Final Results

10th March 2015

Embargoed until 7.00 a.m.

InterQuest Group plc

("InterQuest" or "Group")

The InterQuest Group is a specialist recruitment business operating in high growth areas in the 'new digital economy' and today releases audited results for the year ended 31 December 2014.

Financial highlights

· Adjusted EBITA* up 96% to £4.9m (2013: £2.5m)

· Adjusted PBT* up 96% to £4.5m (2013: £2.3m)

· Statutory profit after tax up 130% to £2.3m (2013:£1.0m)

· Net fee income (NFI) up 33% to £23.2m (2013: £17.4m)

· Revenue up 31% to £150.7m (2013: £114.9m)

· Diluted adjusted earnings per share up 84% to 9.0 pence (2013: 4.9 pence)

· Net cash generated from operating activities £5.4m (2013: £1.3m)

· Net debt at year end of £8.3m (2013: £9.0m)

· Second interim dividend of 2 pence per share**

Improved margins & ratios

· Gross margin % improved by 30-bps from 15.1% to 15.4%

· Net operating margin (adjusted EBITA/NFI) improved by 670-bps from 14.4% to 21.1%

· Continued improvement in contract recruitment gross margins (up 10 basis points to 12.6%)

Operational highlights

· ECOM (acquired in 2013) performed ahead of expectations following successful integration

· Organic growth and improved profitability across the Group as the results of the strategy implemented at the beginning of 2013 continue to be seen

· Launched IQ InfoSec to provide specialist recruitment services to this fast growing market

· Permanent recruitment fees up 35% at £7.3m (2013: £5.4m); contract recruitment fees up 33% at £16.0m (2013: £12.0m)

· The Group continues to strengthen its business mix and market position in important niche segments servicing the growing demand for skills in the new digital economy

Mark Braund, CEO of InterQuest said:

"We are delighted with the results and progress made during 2014, which clearly demonstrate the benefits of our decision to focus on specialist recruitment services that provide some of the market's most in-demand skill sets.

"ECOM, the UK's leading digital technology recruitment company, which we acquired in November 2013, has made an outstanding contribution to InterQuest and our programme of cross-selling digital skills to the Group's existing customer base has enhanced its contribution.

"InterQuest is now strategically placed to be a market leader in permanent and contract recruitment across specialist areas that are growing fast and will keep growing. These include information security, data analytics, telecommunications, change management and digital skills. In each of these areas we operate as a distinct niche recruitment practice, all of which are fully integrated under the IQ brand and operate to the same high standards.

"InterQuest is seen as an efficient, reliable and sometimes only source of talent for organisations that rely on analytics and digital technologies and our strategy of focusing on these specialist disciplines underpins our success, which we believe will deliver further growth during 2015.

"Above all, our results, market position and success are made possible by the tremendous people that make up the InterQuest Group; to them, on behalf of the Board we say a heartfelt 'thank you'".

For further information please contact:

The InterQuest business model

The InterQuest Group is a specialist recruitment business. The Group works across permanent and contract recruitment in markets that are growing fast and will keep growing, including information security, data analytics, telecommunications, change management and digital skills. In each of these areas the Group operates as a distinct niche recruitment practice, integrated under the strong IQ brand.

The strategy is to provide an efficient and reliable source of talent to organisations that rely on analytics and digital technologies in the new digital economy. We develop networks of candidates in high-demand, high-growth markets - this is a valuable asset as there is a clear shortage of skilled staff in the areas in which InterQuest works and companies trust and rely on the Group to help them fill important roles. As a result, the Group's interests are aligned with customers where quality and speed of access are much more valued than quantity. InterQuest is therefore operating in recruitment markets where our services derive higher than industry average margins.

The acquisition by the Group of ECOM Recruitment Limited (ECOM), the UK's leading digital technology recruitment company, in 2013 has helped accelerate penetration of this rapidly expanding market.

Review of the business in 2014

The Group has delivered an excellent set of financial results in 2014 building on the foundations put in place over the last three years. ECOM has made an outstanding contribution and enhanced the opportunity for cross-selling throughout the Group.

Greater efficiency and improved profitability

InterQuest is pleased to report a significant increase in profitability in this reporting period.

Ø Adjusted EBITA* increased by 96% to £4.9m (2013: £2.5m)

Ø Adjusted PBT* increased by 96% to £4.5m (2013: £2.3m)

Ø Net operating margin (adjusted EBITA/NFI) improved from 14.4% to 21.1%

Ø Statutory profit before tax increased from £1.4m in 2013 to £2.9m in 2014

Operational mix remains weighted towards contract recruitment

InterQuest has seen strong performance in both the contract and permanent recruitment businesses in 2014. As a result, the operational mix between the two activities has remained fairly constant at one third permanent recruitment, two thirds contract recruitment. This is a robust and resilient business mix.

