Learning services specialist QA-IQ, backed by heavyweight Englefield Capital, is offering £8.7 million for IT trainer Xpertise Group.

Slough-headquartered QA-IQ is offering 150p a share cash, which is nearly double yesterday’s price of AIM-quoted Xpertise, and says shareholders representing 46 per cent of Xpertise support its offer. The bid is conditional upon Xpertise abandoning its present £4.8 million takeover of another concern, Parity Training, and the £2.28 million placing at 70p which was to fund part of it.

Xpertise, advised by Daniel Stewart, has advised its shareholders to take no action, while chairman Richard Last, managing director Ian Johnson and the board consider a response. Shares in the company, floated nine years ago at 25p, have soared 66.5p this morning to 143.5p.

Private equity group Englefield, headed by ex-Warburg Pincus investment luminary Dominic Shorthouse and with an advisory board including ex-Defence Secretary Lord Robertson, broadcaster Sir David Frost and a member of the Brenninkmeijer Dutchy retail dynasty, has £150 billion at its disposal. Englefield holds 65 per cent of QA-IQ, which is run by Christian Martin, former head of the Azlan computer networking group, and he and management colleagues hold the rest.

Altrincham-based Xpertise, which doubled pre-tax profits last year to £646,000 on a 40 per cent turnover gain, increased revenues 11 per cent in the first half of 2008. Hold on for now.

Xpertise Group	AIM	0pm	p	p
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Private equity backs Xpertise bidder			22/08/2008
Trading cheer from Xpertise			02/07/2008
Xpertise doubles profits			28/02/2008
New contracts lift Xpertise			14/08/2007
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