RTC Group Plc

What RTC Group Plc does

RTC Group Plc is an AIM-listed recruitment and conferencing group headquartered at The Derby Conference Centre in Derby, UK. Founded in 1963 and listed on AIM since 1998, the group operates four wholly-owned businesses: ATA Recruitment (white and blue collar engineering/technical recruitment serving UK manufacturing and technology sectors via Leicester and Leeds offices), Ganymede Solutions (infrastructure workforce solutions — rail, energy, construction, highways, transportation — with 1,500+ skilled staff deployed daily), Global Staffing Solutions (international staffing in hostile locations for NATO, defence agencies, and commercial clients across UK, Middle East, USA, and Canada), and The Derby Conference Centre (a hotel, conferencing and events facility also serving as group HQ and producing rental income).

The group generates revenue primarily through temporary/contingent labour markups on worker wages, permanent placement fees (typically a percentage of annual salary), and managed service contracts for international clients. Its largest customer relationships are concentrated in safety-critical UK infrastructure — most notably Network Rail (Ganymede Solutions is a key strategic supplier, awarded contracts including a five-year deal estimated at £80–100m from April 2015 and a 5–8 year frontline labour contract from October 2021), and SSE Plc (£28m smart meter installer contract from 2017). Distribution is direct and sales-led through subsidiary brands; the company does not disclose proprietary technology platforms or AI systems and does not operate a software or marketplace model. Go-to-market relies on enterprise sales, account management, RNS publications for investor relations, and industry event sponsorships (e.g., Swiss Rail Inward Mission).

Name

RTC Group Plc

Legal name

RTC Group Plc

Website

https://rtcgroupplc.co.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

RTC Group Plc is an AIM-listed UK recruitment group providing temporary, permanent, and contingent staffing through ATA Recruitment, Ganymede Solutions, and GSS, plus the Derby Conference Centre, primarily serving rail, energy, infrastructure, and engineering clients domestically and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recruitment and Staffing Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare) (BPACAFAC)

Keywords

• Recruitment services
• Contingent staffing
• Workforce solutions
• Engineering recruitment
• Conference venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Derby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Temporary/Contingent Staffing: RTC Group provides temporary workers to clients across rail, energy, construction, and other infrastructure sectors. Revenue is generated through markups on worker wages, with margins materially impacted by fuel costs and energy prices. The company supplies safety-critical, track, and electrification resources.
2. Permanent/Contract Recruitment: ATA Recruitment and Ganymede provide permanent placement services for technical, engineering, and professional roles. Revenue is generated through placement fees typically calculated as a percentage of the candidate's annual salary.
3. Managed Services: Global Staffing Solutions provides managed service solutions for international clients operating in hostile locations. This includes complete workforce solutions encompassing recruitment, training, account management, contingent labour, and fleet provision.
4. Conference Centre and Facility Rental: The Derby Conference Centre generates rental and conferencing income from space not fully utilized by the Group, providing additional revenue streams from hotel, conferencing and events facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

RTC Group Plc is an AIM-listed recruitment business providing white and blue collar temporary, permanent and contingent staff to a broad range of industries including rail, energy, construction, highways, transportation, manufacturing and engineering, in both domestic and international markets. The Group operates through three core recruitment subsidiaries — ATA Recruitment, Ganymede Solutions and Global Staffing Solutions — and also owns The Derby Conference Centre, a hotel and conferencing facility that houses the Group's headquarters.

