Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education has been sold to NCFE

Lincoln International (“Lincoln”), a leading global mid-market investment bank, represented the Trustees of the Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education (“CACHE”) in the sale of CACHE’s awarding organization, trading activities and brand which have been acquired by fellow U.K. awarding organization, NCFE.

CACHE was established in 1945 by the Ministry of Health as the National Nursery Examination Board; the U.K.’s official childcare qualifications body. Over the next 70 years, CACHE has expanded and developed its qualifications portfolio to include a range of high-quality health and social care qualifications alongside its childcare qualifications. Today, CACHE is widely viewed as one of the leading brands in the U.K.’s world renowned qualifications sector, serving some 1,000 further education colleges, training providers and employers and awarding approximately 90,000 qualifications annually. As part of the transaction, CACHE qualifications will retain their valuable brand identity within NCFE’s existing qualifications portfolio.

Andrew Whelan, Chair of CACHE’s Trustees, commented, “Following a detailed strategic review, CACHE’s Trustees determined that selling the charity’s awarding activities to a leading player with similar values and aspirations was the best way to position both the awarding organization and charity to thrive in the future. Thanks to Lincoln’s invaluable advice and support in achieving this outcome, learners and centers will continue to benefit from CACHE’s renowned care qualifications and the ongoing charity will be able to pursue its objective of promoting education and training in care in new and innovative ways.”

Lincoln acted as the lead advisor to CACHE’s Trustees, working closely with Trustees and management from the outset. Lincoln’s role included providing process recommendations, marketing the business to a carefully vetted short list of potential acquirers, managing the competitive auction and negotiating final price and terms. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The transaction adds to Lincoln’s strong sector credentials spanning public sector, private sector and private pay education and training assets.

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