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 we first invested in BIMM, the Group was a modest operation with just 1,150 students across two colleges in Brighton and Bristol, focusing solely on contemporary music education. By the time of our exit, BIMM had transformed into Europe's leading provider of creative arts education.

The Group experienced extraordinary expansion, growing its student body more than sevenfold to over 8,200 students. Its geographic footprint expanded to encompass 12 colleges spanning multiple European countries, including cities such as London, Dublin, Birmingham, Manchester, Berlin, and Hamburg. This impressive growth was achieved through a strategic combination of five acquisitions and five new campus developments.

BIMM also successfully diversified beyond its origins in contemporary music, broadening its educational scope to become a comprehensive hub for creative arts disciplines including performing arts and film-making. This strategic diversification strengthened the Group's market position while providing students with a wider range of creative opportunities.

The quality of BIMM's education was reflected in its exceptional 83% graduate employment rate in the competitive creative arts job market. Further validation came when the Group was granted Taught Degree Awarding Powers in the UK by Order of the Privy Council, a significant academic achievement that recognized the institution's educational excellence.

BIMM's alumni roster during our investment reads like a who's who of contemporary music talent, including chart-topping artists Ella Mai, George Ezra, Mercy Sotire, and James Bay. The Group's prestige was further enhanced when rock legend Roger Daltrey became a patron.

By the time of exit, BIMM had firmly established itself as the premier creative arts education provider across Europe.