Mears Group

What Mears Group does

Mears Group PLC (LSE: MER) is a UK publicly listed provider of housing services, established in 1988 and headquartered in Gloucester, England. The group manages and maintains approximately 450,000 homes across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, delivering services through three interconnected core segments: Central Government Housing (accommodation for the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice, and Home Office including asylum housing), Local Government Housing (repairs, maintenance, planned investment, retrofit, and decarbonisation for local authorities and housing associations), and Housing with Care (supported living and extra care services regulated by the Care Quality Commission). FY2025 group revenue stood at £1,136m with adjusted profit before tax of £63.5m and an order book of £4.0bn, with ~90% revenue visibility for the following 12 months.

The business operates a technology-enabled service delivery model combining a national branch network (50+ branches), a trained workforce of 5,500+ colleagues, and several sub-brands/product platforms. Specialist offerings include IRT Surveys (infrared thermal imaging plus proprietary DREam software providing data-driven retrofit and Net Zero planning, acquired August 2022), Repair My Home (a Community Interest Company operating a digital marketplace connecting housing providers with vetted local SME contractors), Pennington Choices (fire safety, asbestos, and gas/electrical compliance consultancy acquired in 2025), and Enable (DLO support services for social landlords). Technology features include geotagged photographic compliance evidence, PAS2035-aligned retrofit systems, and the "Your Voice" automated customer feedback platform.

Mears' revenue model is contract-based managed services revenue from long-term (typically 5–10 year) framework agreements with UK public sector clients awarded through competitive tender. Pricing is predominantly unit-based or annual subscription, with examples including a £450m/10-year Birmingham City Council contract (11,500 homes), a £200m+/10-year Moat Homes contract (~20,000 homes), a £125m annual North Lanarkshire Council contract, and a £300m/5-year Ministry of Defence contract (3,400 homes housing ~6,000 personnel and families annually). Income is also derived from Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Wave 2 retrofit projects (e.g., Thanet £42m, Thurrock £10.5m) and a charitable arm (The Mears Foundation). The group employs a B2B/enterprise sales motion targeting local authorities, housing associations, and central government, with no consumer-facing distribution and a recent strategic exit (March 2026) from facilities management via the £18m sale of Morrison Facilities Services to refocus on housing services.

Name

Mears Group

Legal name

Mears Group PLC

Website

https://mearsgroup.co.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Mears Group PLC is a UK-listed provider of social housing repairs, maintenance, planned investment, retrofit/decarbonisation, and supported living services, serving local authorities, housing associations, and central government across approximately 450,000 UK homes primarily through long-term 5–10 year framework contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Housing Maintenance Services

NAICS

Services to Buildings and Dwellings (5617), Other Services to Buildings and Dwellings (561790), Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (238220)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340), Services-Miscellaneous Repair Services (7600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

General Punch-List & Move-In/Move-Out Repairs (HSAGAAAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing (MEP) Restoration & Replacement (HSAPAOAJ), Insurance Claims Estimation, Documentation & Managed Repair (HSAPAOAL), Post-Incident Recovery, Damage Assessment & Restoration Coordination (BPABANAL)

Keywords

• Social housing maintenance
• Planned maintenance services
• Housing retrofit decarbonisation
• Supported living care
• Public sector housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Gloucester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Housing Maintenance Contracts: Long-term contracts with local authorities and housing associations for repairs, maintenance, and planned investment works. Includes responsive repairs, emergency cover, voids, planned maintenance, electrical testing, gas and heating installation, disabled adaptations, and retrofit works. Birmingham contract alone is worth £450m over 10 years.
2. Central Government Housing Services: Housing provision for Ministry of Defence (managing 3,400 homes across UK, housing 6,000 personnel and families annually), Ministry of Justice (Community Accommodation Service - CAS3 - £16m annual revenue), and Home Office (asylum accommodation).
3. Housing with Care Services: Extra care schemes and supported living services providing care and support in the community for vulnerable people. Includes 24-hour on-site staff, personalised care, and regulated care standards compliance.
4. Retrofit and Decarbonisation Services: Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Wave 2 projects including Thanet (£42m), Thurrock (£10.5m), South Cambridgeshire, and Wandle Housing Association. Focus on energy efficiency improvements and Net Zero targets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mears Group delivers social housing repairs, planned maintenance, retrofit/decarbonisation, and integrated housing-with-care services to approximately 450,000 homes across the UK. The company's revenue is concentrated in long-term, multi-year contracts with local authorities, housing associations, and central government departments (Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice, Home Office). Services span responsive day-to-day repairs, void maintenance, gas/electrical/heating works, disabled adaptations, energy-efficiency retrofit, supported living, and extra care, supported by specialist sub-brands including IRT Surveys (thermal imaging), Pennington Choices (property surveying), Repair My Home (contractor marketplace), and Enable (DLO support).

