Close Brothers Corporate Finance has secured the mandate to advise Peterhouse, the UK support services group, on acquisitions in a sector which advisers say is ripe for consoldiation.

The company has a market capitalisation of about £147m (€232m), which fits in with Close Brothers Corporate Finance's strategy of targeting middle market companies. Close Brothers has never advised Peterhouse before, but Peter Alcaraz, a managing director and head of support services at Close Brothers Corporate Finance, has known David Jackson, executive chairman of Peterhouse, for about five years.