NOT
FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART,
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN, INTO OR FROM THE UNITED
STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC
OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH
RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE
UNLAWFUL.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A PROSPECTUS OR OFFERING
MEMORANDUM OR AN OFFER IN RESPECT OF ANY SECURITIES AND IS NOT
INTENDED TO PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR ANY INVESTMENT DECISION IN
RESPECT OF BEACON ENERGY PLC OR OTHER EVALUATION OF ANY
SECURITIES OF BEACON ENERGY PLC OR ANY OTHER ENTITY AND
SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS A RECOMMENDATION THAT ANY INVESTOR
SHOULD PURCHASE ANY SUCH SECURITIES.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES
OF THE UK VERSION OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU NO.
596/2014) AS IT FORMS PART OF UK LAW BY VIRTUE OF
THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 AS AMENDED BY
VIRTUE OF THE MARKET ABUSE (AMENDMENT) (EU EXIT) REGULATIONS 2019
("UK MAR"). UPON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT VIA A
REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE, THIS INSIDE INFORMATION IS NOW
CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
28 February 2024
Beacon Energy
plc
("Beacon
Energy" or the "Company")
Proposed
Fundraise
Beacon Energy
plc (AIM:BCE), the full-cycle oil
and gas company with a portfolio of onshore German assets through
its wholly-owned subsidiary, Rhein Petroleum
GmbH ("Rhein Petroleum"), is pleased to announce that it has engaged Tennyson
Securities Limited ("Tennyson") as Bookrunner (the
"Bookrunner") to undertake
a proposed fundraise of approximately €3.0 million
(approximately £2.6 million) (before expenses) by way of a
conditional placing to institutional and other investors (the
"Placing"), and a retail
offer through PrimaryBid today (the "PrimaryBid Offer" and, together with
the Placing, the "Fundraise").
Highlights of the Fundraise:
· A proposed total Fundraise of
approximately £2.6 million (before expenses)
comprising:
o the Placing to raise
approximately £2.6 million (before expenses) through the
issue of approximately 5,137,000,000 new ordinary shares of no par
value in the capital of the Company ("Ordinary Shares") (the "Placing Shares") at a price
of 0.05 pence per Placing Share (the "Issue Price"); and
o the PrimaryBid Offer to
raise additional funds through the issue of new Ordinary Shares
(the "PrimaryBid Shares")
at the Issue Price. Further announcements will be made shortly in
connection with the PrimaryBid Offer.
· The Placing will be effected by
way of an accelerated bookbuild (the "Bookbuild"). The Bookbuild will open
immediately following release of this Announcement. A further
announcement confirming closing of the Bookbuild and the number of
Placing Shares to be issued pursuant to the Placing is expected to
be made in due course.
· The Issue Price represents a
discount of approximately 28 per cent. to the closing middle market
price of 0.07 pence per Ordinary Share on 27
February 2024, being the latest practicable date prior to the date
and time of this Announcement.
· Neither the Placing nor the
PrimaryBid Offer are underwritten.
The Placing is subject to the terms
and conditions set out in the Appendix to this Announcement (which
forms part of this Announcement).
Background to and Reasons for the Placing
On 14 December 2023, the Company
announced that as a consequence of operational issues encountered
while drilling the SCHB-2(2.) well, the reservoir near the wellbore
has been invaded with drilling fluids which are restricting flow
rates.
The Company subsequently undertook a
sand jetting operation with the aim of creating deeper perforations
which would increase communication between the oil-bearing
reservoir and the wellbore, and therefore increase production
rates.
Following completion of the sand
jetting operation, as announced by the Company on 12 February 2024,
a rod pump was installed to clean the well. Disappointingly,
although there is not a stabilised rate as yet, it is likely that
any sustained flow rate from the well would remain materially
below the flow rate expected given the
excellent reservoir quality encountered.
These encountered flow rates suggest
that the reservoir near the wellbore remains invaded with drilling
fluids, which is continuing to restrict oil flow. This invasion of
drilling fluids has been further confirmed by pressure data which
demonstrates that the reservoir remains at original pressure of
approximately 172 bar, consistent with the neighbouring Stockstadt
field prior to production, and that the well has a significant
"skin" effect which is impeding flow.
As a result, the Company has taken
the decision to undertake a side-track operation of approximately
100 meter length in order to by-pass the damaged reservoir by
between 2 and 10 meters.
A rig, all long-lead items and the
relevant oil field service contractors have been secured to
undertake the side track which is expected to commence in the first
half of April 2024.
