Gilbert + Tobin has advised For Purpose Investment Partners on the acquisition of Catalyst Education from Anacacia Capital, which completed this week.
Gilbert + Tobin has advised For Purpose Investment Partners (FPIP) on the acquisition of Catalyst Education from Anacacia Capital, which completed this week.
FPIP is a leading Australian not-for-profit social impact investment manager which makes investments that generate positive health, education, social or public welfare outcomes in addition to strong financial returns.
Catalyst Education provides compassion-focused vocational education across early childhood education and care, aged care and disability care. Catalyst Education operates registered training organisations Selmar Institute of Education, Practical Outcomes and Royal College of Healthcare.
G+T Corporate Advisory partner Tim Gordon, who led the transaction said the firm was proud to support FPIP in its mission to accelerate social impact investing in Australia.
“This is one of the best deals we’ve been involved in. We were excited to advise FPIP on this transaction and play a small part in their mission to unlock the possibilities of large-scale impact investing.”
“The Covid crisis brought home the importance of quality, affordable childcare while the final report of the Aged Care Royal Commission showed the desperate need that is developing for aged care workers with excellent training. If Australia is going to be a fair and compassionate society in the decades ahead, we’re going to have to find new ways of tackling these issues. This deal ticks so many boxes by aligning patient, long-term capital with a top provider in these sectors of profound importance.”
Andrew Thorburn, FPIP Executive Director, said “Gilbert + Tobin really got what we were about from the start. This deal required significant technical expertise and creativity, but one where an understanding of the key purpose of making a lasting difference had to be front and centre in everything we and our advisors did. The novelty of the social note capital structure required a significant amount of bespoke work, and we greatly appreciate Tim, Darren, Spiro and team for helping bring it all together.”
The G+T team included support from corporate advisory lawyers Sam Jaffray and Emily Fanning. Darren Fittler, head of Gilbert + Tobin's Charities + Social Sector group advised on the structuring, governance and charity elements. Banking + Infrastructure partner Spiro Papadolias, with support from lawyers Felix Buddee and Lee Lancaster, advised on all financing elements of the transaction, including the bespoke secured social loan notes issued to fund the acquisition and provide ongoing working capital support.
Gilbert + Tobin’s market-leading Corporate Advisory team regularly advises on many of Australia’s most innovative transactions where there is an intersection between large scale capital and emerging ESG issues. Recent transactions include advising KKR on its investment in GreenCollar, a leading Australian environmental markets business and Treïs on its investment into sustainable Australian fashion business Glam Corner.
Gilbert + Tobin’s Charities + Social Sector group is a stand-out in the Australian market for its deep knowledge of, and experience in, the laws and circumstances unique to charities, not-for-profits and social impact organisations.
The Banking + Infrastructure group advises on matters ranging from high-value corporate transactions to complex restructuring projects and are noted by Chambers Asia Pacific 2020 as “one of, if not the best lawyers in the banking and finance area."