The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has invited comments on the proposed £3.1bn acquisition of Mitie Group by OCS Group International, opening the first stage of its merger review.

The CMA said it is gathering initial market feedback to assess whether the deal could raise competition concerns in UK facilities management and outsourced services markets. A formal Phase 1 investigation has not yet begun.

Interested parties have until 29 September to submit their views.

Privately owned OCS Group, backed by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R), agreed to acquire Mitie in July. The proposed takeover values Mitie at £2.216 per share (comprising cash plus a 3.1p dividend), representing a significant premium to the pre-announcement share price, and would combine two of the UK's largest facilities management and outsourced services providers.

The enlarged group would have annual revenues of around £8.5bn and a significant presence in security, cleaning, engineering maintenance, government services, healthcare and critical infrastructure.

London-based Mitie, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker MTO and is a member of the FTSE 250, reported revenue of around £5.1bn for FY26. It employs around 70,000 people across the UK and Ireland and provides services including security, engineering, cleaning, telecommunications, energy and workplace management to public- and private-sector customers.

The scale of the proposed combination is expected to attract scrutiny over market concentration, customer choice and pricing power. The transaction also remains subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals, and is expected to complete in 2027.

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