An infrastructure services provider backed by one of the world’s biggest buyout firms is in advanced talks to buy rival Telent for about £270m.
Sky News has learnt that M Group Services, which was acquired by CVC Capital Partners last year, is in exclusive negotiations to buy its smaller peer.
Once part of Marconi, one of Britain’s most famous industrial names, Telent ended up under the control of JC Flowers, the private equity firm, as part of a deal involving Pension Insurance Corporation, the specialist insurer, several years ago.
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It provides a range of services to telecoms and other communications providers.
M Group has seen off competition from Amey, the outsourcing group backed by Lord Hammond, the former chancellor, to secure its exclusivity period, with a formal offer anticipated within days.
People close to the situation cautioned, however, that there was no certainty that a deal would be reached.
At least one private equity bidder also submitted an indicative offer for Telent, they added.
Telent is run by Jo Gretton, who was part of its founding management team in 2006, having previously worked for Marconi.
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Among its contracts is one it was awarded by IBM to play a role in the deployment of the new Emergency Services Network across the UK.
CVC declined to comment, while Telent could not be reached for comment.
