Regulatory Filings • Nov 13, 2015
Regulatory Filings
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THIS DOCUMENT IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT ABOUT WHAT ACTION YOU SHOULD TAKE, YOU ARE RECOMMENDED TO SEEK YOUR OWN FINANCIAL ADVICE IMMEDIATELY FROM YOUR STOCKBROKER, BANK MANAGER, SOLICITOR, ACCOUNTANT OR OTHER INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISER AUTHORISED UNDER THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 ("FSMA").
This document constitutes a prospectus dated 13 November 2015 (the "Prospectus") issued by Foresight VCT plc (the "Company"), prepared in accordance with the Prospectus Rules made under Section 84 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") in accordance with FSMA. You are advised to read the Prospectus in full. The Company, the Directors and the Proposed Director (whose names are set out on page 36) accept responsibility for the information contained in the Prospectus. To the best of the knowledge of the Company, the Directors and the Proposed Director (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case) the information contained in the Prospectus is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information.
(Registered in England and Wales under number 03421340)
The existing Shares issued by the Company are listed on the premium segment of the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and traded on the London Stock Exchange's market for listed securities. Application will be made to the UK Listing Authority for all of the Consideration Shares to be issued as described in this document to be listed on the premium segment of the Official List and will be made to the London Stock Exchange for the Consideration Shares to be admitted to trading on its market for listed securities. It is expected that Admission to the Official List will become effective and that dealings in the Consideration Shares will commence three Business Days following allotment. The Consideration Shares will be made up of Ordinary Shares, Planned Exit Shares and Infrastructure Shares and shall confer on their holders the rights set out in the Articles. The Merger will not affect the rights conferred on the Company's existing Shares.
In connection with the Merger, BDO LLP ("BDO") is acting for the Company as its sponsor and for no-one else and will not (subject to the responsibilities and liabilities imposed by FSMA or the regulatory regime established thereunder) be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to customers of BDO nor for providing advice in relation to the Merger. BDO is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA.
RW Blears LLP, which is regulated in the United Kingdom by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, is acting as arranger and legal adviser to the Company and no-one else and will not be responsible to any other person for providing advice in connection with any matters referred to in this document.
The attention of Shareholders and shareholders in Foresight 2 VCT plc ("F2") who are resident in, or citizens of, territories outside the United Kingdom is drawn to the information under the heading "Overseas Shareholders" in paragraph 4 of Part 10 of this document. In particular, the Consideration Shares to be issued pursuant to the Scheme have not and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act 1933 or the United States Investment Company Act 1990.
The Merger is conditional, inter alia, upon the approval of the Shareholders of the Company at the general meeting of the Company to be held on 10 December 2015.
Copies of this Prospectus (and any supplementary prospectus published by the Company) will be available free of charge from the offices of Foresight Group LLP at The Shard, 32 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9SG and the Company's sponsor BDO LLP at 55 Baker Street, London W1U 7EU.
| PAGE | ||
|---|---|---|
| SUMMARY | 3 | |
| RISK FACTORS | 13 | |
| EXPECTED TIMETABLES | 16 | |
| DEFINITIONS | 17 | |
| PART 1 | MERGER OF THE COMPANY AND F2 | 21 |
| PART 2 | THE SCHEME | 23 |
| PART 3 | INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY | 31 |
| PART 4 | MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION OF THE COMPANY | 46 |
| PART 5 | FINANCIAL INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY AND F2 | 53 |
| PART 6 | INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO OF THE COMPANY AND F2 | 57 |
| PART 7 | PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION | 66 |
| PART 8 | TAX POSITION OF SHAREHOLDERS | 70 |
| PART 9 | TAX POSITION OF THE COMPANY | 72 |
| PART 10 | ADDITIONAL INFORMATION | 74 |
| CORPORATE INFORMATION | 77 |
Summaries are made up of disclosure requirements known as "Elements". These Elements are numbered in Sections A to E (A1 – E7).
This summary contains all the Elements required to be included in a summary for this type of securities being issued pursuant to the prospectus issued by Foresight VCT plc (the "Company") (the "Prospectus") and the Company which is a closed-ended investment fund. Because some Elements are not required to be addressed, there may be gaps in the numbering sequence of the Elements.
Even though an Element may be required to be inserted in this summary because of the type of securities and Company, it is possible that no relevant information can be given regarding the Element. In this case, a short description of the Element is included in the summary and noted as being 'not applicable'.
| A | Introduction and warnings | |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Warning | This summary should be read as an introduction to the Prospectus. Any decision to invest in the securities should be based on consideration of the Prospectus as a whole by the investor. Where a claim relating to the information contained in this Prospectus is brought before a court, the plaintiff investor might, under the national legislation of the Member states, have to bear the costs of translating the Prospectus before the legal proceedings are initiated. Civil liability attaches to those persons who have tabled the summary including any translation thereof, but only if the summary is misleading, inaccurate or inconsistent when read together with other parts of the Prospectus or it does not provide, when read together with other parts of the Prospectus, key information in order to aid investors when considering whether to invest in such securities. |
| A2 | Consent to the subsequent resale or final placement / the offer period and terms and conditions attached to consent |
Not applicable. The Company and the Directors do not consent to any final placement or subsequent resale of the securities which are the subject of the Prospectus. |
| B | Issuer | |
| B1 | Legal and commercial name |
Foresight VCT plc (the "Company") |
| B2 | Domicile / Legal form / Legislation / Country of incorporation |
The Company is a public limited liability company which is registered in England and Wales with registered number 03421340. The principal legislation under which the Company operates is the Companies Act 2006 (the "Act") and the regulations made thereunder. |
| B5 | Group description | Not applicable. The Company is not part of a group. |
| B6 | Material Shareholders / |
All Shareholders have the same voting rights in respect of the existing share capital of the Company. |
| Different voting rights / Control |
As at 12 November 2015 (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this document), the Company is not aware of any person who, directly or indirectly, has or will have an interest in the capital of the Company or voting rights which is notifiable under UK law (under which, pursuant to the Act and the Listing Rules and Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the FCA, a holding of 3% or more will be notified to the Company). |
| B7 Selected financial |
Certain historical information of the Company is set out below: | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| information and statement of any significant changes |
Audited year end to 31 December 2014 |
year end to 31 December |
Audited 2013 |
Audited year end to 31 December 2012 |
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| Net Assets (whole Company) |
£63,455,000 | £51,404,000 | £52,309,000 | ||||
| Ordinary Shares Fund | |||||||
| Net Assets | £44,208,000 | £31,131,000 | £30,411,000 | ||||
| Net asset value per Ordinary Share |
99.4p | 101.0p | 111.3p | ||||
| Dividends paid per Ordinary Share |
10.0p | 5.0p | 7.5p | ||||
| Planned Exit Shares fund | |||||||
| Net Assets | £3,943,000 | £5,044,000 | £6,144,000 | ||||
| Net asset value per Planned Exit Share |
65.0p | 82.5p | 100.0p | ||||
| Dividends paid per Planned Exit Share |
7.5p | 5.0p | 5.0p | ||||
| Infrastructure Shares fund | |||||||
| Net Assets | £15,304,000 | £15,229,000 | £15,754,000 | ||||
| Net asset value per Infrastructure Share |
92.4p | 91.5p | 94.6p | ||||
| Dividends paid per Infrastructure Share |
2.5p | 2.5p | 0p | ||||
| published by the Company on 28 August 2015: | The following unaudited Net Asset Value per Share as at 30 June 2015 based on the Company's unaudited interim report at that date were |
||||||
| Ordinary Share | Planned Exit Shares | Infrastructure Shares | |||||
| 91.7p | 52.4p | 92.0p | |||||
| document. | There has been no significant change to the issuer's financial condition and operating results between 30 June 2015 and the date of this |
| B8 | Key pro forma financial information |
The Enlarged Company is expected to have net assets of approximately £117 million (assuming the Merger had been completed based on the NAVs of the Companies as at 30 June 2015 and estimated Merger Costs of £450,000). |
|---|---|---|
| The Enlarged Company would have had a return on ordinary activities before tax for the year ended 31 December 2014 of approximately £5,124,000 after deducting the estimated Merger Costs of £450,000, assuming the Company and F2 were one Enlarged Company. |
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| This pro forma financial information has been prepared for illustrative purposes only and, because of its nature, addresses a hypothetical situation and, therefore, does not represent the Company's actual financial position or results. |
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| B9 | Profit forecast | Not applicable. There are no profit forecasts in the Prospectus. |
| B10 | Qualifications in the audit report |
Not applicable. There were no qualifications in the audit report for three years ended 31 December 2014. |
| B11 | Insufficient working capital |
Not applicable. The Company is of the opinion that the working capital available is sufficient for the Company's present requirements, being at least twelve months from the date of this document. |
| B34 | Investment | Ordinary Shares fund |
| objective and policy, including investment restrictions |
The investment objective of the Ordinary Shares fund is to provide private investors with attractive returns from a portfolio of investments in fast-growing predominantly unquoted companies in the United Kingdom. It is the intention to optimise tax-free income available to investors from a combination of dividends and interest received on investments and the distribution of capital gains arising from trade sales or flotation. |
|
| Planned Exit Shares fund | ||
| The investment objective of the Planned Exit Shares fund is to combine greater security of capital than is normal within a VCT with the enhancement of investor returns created by the VCT tax benefits — income tax relief of 30% of the amount invested, and tax free distribution of income and capital gains. The key objective of the Planned Exit Shares fund is to distribute 110p per share issued through a combination of tax-free income, buy-backs and tender offers before the sixth anniversary of the closing date of the Planned Exit Share offer falling in the tax year 2016/2017. |
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| Infrastructure Shares fund | ||
| The investment objective of the Infrastructure Shares fund is to invest in companies which own and operate essential assets and services which enjoy long-term contracts with strong counterparties or government concessions. To ensure VCT qualification, Foresight, the Company's manager, will focus on companies where the provision of services is the primary activity and which generate long-term contractual revenues, thereby facilitating the payment of regular predictable dividends to investors. |
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| Investment Policy | ||
| The Company will target unquoted companies which it believes will achieve the objective of producing attractive returns for Shareholders. |
| The Company invests in a range of securities including, but not limited to, ordinary and preference shares, loan stocks, convertible securities, and other interest-bearing instruments as well as cash. Unquoted investments will usually be structured as a combination of ordinary shares and loan stock, while AIM investments are primarily held in ordinary shares. Pending investment in unquoted or AIM listed securities, cash is primarily held in interest bearing money market open-ended investment companies (OEICs) as well as a range of non qualifying companies. Non-Qualifying Investments may include holdings in money-market instruments, short-dated bonds, unit trusts, OEICs, structured products, guarantees to banks or third parties providing loans or other investment into investee companies and other assets where Foresight believes that the risk/return profile is consistent with the overall investment objectives of the portfolio. |
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|---|---|---|
| Investments are primarily made in companies which are substantially based in the UK, although many will trade overseas. The companies in which investments are made must have no more than £7 million of gross assets at the time of investment (or £15 million depending on when the funds being invested were raised) to be classed as a VCT qualifying holding. The Company aims to be significantly invested in growth businesses subject always to the quality of investment opportunities and the timing of realisations. Any uninvested funds are held in cash, interest bearing securities and a range of non-qualifying investments. It is intended that the significant majority (no less than 70%) of funds raised by the Company will be held in VCT qualifying investments. |
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| Risk is spread by investing in a number of different businesses within different industry sectors using a mixture of securities. The maximum amount invested in any one company, including any guarantees to banks or third parties providing loans or other investment into investee companies is limited to 15% of the portfolio at the time of investment. |
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| Investments are selected in the expectation that value will be enhanced by the application of private equity disciplines, including an active management style for unquoted companies, through the placement of an investor director onto investee company boards. |
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| The Company has a borrowing limit of an amount not exceeding an amount equal to the adjusted capital and reserves (being the aggregate of the amount paid up on the issued share capital of the Company and the amount standing to the credit of its reserves). Whilst the Company does not currently borrow, its policy permits it to do so. |
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| B35 | Borrowing limits | The Company's Articles permit borrowing but the Board's current policy is not to use borrowing. The Company has no borrowings to date. |
| B36 | Regulatory status | The Company is subject to the Act and the regulations made thereunder and in the UK generally; its shares are listed on the premium segment of the Official List and, as a qualifying VCT, it is subject to regulation by HMRC in order to retain such status. The Company acts as its own alternative investment fund manager for the purposes of the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive 2011. |
| B37 | Typical investor | A typical investor in the Company will be a UK higher-rate income tax payer, over 18 years of age and with an investment range of between £3,000 and £200,000 who is capable of understanding and is comfortable with the risks of VCT investment. |
| B38 | Investments of 20% or more in a single company |
Not applicable. The Company does not and will not hold any investments which represent more than 20% of its gross assets in a single company or group. |
| B39 | Investments of 40% or more in a single company |
Not applicable. The Company does not and will not hold any investments which represent more than 40% of its gross assets in a single company or group. |
|---|---|---|
| B40 | Service providers | Foresight Group CI Limited acts as manager to the Company and receives an annual fee comprised of: |
| • 2% of the NAV attributable to the Ordinary Shares (adjusted to reflect quoted investments at mid-market prices); |
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| • 1% of the NAV attributable to the Planned Exit Shares (adjusted to reflect quoted investments at mid-market prices); |
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| • 1% of the NAV attributable to the Infrastructure Shares; and |
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| • £100,000 fixed annual fee, |
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| payable quarterly in advance. | ||
| Foresight Group LLP is entitled to the following performance fees: | ||
| • an entitlement to subscribe at par for such number of Ordinary Shares as represents 15% of the aggregate of each (revenue or capital) distribution paid to the holders of Ordinary Shares. Ordinary Shares will only issued if the Total Return per Ordinary Share amounts to at least 180.4p (rebased to reflect the share restructuring which took place on 1 March 2011). 2% of the NAV attributable to the Ordinary Shares (adjusted to reflect quoted investments at mid-market prices). The Total Return for the purposes of this performance fee shall mean the aggregate of (i) the then NAV of Ordinary Shares and (ii) an amount equal to 19.4p (rebased to reflect the above mentioned restructuring)(these being the distributions as at 16 January 2007 per old Foresight VCT plc C share) and (iii) all distributions following that date per Ordinary Share; |
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| • an entitlement to the next 15p of distributions per Planned Exit Share once the holders of the Planned Exit Shares have received 110p of distributions per each Planned Exit Share, and thereafter to 20% of all further distributions per Planned Exit Share. This entitlement can be satisfied at the discretion of the Board wholly or partly in cash or by the issue of a number of Planned Exit Shares which, on issue, will have an aggregate NAV (using the most recently published NAV per Planned Exit Share) equal to the amount to be satisfied through the issue of such shares. • once the holders of Infrastructure Shares have received 100p |