Product overview

Mears Group operates as a unified housing services platform providing integrated maintenance, management, and care services to approximately 450,000 homes across the UK. The company delivers three interconnected core services: Central Government Housing (accommodation for Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice, and Home Office including asylum housing), Local Government Housing Services (repairs, maintenance, and retrofit for local authorities and housing associations), and Housing with Care (supported living and extra care services). These are supported by specialist sub-brands including IRT Surveys (thermal imaging and DREam software for decarbonisation planning), Pennington Choices (property surveying and compliance consultancy), Repair My Home (digital contractor marketplace operating as a CIC), and Enable (DLO support services for social landlords). The Mears Foundation serves as the charitable arm focused on community investment. The company manages the full housing lifecycle from responsive repairs and void maintenance through to major retrofit and decarbonisation programmes funded by government schemes like the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IRT Surveys: Combines high-resolution infrared thermal imaging with proprietary DREam software to provide property owners with data-driven roadmap to Net Zero, identifying building defects and energy loss at scale.
• Repair My Home
• Pennington Choices
• Enable

Products and services

• Central Government Housing Services Provision and management of housing for central government departments including the Ministry of Defence (managing 3,400 homes housing ~6,000 personnel and families per year), Ministry of Justice (Community Accommodation Service CAS3, 573+ bed spaces, 60 Welfare Officers, 4,500 service users supported annually), and the Home Office (asylum accommodation contracts).
• Local Government Housing Services Repairs, maintenance, and planned investment services for local authorities and housing associations across approximately 450,000 UK homes, covering day-to-day responsive repairs, emergency cover, voids, planned maintenance, electrical testing, gas and heating installation, disabled adaptations, and energy-efficiency retrofit works under contracts such as Birmingham City Council (£450m, 10 years) and Moat Homes (£200m+, 10 years).
• Housing with Care Integrated housing and care contracts providing supported living and extra care services, including 24-hour on-site staff, personalised support, and domiciliary care, for vulnerable people in the community. CQC-regulated in England with regulated care standards compliance.
• IRT Surveys Thermal imaging survey service combining infrared thermography with proprietary DREam software to provide property owners with a data-driven roadmap to Net Zero, identifying building defects and energy loss at scale and automatically matching properties to available funding.
• Repair My Home Digital marketplace connecting housing providers with a vetted network of local SME contractors to efficiently clear repair backlogs and maintain properties; operates as a Community Interest Company (CIC) reinvesting 65% of profits into community projects.
• Pennington Choices Specialist property consultancy providing expert technical advice and auditing for fire safety, asbestos, and gas and electrical management to help property owners mitigate risk and ensure legal compliance.
• Enable DLO (Direct Labour Organisation) support service for social landlords, providing PLC infrastructure and services to help partners achieve excellence in housing service delivery while maintaining local control.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy savings of £597 average annual savings per household (vs £138 modelled forecast) for South Cambridgeshire retrofit
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Waltham Forest CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018More Homes Waltham Forest joint venture partnership established in 2018 to purchase and refurbish 330 homes for homeless individuals and families. £88m raised to purchase properties, scheme lasting 40 years with homes reverting to Council at end of term. Net cost savings of nearly £4m achieved for council in last financial year.
• Ministry of DefencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Five-year £300m contract awarded in 2016 providing national housing service managing 3,400 homes across UK, housing approximately 6,000 personnel and families each year. Mears operates as Processor with Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) as Controller of personal data.
• The Mears FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent charitable arm of Mears Group providing grant-making trust. Partnership with Jason Robinson Foundation supporting sports programmes in over 50 schools in Yorkshire. Also partners with The Felix Project and FareShare for food redistribution, preventing over 305 tonnes of food waste annually.
• The Felix Project and FareSharecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK's largest food redistribution charity partnership. Mears Foundation financial support and colleague volunteering enabled redistribution of over 305 tonnes of food equating to approximately 728,000 meals annually. Support includes vehicle driving volunteer time and Winter Food Collection in Tesco stores.
