KPMG Corporate Finance supports funding for Canterbury Campus
KPMG has been enlisted to support the funding of a university campus in Canterbury. The Big Four firm’s Corporate Finance division helped Canterbury Christ Church to raise close to £50 million for its plans for the university and the region.
Founded as a Church of England college for teacher training in 1962, Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) is a university in Kent, England. Since opening, it has grown to full university status, and now caters primarily to students seeking careers in public service, through the provision of vocational courses in fields such as nursing and teaching.
At present, the university is preparing to expand its capacity, in a newly marketised higher education sphere in which survival is dependent on attracting the maximum number of students. The new vision to transform the Canterbury Campus will see the creation of contemporary spaces for learning, teaching and research, while celebrating the city’s rich heritage.
The plan has been carefully designed to complement the history of our campus location on a UNESCO World Heritage Site – built on the grounds of the ancient St Augustine’s Abbey and within sight of Canterbury Cathedral and St Martin’s Church. The end goal is to provide a campus for the 21st century which students, staff and the wider community can enjoy, and the complete project will take £150 million of investment, over the course of the following 10 to 15 years.
In order to meet the funding target needed for the project, the university has engaged KPMG to help raise the adequate amount of investment. KPMG’s Corporate Finance team has subsequently supported the funding of Canterbury Christ Church University’s campus project, helping to find £47 million so far.
Commenting on the efforts to date, Marc Finer, a Director in Corporate Finance at KPMG, said via his LinkedIn, “Congratulations to Canterbury Christ Church University on raising £47 million to help fund its campus transformation. A landmark transaction, and exciting plans for the university and the region.”
The consulting industry has been involved in a number of regeneration projects for the higher education sector in the UK. Ramboll has been involved of the development of the new Cavendish III laboratory at University of Cambridge, while Mace was appointed for the construction of University of Sussex's new Life Sciences facility. Elsewhere, Arup has been contracted to support the design of Northeastern University's new energy efficient complex.
