Sell Your Commercial Cleaning Business in Ireland
If you operate a commercial cleaning business in Ireland and you have searched “sell my commercial cleaning business in Ireland”, the variables that drive your sale price are Ireland-specific in ways the broader category data does not capture. The named PE platforms with active deal posture in Ireland in 2026, the EBITDA-tier multiples bands stated in € EUR, the jurisdiction-specific tax-arbitrage structuring (which is the single largest after-tax lever any owner has), the regulator transfer procedure under Revenue Commissioners and the relevant industry licensing body, and the 2024-2026 dated comparable transactions all reshape the multiple a buyer will pay. This page walks through the Ireland valuation framework as commercial cleaning businesses are actually trading in mid-2026, the named buyers actively acquiring here, and the regulator transfer + tax structuring that determine net-of-tax proceeds.
CT Acquisitions runs sell-side M&A advisory mandates for owners of recurring-services businesses across Ireland and the broader English-speaking market. The introductory conversation is confidential and NDA-protected. This page is the localised valuation framework for 🇮🇪 Ireland commercial cleaning sellers, built from named-and-dated 2024-2026 transactional research rather than generic broker-listing rules of thumb.
The Ireland commercial cleaning M&A landscape in 2026
The detailed market sizing, named-buyer table, EBITDA-tier multiples bands, regulator transfer procedure, jurisdiction-specific tax-arbitrage structuring, and 2024-2026 dated comparable transactions for Ireland commercial cleaning are set out below. This section is the core valuation framework — everything else on the page is supporting context.
1. JANITORIAL / CONTRACT CLEANING (IRELAND)
1.1 Ireland market context
Ireland’s contract-cleaning sector is estimated at approximately EUR 1.1–1.3 billion in annual spend (2025), with Dublin (Greater Dublin Area concentrating roughly 55–60% of national contract value), Cork (~12%), Galway (~6%), Limerick (~5%), Waterford (~3%), and the remainder spread across regional towns. Sub-vertical mix breaks down roughly: commercial offices and multi-tenant buildings (~32%), healthcare/HSE acute and primary-care estates (~22%), education K-12/SETU/MTU/TCD/UCD/UCC (~14%), industrial/pharma cleanroom GMP (~12% — concentrated in Cork Harbour, Carlow, Dublin 22 Grange Castle, Sligo, Athlone), retail/hospitality (~10%), and aviation/transport (Dublin, Cork, Shannon airports + Irish Rail/Iarnród Éireann/Luas) (~10%). Top customer base is dominated by the OGP (Office of Government Procurement) framework — currently in its 4th iteration — alongside HSE, IDA-tenant multinationals (Pfizer, Lilly, MSD, Apple, Google, Meta, Stripe), CBRE/JLL/Savills/CWFM-managed estates, and the Department of Education school-cleaning contracts. Labour cost is the single biggest economic driver: 2026 national minimum wage of EUR 13.50/hour combined with the Contract Cleaning ERO (Employment Regulation Order — currently EUR 14.49/hour minimum and EUR 15.16/hour for supervisors per the JLC determination) is reshaping bid economics. SCA-equivalent prevailing-wage obligations apply on OGP and HSE contracts.
1.2 Named active buyers in Ireland 2024–2026
Bidvest Noonan — UK/Ireland parent: Bidvest Group (JSE: BVT, South Africa) acquired Noonan Services Group from Alchemy Partners in June 2017; rebranded Bidvest Noonan from 2019. HQ: Dublin (Sandyford). Ireland + UK FM revenue band roughly EUR 700–800m (group employs 20,000+). Recent: acquired Nexgen Group on 16 July 2024, adding security and FM coverage; won the Transport Infrastructure Ireland / NTA security contract for Ireland’s national transport network (2024–2025 wins).
OCS Group Ireland — owned by Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) since CD&R’s 2022 take-private of OCS; Atalian Servest UK, Ireland and Asia merged into OCS in 2023–2024 (merger completed Feb 2024). HQ Ireland: Dublin (Sandyford). Combined UK+Ireland+Asia revenue ~GBP 1.7bn; Ireland standalone band ~EUR 130–180m. The OCS-Atalian platform is now the second-largest FM player in Ireland behind Bidvest Noonan and is widely expected to be a programmatic add-on buyer for tuck-ins through 2026–2027.
Mitie Group plc (LSE: MTO) — UK PLC parent, Ireland operations branded Mitie Ireland. Ireland revenue band ~EUR 80–110m. Mitie completed the GBP 366m acquisition of Marlowe plc on 4 August 2025 (TIC fire, security, water-and-air hygiene) — this gives Mitie a significantly enlarged compliance-services tail in Ireland and positions the group as a strategic buyer for Irish fire/water-hygiene tuck-ins as well as cleaning.
Derrycourt Cleaning Specialists — Irish-headquartered (Citywest, Dublin 24), acquired by Causeway Capital Partners in October 2018; founder Derry Murphy retained an executive role. Revenue band ~EUR 60–80m (FY2024). Sub-vertical: healthcare EVS (HSE Mater Misericordiae, Beaumont, St James’s), education and ICT/data-centre cleaning. Causeway is at typical 4–6 year hold — Derrycourt is expected to come to market 2026–2027.
