Catch 22
Catch 22 is a UK-based facilities management recruitment specialist offering temporary, contract, and permanent placement services across executive, technical, business support, and operational roles, serving 25+ of the top 50 UK FM companies from offices in Leeds, London, and Manchester.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersLeeds, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Catch 22 does
Catch 22 is a UK-based facilities management (FM) recruitment company, founded in 1982 (with 1984 cited in second-party context) and headquartered at B5 Carrwood Park, Selby Road, Leeds. It operates as a specialist recruitment agency offering temporary, contract, and permanent placement services structured into four divisions: Executive Recruitment (roles £30k–£100k+), Technical Recruitment (hard services sector), Business Support (front- and back-of-house administrative roles), and Operational Support (blue-collar personnel from Living Wage up to £30k). The company serves enterprise FM companies — specifically 25+ of the top 50 FM companies in the UK — alongside public sector organizations, distributed through regional offices in London, Leeds, and Manchester covering London & The South, Yorkshire & North East, and Midlands & North West.
The technology stack is built on the third-party Vincere CRM/ATS platform, which powers dedicated candidate and client portals at careers.c22.co.uk, and is augmented by two proprietary assets: "Catch 22 Connect," a virtual video interview platform for remote candidate screening, and the "C22 Service Menu," a consulting framework used to structure and tailor client engagements. GTM is sales-led via regional direct sales and online vacancy submission, supplemented by content marketing (industry news blog, monthly KPMG/REC-sourced UK Jobs Outlook reports), email/newsletter, and an organic social presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and Instagram. The company holds continuous ISO 9001 accreditation (25 years), achieved a 100% REC audit score in 2023, and is a founding SME member of the Institute of Workplace Facilities Management (IWFM, formerly BIFM).
Catch 22's revenue model is transaction-based across three streams: commission on permanent placements, take-rate fees on temporary/contract staffing, and project-based interim consulting. All pricing is quote-based with no public rate card; revenue mix spans executive (£30k–£100k+ salary bands) through to operational (Living Wage to £30k). The current senior leadership was installed in 2020 alongside an investment from entrepreneur Gary Dewhurst — CEO Simon Aspinall heads the firm with National Operations Director Scott Linnen and division heads Russell Matthews (Executive) and Laura Hastings (Technical).
Catch 22 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Catch 22
- Legal name
- Catch 22
- Website
- https://c22.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Catch 22 is a UK-based facilities management recruitment specialist offering temporary, contract, and permanent placement services across executive, technical, business support, and operational roles, serving 25+ of the top 50 UK FM companies from offices in Leeds, London, and Manchester.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Catch 22 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Recruitment Services
- NAICS
- Employment Placement Agencies (561311)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Contingent Workforce / Contractor RPO (Contractor Recruiting) (BPACABAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Agent of Record (AOR) / Contractor Engagement Services (BPACAGAB), Administrative, Clerical & Office Support Direct Hire (BPACAFAF)
Keywords
Where Catch 22 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leeds
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Catch 22 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Permanent Placement Recruitment: Commission-based fees for placing candidates in permanent positions across Executive (£30k-£100k+), Technical, Business Support and Operational roles. The company acts as an employment agency finding staff for FM companies.
- Temporary/Contract Staffing: Supply of temporary workers to supplement client workforce, covering various salary ranges from Living Wage up to £30k for operational roles
- Interim/Project Consulting: Project-based recruitment solutions for specific consulting needs
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Temp/Contract Staffing |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Permanent Placement |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Catch 22 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Catch 22 is a UK-focused facilities management recruitment agency supplying temporary, contract, and permanent staff across four divisions: Executive (senior FM roles £30k–£100k+), Technical (Hard Services temporary/contract/permanent), Business Support (administrative front and back-of-house), and Operational Support (blue-collar workforce Living Wage to £30k). Engagements start with the in-house C22 Service Menu framework and are tailored to each client's hiring needs, supported by a Vincere-powered careers portal and the Catch 22 Connect video interview platform.
Product overview
Catch 22 operates as a specialist facilities management recruitment company offering a portfolio of service divisions rather than a software product. The core offering consists of Executive Recruitment (senior roles £30k-£100k+), Technical Recruitment (Hard Services temporary/contract/permanent), Business Support (administrative staffing), and Operational Support (blue-collar personnel). Client engagement typically begins with the C22 Service Menu framework and is often adapted into bespoke recruitment solutions. The company also provides candidate and client portal functionality powered by the Vincere recruitment platform for job applications, registrations, and vacancy submissions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Executive Recruitment Recruitment service handling senior-level facilities management positions across multiple disciplines, with roles typically ranging from £30k to £100k+ per annum, supplied on a permanent placement basis.
- Technical Recruitment Recruitment service providing temporary, contract, and permanent recruitment solutions within the Hard Services sector of facilities management.
- Business Support Recruitment Recruitment service providing front and back-of-house administrative support staff to FM clients on a temporary, contract, or permanent basis.