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| of distributions per Infrastructure Share, an entitlement to an amount equal in value to 15% of distributions made to the holders of Infrastructure Shares. This entitlement can be satisfied at the discretion of the Board wholly or partly in cash and wholly or partly by the issue of a number of Infrastructure Shares which, on issue, will have an aggregate NAV (using the most recently published NAV per Infrastructure Share) equal to the amount to be satisfied through the issue of such shares. |
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| It has been agreed that, conditional on completion of the Merger, that the existing performance incentive arrangements in respect of the Ordinary Shares fund be terminated. The Directors have agreed to enter into discussions with Foresight following the Merger with a view to agreeing suitable incentive arrangements to apply to the Enlarged Company's Ordinary Shares fund going forward. |
| B41 | Regulatory status of Foresight Group LLP and Foresight Group CI Limited |
Foresight Group LLP is registered in England and Wales as a limited liability partnership with registered number OC300878. Foresight Group LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, with registration number 198020. |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foresight Group CI Limited is a private company registered in Guernsey with number 51471. Foresight Group CI Limited is licensed by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission. |
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| B42 | Calculation of NAV | The Company's NAV is calculated every quarter and published on an appropriate regulatory information service. If for any reason valuations are suspended, shareholders will be notified in a similar manner. |
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| B43 | Umbrella collective investment scheme |
investment scheme. | Not applicable. The Company is not part of an umbrella collective | ||
| B44 | Absence of financial statements |
financial statements. | Not applicable. The Company has commenced operations and published | ||
| B45 | Investment portfolio |
The Company invests in a portfolio of UK and European companies. Investments are structured as part loan and part equity in order to generate income and capital growth over the medium to long term. A summary of the Company's portfolio is set out below. |
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| Number of | Carrying value of | ||||
| NAV per Share at | investments as at | investments as at | |||
| 30 June 2015* |
30 June 2015 |
30 June 2015 |
|||
| Ordinary Shares | 91.7p | 17 | £26,396,664 | ||
| Planned Exit Shares | 52.4p | 3 | £2,242,472 | ||
| Infrastructure Shares |
92.0p | 12 | £15,128,894 | ||
| *(based on the Company's unaudited interim report as at 30 June 2015). | |||||
| B46 Most recent NAV As at 30 June 2015 (based on the Company's unaudited interim report per Ordinary Share, as at that date) the unaudited NAV for the Company's shares was as Planned Exit Share follows: |
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| and Infrastructure Share |
• Ordinary Share – 91.7p |
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| • Planned Exit Share – 52.4p |
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| • Infrastructure Share – 92.0p |
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| C | Securities | ||||
| C1 | Description and class of securities and authority |
Shares"). | The securities being offered pursuant to the Merger are Ordinary Shares of 1p each (ISIN number GB00B68K3716), Planned Exit Shares of 1p each (ISIN number: GB00B61K7Y37) and Infrastructure Shares of 1p each (ISIN number GB00B45M5X62) (together "Consideration |
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| C2 | Currency | The Company's share capital currently comprises: | |||
| • | Ordinary Shares of 1 penny each (GBP) | ||||
| • | Planned Exit Shares of 1 penny each (GBP) | ||||
| • | Infrastructure Shares of 1 penny each (GBP) |
| C3 | Shares in issue | As at the date of this document the following shares in the Company are in issue, all of which are fully paid up: |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| • 59,033,587 Ordinary Shares |
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| • 6,025,610 Planned Exit Shares |
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| • 16,547,046 Infrastructure Shares |
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| The maximum number of Consideration Shares to be issued pursuant to the Merger is, in aggregate, approximately 51,180,941. |
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| C4 | Description of the rights attaching to the securities |
The Consideration Shares will have the following rights: | ||
| Income & Capital | Voting | Redemption | ||
| Ordinary Shares | Holders of Ordinary Shares shall each receive a portion of the distributed income and capital derived from the assets attributable to the Ordinary Shares in accordance with the Articles and pro rata to the number of such shares which they hold. |
1 vote on a show of hands and 1 vote per share on a poll |
Non-redeemable | |
| Planned Exit Shares | Holders of Planned Exit Shares shall each receive a portion of the distributed income and capital derived from the assets attributable to the Planned Exit Shares in accordance with the Articles and pro rata to the number of such shares which they hold. |
1 vote on a show of hands and 1 vote per share on a poll |
Non-redeemable | |
| Infrastructure Shares |
Holders of Infrastructure Shares shall each receive a portion of the distributed income and capital derived from the assets attributable to the Infrastructure Shares in accordance with the Articles and pro rata to the number of such shares which they hold. |
1 vote on a show of hands and 1 vote per share on a poll |
Non-redeemable | |
| C5 | Restrictions on transfer |
The Consideration Shares will be listed on the premium segment of the Official List and, as a result, will be freely transferable. |
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| C6 | Admission | Application will be made to the UKLA for the Consideration Shares to be admitted to the premium segment of the Official List of the UKLA. Application will also be made to the London Stock Exchange for such shares to be admitted to trading on its main market for listed securities. It is anticipated that dealings in the Consideration Shares will commence three Business Days following allotment. |
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| C7 | Dividend policy | The Board's policy is to whenever possible to maintain a steady flow of tax-free dividends, generated from income or capital profits realised on the sale of investments. The level of dividends is not guaranteed. |
| D | Risks | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| D2 | Key information | The Company | |
| on the key risks specific to the Company |
• There can be no assurances that the Enlarged Company will meet its objectives, identify suitable investment opportunities or be able to diversify its portfolio. The past performance of Foresight, the funds managed or advised by Foresight, the Company and F2 is no guide to future performance of the Enlarged Company and the value of the Shares. The Shares may fall as well as rise in value. |
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| • The Scheme may not be approved by the shareholders of F2. If the Scheme is not approved then the Merger will not go ahead. |
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| • There can be no guarantee that the Enlarged Company will retain its status as a VCT, the loss of which could lead to adverse tax consequences. |
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| • Additional changes to the VCT Rules, effective from Royal Assent to the 2015 Finance Act, restrict the age of companies into which VCTs can invest and prohibit VCTs from funding the acquisition of businesses. A lifetime risk-finance investment limit for ordinary investee companies of £12 million has also been introduced. These changes mean there will be fewer companies available to the Enlarged Company to invest in and commensurately greater competition for deals. |
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| • The tax rules, or their interpretation, in relation to an investment in the Company and/or the rates of tax may change during the life of the Company and may apply retrospectively which could affect tax reliefs obtained by Shareholders and the VCT status of the Company. |
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| • Investments in unquoted companies, by their nature, involve a higher degree of risk than investments in larger "blue chip" companies and their securities are not readily marketable and therefore may be difficult to realise. |
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| • Although the Company may receive customary venture capital rights in connection with its investments, as a minority investor it will not be in a position to protect its interests fully. |
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| • The Company's investments may be difficult, and take time, to realise. There may also be constraints imposed on the realisation of investments in order to maintain the VCT tax status of the Enlarged Company which may restrict the Enlarged Company's ability to obtain maximum value from its investments. |
| D3 | Key information | The Merger |
|---|---|---|
| on the key risks specific to the securities |
• Completion of the Scheme is dependent on a number of conditions precedent being fulfilled, including the approval of Shareholders both in the Company and F2. Whilst the Board has identified a number of potential benefits of the Enlarged Company, there is no certainty that these benefits will lead to improved prospects for the Enlarged Company. If the Scheme is not approved by the shareholders of F2, the Merger will not go ahead and the full benefits of the Enlarged Company will not be realised. |
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| • Shareholders may be adversely affected by the performance of the investments, whether acquired from F2 or made by the Company. |
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| • Shareholders may be adversely affected by a change in the VCT status of the Company if a number of the investments acquired from F2, or the investments of the Company, are, or become, unable to meet VCT requirements. |
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| • The Company and F2 are invested in a number of the same companies and where the aggregation of these shareholding pursuant to the Merger means that the Enlarged Company would hold more than 50% of the share capital of that investee company, it will be necessary for the Enlarged Company to dispose of some or all of its investment within 12 months and such disposals may not be achievable on favourable commercial terms and could result in a diminution in the value of Shares in the Enlarged Company. |
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| E | Offer | |
| E1 | Merger net proceeds and expenses |
If effected, the Merger will result in an Enlarged Company with total net assets of approximately £117 million (after expected Merger costs of approximately £450,000). The Merger will not, however, result in any new money being raised by the Company. |
| E2a | Reasons for the Merger |
The Board considers that the Merger will bring a number of benefits to all of the groups of shareholders through: |
| • a reduction in annual running costs per Share for the Enlarged Company compared to the aggregate annual running costs of the separate companies; |
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| • enhanced prospects for the maintenance of regular and significant future dividend payments to Ordinary Shareholders; and |
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| • the ability to sustain a future programme of new and follow on investments in an enlarged Ordinary Share Portfolio including a significantly wider spread. |
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| E3 | Terms and conditions of the |
The Merger, the implementation of which is conditional on the passing of resolutions at the General Meeting, will be effected by: |
| Merger | (1) F2 being placed into members' voluntary liquidation pursuant to a scheme of reconstruction under section 110 of the IA 1986; and |
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| (2) all of the assets and liabilities of F2 being transferred to the Company in consideration for the issue of Consideration Shares (which will be issued directly by the Company to shareholders of F2). |
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| E4 | Description of any interest that is material to the issue |
Not applicable. There are no interests that are material to the issue. |
| E5 | Name of persons selling securities |
Not applicable. No entity is selling securities in the Company. |
| E6 | Amount and percentage of immediate dilution |
If 51,180,941 Consideration Shares are issued in aggregate under the Merger, the existing 81,713,243 Shares will represent 61.5% of the Enlarged Company's issued share capital. None of the existing Shares in the Enlarged Company will suffer NAV dilution, however, as the number of Consideration Shares to be issued to the shareholders in F2 is to be based on the relative net assets of the Companies. |
|---|---|---|
| E7 | Expenses charged to the investor |
Not applicable. No expenses are charged to the investor by the Company. |
Shareholders and prospective Shareholders should consider carefully the following risk factors in addition to the other information presented in this document as a whole. If any of the risks described below were to materialise, there could be a material effect on the Company's businesses, financial condition or results of operations. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones the Company, the Board or Shareholders will face. Additional risks not currently known to the Company or the Board, or that the Company or the Board currently believe are not material, may also adversely affect the Company's businesses, financial condition and results of operations. The value of Shares could decline due to any of these risk factors, and Shareholders could lose part or all of their investment. Shareholders who are in any doubt about what to do should consult their independent financial adviser. The attention of Shareholders is drawn to the following risks:
• Completion of the Scheme is dependent upon a number of conditions precedent being fulfilled, including the approval of Shareholders and F2 Shareholders. Whilst the Board has identified a number of potential benefits of the Merger for the Enlarged Company, there is no certainty that these benefits will lead to improved prospects for the Enlarged Company. The Scheme is conditional on approval by the Shareholders of F2 at a general meeting and notice of dissent not being received from shareholders holding more than 10% in nominal value of the issued share capital of F2, neither of which can be guaranteed. If the Merger is not approved or does not for any reason proceed to completion, the benefits described in this document will not be realised but many of the costs of the Merger will still be borne by the Companies.
• The value of Shares and the income from them can fluctuate and investors may not get back the amount they invested. In addition, there is no certainty that the market price of the Shares will fully reflect the underlying Net Asset Value or that Shareholders will be able to realise their shareholding or that dividends will be paid. Investment in the Company should be seen as a long-term investment. The past performance of the Company, F2 or of other funds managed by Foresight, the manager to the Companies, is not necessarily an indication of the future performance of the Enlarged Company.
the investments of the Company may restrict the ability of the Company following the merger to distribute any capital and revenue gains achieved on the investments transferred from F2 to the Company (as well as the investments of the Company).
| Latest time for the receipt of forms of proxy for the General Meeting |
10.00 a.m. on 8 December 2015 |
|---|---|
| General Meeting | 10.00 a.m. on 10 December 2015 |
| Calculation Date | 17 December 2015 |
| Effective Date for the transfer of the assets and liabilities of F2 to the Company and the issue of Consideration Shares pursuant to the Scheme |
18 December 2015 |
| Announcement of the results of the General Meetings and completion of the Scheme |
18 December 2015 |
| Admission and dealings in the Consideration Shares to commence | 21 December 2015 |
| CREST accounts credited (where applicable) | 22 December 2015 |
| Certificates for Consideration Shares dispatched by | 22 January 2016 |
| EXPECTED TIMETABLE FOR FORESIGHT 2 VCT PLC ("F2") | |
| Date from which it is advised that dealings in F2 Shares should only be for cash settlement and immediate delivery of documents of title |
8 December 2015 |
| Latest time for receipt of forms of proxy for the F2 First General Meeting |
10.30 a.m. on 8 December 2015 |
| F2 First General Meeting | 10.30 a.m. on 10 December 2015 |
| Latest time for receipt of forms of proxy for the F2 Second General Meeting |
10.00 a.m. on 16 December 2015 |
| Calculation Date | 17 December 2015 |
| F2 register of members closed | 5.00 p.m. on 17 December 2015 |
| Record Date for F2 Shareholders' entitlements under the Scheme | 5.00 p.m. on 17 December 2015 |
| Dealings in F2 Shares suspended* | 7.30 a.m. on 18 December 2015 |
| F2 Second General Meeting | 10.00 a.m. on 18 December 2015 |
| Effective Date for the transfer of the assets and liabilities of F2 to the Company and the issue of Consideration Shares pursuant to the Scheme** |
18 December 2015 |
| Announcements of the results of the Scheme | 18 December 2015 |
| Cancellation of the listing of the F2 Shares | 8.00 a.m. on 22 January 2016 |
| (* the last trading date for the F2 Shares will, therefore, be 17 December 2015) |
(** see the timetable for the Company with regard to Admission, CREST accounts being credited and certificates being dispatched)
| "Admission" | the date on which the Consideration Shares are listed on the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and admitted to dealing on the LSE's main market for listed securities |
|---|---|
| "AIM" | the Alternative Investment Market, a market operated by the LSE |
| "Articles" | the articles of association of the Company, as amended from time to time |
| "Board" or "Directors" | the board of directors of the Company (and each a "Director") |
| "Boards" | the Board and the F2 Board |
| "CA 2006" | the Companies Act 2006, as amended |
| "Calculation Date" | the date on which the number of Consideration Shares to be issued is determined, this being after the close of business on 17 December 2015 |
| "Circular" | the circular to Shareholders dated 13 November 2015 |
| "Companies" | the Company and F2 |
| "Company" or "F1" | Foresight VCT plc |
| "Consideration Shares" | the Ordinary Consideration and/or Planned Exit Consideration Shares and/or Infrastructure Consideration Shares, as the context dictates, to be issued by the Company to F2 Shareholders in accordance with the Scheme (and each a "Consideration Share") |
| "Due Share of Merger Costs" |
