B2B Lead Researcher needed for M&A / Private Equity Deal Sourcing

Job Title Acquisition Research Specialist (UK SMEs) About Us Fernraven Holdings Ltd is a UK acquisition vehicle focused on identifying and acquiring established, high-quality privately owned businesses for long-term ownership. Our current focus is on UK businesses operating within Fire Safety, Electrical Compliance, HVAC, Facilities Maintenance, and other recurring B2B compliance service sectors. Our objective is to build a proprietary database of acquisition opportunities rather than purchasing generic lead lists. The Role We are seeking an experienced B2B Research Specialist to help identify companies that match our acquisition criteria. This is not a simple data-entry project. We are looking for someone with excellent research skills who can identify high-quality businesses using public sources, verify information carefully, and present findings in a structured format. The successful freelancer will become a long-term research partner as our acquisition pipeline expands. Initial Test Project The engagement will begin with a paid test task consisting of 5 carefully researched UK companies that match our criteria. Successful completion of this project will lead to ongoing research assignments. Responsibilities Your responsibilities will include: Researching UK businesses within our target sectors. Identifying companies that match our investment criteria, including: Sector Business maturity Geographic location Management structure Indicators of stable, recurring commercial activity Verifying decision-maker information. Producing accurate, well-organised research suitable for import into our CRM/database. Deliverables For each company identified, please provide: Company Name Company Website Industry / Business Description Company Location Managing Director, Owner or Founder Professional Email Address (where publicly available) Telephone Number LinkedIn Profile (company and decision-maker if available) Companies House Link A brief 2–3 sentence explanation describing why the company appears to match our acquisition criteria. Accuracy is significantly more important than quantity. Ideal Experience We are looking for freelancers with experience in one or more of the following: B2B Lead Research Market Research M&A Research Business Acquisition Research Corporate Finance Research Investment Research CRM Database Building Experience researching UK SMEs is highly desirable. How to Apply Please include the following in your proposal: A brief summary of your experience with B2B lead generation or acquisition research. One example of a research project where you had to locate difficult or non-obvious business information. The research tools you typically use (for example Companies House, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Apollo, Clay, Google, industry directories, etc.). Screening Question Have you previously completed research projects involving UK business acquisitions, corporate finance, investment research, or B2B lead generation? Please briefly describe one example. Important Note This is a quality-first engagement. We are looking for a reliable long-term research partner rather than the lowest-cost provider. Strong performance on the initial paid test task will lead to ongoing work as we continue expanding our acquisition pipeline.