Babington joins Sovereign-backed Knovia Group to strengthen impact and innovation in commercial training

Knovia Group, the market-leading commercial training business backed by Sovereign Capital Partners, the UK private equity Buy & Build specialist, is pleased to announce that Babington has joined the Group.

Babington, with its 50-year history in commercial training, joins existing Knovia businesses Paragon Skills, Shaping Lives, and Tempdent. Babington strengthens the Group’s training capabilities across the professional services sector with its specialised apprenticeship and professional qualification programmes in key areas including leadership and management, HR and learning & development, data and IT, accountancy, and business administration and customer service.

As one of the largest and most established apprenticeship providers in the country, Babington currently employs 280 staff in support of over 4,800 apprentices and commercial learners across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It also provides complementary services, including customised client services and levy transfer management.

As a Group, Knovia now empowers over 16,000 learners and partners with more than 5,000 employers across the UK – equipping professionals with the skills to thrive, drive productivity, and create lasting impact in key industries.

Following the transaction, Unigestion, the asset manager focused on investing in private equity’s mid-market leaders, will own a minority stake in Knovia alongside Sovereign and the management team.

James Dargan, Director, Sovereign Capital Partners, said: “Bringing Babington into the Knovia Group represents a significant milestone in our growth strategy. Babington’s well-earned reputation, with its professional services sector focus, makes it an ideal addition to the Group. This strategic partnership perfectly aligns with our Buy & Build philosophy, and strengthens Knovia’s ability to scale, innovate, and deliver high-quality learning experiences that meet the evolving needs of both learners and employers.”

Mark Botha, CEO, Knovia Group, said: “I am truly thrilled to welcome Babington into the Knovia Group. Their rich 50-year heritage, unwavering dedication to quality and innovation resonates deeply with our core mission of Impact, Growth and Change. Together, we will create meaningful change and provide career-boosting outcomes for learners, customers, businesses, and the industries we serve. This partnership is a powerful opportunity to expand our reach, enhance our services, and invest in the future of commercial training.”

Jennifer Bramley, CEO, Babington, said: “I am delighted that Babington has joined Knovia, and I look forward to leading and growing Babington with the support of the Group as we harness our expertise to deliver exceptional commercial training, empowering individuals to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape. Our shared commitment to excellence and impact demonstrates why joining Knovia is a fantastic next step for Babington, and I look forward to achieving great things together.”

Pieter-Jan Frederix, Head of Direct Investments, Unigestion, said: “We are proud of the transition Babington has made since our investment in 2022, particularly in enhancing the quality of its services and streamlining operations. We remain a firm believer in the need for lifelong learning for key industries and the positive impact it has on learners. The partnership between Babington and Knovia allows Babington to continue on its journey of specialising in the areas where it serves its clients so well, while benefiting from the scale that the Knovia Group brings.”

– ENDS –

For further information please contact:
Tom Allchorne
Head of Marketing & Communications
Sovereign Capital Partners
tomallchorne@sovereigncapital.co.uk

Notes to editors:

About Sovereign Capital Partners
Sovereign is a specialist investor that focuses on partnering talented management teams and high-quality businesses, in specific service-based sectors, to deliver accelerated growth both in the UK and internationally. We do this through our proven strategy of Buy & Build. Whether through organic growth, acquisition or a combination of both, we provide strategic investment and look for innovative ways to create not just value, but businesses we’re truly proud of. Sovereign Capital Partners LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

About Knovia Group
Knovia is a group of best-in-class education businesses dedicated to building professional capabilities and driving social impact. Operating in key sectors that make a real difference in people’s lives, Knovia’s businesses empower individuals with the skills to enhance productivity, deliver better services, and advance their careers. With a highly sustainable and scalable business model, Knovia integrates sector expertise, thought leadership, and innovation to accelerate growth and create meaningful change. Our companies benefit from strong leadership, a culture of success, and a commitment to quality, compliance, and operational excellence, making Knovia a trusted partner in highly regulated markets.

About Babington
Babington is a national training provider, delivering apprenticeships, professional qualifications and commercial training across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland – Developing Better Futures for organisations, individuals and society. As one of the largest and most established apprenticeship providers in the UK, Babington’s national delivery and learner support teams have a diverse range of both education and industry backgrounds, allowing them to draw upon technical expertise and practical experience to provide optimal training solutions and learner engagement – unlocking potential, delivering personalisation and enhancing performance. All Babington’s accredited programmes take a learner-centric and people-focused approach, ensuring active participation in new learning and sought-after skills are well developed. Through hands on activities, collaborative projects and high quality facilitated learning Babington equips learners with the necessary skills and competencies to excel within their respective roles and future careers.

About Unigestion

Unigestion is an international asset manager with $15bn* in assets under management and 10 offices across Europe, North America and Asia. Unigestion’s award winning private equity team offers four key private equity strategies focused on secondaries, directs, emerging managers and climate impact. The team seeks to invest in the champions of tomorrow, selecting exciting, hard to access companies with resilient profiles across seven themes – climate transition, resource efficiency, sustainable cities, service efficiency, future of work, personal wellbeing and healthcare re-engineered. Unigestion believes that better and more consistent investment decisions can be made by harnessing the power of mind and machine and has applied its proprietary AI technology – PEpper – to private equity investments since 2020. The firm also seeks to remain at the forefront of ESG integration, having launched its first environmental private equity fund in 2010.

*Source: Unigestion as at 31.12.2024