the proportions of the total Merger Costs to be borne by each class of shares respectively in the Company and F2 as set out in paragraph 1 of Part 10 of this document |
| "Effective Date" | the date on which the Merger will be completed, expected to be 18 December 2015 |
| "Enlarged Company" | the Company, following implementation of the Scheme |
| "F2" | Foresight 2 VCT plc |
| "F2 Board" | the board of directors of F2 |
| "F2 Circular" | the circular to F2 Shareholders dated 13 November 2015 |
| "F2 First General Meeting" | the first general meeting of F2 to be held on 10 December 2015 (and any adjournment thereof) |
| "F2 Infrastructure Share Roll-Over Value" |
the value of an F2 Infrastructure Share, calculated in accordance with Part 2 of this document |
| "F2 Infrastructure Shareholders" |
holders of F2 Infrastructure Shares (and each an "Infrastructure Shareholder") |
| "F2 Infrastructure Shares" | the infrastructure shares of 1p each in the capital of F2 (ISIN: GB00B5M3H114) (and each an "F2 Infrastructure Share") |
| "F2 Infrastructure Shares fund" |
the assets and liabilities attributable to the F2 Infrastructure Shares |
| "F2 Ordinary Share Roll-Over Value" |
the value of an F2 Ordinary Share, calculated in accordance with Part 2 of this document |
| "F2 Ordinary Shareholders" |
holders of F2 Ordinary Shares (and each a "F2 Ordinary Shareholder") |
|---|---|
| "F2 Ordinary Shares" | the ordinary shares of 1p each in the capital of F2 (ISIN: GB00B03CKY62) (and each an "F2 Ordinary Share") |
| "F2 Ordinary Shares fund" | the assets and liabilities attributable to the F2 Ordinary Shares |
| "F2 Planned Exit Share Roll-Over Value" |
the value of an F2 Planned Exit Share, calculated in accordance with Part 2 of this document |
| "F2 Planned Exit Shareholders" |
holders of F2 Planned Exit Shares (and each a "F2 Planned Exit Shareholder") |
| "F2 Planned Exit Shares" | the planned exit shares of 1p each in the capital of F2 (ISIN: GB00B61M8H90) (and each an "F2 Planned Exit Share") |
| "F2 Planned Exit Shares fund" |
the assets and liabilities attributable to the F2 Planned Exit Shares |
| "F2 Second General Meeting" |
the second general meeting of F2 to be held on 18 December 2015 (and any adjournment thereof) |
| "F2 Shares" | means F2 Ordinary Shares and/or F2 Planned Exit Shares and/or F2 Infrastructure Shares as the context dictates |
| "F2 Shareholders" | the shareholders of F2 (and each a "F2 Shareholder") |
| "FCA" | the Financial Conduct Authority |
| "Foresight" | Foresight Group CI Limited, the Companies' manager which is licensed by the Guernsey Financial Services commission |
| "Foresight Group" | Foresight Group LLP which is authorised and regulated by the FCA |
| "FSMA" | the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended |
| "General Meeting" or "Meeting" |
the general meeting of the Company to be held on 10 December 2015 (and any adjournments thereof) convened in accordance with notices enclosed with the Circular; |
| "HMRC" | HM Revenue & Customs |
| "IA 1986" | Insolvency Act 1986, as amended |
| "Independent Valuer" | Scott-Moncrieff of Exchange Place 3, Semple Street, Edinburgh EH3 8BL |
| "Infrastructure Consideration Shares" |
the new Infrastructure Shares to be issued to F2 Infrastructure Shareholders in accordance with the Scheme (and each an "Infrastructure Consideration Share") |
| "Infrastructure Shareholders" |
holders of Infrastructure Shares (and each an "Infrastructure Shareholder") |
| "Infrastructure Share Portfolios" |
the Infrastructure Shares fund and the F2 Infrastructure Shares fund (and each an "Infrastructure Share Portfolio") |
| "Infrastructure Share Merger Ratio" |
the F2 Infrastructure Share Roll-Over Value divided by the Infrastructure Share Merger Value rounded down to four decimal places |
| "Infrastructure Share Merger Value" |
the value of an Infrastructure Share calculated in accordance with Part 2 of this document |
| "Infrastructure Shares" | the infrastructure shares of 1p each in the capital of the Company (ISIN: GB00B45M5X62) (and each an "Infrastructure Share") |
|---|---|
| "Infrastructure Shares fund" |
the assets and liabilities attributable to the Infrastructure Shares |
| "ITA 2007" | Income Tax Act 2007, as amended |
| "Liquidators" | William Duncan and Gareth Harris of RSM Restructuring Advisory LLP, Springfield House, 76 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 2AY in their capacities as joint liquidators of F2 |
| "Listing Rules" | the listing rules of the UKLA |
| "London Stock Exchange" or "LSE" |
London Stock Exchange plc |
| "Merger" | the proposed merger of the Companies to be effected through the Scheme |
| "Merger Costs" | costs of the Merger to borne by the Company and F2, estimated to be £450,000 |
| "Merger Regulations" | Venture Capital Trusts (Winding-up and Mergers) (Tax) Regulations 2004 |
| "Merger Values" | the Ordinary Share Merger Value, the Planned Exit Share Merger Value, the Infrastructure Share Merger Value, the F2 Ordinary Share Roll-Over Value, the F2 Planned Exit Share Roll-Over Value, the F2 Infrastructure Share Roll-Over Value |
| "NAV" or "Net Asset Value" |
net asset value |
| "Official List" | the official list of the UKLA |
| "Ordinary Consideration Shares" |
the new Ordinary Shares to be issued to F2 Ordinary Shareholders in accordance with the Scheme (and each an "Ordinary Consideration Share") |
| "Ordinary Shareholders" | holders of Ordinary Shares (and each an "Ordinary Shareholder") |
| "Ordinary Share Portfolios" | the Ordinary Shares fund and the F2 Ordinary Shares fund (and each an "Ordinary Share Portfolio") |
| "Ordinary Share Merger Ratio" |
the F2 Ordinary Share Roll-Over Value divided by the Ordinary Share Merger Value rounded down to four decimal places |
| "Ordinary Share Merger Value" |
the value of an Ordinary Share calculated in accordance with Part 2 of this document |
| "Ordinary Shares" | the ordinary shares of 1p each in the capital of the Company (ISIN: GB00B68K3716) (and each an "Ordinary Share") |
| "Ordinary Shares fund" | the assets and liabilities attributable to the Ordinary Shares |
| "Planned Exit Consideration Shares" |
the new Planned Exit Shares to be issued to F2 Planned Exit Shareholders in accordance with the Scheme (and each a "Planned Exit Consideration Share") |
| "Planned Exit Share Portfolios" |
the Planned Exit Shares fund and F2 Planned Exit Shares fund (and each a "Planned Exit Share Portfolio") |
|---|---|
| "Planned Exit Share Merger Ratio" |
the F2 Planned Exit Share Roll-Over Value divided by the Planned Exit Share Merger Value rounded down to four decimal places |
| "Planned Exit Share Merger Value" |
the value of an Planned Exit Share calculated in accordance with Part 2 of this document |
| "Planned Exit Shares" | the planned exit shares of 1p each in the capital of the Company (ISIN: GB00B61K7Y37) (and each a "Planned Exit Share") |
| "Planned Exit Shares fund" | the assets and liabilities attributable to the Planned Exit Shares |
| "Proposals" | the proposal to effect the Scheme and pass the Resolutions |
| "Prospectus" | this document |
| "Record Date" | the record date to which F2 Shareholders' entitlements will be allocated pursuant to the Scheme, expected to be 5.00 p.m. 17 December 2015 |
| "Resolutions" | the resolutions to be proposed at the Meetings (and each a "Resolution") |
| "Scheme" | the proposed merger of the Company with F2 by means of placing F2 into members' voluntary liquidation pursuant to Section 110 of IA 1986 and the acquisition by the Company of all of F2's assets and liabilities in consideration for Consideration Shares |
| "Section 593 Report" | as defined on page 29 |
| "Shareholders" | holders of Shares (and each a "Shareholder") |
| "Shares" | means Ordinary Shares and/or Planned Exit Shares and/or Infrastructure Shares as the context dictates (and each a "Share") |
| "Transfer Agreement" | the agreement between the Company and F2 (acting through the Liquidators) for the transfer of all of the assets and liabilities of F2 by the Liquidators to the Company pursuant to the Scheme |
| "UK" | the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| "UKLA" or "UK Listing Authority" |
the UK Listing Authority, being the Financial Conduct Authority acting in its capacity as the competent authority for the purposes of Part 6 of the Financial Services and Market Act 2000 |
| "VCT" or "venture capital trust" |
a company satisfying the requirements of Chapter 3 of Part 6 of ITA 2007 for venture capital trusts |
| "VCT Rules" | the legislation, rules and HMRC interpretation and practice regulating the establishment and operation of venture capital trusts |
This document has been published in connection with the issue by the Company of Consideration Shares pursuant to a proposed Merger.
The Boards consider that the interests of shareholders in both Companies will be better served by an enlarged single company with reduced annual running costs per share. The Companies are each currently managed by Foresight and so the continuity of the management will be preserved by the Merger.
The most cost-effective way to achieve this is to undertake a Scheme whereby F2 is placed into members' voluntary liquidation and all of the assets and liabilities of F2 are transferred to the Company in exchange for the issue of Consideration Shares to the F2 Shareholders with each F2 Ordinary Shareholder receiving Ordinary Shares in F1, each F2 Planned Exit Shareholder receiving Planned Exit Shares in F1 and each F2 Infrastructure Shareholder receiving Infrastructure Shares in F1. The investment policy of the various matching share classes are, in each case, identical and so continuity for shareholders of both Companies would be preserved.
The Consideration Shares are not being offered to the existing Shareholders of the Company or the public. A total of approximately 51.2 million Consideration Shares are expected to be allotted pursuant to the Merger (assuming no dissenting shareholders).
In connection with the Merger, the Company has also published the Circular, which is being despatched to Shareholders. The Circular contains proposals relating to the Merger. F2 has also published a similar circular.
Changes to the VCT Rules in 2012 removed certain restrictions on the maximum size of VCT qualifying investments and, as a result, larger VCTs became more viable. The Board has observed that there have been recent movements in the VCT market which have resulted in the creation through merger of VCTs with at least £50 million of net assets. In recommending that the Company participates in a merger, which will result in an Enlarged Company with a net asset base of approximately £117 million, the Board expects to bring a number of benefits to the Company's existing Shareholders and to F2 Shareholders whilst maintaining or enhancing existing aspects of the Company:
and in respect of the enlarged Ordinary Shares fund, Shareholders will benefit from:
The Merger of the Companies will be effected in the following way:
• F2 will be placed into members' voluntary liquidation pursuant to a scheme of reconstruction under section 110 IA 1986; and
• all of F2's assets and liabilities will be transferred to the Company in consideration for the issue of the Consideration Shares to the F2 Shareholders corresponding to the class of share they currently hold.
Following the transfer of the assets and liabilities of F2 to the Company pursuant to the Merger, it is proposed that the listing of each of the classes of shares in F2 will be cancelled and F2 will be wound up.
In addition to the approval by Shareholders of the Merger (which is sought pursuant to the resolution to be proposed at the General Meeting approving the Scheme) the Merger is also dependent on: ·
and would become effective immediately after the passing of the special resolution for the winding up of F2 at the F2 Second General Meeting.
On the Effective Date, the Liquidators shall receive all the cash, undertakings and other assets and liabilities of F2 and shall deliver to the Company:
On the Effective Date, the Company and the Liquidators (on behalf of F2) will enter into the Transfer Agreement (subject to such modifications as may be agreed between the parties thereto) pursuant to which the Liquidators will procure the transfer of all of the assets and liabilities of F2 to the Company in exchange for the issue of Consideration Shares (fully paid) to the F2 Shareholders on the basis set out below.
The Company will, pursuant to the Transfer Agreement, undertake to pay all liabilities incurred by the Liquidators including but not limited to the implementation of the Merger, the winding up of F2 and the purchase for cash of any holdings of dissenting F2 Shareholders.
The definitions set out in Part 1 of this document shall have the same meaning when used in the context of this Part 2.
On or immediately prior to the Effective Date, Foresight Fund Managers Limited (on the instruction of the Liquidators), shall calculate the Merger Values in accordance with this Part 2.
On the Calculation Date, Foresight Fund Managers Limited (on the instruction of the Liquidators) shall calculate the Ordinary Share Merger Value, Planned Exit Share Merger Value, Infrastructure Share Merger Value and the F2 Ordinary Share Roll-Over Value, F2 Planned Exit Share Roll-Over Value, F2 Infrastructure Share Roll-Over Value in accordance with paragraph 3 below.
On the Effective Date, the Liquidators shall receive all the assets, liabilities, cash and undertakings of F2 and shall deliver to the Company:
On the Effective Date, the Company and the Liquidators (on behalf of F2) will enter into the Transfer Agreement (subject to such modifications as may be agreed between the parties thereto) pursuant to which the Liquidators will procure the transfer of all of the assets and liabilities of F2 to the Company in exchange for the issue of Consideration Shares (credited as fully paid up) to F2 Shareholders on the basis set out in paragraph 3 below.
In further consideration of such transfer of assets and liabilities of F2 to the Company, the Company will, pursuant to the Transfer Agreement, undertake to pay all liabilities incurred by the Liquidators including, but not limited to, the implementation of the Scheme, the winding up of F2 and the purchase for cash of any holdings of dissenting F2 Shareholders.
Except as otherwise provided for in this Part 4, for the purposes of calculating the Merger Values and the number of Consideration Shares to be issued, the following provisions will apply:
The F2 Ordinary Share Roll-Over Value will be calculated as:
A – (B + C)
D
where:
A = the unaudited net assets of the F2 Ordinary Shares fund as at the Calculation Date calculated in accordance with F2's normal accounting policies and taken from the unaudited management information of F2 to that date (including any adjustment that the Boards (acting jointly) consider appropriate to reflect any other actual or contingent benefit or liability of the F2 Ordinary Shares fund as at the Calculation Date);
The Ordinary Share Merger Value per Share will be calculated as follows:
$$
\frac{E - F}{\frac{1}{2}}
$$
G
where:
The number of Ordinary Consideration Shares to be issued to F2 Ordinary Shareholders (save for any dissenting F2 Ordinary Shareholders) will be calculated as follows:
$$
\frac{H}{I} \quad x J
$$
where:
H = the F2 Ordinary Share Roll-Over Value;
I = the Ordinary Share Merger Value; and
J = the number of F2 Ordinary Shares in issue as at close of business on the Record Date (save for any F2 Ordinary Shares held by dissenting F2 Shareholders).
The number of Ordinary Consideration Shares to be issued pursuant to the Scheme will not be greater than 35 million and will be issued directly to F2 Ordinary Shareholders pro rata to their existing holdings (disregarding F2 Ordinary Shares held by dissenting F2 Shareholders) on the instruction of the Liquidators by applying the Ordinary Share Merger Ratio to F2 Ordinary Shareholders' holdings of F2 Ordinary Shares.
The Ordinary Share Merger Ratio will be rounded down to four decimal places and entitlements will be rounded down to the nearest whole number of Ordinary Consideration Shares. Any fractional entitlements of Ordinary Consideration Shares in respect of each holding of F2 Ordinary Shares (which, in each case, will not exceed £1) will be aggregated and sold, with the proceeds retained for the benefit of the Enlarged Company.
As at 30 June 2015, the unaudited net assets of the F2 Ordinary Shares fund and the NAV of an F2 Ordinary Share (taken from F2's unaudited management information to that date) were £26,626,000 and 57.8p respectively. The F2 Ordinary Share Roll-Over Value, had the Scheme been completed on that date and calculated as set out above, would have been 57.5p (assuming no dissenting F2 Shareholders).
As at 30 June 2015, the unaudited net assets of the Ordinary Shares fund and the NAV of an Ordinary Share (taken from the Company's unaudited half-yearly accounts to that date) were £54,241,000 and 91.7p respectively. The Ordinary Share Merger Value, had the Scheme been completed on that date and calculated as set out above, would have been 91.5p.
The number of Ordinary Consideration Shares that would have been issued to F2 Ordinary Shareholders, had the Scheme been completed on 30 June 2015 and calculated as set out above, would have been 28,928,629 (0.6279 Ordinary Consideration Shares for every F2 Ordinary Share held).
The F2 Planned Exit Share Roll-Over Value will be calculated as:
A – (B + C)
D
where:
The Planned Exit Share Merger Value per Share will be calculated as follows:
$$
\mathsf{E} \vdash \mathsf{F}
$$
G
where:
The number of Planned Exit Consideration Shares to be issued to F2 Planned Exit Shareholders (save for any dissenting F2 Shareholders) will be calculated as follows:
$$
\frac{H}{I} \quad x J
$$
where:
The number of Planned Exit Consideration Shares to be issued pursuant to the Scheme will not be greater than 7 million and will be issued directly to F2 Planned Exit Shareholders pro rata to their existing holdings (disregarding F2 Planned Exit Shares held by dissenting F2 Shareholders) on the instruction of the Liquidators by applying the Planned Exit Share Merger Ratio to F2 Planned Exit Shareholders' holdings of F2 Planned Exit Shares.
The Planned Exit Share Merger Ratio will be rounded down to four decimal places and entitlements will be rounded down to the nearest whole number of Planned Exit Consideration Shares. Any fractional entitlements of Planned Exit Consideration Shares in respect of each holding of F2 Planned Exit Shares (which, in each case, will not exceed £1) will be aggregated and sold, with the proceeds retained for the benefit of the Enlarged Company.
As at 30 June 2015, the unaudited net assets of the F2 Planned Exit Shares fund and the NAV of an F2 Planned Exit Share (taken from F2's unaudited management information to that date) were £3,062,000 and 50.3p respectively. The F2 Planned Exit Share Roll-Over Value, had the Scheme been completed on that date and calculated as set out above, would have been 50.3p (assuming no dissenting F2 Shareholders).
As at 30 June 2015, the unaudited net assets of the Planned Exit Shares fund and the NAV of a Planned Exit Share (taken from the Company's unaudited half-yearly accounts to that date) were £3,157,000 and 52.4p respectively. The Planned Exit Share Merger Value, had the Scheme been completed on that date and calculated as set out above, would have been 52.4p.
