The combined share of supply of professional qualifications for persons working in the financial services industry generated by the takeover would have been equal to or exceed 25%, which prompted the regulator's involvement.

In merger documents obtained by Express, BPP argued that taking over JIBS would make it a more “diverse independent training provider”, adding that clients of both would “benefit from the economies achieved through a common approach to managing, monitoring and coordinating their training needs, saving time and cost.”

Addressing the effect on competition, BPP argued that the impact would be minimal because “each party focuses on different qualifications and aspects of this [financial qualifications] industry.” They also claimed that the merger could result in “greater deals for consumers” and “bigger discounts.”

BPP currently provides professional development in tax, accounting, soft skills and funds. JIBS provides face-to-face professional development training in technical subjects such as AML, financial crime, trust and company compliance. However, CICRA noted they do not overlap in terms of sector specific professional development training.

They concluded that the acquisition would not "significantly lessen competition in Jersey or any part of Jersey" and approved the merger.