- Operational Support Recruitment Recruitment service supplying blue-collar operational personnel to supplement client workforce needs via temporary, contract, and permanent placements from Living Wage up to £30k per annum.
- Public Sector FM Recruitment Recruitment service for UK public sector organisations providing temporary, contract, and permanent FM staffing solutions across executive, technical, business support and operational roles, supported by REC, ISO 9001, APSCo amra, Cyber Essentials, SafeContractor and DBS credentials.
Quantifiable outcome
- Serves 25+ of the top 50 FM companies in the UK
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Catch 22
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Catch 22 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Catch 22 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Institute of Workplace Facilities Management (IWFM)coreFounding SME member of IWFM (formerly BIFM). Catch 22 maintains 100% commitment to this important partnership and to driving highest standards of excellence and meaningful change in the FM industry. IWFM is the professional body for workplace and facilities management professionals.
- KPMG and REC UK Report on JobsminorCatch 22 references and publishes monthly market intelligence reports sourced from KPMG and REC UK Report on Jobs. This provides them with industry data to share on their blog and establish thought leadership.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Catch 22 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Morson Group: UK-headquartered specialist recruitment and workforce solutions group with a strong technical, engineering, and facilities management practice. Highly comparable as a UK-focused mid-sized specialist operating in the same FM and hard-services contract/temp market.
- Concept Recruitment Group: UK specialist recruiter focused on facilities management, property, and building services. Directly comparable as a niche FM-focused competitor with overlapping temporary, contract, and permanent placement services.
Broad incumbents
- Reed Specialist Recruitment: One of the UK's largest generalist recruitment firms with a strong presence across multiple professional and operational verticals, including facilities management and property. Directly comparable as a UK recruitment competitor with multi-sector scale that overlaps Catch 22's temp, contract, and permanent offerings.
- Michael Page UK: Large UK professional recruitment firm with a property, construction, and facilities management division. Comparable for Catch 22's Executive Recruitment division (£30k–£100k+ senior FM placements), though Page operates as a broader professional staffing incumbent.
- Hays UK: Major UK-based professional staffing group with dedicated property and facilities management divisions. Comparable as a broad incumbent that targets overlapping candidate pools (mid-to-senior FM, technical, and corporate support roles) across permanent and contract engagements.
- Adecco UK: Global staffing leader with substantial UK operations covering temporary, contract, and permanent recruitment including facilities, property, and operational support. Comparable as a large incumbent competing for the same Operational Support and Business Support placements.
- Manpower UK: Global workforce solutions provider with UK operations spanning temporary staffing, permanent placement, and recruitment process outsourcing. Comparable as a competitor for operational and blue-collar facilities management roles across Catch 22's regional coverage.
- Randstad UK: Global recruitment group with a UK footprint that includes facilities, property, and engineering specialisms. Comparable for its mix of temp staffing and permanent placement, particularly in the technical and operational tiers where Catch 22 is active.
Emerging players
- Vertas Property Services Recruitment: Includes UK FM-specialist boutique recruiters (such as Team4 Solutions) that focus on facilities, cleaning, and support staffing. Comparable as an emerging specialist competing for the same Operational Support and Business Support talent pool.
Others
- Protocol Education (Protocol National Limited): UK recruitment firm operating under the wider PageGroup ecosystem with adjacent public-sector and commercial staffing capabilities. Comparable as a UK recruitment operator that shares Catch 22's APSCo-aligned compliance posture and regional UK coverage, though operating in adjacent verticals.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Catch 22 social profiles
Digital presenceCatch 22 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Catch 22 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Catch 22 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Catch 22 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Catch 22
What does Catch 22 do?
Catch 22 is a UK-focused facilities management recruitment agency supplying temporary, contract, and permanent staff across four divisions: Executive (senior FM roles £30k–£100k+), Technical (Hard Services temporary/contract/permanent), Business Support (administrative front and back-of-house), and Operational Support (blue-collar workforce Living Wage to £30k). Engagements start with the in-house C22 Service Menu framework and are tailored to each client's hiring needs, supported by a Vincere-powered careers portal and the Catch 22 Connect video interview platform.
Is Catch 22 a public or private company?
Catch 22 is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Catch 22 founded?
Catch 22 was founded in 1984. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Catch 22 based?
Catch 22 is headquartered in Leeds, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Catch 22 make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Permanent Placement Recruitment is the primary driver. The others are temporary/Contract Staffing and interim/Project Consulting.
Who are Catch 22's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Morson Group and Concept Recruitment Group. Broad incumbents are Reed Specialist Recruitment, Michael Page UK, Hays UK, Adecco UK, Manpower UK and Randstad UK. Vertas Property Services Recruitment is listed as an emerging player. Protocol Education (Protocol National Limited) is listed as an others.
Does Catch 22 have an API?
No public API is recorded for Catch 22.
What industry is Catch 22 in?
Catch 22's product category is Recruitment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACABAK, Contingent Workforce / Contractor RPO (Contractor Recruiting), with a secondary code of BPACAGAB, Agent of Record (AOR) / Contractor Engagement Services. Its NAICS code is 561311 and its SIC code is 7361.