Sponge named Fosway Core Leader for fifth consecutive year and reaches the top of the 'Performance' axis in 2026 9-Grid™ for Digital Learning.
The last year was an exciting one for Sponge, working with a host of new world-leading brands and evolving our relationships with our customers to support them in ever more strategic and expansive ways.
Today, we're delighted to share that this growth and customer experience has been recognised by our leading industry analyst, Fosway, in their Digital Learning 9-Grid. We reached the major milestone of five straight years as a Core Leader in the Fosway Group’s 2026 9-Grid™ for Digital Learning – while also showing a marked move up the performance axis.
The Fosway 9-Grid™ is widely regarded as Europe’s leading market analysis model for digital learning, evaluating providers on both potential and performance. Sponge’s sustained Core Leader status underscores its strong, consistent capability in delivering impactful enterprise learning solutions. Its advancement to the highest position on the performance axis highlights the strength of its market momentum and the value it delivers to clients.
Fosway defines 'performance' across three key dimensions:
- Customer Awareness – Visibility in the market and consistent inclusion in longlists and competitive tenders
- Customer Selection – Success in converting shortlisted opportunities into client wins
- Customer Advocacy – High levels of customer satisfaction, adoption, and long-term partnership
Sponge’s position at the top of this axis signals excellence across all three—demonstrating not only strong demand, but also the ability to win, deliver, and build lasting client relationships.
“This recognition – both as a Core Leader in our industry for five consecutive years, and in ‘performance’, - is a powerful validation of the work we do with our clients,” said Adam Poulter, CEO at Sponge. “It reflects both the strength of our offering and, critically, the success our clients achieve through our partnership.”
Being recognised not just for our capability, but for the outcomes and experiences we create, is what matters most.
Adam Poulter
Sponge Group CEO
Over more than 20 years, Sponge has become the people enablement partner of choice to 43% of the Interbrand Global 100, one in 10 Nasdaq companies, and a third of Europe’s Fortune 500. Supporting leaders responsible for high-stakes transformation, Sponge delivers targeted shifts in behaviour, culture, and capability through engaging, memorable learning experiences.
Fosway notes that Core Leaders demonstrate a strong suite of capabilities, with a particular emphasis on enterprise win rates, customer delivery, and advocacy. Sponge’s latest positioning reinforces its differentiated approach and its ability to translate learning into real-world impact at scale.
“We’re incredibly proud of the long-term relationships we’ve built with our clients,” added Poulter. “Being recognised not just for our capability, but for the outcomes and experiences we create, is what matters most.”
Fosway Group is Europe's #1 HR industry analyst. The Fosway 9-Grid™ provides a unique assessment of the principal learning and talent supply options available to organisations in EMEA. The analysis is based on extensive independent research and insights from Fosway's Corporate Research Network of over 250 organisations, including BP, HSBC, PwC, RBS, Sanofi, Shell, and Vodafone.
Visit the Fosway website at www.fosway.com for more information on Fosway Group's research and services.
Learn more about Sponge's awards here.