This one day conference will offer a comprehensive overview of the political, economic and education market conditions under which investors will be operating in the UK and Europe.

Leading investors, operators and analysts will highlight opportunities amidst the uncertainty and explore how education investors can mitigate any potential risks posed by Brexit.

The conference will consider:
• How macroeconomic and political developments impact M&A and PE deals for UK-based investors and exporters
• Mitigation strategies for any potential risks posed by Brexit
• Issues impacting education investment in the UK
• Growing prospects for exporting to the developing world
• Private-market vs public-market multiples
• Putting technology at the heart of classrooms.

As companies seek growth, the outlook for UK-based players in the education sector remains positive, despite uncertainty surrounding the UK’s scheduled withdrawal from the EU.

However, companies need to be well prepared for potential mergers as they consider the next step in their organisation’s lifecycle.

Education M&A and PE outlook for 2019 (UK and EU)

Looking forward, market participants are generally bullish on the UK’s education sector, despite the uncertainty its divorce from the European Union could create. The wider European market is likely to withstand geopolitical turbulence and see an increasing number of deals play out across sub-sectors including early years, language training and further education

The recent £2 billion takeover of Cognita by Swiss family office Jacobs Holding could stimulate further deals and act as a benchmark for other large school groups weighing a sale. Opportunities for ‘buy and build’ strategies still abound in the lower end of the UK schools’ market and in its early years sector and we could see more private equity roll-ups in years to come.