June 2022
Firebrand Training
Adviser to Firebrand Training on their sale to BPP Education Group
£undisclosed
Grant Thornton team
Skills and training
Sell side
Corporate finance
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Netherlands
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We are delighted to have advised Firebrand Training on their sale to BPP Education Group.

Firebrand Training (Firebrand) is a leading provider of professional training and apprenticeship programmes in IT and digital skills.

Founded in 2001, the business has a track record of delivering high-quality training and industry recognised certifications, underpinned by its differentiated accelerated learning approach.

Firebrand’s courses are delivered by industry-experienced professionals within an innovative learning environment, delivered through a hybrid remote model with established locations across the UK and mainland Europe.

We worked closely with the shareholders over a two-year period, helping to navigate the immediate challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic before helping best position the business to deliver the next stage of its growth plan. 

We provided a joined-up approach to preparing the business for sale, developing a robust forecast model, closely monitoring latest trading performance across key metrics, and utilising our substantial sector knowledge in order to best position the business, highlighting its key value drivers. 

We were able to successfully partner Firebrand with BPP Education Group, a global leader in professional and vocational education. The partnership will provide highly strategic opportunities for both entities, while helping to accelerate management’s international and national growth strategy. 

We worked collaboratively with all parties through to completion, successfully executing a transformative and value enhancing deal, with all members of the management team continuing with the business to deliver the next stage of its expansion plan.

Testimonial
Working with Grant Thornton has been one of the best experiences I have had in over thirty years of working with external professional services companies. From the day they presented their proposition to completion the team have been nothing but highly professional, ethical, extremely hard working and have gone above and beyond what we expected. Their support through Covid helped Firebrand get through difficult times. During two years of working together they consistently delivered results with a friendly disposition. I honestly couldn’t recommend them highly enough.
Stefano Capaldo Group Managing Director, Firebrand Training
My experience of professional services firms before working with Grant Thornton was if you were lucky you got two of three: professional, human or results. With Grant Thornton it's all three. The Grant Thornton team have been astonishing over the past few years. I will never be able to thank them enough. They were by our side during the pandemic. Never doubted us. Never waived. When announcing the BPP news I was sure to recognise the contribution these unsung heroes made. I really can not recommend them more highly.
Robert Chapman Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Firebrand Training