Move to higher margins

The Group continues to see the quality and profile of the business improve as a result of the focus on specialist brands that fill some of the most difficult roles with the best candidates available in the market.

As a result of this strategy:

Ø the average margin derived from contract recruitment activities (excluding payroll services) has increased to 12.6% in 2014 from 12.5% in 2013 and 11.5% in 2012;

Ø the percentage contract NFI derived from what we term "professional" roles (those with a gross margin greater than 12%) has increased from 59% in 2013 to 64% in 2014.

Our markets

The labour market is experiencing a disruptive shift from process driven tasks to technical and creative specialisms. The focus of InterQuest benefits from this shift and the growth of the markets that we operate in is evidenced by the fact that:

· Demand for Data Scientists in the UK has increased by over 1,000% in the last 2 years;

· Employment growth in relation to the 'Internet of Things' (IoT) is expected to be 30% per year;

· Analysis from Gartner shows that two thirds of firms are either already investing in big data or will shortly start investing;

· As banks look to offer digital solutions to compete with the likes of PayPal, Google and peer-to-peer lenders, there is increasing demand for specialist talent across the telecommunications, digital and information security sectors;

· Demand for marketing talent will increase the focus on technical skills in web analytics and specialists in specific software & dashboard solutions.

An improving customer experience

We continue to reshape the organisation to ensure each part adds value to candidates and customers. Stronger account management and expert delivery teams have ensured that InterQuest provides recruitment services with greater efficiency and effectiveness, coupled with enhanced customer retention and profitability.

The unified branding of the IQ family of specialist businesses is gaining recognition in the market as a trusted source of specialist knowledge for both candidates and customers.

Increased and improved training programmes for staff at all levels of the organisation continues to underpin our ethos of striving to offer the best experience possible to customers, candidates and InterQuest colleagues.

Prospects and outlook

During 2014, the board undertook a strategic review of the Group's options to maximise value for shareholders. Whilst constructive discussions with interested parties were held, the board did not believe that a sale would achieve maximum value for shareholders. The results for 2014 reflect the strength of the business and its position in the market provides the Group with significant further growth opportunities. The Board's confidence in the Group's prospects is reflected in the start to the current year. Early trading in 2015 has been in line with management's expectations and the benefits of a bigger contractor book are being seen. Whilst the Board is mindful of the economic backdrop, it continues to believe that the Group has a great platform to deliver continued growth.

Our business model places InterQuest firmly at the heart of specialist recruitment in the UK. The Group is well positioned to continue to capitalise on improving market conditions and our focus on developing networks of talented candidates in competitive areas means we provide an increasingly attractive proposition for organisations looking to recruit their 'most difficult to fill' vacancies.

The way InterQuest operates

Firms seeking to fill a specialist role rarely find that their ideal candidate is out of work; rather, the person they wish to hire is often an experienced professional who may not even be looking for a new job, (referred to as a passive candidate). Recruiting these professionals requires us to develop a relationship built on trust and knowledge; trust that we work in their best interests and knowledge of the workplace challenges they want and the employers who are best likely to provide them.

InterQuest undertakes significant research to ensure we that know who the right people are in our markets, both candidates and employers. This is a continuous and long-term investment. It is this continued focus on developing access to talent in specialist markets that drives growth and improvements in profitability.

The service that InterQuest delivers is appreciated by candidates with over 90% rating the service received as Good or Excellent.

Contract recruitment

Contract recruitment is divided into 'specialist' and 'generic' markets. InterQuest's strategy is to focus on specialist markets, which gives us greater resilience and quality of earnings. Furthermore, this focus has allowed the Group to change the mix of the contract business and supported the continuous improvement in margins.

The 'generic' market is a shrinking part of the InterQuest business - it is maturing rapidly and experiencing margin erosion as large service providers compete more often than not on price - but we retain an interest in it through an efficient and effective recruitment centre model. This centre is UK-based and manned by professional and skilled recruiters who are able to connect employers with candidates across a broader range of skills than can be covered by the specialist businesses. As market conditions improve, demand for high quality candidates across a number of more generic roles will increase and our focus on providing customers with a trusted source of quality talent across a broad range of technical, analytical and change management requirements will continue to benefit the Group.