The number of Planned Exit Consideration Shares that would have been issued to F2 Planned Exit Shareholders, had the Scheme been completed on 30 June 2015 and calculated as set out above, would have been 5,844,086 (0.9602 Planned Exit Consideration Shares for every F2 Planned Exit Share held).
The F2 Infrastructure Share Roll-Over Value will be calculated as:
A – (B + C)
D
where:
The Infrastructure Share Merger Value per Share will be calculated as follows:
$$
\frac{E - F}{\cdot}
$$
G
where:
E = the unaudited net assets of the Infrastructure Shares fund as at the Calculation Date, calculated in accordance with the Company's normal accounting policies and taken from the unaudited management information of the Company to that date (including any adjustment that the Boards (acting jointly) consider appropriate to reflect any other actual or contingent benefit or liability of the Infrastructure Shares fund as at the Calculation Date);
The number of Infrastructure Consideration Shares to be issued to F2 Infrastructure Shareholders (save for any dissenting F2 Infrastructure Shareholders) will be calculated as follows:
$$
\frac{H}{I} \quad x J
$$
where:
H = the F2 Infrastructure Share Roll-Over Value;
The number of Infrastructure Consideration Shares to be issued pursuant to the Scheme will not be greater than 20 million and will be issued directly to F2 Infrastructure Shareholders pro rata to their existing holdings (disregarding F2 Infrastructure Shares held by dissenting F2 Shareholders) on the instruction of the Liquidators by applying the Infrastructure Share Merger Ratio to F2 Infrastructure Shareholders' holdings of F2 Infrastructure Shares.
The Infrastructure Share Merger Ratio will be rounded down to four decimal places and entitlements will be rounded down to the nearest whole number of Infrastructure Consideration Shares. Any fractional entitlements of Infrastructure Consideration Shares in respect of each holding of F2 Infrastructure Shares (which, in each case, will not exceed £1) will be aggregated and sold, with the proceeds retained for the benefit of the Enlarged Company.
As at 30 June 2015, the unaudited net assets of the F2 Infrastructure Shares fund and the NAV of an F2 Infrastructure Share (taken from F2's unaudited management information to that date) were £15,101,000 and 91.2p respectively. The F2 Infrastructure Share Roll-Over Value, had the Scheme been completed on that date and calculated as set out above, would have been 91.0p (assuming no dissenting F2 Shareholders).
As at 30 June 2015, the unaudited net assets of the Infrastructure Shares fund and the NAV of an Infrastructure Share (taken from the Company's unaudited half-yearly accounts to that date) were £15,224,000 and 92.0p respectively. The Infrastructure Share Merger Value, had the Scheme been completed on that date and calculated as set out above, would have been 91.8p.
The number of Infrastructure Consideration Shares that would have been issued to F2 Infrastructure Shareholders, had the Scheme been completed on 30 June 2015 and calculated as set out above, would have been 16,412,833 (0.9908 Infrastructure Consideration Shares for every F2 Infrastructure Share held).
The Scheme is dependent on:
Subject to the above, the Scheme shall proceed and become effective immediately after the passing of the special resolution for the winding up of F2 to be proposed at the F2 Second General Meeting and will be binding on all F2 Shareholders, including dissenting F2 Shareholders, and all persons claiming through or under them.
If the conditions have not been fulfilled by 31 January 2016, the Scheme will not proceed.
Provided that an F2 Shareholder does not vote in favour of the resolution to be proposed at the F2 First General Meeting, such F2 Shareholder may, within seven days following the F2 First General Meeting, express his/her dissent to the Liquidators in writing at the registered office of F2 and require the Liquidators to purchase that F2 Shareholder's holding.
The Liquidators will offer to purchase the holdings of dissenting F2 Shareholders at the break value price of an F2 Share of the relevant class, this being an estimate of the amount an F2 Shareholder would receive per F2 Share of the relevant class in an ordinary winding-up of F2 if all of the assets of F2 had to be realised and distributed to holders of each class of Shares. The break value of an F2 Share in each class is expected to be significantly below the unaudited NAV per F2 Share in each class due to the nature of the underlying assets. F2 Shareholders should also be aware that a purchase by the Liquidators will be regarded as a disposal for HMRC purposes, thereby triggering the repayment of any initial income tax relief received on original subscription if the F2 Shares have not been held for the requisite holding period to maintain such relief.
The Liquidators and the Company shall be entitled to act and rely, without enquiry, on any information furnished or made available to them or any of them, as the case may be, in connection with the Scheme and the Transfer Agreement including, for the avoidance of doubt, any certificate, opinion, advice, valuation, evidence or other information furnished or made available to them by the Company, F2, the Boards, any individual director of the Companies, Foresight, Foresight Fund Managers Limited, the registrar or the custodians or bankers of the Companies or its or their other professional advisers and the Liquidators shall not be liable or responsible for any loss suffered as a result thereof.
Nothing in the Scheme or in any document executed under or in connection with the Scheme shall impose any personal liability on the Liquidators or either of them save for any liability arising out of any negligence, breach of duty or wilful default by the Liquidators in the performance of their duties and this shall, for the avoidance of doubt, exclude any such liability for any action taken by the Liquidators in accordance with the Scheme or the Transfer Agreement.
The provisions of the Scheme shall have effect subject to such non-material modifications or additions, which may include changes to the timetable, as the parties to the Transfer Agreement may from time to time approve in writing.
The Scheme shall, in all respects, be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.
Entitlements in respect of F2 Shares will be rounded down to the nearest whole number and any fractional entitlements (which will not exceed £5) will be retained for the benefit of the Enlarged Company.
The Consideration Shares will be issued in registered form. Consideration Shares are eligible for electronic settlement and can be held within the CREST system. If, following issue, recipients of Consideration Shares pursuant to the Scheme should wish to hold their Consideration Shares in uncertificated form they should contact their broker or independent financial adviser. Dividend payment mandates provided for F2 will, unless the F2 Shareholders advise otherwise in writing to Computershare, be transferred to the Company.
Application will be made to the UKLA for the Consideration Shares to be listed on the Official List and will be made to the London Stock Exchange for such Consideration Shares to be admitted to trading on its market for listed securities. The Consideration Shares have the rights set out in Part 2 of this document but as regards dividends and returns of capital, any income and capital distributions made to the holders of Consideration Shares shall be made out of, or arising from, the assets attributable to the relevant class of Consideration Share on the same terms as before the Merger.
The Liquidators will offer to purchase the holdings of the dissenting F2 Shareholders at the break value price of F2, this being an estimate of the amount a holder of such shares would receive in an ordinary winding-up of F2 if all of the assets of F2 had to be realised. Due to F2's investments being generally in unquoted companies for which there are not generally readily available purchasers, the break values for F2 Shares are expected to be significantly below the unaudited net asset values of such shares. F2 Shareholders should also be aware that a purchase by the Liquidators will be regarded as a disposal for HMRC purposes, thereby triggering the payment of any upfront income tax relief (assuming such shares have not been held for the minimum five year holding period) received on the original subscription.
As required by section 593 CA 2006, prior to the allotment of the Consideration Shares, the Company will be posting to F2 Shareholders and uploading on to the Company's website a valuation report which will be prepared by the Independent Valuer (the "Section 593 Report"). The Section 593 Report will confirm to the Company that the value of F2's assets and liabilities which are being transferred to the Company as part of the Merger is not less than the aggregate amount treated as being paid up on the Consideration Shares being issued to F2 Shareholders pursuant to that Scheme.
The portfolio of assets which will be transferred to the Company by F2 as part of the Scheme are all considered to be in line with the Company's investment policy. The extent of the liabilities (if any) which will be transferred to the Company by F2 as part of the Scheme will be those which are incurred in the ordinary course of business, together with the merger costs (which remain unpaid at the time of transfer). Any such liabilities are expected to be nominal in comparison to the value of the assets being acquired.
If the conditions for the Scheme, as set out above, have not been satisfied by 31 January 2016, then the Scheme shall not become effective and F2 will continue in its current form and the F2 Board will continue to keep the future of F2 under review.
The following information is based on current UK law and practice, is subject to changes therein, is given by way of general summary and does not constitute legal or tax advice. The following paragraphs apply to the Company and to persons holding Shares as an investment in the Company who are the absolute beneficial owners of such Shares and are resident in the UK. They may not apply to certain classes of persons, such as dealers in securities.
The implementation of the Scheme should not affect the status of the Company as a VCT or the tax reliefs obtained by Shareholders on subscription of existing Shares. It is the intention of the Board to continue to comply with the requirements of ITA 2007 following implementation of the Scheme so as to continue to qualify as a VCT.
Clearance has been obtained from HMRC in respect of the Scheme under section 701 ITA 2007 and Section 138 TCGA 1992. With regard to the former, the receipt of Consideration Shares will not, except in the case of dealers, be regarded as an income receipt for the purposes of UK taxation.
Clearance has also been obtained from HMRC that the Scheme meets the requirements of the Merger Regulations and as such the receipt by F2 Shareholders of Consideration Shares will not prejudice tax reliefs obtained by F2 Shareholders on existing F2 Shares.
No UK stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax will be payable by F2 Shareholders as a result of the implementation of the Scheme.
If you are in any doubt about your position, or if you may be subject to tax in a jurisdiction other than the UK, you should consult your independent financial adviser.
HMRC have confirmed that the effective exchange of existing F2 Shares for Consideration Shares will not constitute a disposal of the existing F2 Shares for the purposes of UK taxation. Instead, the new holding of the Company's Consideration Shares will be treated as having been acquired at the same time and at the same cost as the existing F2 Shares from which they are derived. Any capital gains tax deferral should not, therefore, be crystallised for payment but will be transferred to the Consideration Shares.
For F2 Shareholders holding (together with their associates) more than 5% of F2 Shares in issue, clearance has been obtained from HMRC in terms of Section 138 of TCGA 1992 that the treatment described above for persons who (together with their associates) own less than 5% of F2 Shares in issue will also apply to them.
Shareholders in the Company, as a VCT, will be afforded the usual tax reliefs available to shareholders in VCTs. Qualifying shareholders will continue to receive tax-free dividends and will not be subject to UK taxation on any capital gains on the disposal of Shares.
Dissenting F2 Shareholders' holdings will be purchased for cash at the `break value', which will be an estimate of the amount an F2 Shareholder would receive in an ordinary winding-up of F2 if all the assets of F2 had to be realised. The break value is expected to be significantly below the estimated applicable NAV as at the Effective Date.
Dissenting F2 Shareholders whose F2 Shares are purchased shall be treated as having disposed of their existing F2 Shares. F2 will still be able to claim the benefit of VCT status whilst in liquidation under the Merger Regulations and the dissenting F2 Shareholders will not be subject to any UK taxation in respect of any capital gains arising on disposal under the Scheme.
2.1 On 1 March 2011, the Ordinary Shares underwent a reconstruction such that the underlying NAV of each Ordinary Share was rebased to 100.0p. This reconstruction resulted in the Ordinary Shareholders' holdings being adjusted by a ratio of 0.554417986 per Ordinary Share held at the close of business on 1 March 2011 and resulted in 29,941,281 Ordinary Shares being in issue, the remaining balance being redesignated as deferred shares of 1p each and purchased by the Company for an aggregate nominal sum of 1p.
| Share Class | Shares bought back since 30 June 2015 |
|---|---|
| Ordinary Shares | 107,000 |
| Planned Exit Shares | – |
| Infrastructure Shares | – |
in each case provided that this authority shall expire (unless renewed, varied or revoked by the Company in a general meeting) on the fifth anniversary of the date of passing of this resolution, save that the Company shall be entitled to make offers or agreements before the expiry of such authority which would or might require shares to be allotted or Rights to be granted after such expiry and the directors shall be entitled to allot shares and grant Rights pursuant to any such offers or agreements as if this authority had not expired.
(b) that, in addition to all other existing authorities, the Directors were empowered pursuant to section 570 and section 573 of the CA 2006 to allot equity securities (within the meaning
1 TBC and then to be reviewed at a time immediately preceding publication
of section 560 of that Act) for cash either pursuant to the authority conferred or by the resolution noted at (a) above or by way of a sale of treasury shares as if section 561(1) of that Act did not apply to any such allotment, provided that this power shall be limited to:
in each case where the proceeds may be used in whole or in part to purchase shares in the capital of the Company and shall expire on the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company to be held in the year 2016, save that the Company shall be entitled to make offers or agreements before the expiry of such power which would or might require equity securities to be allotted after such expiry and the Directors shall be entitled to allot equity securities pursuant to any such offer or agreements as if the power conferred hereby had not expired; and
(v) the maximum price which may be paid for Ordinary Shares, Planned Exit Shares or Infrastructure Shares is the higher of (1) an amount equal to 105% of the average of the middle market quotation for Ordinary Shares, Planned Exit Shares or Infrastructure Shares (as the case may be) taken from the London Stock Exchange daily official list for the five business days immediately preceding the day on which the Ordinary Shares, Planned Exit Shares or Infrastructure Shares (as the case may be) are purchased, and (2) the amount stipulated by Article 5(1) of the BuyBack and Stabilisation Regulation 2003;
(vi) the authority conferred shall expire on the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company to be held in the year 2016 unless such authority is renewed prior to such time; and
3.1 The Board comprises non-executive directors, all of whom (except Peter Dicks) are independent. The Board has substantial experience of quoted and unquoted companies, as well as expertise in investment management. The Board has overall responsibility for the Company's affairs, including determining the investment policy and approving net asset values. The Directors have delegated investment decisions to Foresight (save for where conflicts of interest and/or regulatory requirements require the Directors to make investment decisions).
| Ordinary Shares | Planned Exit Shares | Infrastructure Shares |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| John Gregory | 11,424 | – | – |
| Peter Dicks | 59,569 | – | – |
| Gordon Humphries | 9,224 | – | – |
| Jocelin Harris | 4,076 | – | 5,275 |
3.2 The Directors' (and Proposed Director's) interests in the share capital of the Company as at the date of this document are as follows:
£28,250; by Peter Dicks is £21,000; and by Gordon Humphries is £23,000, (plus in each case, if applicable, VAT and employers National Insurance Contributions). The office of non-executive director is also not pensionable. Aggregate Directors' emoluments for the year ended 31 December 2014 amounted to £72,250 (plus applicable VAT and employers National Insurance Contributions). Aggregate emoluments for the current year are expected to be £72,250 (plus applicable VAT and employers National Insurance Contributions). Following the Merger, the aggregate Directors' emoluments are expected to be £93,250.
3.15 The Board and F2 Board have considered what the future size and composition of the Enlarged Company's board should be following the Merger and it has been agreed that, if the Merger is approved, the Board of the Enlarged Company will comprise:
| John Gregory, as Chairman | (the Company) |
|---|---|
| Peter Dicks | (the Company and F2) |
| Gordon Humphries | (the Company) |
| Jocelin Harris | (F2) |
John Gregory is a chartered accountant with a broad experience of banking, corporate finance and fund management. He was an executive director of Noble Fund Managers Limited until 2004. Currently, he is senior independent director of Sphere Medical Holding plc, an AIM listed medical devices company, non executive Chairman of Social Impact VCT and a non-executive director or Chairman of a number of private companies. His earlier career was in the City of London and included positions as an executive director of Singer & Friedlander Holdings Limited and, before that, managing director of Henry Ansbacher & Co Limited.
Peter Dicks was a founder director of Abingworth plc, a successful venture capital company. He is currently a director of a number of quoted and unquoted companies, including Private Equity Investor plc where he is chairman, and Graphite Enterprise Trust plc. In addition, he has been a director of the Company since its launch in 1997 and is a director of Foresight 2 VCT plc, Foresight 3 VCT plc and Foresight 4 VCT plc. He is also chairman of Unicorn AIM VCT plc
Gordon Humphries qualified as a chartered accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers before moving into financial services, where he has over 25 years' experience. He is currently head of investment companies at Standard Life Investments and before that he was deputy head of investment trusts at F&C Asset Management plc. Gordon is a nonexecutive director of Maven Income and Growth VCT 5 plc.
