NatWest Group has confirmed the divestment of its consultancy division Mentor to Empowering People Group, a business backed by Limerston Capital. The seller and buyer have outlined the core elements of the transaction and their intended relationship after completion.
Mentor specialises in advising businesses on employment law, human resources, health and safety, and environmental management. Under the terms disclosed, the transaction is scheduled to conclude in the third quarter or in the early part of the fourth quarter of 2026.
Following completion, NatWest will not fully retain Mentor as an in-house unit but will maintain a channel for clients to access Mentor’s services through a referral agreement. The bank said there remains ongoing demand for specialist HR support within its Commercial Mid-Market and Business Banking operations, and the referral arrangement will preserve client access to those advisory offerings.
Empowering People Group, which operates offices across the UK, provides HR and health and safety support and holds expertise in SRA-regulated employment law. The buyer stated that adding Mentor to its business will reinforce its commitment to delivering HR solutions and create further opportunities for companies looking for people-focused support.
The announcement highlights a transaction structured so that the consultancy business will move to an operator focused on HR and legal employment services, while NatWest continues to facilitate client connections to that expertise via referrals. Details of the financial terms of the sale were not provided in the information released.
Both parties framed the deal as one that aligns Mentor’s advisory capabilities with a specialist operator and maintains continuity of access for the bank’s commercial customers. The timing for completion remains an expected window of Q3 or early Q4 2026, subject to customary closing steps.
Summary
NatWest is selling Mentor, its consultancy arm offering employment law, HR, health and safety and environmental management services, to Empowering People Group, backed by Limerston Capital. The deal is expected to close in Q3 or early Q4 2026, and NatWest will continue to refer clients to Mentor post-sale. Empowering People Group says the acquisition strengthens its HR and employment law offering across its UK operations.