{{Short description|British publishing company}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox company | name = Merit Group plc | former_name = Huveaux plc and Dods Group plc | type = [[Public limited company]] | traded_as = {{AIM|MRIT}} | area_served = {{ubl|United Kingdom|Germany|France{{cn|date=June 2021}}}} | key_people = {{ubl|Munira Ibrahim, {{small|MD, Dods Intelligence}}{{r|ch2}}|{{nobreak|Cornelius Conlon, {{small|MD, Merit Data and Technology}}{{r|ch2}}}}}} | industry = [[Publishing]] | brands = Dods | services = | revenue = {{Decrease}} [[United Kingdom pound|UK£]] 24.7 million | revenue_year = to 31 March 2021 | owner = [[Michael Ashcroft|Lord Michael Ashcroft]] (42%) | num_employees = {{Increase}} 1,158 | num_employees_year = 2021 | location = [[The Shard]], London {{postcode|SE|1}} | founded = 2001 | website = {{url|meritgroupplc.com}} }}
'''Merit Group plc''' is a British publishing [[holding company]] founded in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web|title=MERIT GROUP PLC overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK|url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04267888|access-date=26 December 2021|website=find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk|language=en}}</ref> Its largest shareholder is the Conservative politician and businessman [[Michael Ashcroft|Lord Ashcroft]]. It was formerly known as '''Huveaux''' plc (from 2001 to 2010) and then as '''Dods Group''' plc (2010–2021).{{r|ch}}
Its ordinary shares are listed on the [[Alternative Investment Market]] of the [[London Stock Exchange]].{{r|lse}}
== Subsidiaries ==
A subsidiary, Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd, publishes ''[[The House Magazine]]'', a fortnightly publication for peers and MPs in Westminster; the annual ''[[Dod's Parliamentary Companion]]''; and ''[[The Parliament Magazine]]'', aimed at [[Members of the European Parliament]].{{cn|date=June 2021}} Publication of ''Dods Parliamentary Companion'' began in 1832.{{r|ms}}
In 2011, the company bought the ''PoliticsHome'' website from Lord Ashcroft for £2m. PoliticsHome had been founded in 2008 as a sister site to [[ConservativeHome]] and was then edited by [[Paul Waugh (journalist)|Paul Waugh]].{{r|mw}}
In 2012, it bought Biteback Media Ltd, publisher of ''[[Total Politics]]'', for £795,000 in cash, and Holyrood Communications, publisher of ''[[Holyrood (magazine)|Holyrood]]'', for £416,806 cash plus a further £250,000 if profit targets are met.{{r|tbd}}
As of March 2022, ''Politics Home'' and ''The House Magazine'' had a combined one million monthly readers online.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Silvera |first=Ian |title=PoliticsHome ties digital offering together with podcast push |url=https://www.news-future.com/p/politicshome-ties-digital-offering |access-date=20 March 2022 |website=www.news-future.com}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=ch>[https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04267888 Merit Group plc: Company number 04267888]. Companies House. Accessed June 2021.</ref>
<ref name=ch2>[https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04267888/officers Merit Group plc: Company number 04267888: Officers]. Companies House - officers. Accessed June 2021.</ref>
<ref name=lse>[https://www.londonstockexchange.com/stock/MRIT/merit-group-plc/company-page Merit Group plc]. London Stock Exchange. Accessed June 2021.</ref>
<ref name=ms>Michael Stenton (editor). (1976). ''Who's who of British Members of Parliament: a biographical dictionary of the House of Commons based on annual volumes of 'Dod's Parliamentary Companion' and other sources'', volume 1: 1832-1885. Hassocks: Harvester Press. {{isbn|9780855272197}}.</ref>
<ref name=mw>{{cite web|title=Ashcroft cashes in on PoliticsHome|url=http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/article/1078064/ashcroft-cashes-politicshome|website=Media Week|accessdate=8 October 2015|date=1 July 2011}}</ref>
<ref name=tbd>{{cite web|title=Dods buys Biteback Media, Holyrood Comms for total £1.46m|url=http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/yorkshire/dods-buys-biteback-media-holyrood-comms-for-total-1.46m.html|website=Business Desk|accessdate=8 October 2015|date=17 December 2012}}</ref>
}}
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[[Category:Companies based in the City of Westminster]] [[Category:Magazine publishing companies of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Companies listed on the Alternative Investment Market]] [[Category:2001 initial public offerings]]