Jocelin is a qualified solicitor and since 1986 has run Durrington Corporation which provides finance and advice for small businesses. Before this he was at private bank Rea Brothers for 13 years where he was a director. He has personally invested in over 40 development stage companies over the last 25 years and is currently chairman or non-executive director of a number of them in the UK and USA. He is also a director of Unicorn AIM VCT plc and a governor of St Paul's Way Trust School in London.
Each of the Directors has access to the advice and services of the company secretary, Foresight Fund Managers Limited. The Company Secretary provides the Board with full information on the Company's assets and liabilities and other relevant information requested by the Chairman in advance of each Board meeting.
The Directors (and the Proposed Director) are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a member of the administrative, management or supervisory bodies or partners of the companies and partnerships mentioned below:
| John Gregory | Current | Past 5 Years |
|---|---|---|
| The Company Arctic Solar Limited Javelin Solar Limited Meaujo Tug Limited Meaujo Bell Limited Tixal Limited Resilient Solar Limited Sphere Medical Holding plc Social Impact VCT plc DP Leisure GB Ltd |
Bluehone AIM VCT plc Enterprise VCT plc Epic VCT plc Foresight 3 VCT plc IS Pharma plc Local Allotments plc Sinclair IS Pharma plc The 1855 Club plc (dissolved) |
|
| Peter Dicks | Current | Past 5 Years |
| The Company Daniel Stewart Securities plc Foresight 2 VCT plc Foresight 3 VCT plc Foresight 4 VCT plc Foresight Solar Fund Limited Graphite Enterprise Trust plc Interactive Investor plc Mears Group plc Mercia Fund 1 General Partner Limited Miton UK MicroCap Trust plc Private Equity Investor plc Standard Microsystems Corporation (USA) SVM UK Emerging Fund plc Unicorn AIM VCT plc |
Committed Capital VCT plc (dissolved) Enterprise Capital Trust plc (dissolved) Foresight 5 VCT plc (dissolved) Foresight Clearwater VCT plc (dissolved) GFT Dealing Limited (dissolved) London Trust Productions Limited Miton Income Opportunities Trust plc (in liquidation) PCT Finance Limited (dissolved) Polar Capital Technology Trust plc Second London American Trust plc (dissolved) Sportingbet plc |
|
| Gordon Humphries | Current | Past 5 Years |
| The Company Maven Income and Growth VCT 5 plc |
||
| Jocelin Harris | Current | Past 5 Years |
| Durrington Corporation Limited Tudor Roof Tile Co. Limited Roil Foods Limited Unipower Solutions Europe Limited (in liquidation) Serres Limited Halkin Secretaries Limited Millennium Mats Limited The St. Peter's College Foundation Unicorn AIM VCT plc Foresight 2 VCT plc Roilvest Limited Mintec Limited Lightfoot Solutions Group Limited Lightfoot Solutions UK Limited Obillex Limited |
The Webb Partnership Limited Brandbank Limited Obillex UK Ltd Queen Mary, University of London Foundation Keycom plc |
implementing and reviewing the Company's policies on the engagement of the external auditor to supply non-audit services.
4.8 The members of the remuneration committee of the Company are Gordon Humphries (chairman), John Gregory and Peter Dicks. The remuneration committee members (who have responsibility for reviewing the remuneration of the Directors) will meet at least annually to consider the levels of remuneration of the Directors, specifically reflecting the time commitment and responsibilities of the role. Each committee will also undertake comparisons and reviews to ensure that the levels of remuneration paid are broadly in-line with industry standards. The remuneration committee also reviews the appointment and remuneration of Foresight, the manager. The members of the nomination committee of the Company are Gordon Humphries (chairman), John Gregory and Peter Dicks. The nomination committee meets annually to consider the composition and balance of skills, knowledge and experience of the Directors and would make nominations to the Directors in the event of a vacancy. New Directors are required to resign at the Annual General Meeting following appointment and then retire and seek re-election, if appropriate, after each year's service. There is no formal induction programme for Directors.
The manager to the Company is Foresight Group CI Limited, the same manager as for F2. Foresight is appointed as discretionary manager to the Company and also provides secretarial, administration and custodian services to the Company. Foresight Group CI Limited is a company registered in Guernsey and which is licensed by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission.
Foresight has, as is permitted, and as approved by the Board, under the same agreement, appointed Foresight Group LLP to provide investment advisory services to Foresight for the purposes of fulfilment of the provision of management obligations to the Company under the agreement and has sub-contracted the provision of administration services to Foresight Group LLP. Foresight Group LLP has delegated the provision of administration services to Foresight Fund Managers Limited, which is also the appointed Company secretary. Foresight Fund Managers Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Foresight Group LLP, which is a subsidiary undertaking of Foresight. Foresight Group LLP is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority.
client investors and retail client investors and (ii) 5.5% of the amount subscribed under the 2014 Offer by investors who apply through a financial intermediary (subject to a maximum aggregate payment of £1.1 million). The Company shall also be responsible for paying 0.5% per annum of the Net Asset Base Value of certain shares issued pursuant to the 2014 Offer to Foresight until a cumulative maximum of 3% has been paid, from which Foresight will pay annual trail commission to the independent financial intermediaries of professional client investors and execution-only investors.
5.1.2 An investment management agreement dated 21 June 2012 between the Company (1), Foresight (2) and Foresight Group LLP (3) pursuant to which Foresight manages the investments of the Company and also provides secretarial, administration and custodian services to the Company. The appointment may be terminated by not less than one year's notice in writing by either party. The appointment may also be terminated in circumstances of material breach by the Company or Foresight if Foresight is no longer authorised by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission to provide such services.
Foresight has, as is permitted, and as approved by the Board, under the agreement, appointed Foresight Group LLP to provide investment advisory services to Foresight for the purposes of fulfilment of the provision of investment management obligations to the Company under the agreement and has sub-contracted the provision of administration services to Foresight Group LLP. Foresight Group LLP has delegated the provision of administration services to Foresight Fund Managers Limited, which is also the appointed Company secretary. Foresight Fund Managers Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Foresight Group LLP, which is a subsidiary undertaking of Foresight. Foresight Group LLP is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Foresight receives an annual fee from the Company of (i) 2% of the net assets of the Ordinary Shares fund, 1% of the net assets of the Planned Exit Shares fund and 1% of the net assets of the Infrastructure Shares fund, plus (ii) an administration fee of £100,000. Such fees are payable quarterly in arrears and for the year ended 31 December 2014 were £1.1 million.
The normal annual expenses of the Company under the original agreement are capped at an amount equivalent to 3.0% of the Company's net assets for the duration of the existence of the Infrastructure Shares fund and 3.3% thereafter. Any excess over this amount is borne by Foresight.
The agreement contains provisions indemnifying Foresight against any liability not due to its default, negligence, fraud or breach of financial services regulatory requirements.
wholly or partly by the issue of a number of Planned Exit Shares which, on issue, will have an aggregate net asset value (using the most recently published net asset value per Planned Exit Share in the relevant Company) equal to the amount to be satisfied through the issue of such shares.
The following contracts will be entered into subject, inter alia, to the approval of Shareholders of the Resolutions to be proposed at the General Meetings.
The investment objective of the Ordinary Shares fund is to provide private investors with attractive returns from a portfolio of investments in fast-growing unquoted companies in the United Kingdom. It is the intention to optimise tax-free income available to investors from a combination of dividends and interest received on investments and the distribution of capital gains arising from trade sales or flotation.
The investment objective of the Planned Exit Shares fund is to combine greater security of capital than is normal within a VCT with the enhancement of investor returns achievable through the VCT tax benefits — income tax relief of 30% of the amount invested, and tax-free distribution of income and capital gains. The key objective of the Planned Exit Fund is to distribute a minimum of 110p per share issued through a combination of tax-free income, buybacks and tender offers before the sixth anniversary of the closing date of the Planned Exit Share offer.
The investment objective of the Infrastructure Shares fund is to invest in companies which own and operate essential assets and services which enjoy long term contracts with strong counterparties or government concessions. To ensure VCT qualification, Foresight will focus on companies where the provision of services is the primary activity and which generate long-term contractual revenues, and thereby facilitating the payment of regular predictable dividends to investors.
The Company will target UK unquoted companies which it believes will achieve the objective of producing attractive returns for Shareholders.
The Company invests in a range of securities including, but not limited to, ordinary and preference shares, loan stocks, convertible securities, and fixed-interest securities as well as cash. Unquoted investments are usually structured as a combination of ordinary shares and loan stocks, while AIM investments are primarily held in ordinary shares. Pending investment in unquoted and AIM listed securities, cash is primarily held in interest-bearing money market open-ended investment companies (OEICs) as well as in a range of non-qualifying companies. Non-qualifying Investments may include holdings in money-market instruments, short-dated bonds, unit trusts, OEICs, structured products, guarantees to banks or third parties providing loans or other investment to investee companies and other assets where Foresight Group believes that the risk/return portfolio is consistent with the overall investment objectives of the portfolio.
Investments are primarily made in companies which are substantially based in the UK, although many will trade overseas. The companies in which investments are made must have no more than £7 million of gross assets at the time of investment (or £15 million, depending on when the funds being invested were raised) to be classed as a VCT qualifying holding.
The Company aims to be significantly invested in growth businesses, subject always to the quality of investment opportunities and the timing of realisations. Any uninvested funds are held in cash, interest bearing securities and a range of non-qualifying investments. It is intended that the significant majority (no less than 70%) of any funds raised by the Company will ultimately be invested in VCT qualifying investments.
Risk is spread by investing in a number of different businesses within different industry sectors at different stages of development, using a mixture of securities. The maximum amount invested in any one company, guarantees to banks or third parties providing loans or other investment to investee companies, is limited to 15% of the portfolio at the time of investment.
Investments are selected in the expectation that value will be enhanced by the application of private equity disciplines including an active management style for unquoted companies through the placement of an investor director on investee company boards.
The Company has a borrowing limit of an amount not exceeding an amount equal to the adjusted capital and reserves (being the aggregate of the amount paid up on the issued share capital of the Company and the amount standing to the credit of its reserves). Whilst the Company does not currently borrow, its policy allows it to do so.
during the years ended 31 December 2012, 2013 and 2014 or to the date of this document in the current financial year.
7.3 The transactions referred to in paragraph 7.1 and 7.2 above are (or were) conducted on an arm's length basis. There are no other arrangements into which the Company has entered with a related party.
The following paragraphs, which are intended as a general guide only and are based on current legislation and HM Revenue & Customs practice, summarise advice received by the Directors as to the position of shareholders who hold Shares other than for trading purposes. Any person who is in any doubt as to his taxation position or is subject to taxation in any jurisdiction other than the United Kingdom should consult his professional advisers.
There has been no significant change in the financial or trading position of the Company since 30 June 2015, the date to which the Company's latest unaudited interim report has been published.
the incorporation of the Company which may have or had in the recent past significant effects on the Company's financial position or profitability.
The Consideration Shares will be in registered form and will be eligible for electronic settlement. The Company has its Shares admitted to the CREST system so that, should they wish to, Shareholders will be able to hold their Shares in uncertificated form.
The Company's memorandum of association provides that the principal objects of the Company are to carry on business as a venture capital trust or as an investment company. The Companies Act 2006 significantly reduced the constitutional significance of a company's memorandum, providing that a memorandum will record only the names of subscribers and the number of shares each subscriber agreed to take in the company. The Company's objects are set out in clause 4 of its Memorandum (now deemed to be part of the Articles under the CA 2006).
The material provisions of the Articles are as detailed below.
The rights of members to receive dividends are as follows:
On a winding up or return of capital, the capital and assets of the Company shall be applied as follows:
(i) The net assets attributable to the Ordinary Shares (less such proportion of liabilities as shall reasonably be allocated to such shares) shall be divided amongst the holders of Ordinary Shares pro rata according to their holdings of Ordinary Shares;
The holders of each class of share in the Company shall be required to approve and, accordingly, without such approval, the special rights attached to each class of shares shall be varied, inter alia, by:
Whenever the share capital of the Company is divided into different classes of shares, the special rights attached to any class may, subject to CA 2006, be varied by the passing of a special resolution at a general meeting of such holders or the written consent of holders of three quarters in nominal value of the issued shares of the affected class). At such a meeting the necessary quorum shall be at least two members of the class holding (or representing by proxy) not less than one third in nominal value of the capital paid up on the issued shares of that class and at an adjourned meeting one person (whether present in person or by proxy) holding shares of that class in question.
(i) The Company may from time to time, by ordinary resolution, consolidate or subdivide its share capital.
(ii) The Company may also by resolution or as required by law reduce share capital or any capital redemption reserve or share premium or other undistributable reserve in any manner which is in accordance with and subject to any method and/or consent authorised or required by law.
Subject to the rights of any shares which may be issued with special rights or privileges, the holders of the Company's shares alone are entitled to participate in the income and capital profits of the Company available for distribution.
Subject to the provisions of the CA 2006 relating to authority, pre-emption rights and otherwise, and to any resolution of the Company in general meeting passed pursuant thereto, all unissued shares shall be at the disposal of the Directors, and they may allot or otherwise dispose of them to such persons, at such times and on such terms as they think fit.
(a) An annual general meeting and any general meeting at which it is proposed to pass a special resolution or (except as provided by CA 2006) a resolution of which special notice has been given to the Company, must be called by at least 21 days notice in writing and any other general meeting by at least 14 days notice in writing. The period of notice must in each case be exclusive of the day in which the notice is served or deemed to be served and of the day in which the meeting is to be held provided that a general meeting shall, notwithstanding that it may have been called by a shorter notice than that specified above, be deemed to have been duly called if it is so agreed in accordance with CA 2006; provided also that the accidental omission to give notice to, or the non-receipt of notice by, any person entitled thereto shall not invalidate the proceedings at any general meeting.
account and credit balance on profit and loss account and any unappropriated balance of investment grants) of the Company and their subsidiaries and subsidiary undertakings.
provided that the authorisation is passed at a meeting where such is effective without the Director in question and any other interested Director being counted in the quorum or voting at the meeting at which the conflict of interest is authorised.
Where any such matter is authorised by the Board, the Director shall not be required to disclose any confidential information relating to such other office, employment or position and shall not be accountable to the Company for any benefit which he derives from such matter.
There are no limitations in the Articles on the rights of non-United Kingdom Members to hold or to exercise voting rights attached to the Company's shares, however, non-United Kingdom Members are not entitled to receive notices of general meetings unless they have given an address in the United Kingdom to which such notices may be sent.
The Directors may, before recommending any dividend, but having regard to the Company's status as a venture capital trust decide to reserve out of the profits of the Company such sums as they think fit and may apply such reserves at the discretion of the Directors for any proper purpose or invest such reserves in any investment the Directors may think fit. The reserves from unrealised profits are to be kept separate from reserves representing profits available for distribution. The Directors may also without placing the same to a reserve, carry forward any profits which they may think prudent not to distribute.
As long as the Company has given notice in the prescribed form to the Registrar of Companies of its intention to carry on business as investment company ("a relevant period") the Company shall be prohibited from distributing any capital profits (within the meaning of section 833 of the CA 2006) otherwise than by way of the redemption or purchase of any of the Company's own shares. The Directors will establish a reserve to be called the capital reserve and during a relevant period all surpluses arising from the realisation or revaluation of investments and all other monies realised on or derived from the realisation, payment of or other dealing with any capital asset in excess of the book value of that asset and all other monies which are considered by the Directors to be in the nature of the accretion of capital shall be credited to the capital reserves. Subject to the CA 2006, the Directors may determine whether any amount received by the Company is to be dealt with as income or capital, or partly one way and partly the other. During a relevant period, any loss realised on the realisation or other dealing with any investments or other capital asset and subject to the CA 2006 any expenses, liability, loss or provision therefor which the Directors consider to relate to a capital item or which they otherwise consider appropriate to be debited to the capital reserve shall be carried to the debit of the capital reserve. During a relevant period, all sums carried and standing to the credit of the capital reserve may be applied for any of the purposes for which sums standing to the credit of any revenue reserves are applicable except that no part of the capital reserve or any other money in the nature of a creditor of capital shall be transferred to the revenue reserves of the Company or be regarded or treated as profits of the Company available for distribution or be applied in paying dividends on any shares of the Company. In any other period other than a relevant period any amount standing to the credit of the capital reserve may be transferred to the revenue reserves of the Company or be regarded or treated as profits of the Company available for distribution or be applied in paying dividends of any shares of the Company.
