Stevens & Bolton has advised the management team of BIMM Institute, Europe’s leading provider of contemporary music, film and performing arts education, on its sale to funds managed by ICG plc. This follows the realisation of investment by Sovereign Capital Partners, following its highly successful ten-year partnership with BIMM.
Over the past decade BIMM Institute has grown, through strategic acquisitions and diversification, from having two colleges in Brighton and Bristol, to having 12 colleges across Europe with over 8,200 students. BIMM Institute opens the doors to the music industry, providing students with the highest quality of academic education alongside hands-on industry experience. It also has some notable alumni including Ella Mai, George Ezra, Mercy Sotire and James Bay.
ICG is focused on providing capital to help companies grow through public and private markets. Their investment and support will enable BIMM Institute to continue to deliver a high-quality educational offering, providing a platform for students to turn their passions into a career in the creative industries.
Adam Carswell, Chief Executive of BIMM Institute said: “This has been an incredible journey with Sovereign. Everyone at BIMM has always been passionate about bringing a high-quality education offering to students who want to learn the skills that are most relevant to provide them with the best possible chance of a successful career in the creative industries, following their dreams and career ambitions. The attractiveness of our offering to students has been constant and with Sovereign’s continued investment and strategic support, we have been able to achieve more than we had ever envisaged. It’s been an amazing 10 years for BIMM and I have been privileged to work with our incredibly talented lecturers, our staff and my board colleagues, as well as the team at Sovereign. I very much look forward to leading BIMM’s continued success and growth."
Keith Syson, Corporate Partner at Stevens & Bolton commented: “Having worked with Adam and his team for many years, it was a pleasure to work with them again to assist in bringing this competitive process, which spanned two periods of lockdown, to a successful completion. We wish the team every success in the next chapter of BIMM and look forward to supporting them in continuing to develop and grow their business and educational offering in the future.”
The Stevens & Bolton team was led by Keith Syson, supported by James French and Katherine Shaw (corporate), and Shaun Hogan (employment).
Keith Syson