Permanent recruitment

The permanent recruitment market is becoming more refined as employers seek to leverage low cost sourcing models, including further development of their own direct sourcing capability. As a result, the recruitment industry's share of this market is under pressure; however, InterQuest's strategy of specialism and developing unique networks of passive candidates places the Group in a position of strength. We target critical roles that are difficult to fill and thereby have strengthened the value proposition in this market.

The increasing importance of Social Media

One of the ways in which InterQuest operates differently from other recruitment firms is through extensive use of social and digital media. This is an important communication method used by those working in the new digital economy. It has changed the way the Group interacts with candidates, accelerating InterQuest's ability to reach and connect with the right talent. We not only connect, we invest in content to participate and drive thought-leadership within each segment. This investment has significantly improved IQ brand recognition, increased awareness of the value the Group brings to market and thereby makes it easier to engage with influential candidates and employers.

As a result InterQuest has seen sustained, rapid growth in website traffic, reach and exposure with average monthly traffic (unique visitors to the website) increasing from 3,360 in 2013 to 7,060 in 2014 and to 17,000 at the start of 2015.

Alongside the main InterQuest website we find Twitter and LinkedIn to be the most effective social media platforms and currently:

· InterQuest Group, the CEO Mark Braund and each of the specialist recruitment practices operate Twitter accounts have c.8,000 followers, growing 38% in the last three months

· The InterQuest Group Twitter account ranks in the top 10% of all Twitter accounts in terms of density of senior managers

· The Group's LinkedIn page has almost 20,000 followers, growing 15% in the last three months

Overall, InterQuest Group has a Klout* social influence score of 55, up from 42 at the beginning of 2014, placing us as one of the top social media users in the UK recruitment industry.

Future objectives

As our strategy continues to gain momentum we see new markets emerging into which investment will maintain growth and further improve margins. As the Group develops, there is an increased opportunity for our customers to make use of each of the specialist recruitment practices through a single account management structure. InterQuest is already delivering material improvement in customer retention and cross-selling performance, which in turn increases average customer spend and share of wallet.

The Group recognises that today's niche skill sets will ultimately become commoditised as more people respond to demand, develop these skills and enter the job market. To address this we have put in place a business model that enables us to move the servicing of specific skill sets though the various stages of demand to what becomes, in relative terms, a low-cost operating model, thereby ensuring InterQuest gains benefit from the talent network on a sustainable long-term basis.

Key Performance Indicators

The Directors use a range of performance indicators to measure the delivery of the Group's strategic objectives. The most important of these are considered Key Performance Indicators ("KPI's") and their targets are determined annually. The KPI's are set out below:

Net fee income increased by £5.8m, or 33.3%, to £23.2m (2013: £17.4m).

Net fee income (gross margin) percentage increased from 15.1% to 15.4% reflecting continued gains in contractor recruitment % margin as a result of the strategy of focusing on specialist and difficult to fill roles which command higher margins.

The split of NFI between contract and permanent recruitment activities remained at around 69:31 in favour of contract (see note 1).

Contract recruitment gross margin % improved 10 basis points to 12.6% from 12.5% in 2013 and from 11.5% in 2012 (stripping out PayQuest umbrella service transactions and 'payroll' deals that we process at low margin because we are providing no recruitment services).

EBITA before non-recurring items and IFRS 2 share charge (reconciliation provided in note 1) increased by 96% to £4.9m (2013: £2.5m).

Net finance costs were £0.41m (2013: £0.25m).

Profit before tax increased to £2.9m (2013: £1.4m).

Tax on profits was £0.7m before non-recurring items (2013: £0.5m); a detailed analysis is included at note 3.

Non-recurring items

In 2014 the Group incurred non-recurring costs in four areas:

i) £132k with respect to the integration of newly acquired ECOM's back office systems and staff;

ii) £127k with respect to the relocation of the Group's finance functions from London to Berkhamsted including the cost of temporary workers and retention bonuses for key staff;

iii) £99k of fees and expenses associated with the formal sale process in the second half of 2014; and

iv) £50k of costs and fees related to the acquisition of ECOM Recruitment Limited in November 2013.

See note 2 for further details.

Earnings per share and dividend

Basic earnings per share were 5.9 pence (2013: 2.9 pence per share). When non-recurring items, the IFRS 2 share-based payment charge, amortisation of intangibles and the tax in respect of these items are removed, the basic adjusted earnings per share is 9.6 pence representing an increase of 88% from 5.1 pence in 2013. See note 5 for details of the calculation.

We are declaring an interim dividend of 2.0 pence in line with The Group's dividend policy and this will be paid on 15 May 2015 to shareholders on the register on 17 April 2015. The ex-dividend date is 16 April 2015.