The liquidator may, with the sanction of a special resolution and any other sanctions required by the CA 2006, divide amongst the members in specie the whole or any part of the assets of the Company in such manner as he may determine. In order for the future of the relevant Company to be considered by the members, the Directors of that Company shall procure that a resolution will be proposed at the annual general meeting of the relevant Company falling after the fifth anniversary of the last allotment (from time to time) of shares in the relevant Company and thereafter at five yearly intervals, to the effect that that Company shall continue as a venture capital trust.
Obligations of Members to disclose to the Company notifiable interests in its shares are stated in Part 22 of the CA 2006, sections 89A to 89L of the FSMA and the Disclosure & Transparency Rules. In accordance with the Articles, failure by any Member to provide the Company with the information as requested by any notice served in accordance with section 793 of CA 2006 may result in the Member being restricted in respect of his shareholdings (as detailed in paragraph 3(c) and 9(b) above) and, inter alia, the withholding of any dividends payable to him.
The Company has produced statutory accounts for the three financial years ended 31 December 2012, 2013 and 2014 (together, the "Audited Financial Statements"). KPMG Audit plc, Registered Auditor, of Saltire Court, 20 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2EG reported on the Audited Financial Statements produced in 2012 and 2013 and KPMG LLP, Registered Auditor, of 15 Canada Square, London E14 5GL reported on the Audited Financial Statements produced in 2014 without qualification and without statements under section 498(2) or (3) of the CA 2006.
The Audited Financial Statements were prepared in accordance with UK generally accepted accounting practice (GAAP) and the fair value rules of the CA 2006.
The Company confirms that the annual financial statements of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2014, which were prepared under UK GAAP, have been presented and prepared in a form which is consistent with that which will be adopted in the next annual financial statements to be published (which will be prepared under FRS 102) having regard to accounting standards, policies and legislation applicable to such annual financial statements, in so far as there are no material differences between the financial statements for this year prepared under these two accounting frameworks.
The Audited Financial Statements include the information set out below on the pages specified in the tables below, which are being incorporated into the document by reference and can be accessed at www.foresightgroup.eu and are also available for inspection at the national storage mechanism accessed at www.hemscott.com/nsm.do
Where these documents make reference to other documents, such other documents are not incorporated into and do not form part of this Prospectus.
| Description | 2012 Annual Report |
2013 Annual Report |
2014 Annual Report |
2015 Interim Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance Sheet Income Statement (or equivalent) |
Page 38 Page 36 |
Page 50 Page 48 |
Page 51 Page 49 |
Page 27 Page 26 |
| Statement showing all changes in equity (or equivalent note) |
Page 37 | Page 49 | Page 50 | Page 27 |
| Cash Flow Statement Accounting Policies and Notes |
Page 39 Pages 40-56 |
Page 51 Pages 52-69 |
Page 52 Page 53-69 |
Page 28 Pages 29-30 |
| Auditor's Report | Page 35 | Pages 46-47 | Pages 47-48 | N/A |
Such information also includes operating and financial reviews as follows:
| Description | 2012 Annual Report |
2013 Annual Report |
2014 Annual Report |
2015 Interim Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Objective | Inside front | Page 7 | Page 7 | Page 1 |
| cover | ||||
| Financial Highlights | Page 3 | Page 1 | Page 1 | Page 2 |
| Performance & Dividends | Page 3 | Page 2 | Page 2 | Page 3-5 |
| Portfolio Review | Pages 6-12 | Pages 13-19 | Pages 13-20 | Pages 7-15 |
| Valuation Policy | Page 5 | Page 12 | Page 12 | N/A |
| Outlook | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 6 | Page 6 |
| Investment Summary | Pages 13-21 | Page 20-29 | Pages 21-30 | Pages 16-22 |
This information has been prepared in a form consistent with that which will be adopted in the Company's next published annual financial statements having regard to accounting standards and policies and legislation applicable to those financial statements.
Certain financial information of the Company is also set out below:
| Year ended 31 December 2012 |
Year ended 31 December 2013 |
Year ended 31 December 2014 |
Period ended 30 June 2015 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investment income Profit/(loss) on ordinary activities before taxation |
£974,000 (£778,000) |
£1,341,000 (£1,954,000) |
£2,215,000 £3,600,000 |
£759,000 (£589,000) |
| Earnings per Ordinary Share Earnings per Planned Exit Share |
(5.1p) 13.4p |
(5.1p) (12.0p) |
9.3p (9.4p) |
(2.2)p 2.5p |
| Earnings per Infrastructure Share |
(1.2p) | (1.1p) | 3.8p | 2.3p |
| Dividends per Ordinary Share | 7.5p | 5.0p | 10.0p | 6.0p |
| Dividends per Planned Exit Share |
5.0p | 5.0p | 7.5p | 15.0p |
| Dividends per Infrastructure Share |
0p | 2.5p | 2.5p | 2.5p |
| Total assets | £52,309,000 | £51,404,000 | £63,455,000 | £72,622,000 |
| NAV per Ordinary Share | 111.3p | 101.0p | 99.4p | 91.7p |
| NAV per Planned Exit Share | 100.0p | 82.5p | 65.0p | 52.4p |
| NAV per Infrastructure Share | 94.6p | 91.5p | 92.4p | 92.0p |
The unaudited NAV as at 30 June 2015 was 91.7p per Ordinary Share, 52.4p per Planned Exit Share and 92.0p per Infrastructure Share (these being the most recent published NAVs prior the date of this document).
F2 has produced statutory accounts for the three financial years ended 30 September 2012, 2013 and 2014 (together, the "F2 Audited Financial Statements"). KPMG Audit plc, Registered Auditor, of Saltire Court, 20 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2EG reported on the Audited Financial Statements produced in 2012 and 2013 and KPMG LLP, Registered Auditor, of 15 Canada Square, London E14 5GL reported on the F2 Audited Financial Statements produced in 2014 without qualification and without statements under section 498(2) or (3) of the CA 2006.
The F2 Audited Financial Statements were prepared in accordance with UK generally accepted accounting practice (GAAP) and the fair value rules of the CA 2006.
The F2 Audited Financial Statements include the information set out below on the pages specified in the tables below, which are being incorporated into the document by reference and can be accessed at www.foresightgroup.eu and are also available for inspection at the national storage mechanism accessed at www.hemscott.com/nsm.do
Where these documents make reference to other documents, such other documents are not incorporated into and do not form part of this Prospectus.
| Description | 2012 Annual Report |
2013 Annual Report |
2014 Annual Report |
2015 Interim Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance Sheet Income Statement |
Page 41 | Page 50 | Page 48 | Page 25 |
| (or equivalent) Statement showing all changes |
Page 39 | Page 48 | Page 46 | Page 24 |
| in equity (or equivalent note) | Page 40 | Page 49 | Page 47 | Page 26 |
| Cash Flow Statement Accounting Policies and |
Page 42 | Page 51 | Page 49 | Page 27 |
| Notes Auditor's Report |
Page 43-60 Page 38 |
Pages 52-67 Page 46-47 |
Pages 50-65 Page 44-45 |
Pages 28-30 N/A |
Such information also includes operating and financial reviews as follows:
| 2012 Annual | 2013 Annual | 2014 Annual | 2015 Interim | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Report | Report | Report | Report |
| Objective | Cover | Page 4 | Page 4 | Page 1 |
| Financial Highlights | Page 1 | Page 1 | Page 1 | Page 2 |
| Performance & Dividends | Page 2 | Page 2 | Page 2 | Page 4 |
| Portfolio Review | Page 4 -10 | Page 10-17 | Pages 10-16 | Pages 6-12 |
| Valuation Policy | Page 3 | Page 8 | Page 3 | N/A |
| Outlook | Page 3 | Page 3 | Page 3 | Page 5 |
| Investment Summary | Pages 11-21 | Pages 18-27 | Pages 17-26 | Pages 13-19 |
Certain financial information in respect of F2 is also set out below:
| Year ended 30 September 2012 |
Year ended 30 September 2013 |
Year ended 30 September 2014 |
Period ended 31 March 2015 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investment income Profit/(loss) before taxation Total Net Assets |
£514,000 (£7,081,000) £59,739,000 |
£638,000 (£2,868,000) £56,292,000 |
£977,000 (£8,274,000) £47,256,000 |
£1,057,000 £1,217,000 £47,384,000 |
| "Ordinary Share Pool" Ordinary Share pool Net Assets Dividends per Ordinary Share NAV per Ordinary Share |
£18,171,000 0.5p 87.9p |
£34,997,000 3.0p 75.3p |
£27,596,000 – 59.4p |
£27,836,000 – 59.9p |
| "Planned Exit Share Pool" Planned Exit Share Pool Net Assets Dividends per Planned Exit Share NAV per Planned Exit Share |
£5,409,000 5.0p 87.5p |
£5,815,000 – 94.6p |
£4,503,000 5.0p 73.7p |
£4,396,000 7.5p 72.2p |
| "Infrastructure Share Pool" Infrastructure Share Pool Net Assets Dividends per Infrastructure Share NAV per Infrastructure Share |
£15,678,000 – 94.2p |
£15,480,000 – 93.0p |
£15,157,000 2.5p 91.4p |
£15,152,000 2.5p 91.5p |
The unaudited NAV of the F2 Shares as at 31 March 2015 was 59.9p per F2 Ordinary Share, 72.2p per F2 Planned Exit Share and 91.5p per F2 Infrastructure Share (these being the most recent published NAVs prior the date of this document).
In the opinion of the Company, the working capital is sufficient for the Company's present requirements, being at least 12 months from the date of this document.
The Merger will have a positive impact on the net assets of the Company by increasing its net assets by the same amount as the net funds acquired from F2 and is expected to have a positive impact on earnings.
As at 12 November 2015 (the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this document) the Company has no indebtedness whether guaranteed, unguaranteed, secured, unsecured, direct and/or contingent and there is no current intention of incurring any such indebtedness for at least the twelve month period from the date of this document.
The capitalisation of the Company as at 30 June 2015, extracted without material adjustment from the Company's unaudited interim report to that date was as follows:
| Shareholders' equity | £72,622,000 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Share capital | £817,000 | ||
| Other reserves | £71,805,000 |
There has no been material change in the capitalisation of the Company, between 30 June 2015 and 12 November 2015, the latest practicable date prior to the publication of the Prospectus.
As at 12 November 2015, being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this document), the Company is not aware of any person who, directly or indirectly, has or will have an interest in the capital of the Company or voting rights which is notifiable under UK law (under which, pursuant to the Act and the Listing Rules and Disclosure and Transparency Rules of the FCA, a holding of 3% or more will be notified to the Company).
The table below provides a summary of the portfolios of the Company and F2 based on the unaudited management accounts of both Companies to 30 June 2015 (being the half yearly report in the case of the Company) and shows the percentages each investment is expected to represent in the Enlarged Company should the Merger be completed.
| Enlarged | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company | F2 | Company | |||||
| Ordinary Shares | Cost | Value | Percentage of net assets |
Cost | Value | Percentage of net assets |
Percentage of net assets |
| Datapath Group Holdings Limited | - | - | - | 73,250 | 9,665,876 | 36.3% | 12.0% |
| TFC Europe Limited | - | - | - | 939,092 | 4,503,878 | 16.9% | 5.6% |
| Blackstar Amplification Holdings Limited | 2,500,000 | 4,395,632 | 8.1% | - | - | - | 5.4% |
| Aerospace Tooling Corporation Limited | 150,000 | 4,056,881 | 7.5% | - | - | - | 5.0% |
| Autologic Diagnostics Group Limited | 1,806,753 | 1,684,494 | 3.1% | 2,410,259 | 2,246,007 | 8.4% | 4.9% |
| Ixaris Systems Limited | - | - | - | 822,858 | 2,324,130 | 8.7% | 2.9% |
| Aquasium Technology Limited | 666,667 | 2,284,700 | 4.2% | - | - | - | 2.8% |
| Procam Television Holdings Limited | 1,355,562 | 2,014,727 | 3.7% | 169,445 | 251,846 | 0.9% | 2.8% |
| Industrial Efficiency II Limited | 1,928,260 | 2,252,856 | 4.2% | - | - | - | 2.8% |
| Thermotech Solutions Limited | 1,500,000 | 2,134,995 | 3.9% | - | - | - | 2.6% |
| The Bunker Secure Hosting Limited | - | - | - | 403,447 | 1,528,484 | 5.7% | 1.9% |
| CoGen Limited | - | - | - | 551,866 | 1,484,763 | 5.6% | 1.8% |
| Specac International Limited | 1,345,000 | 1,345,000 | 2.5% | - | - | - | 1.7% |
| Positive Response | |||||||
| Communications Limited | 1,000,000 | 1,000,000 | 1.8% | - | - | - | 1.2% |
| Whitchurch PE 1 Limited - SPV | 1,000,000 | 1,000,000 | 1.8% | - | - | - | 1.2% |
| Cole Henry PE 2 Limited - SPV | 1,000,000 | 1,000,000 | 1.8% | - | - | - | 1.2% |
| Kingsclere PE 3 Limited - SPV | 1,000,000 | 1,000,000 | 1.8% | - | - | - | 1.2% |
| ICA Group Limited | - | - | - | 670,884 | 917,649 | 3.4% | 1.1% |
| AtFutsal Group Limited | 393,331 | 196,666 | 0.4% | 2,339,481 | 584,870 | 2.2% | 1.0% |
| AlwaysON Group Limited | 1,367,497 | 627,782 | 1.2% | 1,725,073 | 111,554 | 0.4% | 0.9% |
| Biofortuna Limited | 590,529 | 590,529 | 1.1% | - | - | - | 0.7% |
| Flowrite Refrigeration Limited | 209,801 | 559,944 | 1.0% | - | - | - | 0.7% |
| Trilogy Communications Limited | 1,280,880 | 252,458 | 0.5% | 1,423,118 | 111,136 | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| O-Gen Acme Trek Limited | - | - | - | 2,054,811 | 345,262 | 1.3% | 0.4% |
| Sindicatum Carbon Capital Limited | - | - | - | 125,006 | 246,075 | 0.9% | 0.3% |
| Zoo Digital | - | - | - | 181,630 | 49,026 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Net Current Assets | 27,844,800 | 51.3% | 2,255,811 | 8.5% | 37.2% | ||
| Net Assets | 54,241,464 | 100.0% | 26,626,367 | 100.0% | 100.0% | ||
| Planned Exit Shares | |||||||
| AlwaysON Group Limited | 784,746 | 1,057,558 | 33.5% | 784,746 | 1,057,558 | 34.5% | 34.0% |
| Industrial Engineering Plastics Limited | 875,000 | 800,089 | 25.3% | 875,000 | 800,089 | 26.1% | 25.7% |
| Trilogy Communications Limited | 693,864 | 384,825 | 12.2% | 932,616 | 501,323 | 16.4% | 14.2% |
| Net Current Assets | 914,526 | 29.0% | 702,892 | 23.0% | 26.0% | ||
| Net Assets | 3,156,998 | 100.0% | 3,061,863 | 100.0% | 100.0% | ||
| Infrastructure Shares | |||||||
| FS Pentre Limited | 2,250,000 | 2,252,925 | 14.8% | 2,250,000 | 2,252,925 | 14.9% | 14.9% |
| Criterion Healthcare Holdings Limited | 1,709,074 | 2,219,089 | 14.6% | 1,709,074 | 2,219,089 | 14.7% | 14.6% |
| Drumglass HoldCo Limited | 1,848,358 | 2,024,054 | 13.3% | 1,848,358 | 2,024,054 | 13.4% | 13.3% |
| FS Ford Farm Limited | 2,000,000 | 2,000,000 | 13.1% | 2,000,000 | 2,000,000 | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| FS Hayford Farm Limited | 2,000,000 | 2,000,000 | 13.1% | 2,000,000 | 2,000,000 | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| FS Tope Limited | 2,000,000 | 2,000,000 | 13.1% | 2,000,000 | 2,000,000 | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| Stirling Gateway HC Limited | 1,078,875 | 1,017,693 | 6.7% | 1,078,875 | 1,017,693 | 6.7% | 6.7% |
| Wharfedale SPV (Holding) Limited | 677,947 | 639,614 | 4.2% | 677,947 | 639,614 | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| Staffordshire HoldCo Limited | 683,137 | 396,235 | 2.6% | 683,137 | 396,235 | 2.6% | 2.6% |
| Lochgilphead HoldCo Limited | 279,503 | 279,503 | 1.8% | 279,503 | 279,503 | 1.9% | 1.8% |
| Sandwell HoldCo Limited | 133,270 | 165,785 | 1.1% | 133,270 | 165,785 | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Stobhill HoldCo Limited | 133,996 | 133,996 | 0.9% | 133,996 | 133,996 | 0.9% | 0.9% |
| Net Current Liabilities | 94,911 | 0.6% | (27,818) | (0.2%) | 0.2% | ||
| Net Assets | 15,223,805 | 100.0% | 15,101,077 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
The following movements have occurred since 1 July 2015 across the two VCTs:
a) A loan repayment from Aquasium Technology Limited of £0.17 million in July;
b) An investment of £2.5 million in Protean Software Limited in July;
c) A loan repayment from TFC Europe Limited of £0.75 million in July;
d) An investment of £2.75 million in ABL Investments Limited in September;
e) A further investment of £0.675 million in Industrial Efficiency II Limited in September;
f) An investment of £2.68 million in FFX Group Limited in September;
g) An investment of £1.65 million in The Business Advisory Limited in September;
h) An investment of £3.32 million in Hospital Services Limited in September;
i) An investment of £2.75 million in Itad Limited in October.
