented by preferred supplier framework agreements with major contractors including BAM, Kier, Vinci, Willmott Dixon, McCarthy Stone, Morgan Sindall, Barratt Homes, and Wates. The firm's social value programme (charities such as The Wallich, BOSS Project, School of Hard Knocks) and its New Leaf environmental sustainability initiative with Co-Forest are differentiated community engagement assets intended to help clients meet ESG and procurement obligations.

Name

Sphere Solutions

Legal name

Sphere Solutions Limited

Website

https://spheresolutions.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sphere Solutions Limited is a UK-based, employee-owned construction recruitment agency founded in 2005, headquartered in Cardiff with 8 offices and 50+ staff serving nearly 900 construction companies across permanent, temporary, and freelance placements in building, civils, rail, and housing sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Staffing and Recruitment Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction & General Labor Staffing (BPACAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Agent of Record (AOR) / Contractor Engagement Services (BPACAGAB)

Keywords

• Construction recruitment
• Permanent staffing
• Trades and labour
• Technical recruitment
• Contractor payroll

Headquarters

HQ city

Cardiff

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Permanent Placement Fees: The company places candidates in permanent construction roles, earning placement fees from clients (construction companies). These are typically contingent fees based on a percentage of the candidate's first-year salary.
2. Temporary/Contract Worker Payroll Services: Sphere places temporary workers with clients and processes payroll weekly. Workers are paid via approved umbrella companies, PAYE directly through Sphere, or through personal service companies (limited company workers). The company acts as the intermediary between the client and worker.
3. Freelance/Contractor Placement: The company also places freelancers and contractors in technical roles within the construction sector, providing a 360-degree recruitment service from project start to finish.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sphere Solutions is a UK construction recruitment agency that places pre-screened, pre-vetted candidates into permanent, contract, and temporary roles across building construction, civil engineering, rail, and housing sectors. The company operates sector-specialised recruitment teams covering technical and professional positions (Site Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, Project Managers) as well as trades and labour (groundworkers, electricians, plumbers). It also processes weekly payroll for temporary workers via umbrella companies, PAYE, or limited company routes.

Product overview

Sphere Solutions is a construction recruitment agency offering a unified recruitment service platform. The core offering is construction recruitment staffing solutions connecting contractors with candidates for permanent and temporary positions. The service portfolio spans sector specializations including Building Construction, Civil Engineering, Rail, and Housing recruitment, with dedicated modules for Technical & Professional placement and Trades & Labour staffing. An internal Timesheet Portal supports the temporary worker payroll cycle. Social Value Initiatives complement the core service with community engagement capabilities. The company operates across multiple UK offices with over 18 years of industry experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Construction Recruitment Services Full-service construction recruitment agency providing staffing solutions to construction companies, connecting contractors with skilled professionals for permanent, contract, and temporary positions across building, civil engineering, rail, and housing sectors.
• Technical & Professional Recruitment Specialised recruitment for technical, professional, and executive roles in construction including Site Engineers, Senior Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, Project Managers, Design Managers, and Commercial appointments.
• Trades & Labour Staffing

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 900 construction companies served with recruitment solutions over trading history
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers21 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

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and minor.

• The WallichsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable partnership providing ex-offenders and homeless individuals with opportunities to enter the construction industry. Supports Sphere's social value goals by creating alternative candidate pipelines for disadvantaged individuals.
• BOSS ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable partnership helping ex-offenders and homeless individuals access construction industry employment. Part of Sphere's community engagement and social value programme.
• School of Hard KnockssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable partnership providing disadvantaged individuals with pathways into construction. Supports Sphere's social value initiatives by helping people from difficult backgrounds enter the workforce.
• Co-ForestsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-Forest was conceived by Bath-based Storm Consultancy and partnered with the Woodland Trust and Forest of Avon Trust to create forests near towns and cities. Sphere partners with Co-Forest as part of their New Leaf environmental sustainability initiative, contributing to woodland creation and environmental restoration.
• Woodland TrustsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organisation consulted in the creation of Co-Forest and providing advice on tree planting initiatives. Partnered with through Co-Forest for the New Leaf sustainability initiative.
• Storm ConsultancyminorOthersBath-based digital technology agency that originally conceived Co-Forest, which later became its own legal entity. Involved in the design of the New Leaf environmental initiative.
• CITB (Construction Industry Training Board)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRobyn Marshall, Social Value Manager at Sphere, has been a CITB Construction Ambassador since 2018, promoting construction careers to thousands of students. CITB provides industry training and standards that support Sphere's social value and candidate development activities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mane Contract Services: Specialist UK construction and rail recruiter providing permanent, contract and labour hire solutions to main contractors — comparable to Sphere on multi-sector construction coverage and rail aspirations.
• VGC Group: UK construction labour provider and trades & labour supplier for major infrastructure and rail projects — direct peer on the contract/agency worker side and on rail-sector exposure.
• Carrington West: UK specialist recruiter for construction, infrastructure and property, placing technical and engineering professionals into contractor and consultancy roles — directly comparable on candidate profile, sectors served and fee model.
• Skilled Careers: UK specialist construction and property recruiter focused on permanent and contract technical/professional roles for contractors, housebuilders, and consultancies — a near-direct peer in vertical, model, and customer base.
• O'Neill & Brennan: UK and Ireland construction staffing specialist supplying trades, labour and technical staff to main contractors — directly comparable on permanent/contract mix and customer segment, with multi-region reach.

Broad incumbents

• Hays Construction: Large UK-listed recruitment firm with a dedicated construction & property division placing technical, trades and permanent roles across the same tier-1 contractor client base as Sphere Solutions. Closest broad-incumbent comparator given overlapping customer roster (e.g. Kier, BAM, Wates).
• Michael Page Construction: Specialist white-collar recruiter placing Quantity Surveyors, Project Managers, and Site Managers into UK construction — overlapping with Sphere's Technical & Professional module on permanent hires at higher salary bands.
• Reed Construction: UK-wide generalist recruiter with a construction specialism offering permanent and temporary placement across building, civils and trades — directly overlapping with Sphere's service lines and regional coverage.
• Randstad Construction, Property & Engineering: Global recruiter with a UK construction & property division serving main contractors and housebuilders; competes with Sphere on technical and trades & labour placements across the same contractor clients.

Regional players

• Linear Recruitment: Northern England construction recruiter placing trades, technical and professional staff — regional comparator relevant to Sphere's newer Manchester expansion strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sphere-solutions
• Xx.com/Sphere_Recruit
• Facebookfacebook.com/spheresolutionsltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 Sphere Solutions