CMA Opens Pre-Notification on OCS Group's Anticipated Acquisition of Mitie Group plc
The Competition and Markets Authority opened a pre-notification process on 15 September 2026 for the anticipated acquisition by OCS Group International Limited of Mitie Group plc, classifying the case under distribution and service industries. The CMA confirmed it has received the necessary information from the parties to commence pre-notification. An invitation to comment is open from 15 to 29 September 2026, inviting any interested party to submit initial views on the transaction's impact on competition in the UK. The CMA has not yet formally launched its phase 1 investigation; that step, and the phase 1 decision deadline, remain to be confirmed. Written representations on competition issues must be submitted to ocs.mitie@cma.gov.uk by 29 September 2026.
Why this matters
The CMA's decision to open pre-notification signals that the merger has reached a scale or sector sensitivity that warrants regulatory scrutiny before a formal filing. The invitation-to-comment window is brief, just 14 days, compressing the timeline for third parties to engage. Until phase 1 is formally launched, deal certainty remains limited and the statutory timetable clock has not yet started. The case is categorised under distribution and service industries, signalling the sector the CMA considers potentially affected.
On the Ground
This deal activates merger control and competition law practices immediately: lawyers on both sides will be co-ordinating the phase 1 notification and preparing substantive competition submissions. Third-party competitors, customers and trade bodies face a tight 29 September deadline to file representations. A trainee would be tasked with drafting a third-party submission template, collating market-share data for the relevant sector, and monitoring the CMA case page for the formal phase 1 launch notice.
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