Manchester, UK, 26th March 2026
Leep Group, a leading national provider of apprenticeships, skills bootcamps, employability programmes and adult learning, has been shortlisted for Skills Training Provider of the Year at the Education Investor Awards 2026. The shortlisting recognises the organisation’s outstanding performance across commercial growth, curriculum innovation and learner impact over the past 12 months.
During the academic and financial year to July 2025, the organisation supported more than 10,000 learners and 1,500 employers, delivering 47 programmes across apprenticeships, skills bootcamps, adult learning and commercial CPD. In addition, more than 7,000 individuals achieved positive employment or career progression outcomes during the year. Revenue also grew by almost 20% and is now in excess of £30 million.
The entry highlighted several significant milestones from 2025:
A group sales hub and academy in Leeds, investing approximately £1 million to build business development capability internally, doubling employer partners from fewer than 400 to more than 800 and unlocking over 1,000 new apprenticeship roles in digital, cyber, data and green skills.
A full group rebrand from Back 2 Work Group to Leep Group, completing a complex, six-month, multi-faceted programme on schedule and within budget, creating a unified identity across our operating divisions.
The merger of acquired providers Bepro and Just IT, creating our Leep Talent division resulting in a 13% year-on-year improvement in qualification achievement rates and a 500% increase in cross-selling revenues.
A technology and AI curriculum overhaul, investing over 2,000 hours to update 23 qualifications, including the redesign of the Multi-Channel Marketer apprenticeship as Generative AI Marketer, delivering a 230% year-on-year increase in learner numbers.
Skills Bootcamp progression rates 43% above the national average, with a 75.1% apprenticeship achievement rate placing Leep in the top 20% of large providers nationally.
An AI-assisted bid function that helped support an increase in bid submissions by 48% versus 2024, while maintaining win rates above 80% in core services.
Luke Muscat, CEO of Leep Group, said:
“Being shortlisted for Skills Training Provider of the Year is a genuine reflection of what this team has delivered. In 2025 we grew the business substantially, launched a new brand, merged two divisions, overhauled our curriculum for an AI-driven world and helped more than 10,000 people move forward in their careers. What makes me most proud is that we did all of this while continuing to serve learners who face the greatest barriers to employment. This recognition belongs to every member of the Leep team.”
James Gregson, Partner at Palatine Private Equity, said:
“This shortlisting is a testament to what Luke and the Leep leadership team have built. At Palatine, we invest through our Impact Fund in businesses that deliver measurable social impact alongside strong commercial performance, and Leep exemplifies exactly that. The transformation the organisation has undergone in 2025 — in terms of scale, brand, technology and impact — demonstrates precisely why we believe private capital and social purpose can be mutually reinforcing.”
About Leep Group
Leep Group is a national training and employability organisation, established in 2011 and backed by Palatine Private Equity’s Impact Fund. Operating through three specialist brands — Back to Work (pre-employment and employability), Leep Talent (apprenticeships, skills bootcamps and digital training) and Leep Trade (technical trades and renewable skills) — the Group works with all major public sector commissioners in England and partners with more than 1,500 employers annually. Leep has supported more than 100,000 learners since its founding.