Balance sheet, cash flow and financing

The Group's net assets increased by £2.39m to £22.77m at 31 December 2014 (2013: £20.38m).

Strong growth in operating profit before non-recurring items and tight control of working capital delivered £5.4m of operating cash flow (2013: £1.3m). The Group paid £0.41m (2013: £0.25m) of interest during the year. Net capital expenditure was £0.47m (2013: £0.32m) and dividends of £0.86m (2013: £0.85m) were paid.

Net debt decreased from £9.0m at the start of the year to £8.3m at the end of 2014 (2013: increased from £4.4m at the start of the year to £9.0m at the end of the year). The Group continues to finance its activities through the utilisation of a confidential trade receivables finance facility. The facility limit is £20.0m and the facility has a six month rolling notice period. The Group cannot utilise invoices if they remain unpaid 90 days from the end of the month in which they were issued.

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income

For the year ended 31 December 2014

Statement of Total Recognised Gains and Losses

For the year ended 31 December 2014

Profit per share from both total and continuing operations:

All results for the Group are derived from continuing operations in both the current and prior year.

Consolidated balance sheet

As at 31 December 2014

The financial statements of InterQuest Group plc, registered number 04298109 were approved by the Board of Directors on 9th March 2015.

Signed on behalf of the Board of Directors

M R S Joyce

Director

Consolidated statement of changes in equity

For the year ended 31 December 2014

Consolidated cash flow statement

For the year ended 31 December 2014

Notes to the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2014

1. Revenue and segmental reporting

For management reporting purposes the Group is organised into the following six divisions:

1. Niche - comprising specialist recruitment practices focused on Analytics, Business Intelligence, Cyber Security, Internet of Things, Telecommunications, Risk and Compliance which provide access to talent in some of the most critical areas of demand in the modern economy;

2. ECOM Recruitment Limited - the UK's leading recruiter in the digital market space which the Group acquired in November 2013;

3. Enterprise - comprising legacy customer relationships with significant customers in the financial services and retail sectors;

4. Public sector;

5. Mint Recruitment Solutions - a candidate centric "spot" business providing the Group with an alternative route to market; and

6. Other - including central costs.

All business units provide contract and permanent recruitment services and have similar economic characteristics and are considered to meet the aggregation criteria of IFRS.

Information regarding segment assets is not provided to the Group's chief operating decision maker. This is because the Group considers net fee income (gross profit) and profitability for the purpose of making decisions about allocation of resources.

Reconciling items to amounts reported in the statement of comprehensive income:

1. Revenue and segmental reporting (continued)

Reconciling items to amounts reported in the statement of comprehensive income:

1 ECOM Recruitment Limited was acquired on 26 November 2013.

The Group does not report items below EBITA by segment in its internal management reporting.

There are no external customers who individually represent more than 10% of the entity's external revenues during the year (2013: no customer represented more than 10%).

2. Non-recurring items

In 2014 the Group incurred non-recurring costs in four areas:

i) £132k with respect to the integration of newly acquired ECOM's back office systems and staff;

ii) £127k with respect to the relocation of the Group's finance function from London to Berkhamsted including the cost of temporary workers and retention bonuses for key staff;

iii) £99k of fees and expenses associated with the formal sale process in the second half of 2014; and

iv) £50k of costs and fees related to the acquisition of ECOM Recruitment Limited in November 2013.

3. Income tax expense

Finance Act 2014 reduced the main rate of UK corporation tax to 21.0% effective from 1 April 2014 and 20.0% effective from 1 April 2015. These changes have been substantively enacted at the balance sheet date and are therefore reflected in these financial statements.

4. Cash and cash equivalents

The carrying value of cash and cash equivalents is considered to be a reasonable approximation of fair value.

5. Earnings per share

The calculation of the basic earnings per share is based on the earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders divided by the weighted average number of shares in issue during the year.

The calculation of diluted earnings per share is based on the basic earnings per share, adjusted to allow for the issue of shares and the post-tax effect of dividends and/or interest, on the assumed conversion of all dilutive options and other dilutive potential ordinary shares.

Reconciliations of the earnings and weighted average number of shares used in the calculations are set out below.

6. Financial information - statement under s435

The financial information set out in this preliminary announcement does not constitute statutory accounts for the years ended 31 December 2014 or 2013, for the purpose of the Companies Act 2006, but is derived from those accounts. The statutory accounts for 2013 have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies and those for 2014 will be delivered following the Company's Annual General Meeting. The Group's Auditor has reported on those accounts; their reports were unqualified, did not draw attention to any matters by way of emphasis without qualifying their report and did not contain statements under Section 498(2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2006.