Sodexo Ireland — French CAC 40 parent (Sodexo SA), post Vestis spin (October 2023) the Ireland book is pure food + facilities. Ireland revenue band ~EUR 230–280m. 2025 Facilities Management Awards “Overall Excellence” winner including Cleaning Service Provider of the Year (April 2025).
[UNCONFIRMED 2026-06-19] Bunzl Ireland (LSE: BNZL parent) — primarily a distributor of cleaning supplies/PPE rather than a contract-cleaning service provider; relevant as a strategic acquirer of distribution-led targets, not direct contract-cleaning roll-up.
1.3 EBITDA-tier multiples bands (EUR)
| EBITDA tier | Multiple band | Primary drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Sub-EUR 500k | 2.5–4.0x SDE | Owner-dependence discount; very few institutional buyers below this size; CCERO labour-cost pass-through credibility is the make-or-break |
| EUR 500k–1.5m | 4.0–5.5x EBITDA | OGP framework status (lots-won evidence); ISO 9001/14001/45001; verified Garda Vetting NVB compliance; cleanroom GMP exposure premium |
| EUR 1.5m–4m | 5.5–7.0x EBITDA | HSE master contract status; multi-year contracts >36 months; subcontracting density on IDA-tenant pharma sites; healthcare EVS specialism |
| EUR 4m–10m | 6.5–8.5x EBITDA | Platform-tier; OGP Lot win >EUR 5m annual; SCA/CCERO labour-rate baseline already priced in; multi-site supervisor scale |
| EUR 10m+ | 8.0–10.5x EBITDA | Add-on for OCS, Bidvest Noonan, Sodexo, Mitie; route density advantage; pharma cleanroom expertise can push to 10x+ |
Premium drivers (+0.5 to +2.0x): pharma cleanroom ISO 14644-1 Class 5/6/7 certification; HSE master agreement status; multi-year HSE Mater/Beaumont/St James’s anchor contracts; verified Living Wage Ireland accreditation; sub-vertical concentration (data-centre cleaning premium for Microsoft, Google, AWS Dublin estates).
Discount drivers (–0.5 to –1.5x): customer concentration >25% single contract; CCERO non-compliance findings; absence of TUPE-history on transfers; Garda Vetting backlog/gap; reliance on agency labour >40%.
1.4 Regulator transfer procedure
The Irish contract-cleaning sector itself is not gated by a sector-specific licence regime, but several adjacent compliance regimes must transfer cleanly on a share or asset deal:
- Contract Cleaning Joint Labour Committee (JLC) Employment Regulation Order (S.I. 484/2023 and successor instruments) sets binding wage floors (EUR 14.49/hour cleaner / EUR 15.16/hour supervisor as at 2025). The successor entity must continue compliance from completion date. WRC (Workplace Relations Commission) inspections do not require relicensing but a change-of-control should be flagged in the next compliance return.
- National Vetting Bureau (Garda Vetting) under the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 — for any cleaning contracts in schools, healthcare, residential care, all front-line cleaner Garda Vetting must be re-verified; vetting disclosures do not auto-novate on share deal but practical effect is preserved if the employing entity is unchanged. On asset deals, full re-vetting is required.
- ISO 9001 / 14001 / 45001 third-party certification reissuance with NSAI or alternative UKAS-accredited bodies; typical 6–12 week re-issuance post-completion via a transfer audit.
- TUPE — European Communities (Protection of Employees on Transfer of Undertakings) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 131/2003) — automatic on asset deals; cleaning contracts are a classic Süzen-line “service-provision change” trigger. SOSR redundancy risk priced by acquirers.
- OGP framework re-novation — change-of-control notification to OGP and to each contracting authority under the framework call-off terms; OGP standard novation deed typically takes 30–60 days.
- PSA (Private Security Authority) — only relevant if the cleaning business operates any door supervision or security-adjacent guarding service; PSA licence transfer (see security-integration section) is gating in that case.
- [UNCONFIRMED 2026-06-19] CIRI (Construction Industry Register Ireland) registration — relevant only where the cleaning business does ancillary builder’s clean / post-construction cleaning regulated under the 2022 Building Control regime.
1.5 Tax arbitrage structuring
The most-relevant lever is Section 626B TCA 1997 (Substantial Shareholdings Exemption / Participation Exemption) for Irish corporate sellers exiting via a HoldCo. A 5%+ holding held continuously for at least 12 months in the prior 3-year period in a trading subsidiary resident in an EU/treaty jurisdiction qualifies the disposal for 0% Irish corporation tax. This is materially relied on for founder roll-ups where a Newco holds the trading cleaning subsidiary. The Finance Act 2024 foreign-dividend participation exemption (effective from 1 January 2025) further extends the regime to qualifying EEA/treaty dividends. For founders disposing personally, CGT Entrepreneur Relief caps lifetime gains at EUR 1m taxed at 10% (vs. 33% standard CGT) — typically used in stacked-up Irish private deals below EUR 6–8m enterprise value.
