Azets’ Corporate Finance team across the Midlands, Wales & West has delivered a record year for buy-side deals, advising on 21 financial due diligence (FDD) and buy-side transactions over the past 12 months.
The region continues to demonstrate a strong appetite for strategic acquisitions and investment despite wider market uncertainty. In total, the team supported deals worth £176m, with an average enterprise value of £8.2m.
Deals spanned a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, health & social care, technology and real estate, and locations, including Birmingham, Shropshire, Stourbridge, Wolverhampton, and South Wales. Transactions were supported by a mix of acquirer investment (47%), bank funding (43%) and private equity (10%).
Highlights among the 21 deals included JGP Holdings’ acquisition in the care sector, the successful completion of Birmingham-based Niche & Bespoke backed by HSBC and Cattaneo, and Mercia Asset Management’s investment in Telford-based Crown Plus Limited, marking the British Business Bank’s 100th deal. Commenting on the activity, Natasha Hill, Associate Director at Azets, said: “This year has been exceptional, not only in volume but in the depth of support we’ve provided.
“We’ve invested heavily in advanced data analytics to strengthen the quality and precision of our buy-side work, enabling earlier risk identification and more targeted analysis throughout due diligence. Over three-quarters of our engagements included full wrap-around buy-side advisory, from supporting management with indicative offers and deal structure, to inputting into the financial elements of the legal documents, giving acquirors specialist guidance at every stage of the process.”
The team has seen a sharp uplift in complex buy-side engagements, with 76% of FDD projects supported by Azets’ full wrap-around buy-side advisory service. Activity has been particularly strong in recent months as the market geared up towards another highly anticipated budget cycle, culminating in the team completing three transactions in just three days, a milestone that reflects both the pace of the regional market and the strength of Azets’ multidisciplinary offering.
Lee Humble, Head of Corporate Finance at Azets, added: "2025 has been very strong for buy-side transactions and FDD work over the last year due to high demand from our clients, despite the M&A landscape being in one of its most stormy phases for many years.
“Whilst M&A markets have generally contracted and we have noted extreme shifts in approach from buyers and investors, our own teams have been able to deliver an increase in deal volumes and overall deal sizes. 2026 will hopefully see some stability now we have the benefit of a confirmed tax landscape, at least in the short term, and we envisage more activity, with our breadth of lending contacts showing us that capital remains available to support good teams, strong businesses and well-thought-out proposals.”
Azets is an international business advisory group with regional offices in Aldridge, Birmingham, Blandford Forum, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Gloucester, Nottingham, Plymouth, South Molton, Swansea, Tamworth, Truro, and Wolverhampton.