• The Jason Robinson FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEx-professional rugby player Jason Robinson OBE's foundation partnered with Mears Foundation to deliver sports programmes to over 50 schools across Yorkshire. Focus on children's physical health and mental wellbeing through teamwork and shared achievement.
• Wandle Housing AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner£1.8m energy-efficient retrofit project for over 100 homes supported by Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. Works included solar panel installation, insulation improvements, and ventilation upgrades to help Wandle achieve EPC band C by 2030.
• Thanet District CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHDF Wave 2 contract for £42m retrofit of five high-rise buildings including Kennedy House, Trove Court, Staner Court, Harbour Towers, and Invicta House. 24-month project with Building Safety Grant funding for cladding remediation and fire safety upgrades.
• Thurrock CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHDF Wave 2.2 contract worth £10.5m for retrofit of 181 homes between August 2025 and May 2026. Includes external wall insulation, facade repairs, loft insulation, and energy-efficient window/door replacements.
• South Cambridgeshire District CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSHDF Wave 2.1 partnership transforming 237 rural homes through energy performance improvements. Achieved average annual savings of £597 per household (vs £138 forecast). Projected to save 232.96 tCO₂e annually.
• St Aidan's High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMears Coatbridge branch transformed therapeutic classroom for St Aidan's High School in Wishaw (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation area). Complete refurbishment including new flooring, windows, painting, and furniture donation to create inclusive learning environment.
• North Lanarkshire CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for housing services including annual contract worth £125m. Mears Coatbridge branch works with local schools and colleges to inspire future talent through outreach programmes, with over 120 students visiting branch annually and 400+ candidates attending Mears Training Academy.
• Home OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsylum accommodation contracts providing housing for asylum seekers. Following June 2026 policy changes, instructed to stop taking over entire housing estates. Works alongside Serco and Clearsprings Ready Homes as approved contractors.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Kier Group: UK infrastructure and property services group with a significant housing maintenance offering for local authorities and housing associations. Comparable as a large public-sector-aligned maintenance and retrofit competitor.
• ENGIE UK: UK arm of global energy and services group with social housing maintenance, retrofit and facilities services. Comparable as a large incumbent competing for local-authority housing contracts and SHDF-funded retrofit work.
• Wates Group: Large UK construction and property services group operating a substantial social housing maintenance business (formerly Wates Living Space). Comparable as a national, multi-service platform competing for the same housing-association and local-authority tenders.
• Equans UK & Ireland: Major UK facilities and technical services provider with social housing and public-sector exposure. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping housing maintenance, retrofit and FM capabilities (including former Engie Services portfolio).
• Balfour Beatty: FTSE-listed UK and international infrastructure group with property services and housing maintenance capability. Comparable as a large public-sector-aligned incumbent bidding for similar local-authority and central-government frameworks.
• Morgan Sindall Group: FTSE-listed UK construction and regeneration group with a dedicated Property Services division delivering responsive repairs, planned maintenance and retrofit to social housing — directly comparable customer base and service scope to Mears.

Direct peers

• United Living: UK provider of social housing repairs, maintenance and refurbishment services. Directly comparable to Mears' responsive repairs, voids and planned maintenance offering for housing associations and local authorities.
• Liberty Group: UK specialist in social housing repairs, maintenance and gas/heating services. Direct peer to Mears' responsive repairs and planned maintenance lines, often competing on the same housing-association frameworks.
• Sureserve Group: AIM-listed UK provider of energy-efficiency, compliance and repair services to social housing. Comparable as a focused social-housing maintenance and retrofit specialist, particularly in heating, electrical and decarbonisation work.
• Amey: UK public-services provider delivering highways, facilities and housing maintenance. Comparable on local-authority and central-government housing contracts, including responsive repairs and major maintenance programmes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mearsgroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/mearsgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mears-group-plc

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A10 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Mears Group