Houlihan Lokey Advises BPP Education Group

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that BPP Education Group (BPP), a portfolio company of TDR Capital, has acquired the Australian Institute of Business (AIB). The transaction closed on 1 August 2025.

BPP, a leading global education business and one of the largest privately owned education providers in Europe, delivers practice-focused education and training across a wide range of subject areas, including accountancy, data, healthcare, HR, law, management, marketing, and technology. Established almost 50 years ago, it provides training to more than 9,500 clients and 100,000 learners each year from its locations across the U.K., Europe, Canada, and Australia. From apprenticeships to short courses, continuous professional development, professional qualifications, and degrees, BPP offers training solutions that fit every type of learner and business.

AIB is one of the largest online MBA providers in Australia, with over 2,000 students enrolled, and boasts a global alumni network of more than 20,000 across 100 countries. With a legacy spanning four decades, AIB’s fully online MBA is purpose-built for working professionals, delivering practical, workplace-relevant learning that drives career advancement.

Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive financial advisor to BPP and TDR Capital, having previously advised BPP on its sale to Apollo Education Group,* TDR Capital on its acquisition of BPP, and both BPP and TDR Capital on their strategic growth journey through the subsequent acquisitions of Digital Marketing Institute, Firebrand Training, Estio, and the North American and Australian operations of EduCo. The acquisition of AIB continues BPP’s focus on geographic expansion and product innovation, and will allow AIB to further invest in its digital capabilities, enhance its online delivery, and expand its portfolio through new technologies to enable further international growth.

This transaction underscores Houlihan Lokey’s deep expertise and market-leading position in the education and training sector, particularly in higher education and professional training. It also highlights the continued strong collaboration between the London and Sydney offices on education and training transactions. The firm has advised on a wide range of other notable deals in the space, including the sales of Tomorrow Education Group to Naxicap Partners; the London Institute of Banking & Finance to IU Group; FutureLearn to Global University Systems; ICS Learn to Skill & You; BIMM to ICG; Ocean Technologies Group to Lloyd’s Register; RelyOn Nutec to Mubadala Capital; and the College of Law to Montagu Private Equity. It has also advised on the acquisitions of Arden University, the University of Law, and LCCM by Global University Systems; Corndel by THI Investments; and Lifetime Training by Silverfleet Capital.

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