Diligence · Education & Training

Education & Training Deals: Regulatory Diligence Done Right

When the deal is education and training and the question is Regulatory Diligence, the structure decisions in the first 30 days outlast the next five years. This is where Jason Powell works.

EV range $8M to $90M EV EBITDA $2M to $15M Audience Buy-side / Sponsor
The deal context

An independent sponsor closing education and training transactions in the $8M to $90M EV range has a defined set of moves at the Regulatory Diligence stage. Most of them are not in a generic M&A textbook.

The typical education and training platform sits at $8M to $90M EV with EBITDA in the $2M to $15M range. The thesis runs on private school, training academy, or B2B training platform consolidation. Accreditation continuity is the only thing that matters in the first 30 days post-close.

The moves

How Regulatory Diligence actually gets structured.

  1. Map every license and permit, with renewal dates and transfer mechanics.

  2. Identify regulatory consent requirements that require pre-close filings.

  3. Address pending or threatened regulatory actions in the disclosure schedules.

  4. Plan the post-close regulatory calendar with the operating team.

  5. In education and training, layer in accreditor pre-notification calendar set as part of the Regulatory Diligence workstream.

The common mistake

Treating regulatory diligence as a sub-section. In regulated industries, it is the whole deal.

Jason's take
"Regulatory continuity is the closing condition that fails most often. Diligence it first, not last."
Jason Powell · Regulatory Diligence
Capital after close

The deal is one thing. The capital that opens up after close is another.

Capital after close is where the IRR actually gets made. The right introductions at month nine through month thirty are where this practice works as hard as it does at the LOI.

MONTH 18
Senior refi
MONTH 24
Dividend recap
MONTH 36
Growth equity
YEAR 4–5
Strategic exit
ENGAGE THE PRACTICE

Regulatory Diligence for Education & Training, on independent sponsor terms.

Independent sponsor counsel that already speaks fluent deal-by-deal economics, structures clean LPAs, and travels with capital markets relationships for what comes after close.