BIMM Institute

The arts and culture industry contributes around £11 billion a year to the UK economy. Students value the vocational nature of the courses BIMM is recognised for, thereby creating a strong student demand for their courses.

As a specialist investor in the education sector, Sovereign recognised BIMM's high-quality offering and the opportunity to develop the group both organically and through acquisition.

When the opportunity arose to back the MBO, the founding partners chose Sovereign.

5 acquisitions

5 new campuses opened

UK to European presence

Diversified its offering from modern music education to the broader performing arts and film making

Increased student numbers from 1,150 to c.8,200

When Sovereign first invested in BIMM the Group had 1,150 students in colleges in Brighton and Bristol teaching contemporary music. At exit the Group had:

• over 8,200 students
• 12 colleges across Europe – including London, Dublin, Birmingham, Manchester, Berlin and Hamburg – established through five strategic acquisitions and five new campus roll-outs
• moved into the broader creative arts and consolidated its position as a hub for music, performing arts and film-making as part of strategic diversification
• a 83% graduate employment rate in the creative arts jobs market, and
• been granted Taught Degree Awarding Powers in the UK by Order of the Privy Council.

Former students include Ella Mai, George Ezra, Mercy Sotire and James Bay, whilst Roger Daltrey became a patron.At exit BIMM was recognised as Europe's leading provider of creative arts education.