Voting Closed

To find out who won, book a table at the British Private Equity Party Awards 2025 on Tuesday, 30 September at The Brewrey, London

Armstrong

Armstrong supported clients through a mixed year for the UK PE mid-market. Our deal volumes and client base remained stable with repeat revenue from long-term clients, as well as working with some exciting new clients.

Our reputation for commercial rigour was boosted this year through the targeted use of AI, including our new transcription tool that turns around expert and customer interview transcriptions for clients in seconds rather than hours.

We also continue to strengthen our core team using our network of experienced specialised consultants. It was our mix of robust due diligence know-how and innovative delivery that helped our clients create value at every stage of their investment.

In FY25, we entered the Irish market, supporting several PE-backed deals. In response to market conditions, we focused on bolt-on commercial due diligence, working with major PE-backed acquirers like British Engineering Services, Andwis, Obsequio, K3 Group, Focus Group and Pareto. We shared timely briefings written by our sector experts with clients on areas attracting investor attention, including fire safety, compliance services, cyber security, digital transformation and data consulting. Our briefings are well-read and lead to new opportunities.

Armstrong helped clients navigate a challenging deal environment with resilience and adaptability. We are confident that we are well-positioned to continue to support them and capitalise on improving sentiment as we move into FY26.

Fairgrove

Fairgrove delivered record project volumes and 23% revenue growth in FY24-25, reflecting growing brand recognition and larger mandates. We advised on 17 closed UK PE transactions, maintaining a Top 3 spot in Mergermarket’s UK CDD adviser rankings. This performance was underpinned by several initiatives:

• In May ‘25, we launched a pan-European alliance with CMI (France) and CODEX Partners (Germany), uniting c.170 consultants and experience from 1,500+ projects. Clients benefit from enhanced cross-border diligence and value creation expertise, while our team gains secondment opportunities. Collaborations with Pointe (USA) and Rennie (Australia) further extend our global reach.
• Andrew Hawkins, ex-Head of Strategy at Grant Thornton, joined in Dec ‘24 and became a partner in May. In addition to deep Education sector expertise, he has supported ongoing professionalisation, bringing new ideas on BD, client delivery and recruitment.
• We also reinforced our position as a premium consultancy, creating a new website (launching Aug ‘25), refreshed logo, and updated sector strategy, supported by new sub-sector ‘centres of excellence’. A c.50% increase in our LinkedIn following reflects this progress.
• Female representation rose from 23% to 30%, supported by initiatives like Women At Fairgrove and university Women in Business partnerships. We also completed a pro bono project with Impetus, which works closely with PE firms, and moved to a new office to support continued growth.

Luminii Consulting

At Luminii, our core values and commitment to trusted advisory define us. This past year, we've stood out through innovation, excellence, and impact across the UK PE landscape by:

Shaping Industry Best Practice

We were honoured to be invited to co-author the ICAEW Corporate Finance Faculty’s first Commercial Due Diligence (CDD) best practice guidelines. This recognition highlights Luminii’s leadership in setting industry standards and delivering trusted, high-quality CDD.

Client-Centric Approach

Clients consistently praise our adaptability, agility, and collaborative approach alongside our pragmatic advice that aligns with clients’ needs.

Powering Growth & Innovation

As the only boutique CDD provider with offices in both London and Manchester, we offer unmatched national coverage, fuelling 40% of our work from new clients this year. Despite market headwinds, we’ve expanded services and talent around six strategic value levers, while surging demand for our Vendor CDD underscores the market’s trust in our independent, insight-driven approach.

Commitment to CSR

We pledged 7% of profits to charity, sponsoring community sports, and supporting mentoring, internships, and university incubators. These efforts reflect our ongoing commitment to make a positive impact in the community and empower the next generation.

Driven by purpose and progress, Luminii continues to shape the future—delivering excellence and innovation as a trusted CDD adviser to our clients

Voting Closed

To find out who won, book a table at the British Private Equity Party Awards 2025 on Tuesday, 30 September at The Brewrey, London