Education Investor reported three private equity firms were vying to acquire the Bridgepoint-owned CEG. Sky News later named Oxford International Education Group, Bahrain-based Investcorp and American investor Vanta as the companies seeking to takeover the company, according to its city sources.

One banker has suggested OIEG was likely to be at an advantage due to cost synergies it could extract, according to the news organisation.

Education Investor reported in February 2022 that Bridgepoint was exploring the sale of CEG. The private investment company initially acquired the education company in 2013 in a £185 million deal.

Former-owners, Palamon Capital, bought CEG in 2007 and achieved an acquisition multiple of 11 times the current year trading forecast (EBITDA), the PIE reported at the time.

CEG counts eight UK universities among its partners, in addition to its ONCAMPUS centres in London, Paris, Lund, Boston and Chicago providing pathways to a number of institutions.

It also partners with the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. CEG offers healthcare-related pathway programs through its Castel Education brand and online courses via CEG Digital and iheed.

OIEG currently has international colleges partnership in the UK with De Montfort, Bangor, Dundee, Bradford and Greenwich, in addition to its courses at the OIEG London Centre. In the US, OIEG works with San Francisco State University on pathways.

Neither OIEG nor CEG responded to requests for comment from The PIE.

According to respective websites, Kaplan has pathway partnerships with 16 UK universities, Study Group 15, Navitas 13, INTO eight, Kings three. A CEG takeover by OIEG would make it one of the largest pathway providers in the UK.