Set out below are the principal ten investments by value held by both the Company and F2 as at the date of this document which are shown at the valuation included in the latest available financial statements of the Company, being the unaudited interim report for the six month period ended 30 June 2015 of the Company and the latest available financial statements of F2, being the unaudited interim report of F2 for the six month period ended 31 March 2015. These investments represent more than 50% of the investments held in each company's respective investment portfolios by current valuation across all share classes. The amount of uninvested cash and investments in money funds by the Company is approximately £27.4m (37.7% of the Company's net assets) and, in respect of F2, is approximately £3.3m (7.0% of F2's net assets).
The investment and portfolio information below has been extracted from the Company's unaudited interim report to 30 June 2015 and F2's unaudited half yearly report to 31 March 2015. In respect of the information on investee companies' sales, profits and losses and net assets, these have been taken from the latest financial year end accounts published (unless stated otherwise) by those investee companies as referred to ("Third Party Information").
| Aerospace Tooling Corporation Limited Based in Dundee, the company provides specialist in high-specification aerospace and turbine engines. Specifically the company targets "legacy" components and engines that have ceased production, but are still in widespread use. |
repair and refurbishment servicing for components | Year ended: | 30 June 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £150,000 | Sales | £11,049,000 |
| Valuation | £4,056,881 | Profit before tax | £2,711,000 |
| Equity/voting rights | 23.0% | Net assets | £4,442,000 |
| Valuation methodology | Discounted earnings | ||
| Percentage of F1 investment portfolio |
9.3% |
| Blackstar Amplification Holdings Limited Based in Northampton, Blackstar designs and manufactures guitar amplifiers and associated products for the UK and international instrument market. Blackstar has established a global brand on a catalogue of 50+ products, each of which has received industry acclaim. |
Year ended: | 30 April 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £2,500,000 | Sales | £8,631,000 |
| Valuation | £4,395,632 | Loss before tax | (£765,000) |
| Equity/voting rights | 28.7% | Net assets | £1,047,000 |
| Valuation methodology | Discounted earnings | ||
| Percentage of F1 investment portfolio |
10.0% |
| Aquasium Technology Limited Aquasium is principally engaged in the design, manufacture, sales and servicing of electron beam welding and vacuum furnace equipment at its facilities in Cambridgeshire, UK. |
Year ended: | 31 December 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £666,667 | Sales | £10,139,000 |
| Valuation | £2,284,700 | Operating profit | £851,000 |
| Equity/voting rights | 33.3% | Retained profit | £715,000 |
| Valuation methodology | Discounted earnings | Net assets | £3,725,000 |
| Percentage of F1 investment portfolio |
5.2% |
| Industrial Efficiency II Limited A company which provides energy efficiency solutions to CEMEX UK. The company has installed CEMEX UK sites. |
gas pipeline and electrical connections at a number | Year ended: | n/a (No accounts filed since investment) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £1,928,260 | Sales | – |
| Valuation | £2,252,856 | Operating profit | – |
| Equity/voting rights | 18.8% | Retained profit | – |
| Valuation methodology | Discounted cash flow | Net assets | – |
| Percentage of F1 investment portfolio |
5.1% |
| Thermotech Solutions Limited A company which is a Hard Facilities Management provider, designing, installing and maintaining customised air conditioning and fire sprinkler systems for retail, commercial and residential properties. The company operates within the £5.3bn UK Fire and heating, ventilation and air conditioning markets with a network of engineers across the UK enabling the company to service its nationwide customer base. |
Year ended: | 31 March 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £1,500,000 | Sales | £3,325,000 |
| Valuation | £2,134,995 | Loss before tax | (£44,000) |
| Equity/voting rights | 15.3% | Net assets | £584,000 |
| Valuation methodology | Discounted earnings | ||
| Percentage of F1 investment portfolio |
4.9% |
| Procam Television Holdings Limited A company which is one of the UK's leading broadcast hire companies, supplying equipment and crew for location TV production. Clients include major broadcasters and production companies, including the BBC, ITV, Two Four, Objective, Monkey Kingdom and Endemol. |
Year ended: | 31 December 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £1,355,562 | Sales | £8,099,000 |
| Valuation | £2,014,727 | Loss before tax | (£198,000) |
| Equity/voting rights | 24.8% | Net assets | £138,000 |
| Valuation methodology | Discounted earnings | ||
| Percentage of F1 investment portfolio |
4.6% |
| FS Pentre Limited (formerly Canterbury Infrastructure 15 Limited) A company which has an interest in the operation solar power project in Camarthenshire, South Wales. |
of the Pentre Solar Project, a 6MW ground mounted | Year ended: | n/a (No accounts filed since investment) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £2,250,000 | Sales | – |
| Valuation | £2,252,925 | Operating profit | – |
| Equity/voting rights | 50% | Retained profit | – |
| Valuation methodology | Discounted cash flow | Net assets | – |
| Percentage of F1 investment portfolio |
5.1% |
| Criterion Healthcare Holdings Limited Criterion Healthcare operates Bishop Auckland, a secondary PFI investment in an acute hospital remaining in the concession. |
project near Darlington with approximately 19 years | Year ended: | 30 April 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £1,709,074 | Sales | £6,327,000 |
| Valuation | £2,219,089 | Profit before tax | £503,000 |
| Equity/voting rights | 10% | Retained profit | £449,000 |
| Valuation methodology | Discounted cash flow | Net assets | £1,335,000 |
| Percentage of F1 investment portfolio |
5.1% |
| Drumglass HoldCo Limited (formerly Zagreb Solar Limited) A company which invested in Drumglass High School PFI Project, a 26 year concession to design, build, finance and maintain a 6,800m2 secondary school in the town of Dungannon, Northern Ireland. |
Year ended: | n/a (No accounts filed since investment) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £1,848,358 | Sales | – |
| Valuation | £2,024,054 | Operating profit | – |
| Equity/voting rights | 50% | Retained profit | – |
| Valuation methodology | Discounted cash flow | Net assets | – |
| Percentage of F1 investment portfolio |
4.6% |
| FS Hayford Farm Limited FS Hayford Farm owns a 9.8MW ground mounted solar power project which earns revenues through and power sales. |
a combination of Renewable Obligation Certificates | Year ended: | n/a (No accounts filed since investment) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £2,000,000 | Sales | – |
| Valuation | £2,000,000 | Operating profit | – |
| Equity/voting rights | 50% | ||
| Valuation methodology | Cost | Net assets | – |
| Percentage of F1 investment portfolio |
4.6% |
As at 30 June 2015, the Company held investments in 25 other investee companies across a range of industries, representing in aggregate 41% of the Company's investment portfolio.
F2 Ordinary Shares fund
| Datapath Group Limited A UK manufacturer of PC-based multi-screen computer graphics cards and video capture hardware, specialising in video wall and data wall technology. Established in 1982, it has provided solutions for wide-ranging and varied applications including control rooms, financial dealing rooms, CCTV, distance learning, digital signage and business presentations. |
Year ended: | 31 March 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £73,250 | Sales | £20,299,904 |
| Valuation | £10,209,100 | Operating profit | £5,563,082 |
| Equity/voting rights | 12.9% | Net assets | £25,908,148 |
| Valuation methodology | Discounted price/ earnings multiple |
||
| Percentage of F2 investment portfolio |
23.6% |
| TFC Europe Limited of fixing and fastening products. From seven sites in the UK and Germany, it supplies injection moulded technical fasteners and ring and spring products to customers across a wide range of industries, including aerospace, automotive, of the leading manufacturers of technical products such as Smalley® Steel Ring Company. |
One of Europe's leading technically based suppliers hydraulics and petrochemicals and works with some |
Year ended: | 31 March 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £939,092 | Sales | £20,278,000 |
| Valuation | £4,334,144 | Profit before tax | £1,525,000 |
| Equity/voting rights | 21.4% | Net assets | £4,713,000 |
| Valuation methodology | Discounted price/ earnings multiple |
||
| Percentage of F2 investment portfolio |
10.0% |
| Autologic Diagnostics Group Limited Develops and sells sophisticated automotive diagnostic software and hardware that enables independent mechanics, dealerships and garages increasingly sophisticated and more reliant on electronic systems, mechanics need to be able to communicate to the in-car computer running the process or system, which in turn requires a diagnostic tool. Autologic Diagnostics Group supplies its 'Autologic' product for use with well known car brands including Land Rover, BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, VAG (VW, Audi, Skoda) and Porsche. |
to service and repair vehicles. As cars have become | Year ended: | 31 December 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £2,330,366 | Sales | 19,043,000 |
| Valuation | £2,338,021 | Loss before tax | (£2,346,000) |
| Equity/voting rights | 4.9% | Net assets | (£2,579,000) |
| Valuation methodology | Discounted price/ earnings multiple |
||
| Percentage of F2 investment portfolio |
5.4% |
| Ixaris Systems Limited Operates a prepaid electronic payment service integrated with the Visa network. Consumers deposit funds by credit card, cash at payment points or via normal bank transfers. |
Year ended: | 31 December 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £822,858 | Sales | £9,397,000 |
| Valuation | £1,753,138 | Loss before tax | (£1,089,000) |
| Equity/voting rights | 50.0% | Retained loss | (£948,000) |
| Valuation methodology | Discounted revenue multiple |
Net assets | £2,311,000 |
| Percentage of F2 investment portfolio |
4.1% |
| FS Pentre Limited (formerly Canterbury Infrastructure 15 Limited) Canterbury Infrastructure 15 operates a 6MW solar project in the village of Lllannon in Carmarthenshire, South Wales which earns revenues through power sales and Renewable Obligations Certificates at a rate of 1.4 ROCS/MWh. |
Year ended: | 31 March 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £2,250,000 | Sales | – |
| Valuation | £2,250,000 | Profit/(loss) before tax |
– |
| Equity/voting rights | 50% | Net assets | £1,220,004 |
| Valuation methodology | Cost | ||
| Percentage of F2 investment portfolio |
5.2% |
| Criterion Healthcare Holdings Limited Criterion Healthcare operates Bishop Auckland, a secondary PFI investment in an acute hospital project near Darlington with approximately 19 years remaining in the concession. |
Year ended: | 30 April 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £1,709,074 | Sales | £6,327,000 |
| Valuation | £2,101,276 | Profit before tax | £503,000 |
| Equity/voting rights | 10.0% | Retained profit | £449,000 |
| Valuation methodology | Discounted cash flow | Net assets | £1,335,000 |
| Percentage of F2 investment portfolio |
4.9% |
| FS Hayford Farm Limited FS Hayford Farm owns a 9.8MW ground mounted solar power project which earns revenues through a combination of Renewable Obligation Certificates and power sales. |
Year ended: | n/a (No accounts filed since investment) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £2,000,000 | Sales | – |
| Valuation | £2,000,000 | Profit/(loss) before tax |
– |
| Equity/voting rights | 50% | Net assets | – |
| Valuation methodology | Cost | ||
| Percentage of F2 investment portfolio |
4.6% |
| FS Tope Limited (formerly KRK Solar Limited) A company which operates a 3.3MW ground mounted solar project near Totnes in Devon. |
Year ended: | n/a (No accounts filed since investment) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £2,000,000 | Sales | – |
| Valuation | £2,000,000 | Operating profit | – |
| Equity/voting rights | 50% | Retained profit | – |
| Valuation methodology | Cost | Net assets | – |
| Percentage of F2 investment portfolio |
4.6% |
| FS Ford Farm Limited (formerly Rovinj Solar Limited) A company which has a minority interest in the operation of the Ford Farm Solar Project, a 5.4MW ground mounted solar power project in Cornwall. |
Year ended: | n/a (No accounts filed since investment) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £2,000,000 | Sales | – |
| Valuation | £2,000,000 | EBITDA | – |
| Equity/voting rights | 6.44% | Net assets | – |
| Valuation methodology | Cost | ||
| Percentage of F2 investment portfolio |
4.6% |
| Drumglass HoldCo Limited (formerly Zagreb Solar Limited) A company set up with a number of potential solar or PFI investment opportunities identified. |
Year ended: | n/a (No accounts filed since investment) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount invested | £1,848,358 | Sales | – |
| Valuation | £1,945,894 | EBITDA | – |
| Equity/voting rights | 50% | Net assets | – |
| Valuation methodology | Discounted cash flow | ||
| Percentage of F2 investment portfolio |
4.5% |
As at 31 March 2015, F2 held investments in 26 other investee companies across a range of industries, representing in aggregate 28% of the F2 investment portfolio.
Save as set out in Part A, as at the date of this document, there has been no material change in the valuations set out in this section since 30 June 2015 in respect of the Companies. The Third Party Information has been accurately reproduced and, as far as the Company is aware and is able to ascertain from information published, no facts have been omitted which would render the reproduced information inaccurate or misleading.
The following is the full text of a report on Foresight VCT plc from Scott-Moncrieff, Reporting Accountants, to the Directors of Foresight VCT plc and the Sponsor
The Directors Foresight VCT plc The Shard 32 London Bridge Street London SE1 9SG
13 November 2015
Dear Sirs
Foresight VCT plc (the "Company")
Foresight 2 VCT plc ("F2")
We report on the pro forma financial information (the "Pro forma Financial Information") set out in Section 2 and Section 3 of Part 7 of the prospectus dated 13 November 2015 (the "Prospectus") of Foresight VCT plc, which has been prepared on the basis described in the notes to the Pro Forma Financial Information, for illustrative purposes only, to provide information about how the transaction might have affected the financial information presented on the basis of the accounting policies adopted by the Company in preparing the financial statements for the period ending 31 December 2014. This report is required by item 20.2 of Annex I of the Commission Regulation (EC) No. 809/2004 (the "PD Regulation") and is given for the purpose of complying with that item and for no other purpose.
It is the responsibility of the directors of the Company (the "Directors") to prepare the Pro Forma Financial Information in accordance with item 20.2 of Annex I of the PD Regulation.
It is our responsibility to form an opinion, as required by item 7 of Annex II of the PD Regulation, as to the proper compilation of the Pro Forma Financial Information and to report that opinion to you.
Save for any responsibility arising under Prospectus Rule 5.5.3R(2)(f) to any person as and to the extent there provided, to the fullest extent permitted by the law we do not assume any responsibility and will not accept any liability to any other person for any loss suffered by any such other person as a result of, arising out of, or in connection with this report or our statement, required by and given solely for the purposes of complying with item 23.1 of annex I of the PD Regulation consenting to its inclusion in the Prospectus.