Product overview

RTC Group Plc operates as a multi-brand recruitment group providing white and blue collar recruitment services through its subsidiary brands. The portfolio consists of ATA Recruitment (engineering and technical recruitment for manufacturing, engineering and technology sectors), Ganymede Solutions (workforce solutions for infrastructure and transportation including rail, energy, construction and highways), Global Staffing Solutions/GSS (international staffing for hostile locations supporting NATO and defence clients), and Ganymede Energy (specialist gas engineers for domestic energy sector). The Group also owns The Derby Conference Centre, a hotel and conferencing facility that houses the headquarters. These brands operate as distinct business units serving different market segments while sharing corporate infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ATA Recruitment Engineering and technical recruitment consultancy providing white and blue collar engineering and technical staff to manufacturing, engineering and technology sectors across the UK.
• Ganymede Solutions Technical and engineering talent recruitment providing complete workforce solutions for infrastructure and transportation sectors including rail, energy, construction, highways and transportation.
• Global Staffing Solutions (GSS) International staffing solutions provider delivering projects in hostile locations, supporting clients in UK, Middle East, USA and Canada including NATO and defence agencies.
• The Derby Conference Centre Hotel, conferencing and events facility providing meeting rooms for 2 to 200 people, en-suite bedrooms for up to 50 delegates, and dining facilities for up to 700 guests.
• Ganymede Energy Specialist engineering recruitment division providing domestic and commercial gas engineers for the domestic energy and utilities sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• Maintained record profit of £2.49m pre-tax in 2025 despite revenue decline and rising cost pressures
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Network RailcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 27 May 2026Network Rail is a major strategic client for Ganymede Solutions, RTC Group's subsidiary. Ganymede was appointed as a key strategic partner for Network Rail's CP5 programme, providing contingent labour services including safety critical, track and electrification resources. The five-year contract from April 2015 has an estimated order book value of £80m-£100m. Ganymede's position as one of the UK's leading suppliers of contingent labour to the rail industry is underpinned by this long-term partnership.
• SSE PlccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 25 July 2017Ganymede Energy (a division of Ganymede Solutions) was selected by SSE Plc to source, train and provide dual fuel smart meter installers for SSE's Smart-Meter rollout programme. The contract runs until 31 December 2020 with a revenue value of £28m, deploying at least 250 installers on a full-time basis.
• Department for International TradecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2017RTC Group collaborated with the Department for International Trade as a key sponsor of the Swiss Rail Inward Mission held at The Derby Conference Centre. This partnership positions RTC Group as a key supporter of UK rail industry growth and international trade initiatives, enabling the company to engage with international rail businesses and showcase its capabilities.
• Midlands EnginecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2017Midlands Engine partnered with RTC Group as a co-sponsor of the Swiss Rail Inward Mission. This partnership supports RTC Group's visibility in the rail and infrastructure sector and aligns with the company's strategy to support growth in the UK's rail and infrastructure sectors while attracting international investment.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SThree plc: LSE-listed specialist STEM and contract recruiter (Computer Futures, Real Staffing). Comparable to RTC's Ganymede Solutions in delivering skilled contract technical labour to infrastructure and energy end-markets.
• Hays plc: AIM/LSE-listed specialist recruitment group with a large UK engineering and infrastructure desk. Directly comparable to RTC as a multi-discipline, UK-centric recruiter serving rail, construction and energy clients with both permanent and contract models.
• Staffline Group plc: LSE-listed UK staffing and workforce solutions provider, including OnSite services and skills training. Closely matches RTC's Ganymede Solutions and Ganymede Energy contingent-labour model in rail, energy and industrial sectors.
• Robert Walters plc: LSE-listed professional staffing group focused on white-collar permanent and contract recruitment. Directly comparable to RTC's ATA and Ganymede technical/engineering placement business.
• PageGroup plc: LSE-listed professional recruitment firm (Michael Page, Page Personnel). Closely comparable to ATA Recruitment's permanent placement and professional/technical direct-hire model across the UK and internationally.
• Morson Group plc: LSE-listed engineering and technical recruitment group with strong UK rail, nuclear and infrastructure exposure. Most direct competitor to Ganymede Solutions given shared end-markets and contract labour model.
• Impellam Group plc: AIM-listed UK recruitment services group (Huntress, Tate, Medacs). Comparable diversified staffing peer to RTC's multi-brand structure serving both white and blue collar segments.

Broad incumbents

• Randstad NV: Global staffing and HR services leader. Broader incumbent peer to RTC given overlap in engineering/technical staffing and managed services, though Randstad operates at materially greater scale and geography.
• Adecco Group AG: Global workforce solutions provider with industrial, technical and professional staffing lines. Broad incumbent to RTC's mix of temporary, permanent and managed services in industrial and engineering verticals.
• Reed Specialist Recruitment Ltd: Large privately held UK generalist recruiter covering engineering, technical, office and professional markets. Comparable to ATA Recruitment and Ganymede Solutions in segment mix and UK geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rtc-group-plc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about RTC Group Plc