Imagine’s Eden Academy acquisition gets ACCC green light to proceed

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has completed its review of the proposed acquisition of early childhood education and care (ECEC) provider Eden Academy by fellow provider Imagine Education. 

The announcement will pave the way for the two parties to continue with the transaction and move towards completing the deal that was confirmed in the Australian Financial Review on 1 September 2026.

It is understood that Imagine, which currently owns and operates around sixty three centres, is expected to pay around $250 million for Eden Academy’s network which includes centres across four jurisdictions namely; Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. 

Should the deal complete it will be the largest transaction in the early learning sector since Bright Horizon’s acquisition of Only About Children for $450 million in 2022. 

Mix of operating centres and development pipeline assessed by ACCC

As part of its review the ACCC evaluated whether Imagine’s acquisition of fifty seven 

operating Eden Academy centres as well as options to acquire a further ten centres that have opened or are due to open in 2026. 

In addition, a further eleven sites not yet developed but are slated for commencement post 2026 were included in the assessment which should all be acquired will see Imagine absorb seventy eight centres in total over the coming years. 

The combination would create a group of at least 120 centres and see Eden join Imagine’s group of sister brands; Imagine Childcare, Children First, Grow Early Education and Learning Ladder. 

The ACCC’s review, which is standard practice in takeover situations, concluded that Imagine’s acquisition would be unlikely to have the effect of substantially lessening competition in any market and the combined entity would face sufficient competition from multiple alternative providers in the local areas surrounding each of the Eden Academy centres. 

To read the ACCC report visit their website here.