1.6 Recent 2024–2026 dated Ireland transactions
- 16 July 2024 — Bidvest Noonan acquires Nexgen Group (Ireland and UK FM/security add-on) — undisclosed value (Source: PitchBook / professionalsecurity.co.uk).
- February 2024 — Atalian Servest UK & Ireland completes merger into OCS Group under CD&R sponsorship (Singapore Atalian sale to CD&R closed Q1 2024) (Source: asiabiztoday.com, ocs.com, twinfm.com).
- 4 August 2025 — Mitie Group plc completes GBP 366m acquisition of Marlowe plc at 11.2x FY25 adj. EBITDA; Marlowe’s Fire Safety, Security, Water & Air Hygiene businesses serve Ireland and UK (Source: FMJ, Facilitate Magazine, Linklaters deal note).
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How CT Acquisitions runs Ireland commercial cleaning sale mandates
CT Acquisitions is a US sell-side advisor with active cross-border M&A deal flow into Ireland. Our practice connects Ireland owners to: (a) the named Ireland PE platforms documented above with active deal posture in your size band and sub-vertical; (b) cross-border US strategic acquirers running an international rollup thesis in your vertical; (c) UK / European PE platforms (Apax, Cinven, EQT, Bridgepoint, Hg, Inflexion, CVC, Permira, BC Partners, Hellman & Friedman, Carlyle, KKR, etc.) running cross-border platforms. The introductory conversation is confidential, NDA-protected, and walks through the band-specific buyer pool, the regulator-transfer timeline at Revenue Commissioners, and the tax-arbitrage structuring that determines your net-of-tax proceeds.
Frequently asked questions: selling Ireland commercial cleaning businesses in 2026
What multiple should I expect for my Ireland commercial cleaning business in 2026?
Multiples band, premium drivers, and discount drivers are set out in the named-buyer + multiples sections above. The headline answer: most owner-operator sub-€2M EBITDA businesses trade 3-5x SDE; mid-market €2-5M EBITDA businesses trade 4-7x EBITDA; platform-candidate €5-15M EBITDA businesses trade 6-9x; add-ons to a PE platform or public strategic trade 7-11x; and €50M+ EBITDA strategic transactions reach 9-14x depending on sub-vertical and recurring-revenue mix. The actual band for your business depends on the premium/discount drivers documented in the multiples section above.
Which PE platforms and strategic acquirers are actively acquiring Ireland commercial cleaning businesses in 2026?
The named-buyers section above lists the 3-5 most-active acquirers in Ireland for commercial cleaning as of mid-2026, with ownership, HQ, recent acquisitions, and approximate revenue band documented per buyer. The Ireland buyer pool typically includes (a) Ireland-domiciled PE platforms; (b) cross-border US or UK strategics running international rollup theses; (c) listed-company strategics on Euronext Dublin (ISE); and (d) the global PE platforms (Apax, Cinven, EQT, Bridgepoint, etc.) running cross-border platforms.
How does the Revenue Commissioners regulator-transfer procedure affect my sale timeline?
The regulator-transfer procedure section above documents the specific consents, novations, or new-entity applications required for a Ireland commercial cleaning sale. Typical timeline is 60-180 days for most industry licences; some specialised regulators (financial-services AFSL transfers, healthcare CQC/HIQA/HSE notifications, environmental EPA permits) can run 6-12 months. Pre-sale engagement with the regulator 12-18 months before LOI removes most timing risk and is the highest-ROI pre-sale workstream.
What tax-arbitrage structuring is available to Ireland commercial cleaning sellers in 2026?
The tax-arbitrage structuring section above documents the Ireland-specific levers available. For most owner-operators with 15+ year holds, the jurisdiction-specific tax relief framework can reduce effective CGT on a multi-million sale to a small fraction of headline gain. The specific arbitrage depends on: (a) ownership tenure (15+ year holds unlock the most powerful exemptions); (b) seller age (some reliefs are age-gated at 55+); (c) entity structure (share sale vs asset sale, individual vs corporate seller, holdco vs trading-company structure); (d) post-completion plans (rollover into replacement asset; super contribution; retirement). Pre-sale tax-structuring engagement with a Ireland-domiciled adviser is the single highest-ROI pre-sale workstream after regulator-transfer planning.
What recent 2024-2026 dated comparable transactions in Ireland commercial cleaning should I know about?
The recent-transactions section above lists the 1-3 most-relevant dated comparable transactions in Ireland commercial cleaning from 2024-2026 with named buyer, named target, approximate consideration where disclosed, and source citations. These transactions anchor the multiples band that buyers will reference when underwriting your sale and are the single most-cited piece of evidence in any sell-side IM.
Does CT Acquisitions advise on cross-border M&A from Ireland?
Yes — CT Acquisitions is a US sell-side advisor with active cross-border deal flow into Ireland. The introductory conversation maps your trailing-12-month revenue and EBITDA in € EUR to the band-specific buyer pool, identifies the 18-24 month pre-sale workstream priorities specific to Ireland commercial cleaning, walks through the named buyers actively acquiring in Ireland at your size band, and pre-positions the tax-arbitrage outcome that determines your net-of-tax proceeds.