In providing this opinion we are not updating or refreshing any reports or opinions previously made by us on any financial information used in the compilation of the Pro Forma Financial Information, nor do we accept responsibility for such reports or opinions beyond that owed to those to whom those reports or opinions were addressed by us at the dates of their issue.
We conducted our work in accordance with the Standards for Investment Reporting issued by the Financial Reporting Council in the United Kingdom. The work that we performed for the purpose of making this report, which involved no independent examination of any of the underlying financial information, consisted primarily of comparing the unadjusted financial information with the source documents, considering the evidence supporting the adjustments and discussing the Pro Forma Financial Information with the directors of the Company.
We planned and performed our work so as to obtain the information and explanations we considered necessary in order to provide us with reasonable assurance that the Pro Forma Financial Information has been properly compiled on the basis stated and that such basis is consistent with the accounting policies of the Company.
Our work has not been carried out in accordance with auditing or other standards and practices generally accepted in any jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom and accordingly should not be relied upon as if it had been carried out in accordance with those other standards and practices.
In our opinion:
For the purposes of Prospectus Rule 5.5.3R(2)(f) we are responsible for this report as part of the Prospectus and declare that we have taken all reasonable care to ensure that the information contained in this report is, to the best of our knowledge, in accordance with the facts and contains no omission likely to affect its import. This declaration is included in the Prospectus in compliance with item 1.2 of Annex I and item 1.2 of Annex III of Appendix 3.1.1 of the Prospectus Rules.
Yours faithfully
Scott-Moncrieff
The following pro forma information on the Company has been prepared for illustrative purposes only to show the impact of the proposed Scheme on the Company's earnings for the year ended 31 December 2014 had the Merger been completed as at 1 January 2014. The earnings for F2 are stated for the year ended 30 September 2014.
This pro forma financial information has been prepared in a manner consistent with the accounting policies of Foresight VCT plc as adopted in its latest published accounts. The pro forma information, because of its nature, addresses a hypothetical situation and, therefore, does not represent the Company's actual financial position or results:
| Adjustments | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Company (note 1) £'000 |
F2 (note 2) £'000 |
Merger Costs (note 3) £'000 |
Pro forma Total £'000 |
|
| Realised gain/(loss) on disposal of fixed asset investments Fixed asset investment |
(2,460) | (4,092) | – | (6,552) |
| holding gains/(loss) | 5,219 | (4,328) | – | 891 |
| Investment income | 2,215 | 1,554 | – | 3,769 |
| Investment management fees | (1,000) | (1,003) | – | (2,003) |
| Other expenses | (374) | (405) | (450) | (1,229) |
| Return on ordinary activities before tax Taxation on return of ordinary activities |
3,600 – |
(8,274) – |
(450) – |
(5,124) – |
| Return on ordinary activities after tax |
3,600 | (8,274) | (450) | (5,124) |
The following pro forma information on the Company has been prepared for illustrative purposes only to show the impact of the proposed Scheme on the Company's unaudited net assets had the Merger been completed as at 30 June 2015. The net assets of F2 are stated as at 30 June 2015.
This pro forma financial information has been prepared in a manner consistent with the accounting policies of Foresight VCT plc as adopted in its latest published accounts. The pro forma information, because of its nature, addresses a hypothetical situation and, therefore, does not represent the Company's actual financial position or results:
| Unaudited pro forma statement of net assets |
Company £'000 (note 1) |
Acquisition of assets and liabilities of F2 £'000 (note 2) |
Expenses of the Scheme £'000 (note 3) |
Enlarged Company pro forma £'000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investments (at fair value) | 43,768 | 41,858 | – | 85,626 |
| Debtors | 1,783 | 1,726 | – | 3,509 |
| Cash at bank | 27,367 | 1,933 | (450) | 28,850 |
| Creditors: amounts falling | ||||
| due within one year | (296) | (728) | – | (1,024) |
| Net Current Assets | 28,854 | 2,931 | (450) | 31,335 |
| NET ASSETS | 72,622 | 44,789 | (450) | 116,961 |
The following paragraphs apply to the Company and to persons holding Shares as an investment who are the absolute beneficial owners of such Shares and are resident in the UK. They may not apply to certain classes of persons, such as dealers in securities. The following information is based on current UK law and practice, is subject to changes therein, is given by way of general summary and does not constitute legal or tax advice.
The tax reliefs set out below are available to individuals aged 18 or over who receive Shares under the Scheme.
The Company has obtained approval as a VCT under Chapter 3 of Part 6 ITA 2007.
The Board considers that the Company has conducted its affairs and will continue to do so to enable it to qualify as a VCT. The implementation of the Merger will not affect the VCT status of the Company.
HMRC have confirmed that the effective exchange of existing F2 Shares for Consideration Shares will not constitute a disposal of such shares for the purposes of UK taxation. Instead, the new holding of Consideration Shares will be treated as having been acquired at the same time and at the same cost as the existing F2 Shares from which they are derived.
For F2 Shareholders holding (together with their associates) more than 5% in any of F2 Shares in issue, clearance has been obtained from HMRC in terms of section 138 of TCGA 1992 that the treatment described above for persons who (together with their associates) own less than 5% of F2 Shares in issue will also apply to them.
Shareholders will continue to be afforded the usual tax reliefs as shareholders of a VCT including:
An investor who acquires in any tax year VCT shares having a value of up to the annual limit of £200,000 will not be liable to income tax on dividends paid on those shares and there is no withholding tax thereon.
An individual purchaser of existing VCT shares in the market will be entitled to claim dividend relief (as described in paragraph 1.1 above).
Relief from income tax on a subscription for VCT shares will be withdrawn if the VCT shares are disposed of (other than between spouses) within five years of issue or if the VCT loses its approval within this period. Dividend relief ceases to be available once the investor ceases to own the VCT shares in respect of which it has been given.
A disposal by a shareholder of VCT shares will give rise to neither a chargeable gain nor an allowable loss for the purposes of UK capital gains tax. The relief is limited to the disposal of VCT shares acquired within the annual limit of £200,000 for any tax year.
An individual purchaser of existing VCT shares in the market will be entitled to claim relief from capital gains tax on disposal (as described in paragraph 2 above).
If a company which has been granted approval as a VCT subsequently fails to comply with the conditions for approval as a VCT, approval may be withdrawn or treated as never having been given. In these circumstances, reliefs from income tax on the initial investment are repayable unless loss of approval occurs more than five years after the issue of the relevant VCT shares. In addition, relief ceases to be available on any dividend paid in respect of profits or gains in an accounting period ending when VCT status has been lost and any gains on the VCT shares up to the date from which loss of VCT status is treated as taking effect will be exempt, but gains thereafter will be taxable.
Shareholders not resident in the UK should seek their own professional advice as to the consequences of making an investment in a VCT as they may be subject to tax in other jurisdictions as well as in the UK.
The Company has to satisfy a number of tests to continue to qualify as a VCT. A summary of these tests is set out below. The following information is based on current UK law and practice, is subject to changes therein, is given by way of general summary and does not constitute legal or tax advice.
To qualify as a VCT, a company must be approved as such by HMRC. To obtain such approval it must:
A qualifying holding consists of shares or securities first issued to the VCT (and held by it ever since) by a company satisfying certain conditions set out in Chapters 3 and 4 of Part 6 of ITA 2007. The conditions are detailed but include that the company must be a qualifying company with gross assets not exceeding £15 million immediately before and not exceeding £16 million immediately after the investment, the company must apply the money raised for the purposes of a qualifying trade within certain time periods and it must not be controlled by another company. In certain circumstances, an investment in a company by a VCT can be split into a part which is a qualifying holding and a part which is a non-qualifying holding.
A qualifying company must be unquoted (for VCT purposes this includes companies whose shares are traded on AIM and ISDX) and must carry on a qualifying trade. For this purpose certain activities are excluded such as dealing in land or shares or providing financial services. The qualifying trade must be carried on by, or be intended to be carried on by, the qualifying company or by a qualifying subsidiary at the time of the issue of shares or securities to the VCT (and at all times thereafter). A qualifying company must have a permanent establishment in the UK from which it must carry on activities which are more than of a "preparatory or auxiliary character". A company intending to carry on a qualifying trade must begin to trade within two years of the issue of shares or securities to the VCT and continue it thereafter.
A qualifying company may have no subsidiaries other than qualifying subsidiaries which must be more than 50% owned.
For the investment of funds raised after 5 April 2012 a qualifying company is one with less than 250 full-time (equivalent) employees and which, at the time of investment, does not obtain more than £5 million of investment from state aided risk capital sources in the 12 months ending on the date of the VCT's investment.
Following Royal Assent to the Finance Bill 2015 VCTs will be unable to:
Furthermore, no investee company of a VCT may receive more than £12 million (£20 million if it is a 'knowledge intensive' company) of risk-finance investment over its lifetime.Approval as a VCT
A VCT must be approved at all times by HMRC. Approval has effect from the time specified in the approval. A VCT cannot be approved unless the tests detailed above are met throughout the most recent complete accounting period of the VCT and HMRC is satisfied that they will be met in relation to the accounting period of the VCT which is current when the application is made. However, where a VCT raises further funds, VCTs are given grace periods to invest those funds before such funds need to meet the relevant tests.
Approval of a VCT may be withdrawn by HMRC if the various tests set out above are not satisfied. Withdrawal of approval generally has effect from time to time when notice is given to the VCT but, in relation to capital gains tax of the VCT only, can be backdated to not earlier than the first day of the accounting period commencing immediately after the last accounting period of the VCT in which all of the tests were satisfied.
The total expenses of the Scheme for the Company amount to its Due Share of Merger Costs, estimated to be £450,000, to be borne by the various share classes of the Companies as follows:
| The Company (£) |
F2 (£) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Planned Exit | £6,250* | £6,250* |
| Infrastructure | £28,125 | £28,125 |
| Ordinary | £190,625** | £190,625** |
| Total | 225,000 | 225,000 |
* These costs will be fully compensated by a one-time reduction in Foresight's management fee of £12,500 immediately following the Merger.
** These costs will be partially compensated by a one-time reduction in Foresight's management fee of £100,000 immediately following the Merger.
Share Portfolios, which are similar for the Company and F2, are currently in the process of returning funds to shareholders, with some 43.0p per Planned Exit Share for both Companies having already been paid out as dividends to date. This process is expected to complete by June 2016. As it is anticipated that the Planned Exit Share Portfolios will be realised in full not long after completion of the Merger, Foresight have agreed to make a contribution through a onetime reduction in its future management fees for these portfolios to compensate for the £12,500 of the Merger Costs allocated to the Planned Exit Share Portfolios.
The Infrastructure Share Portfolios are similar for the Company and F2 in terms of their profile and net assets and it is intended that these funds will seek to begin returning funds to shareholders in approximately two years' time. Commensurate with the reduced benefit the Infrastructure Share Portfolios will realise from the Merger in terms of future costs savings, it is proposed that the shareholders of the Infrastructure Share Portfolios make a limited contribution to the Merger costs of £56,250 (split equally between the two Infrastructure Share Portfolios). Infrastructure Shareholders will benefit from reduced costs per share, which it is expected will result in the costs of the Merger allocated to current Infrastructure Shareholders in the Company being recouped within 10 months of completion of the Merger.
Following the proposed cost contributions made by the Planned Exit Share Portfolios and Infrastructure Share Portfolios, the remaining costs of the Merger will be borne equally by the Ordinary Share Portfolios which will realise the most benefit from the Merger. These costs are estimated at £381,250 and will be split equally between the Ordinary Share Portfolios in each of the Companies. Following the completion of the Merger, Foresight will make a contribution of £100,000 to the costs of the Merger through a one-time reduction of its future management fees payable in relation to the Ordinary Share class in the Enlarged Company. Ordinary Shareholders will benefit from reduced costs per share, which it is expected will result in the net costs of the Merger (after Foresight's contribution) allocated to current Ordinary Shareholders in the Company being recouped within 13 months of completion of the Merger.
As at 12 November 2015 (this being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this document), the issued Share capital of the Company was 59,033,587 Ordinary Shares with a total nominal value of £590,335.87, 6,025,610 Planned Exit Shares with a total nominal value of £60,256.10 and 16,547,046 Infrastructure Shares with a total nominal value of £165,470.46.
On 5 August 2015 F2 purchased for cancellation 200,000 Ordinary Shares of 1p each at a gross price of 46.75p per share and on 29 September 2015 F2 purchased for cancellation 84,000 Ordinary Shares of 1p each at a gross price of 46.75p.
Subject to the completion of the Merger, allotments of Consideration Shares to F2 Shareholders will be announced on an appropriate Regulatory Information Service following the timetable set out on page 16 of this document.
If 51,180,941 Consideration Shares are issued in aggregate under the Merger, the existing 81,713,243 Shares will represent approximately 61% of the Enlarged Company's issued share capital, and an existing Shareholder's percentage of the Company will be diluted accordingly. None of the existing Shares in the Company will suffer NAV dilution, however, as the number of Consideration Shares to be issued to the shareholders in F2 is to be based on the relative net assets of the Companies.
The financial information regarding F2 set out in Part 3 has been sourced from F2. In incorporating such information into this document, the Company confirms that this information has been accurately reproduced and, as far as the Company is aware and is able to ascertain from information published by F2, no facts have been omitted which would render the reproduced information inaccurate or misleading.
As a company incorporated in England and Wales with shares to be admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange, the Company will be subject to the provisions of the Takeover Code. The Takeover Code is issued and administered by the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers.
Under Rule 9 of the Takeover Code, any person or group of persons acting in concert with each other which, taken together with shares already held by that person or group of persons, acquires 30% or more of the voting rights of a public company which is subject to the Takeover Code or holds not less than 30% but not more than 50% of the voting rights exercisable at a general meeting and acquires additional shares which increase the percentage of their voting rights, would normally be required to make a general offer in cash at the highest price paid within the preceding for all the remaining equity share capital of the Company.
Other than as provided by the Companies Act 2006, there are no rules or provisions relating to squeeze-out and sell-out rules in relation to the Consideration Shares.
In respect of the Company the annual reports for the years ended 31 December 2012, 31 December 2013 and 31 December 2014 and the unaudited interim report for the six months to 30 June 2015 are being incorporated by reference in Part 5 of this document.
In respect of F2 the annual reports for the years ended 30 September 2012, 30 September 2013 and 30 September 2014, and the unaudited interim report for the six months ended 31 March 2015 are being incorporated by reference in Part 3 of this document.
All documents incorporated by reference herein can be accessed by visiting the Foresight website at www.foresightgroup.eu and are available for inspection through the national storage mechanism, which can be accessed at www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/NSM.
Copies of the following documents will be available for inspection during normal business hours on any day (Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays excepted) from the date of this document until the Effective Date at the offices of RW Blears LLP at 125 Old Broad Street London EC2N 1AR and also at the registered office of the Company:
John Gregory Peter Dicks Gordon Humphries
Proposed Director Jocelin Harris
Company Registration Number 03421340
Foresight Fund Managers Limited The Shard 32 London Bridge Street London SE1 9SG
Foresight Group CI Limited Frances House Sir William Place St Peter Port Guernsey GY1 1EY
Solicitors to the Company
RW Blears LLP 125 Old Broad Street London EC2N 1AR
BDO LLP 55 Baker Street London W1U 7EU
Scott-Moncrieff Exchange Place 3 Semple Street Edinburgh EH3 8BL
The Shard 32 London Bridge Street London SE1 9SG
Tel: 020 3667 8110 www.foresightgroup.eu
Computershare Investor Services PLC The Pavilions Bridgwater Road Bristol BS99 6ZY
KPMG LLP Saltire Court 20 Castle Terrace Edinburgh EH1 2EG
Shakespeare Martineau LLP One America Square Crosswall London EC3N 2SG
Barclays Bank plc 54 Lombard Street London EC3P 3AH
Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited One New Change London EC4M 9AF
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