Use
of proceeds
The gross proceeds of the Fundraise,
combined with the Company's existing unrestricted cash, will be
used as follows:
· Drilling and completion of the side
track
€2.1m
· Payment of outstanding costs due before end April 2024 related
to the SCHB-2(2.) well €1.1m
· General working capital and to cover the expenses of the
Fundraise
€1.0m
Current trading and outlook
The Company's unaudited cash balance
as at 16 February 2024 is approximately €1.2
million. As a result of delays during the drilling of the
SCHB-2(2.) well, the Company has an outstanding payables position
due to a small number of contractors - of this, approximately €1.1
million (net of VAT) is due prior to the end of April 2024 with the
balance of approximately €1.4 million (net of VAT) due between May
and August 2024 and expected to be funded from production post
side-track.
As previously guided, based on the
excellent reservoir properties and light oil recovered by the
Schwarzbach-2(2.) well, and the higher rates of production achieved
on historic wells in the area, management maintains belief that the
well can produce at materially higher levels.
Illustratively, at flow rates of
150, 300, 600 and 900 bopd, the Company would expect to deliver
operating cash flows (after operating costs and G&A) during
2024 of approximately €40,000, €300,000, €800,000 and
€1,300,000 per month (assuming $80/bbl Brent)
respectively.
The Company intends to release its
audited results for the year to 31 December 2023 before
the end of June 2024.
Additional Information on the Placing
The final number of Placing Shares
to be issued pursuant to the Placing will be determined by the
Company and the Bookrunner following closure of the Bookbuild. The
Placing Shares, when issued, will be fully paid and will rank
"pari passu" in all
respects with the existing ordinary shares in the capital of the
Company.
The Placing has been arranged by
Tennyson as the Company's Bookrunner in accordance with the terms
and conditions set out in the Appendix to this Announcement. The
Bookbuild will determine final demand for and participation in the
Placing. The Bookbuild is expected to close not later
than 8:00 a.m. (London time) tomorrow, but may be
closed at such earlier or later time as the Bookrunner, in their
absolute discretion (following consultation with the Company),
determine.
Details of the result of the Placing
will be announced as soon as practicable after closure of the
Bookbuild. Attention is drawn to the detailed terms and conditions
of the Placing described in the Appendix (which forms part of this
Announcement). By choosing to participate in the Placing and by
making an oral and legally binding offer to acquire Placing Shares,
investors will be deemed to have read and understood this
Announcement in its entirety (including the Appendix) and to be
making such offer on the terms and subject to the conditions in it,
and to be providing the representations, warranties and
acknowledgements contained in the Appendix.
The
PrimaryBid Offer
The Directors value the Company's
private investor base and believe that it is appropriate to provide
private and other investors with an opportunity to participate in
the Fundraising alongside institutional investors. The Company
therefore intends to open this opportunity to individual investors
through PrimaryBid and further announcements will be made shortly in connection
with the PrimaryBid Offer. For the avoidance of doubt, the
PrimaryBid Offer is not part of the Placing and is the sole
responsibility of the Company. Tennyson has no responsibilities,
obligations, duties or liabilities (whether arising pursuant to any
contract, law, regulation, or tort) in relation to the
same.
The PrimaryBid Offer, is open to
private and other investors subscribing via PrimaryBid's extensive
partner network of investment platforms, retail brokers and wealth
managers, subject to such partners' participation.
The PrimaryBid Shares, when issued,
will be fully paid and will rank "pari passu" in all respects with
each other and with the existing Ordinary Shares, including,
without limitation, as regards the right to receive all dividends
and other distributions declared, made or paid after the date of
issue.
The PrimaryBid Offer remains
conditional on the Placing being or becoming wholly unconditional.
The Company relied on an available exemption against the need to
publish a prospectus approved by the FCA (acting in its capacity as
the UK Listing Authority) in respect of the PrimaryBid Offer.
Further details on the PrimaryBid Offer will be announced shortly
following this Announcement.
Issue of Equity and Admission
An application will be made to
the London Stock Exchange for admission of the Placing
Shares and the PrimaryBid Shares to trading on AIM ("Admission").
It is expected that Admission will
take place at 8:00 a.m. (UK time) on or
around 5 March 2024 and that dealings in the Placing
Shares and the PrimaryBid Shares on AIM will commence at the same
time.
Enquiries:
Beacon Energy plc
Larry Bottomley (CEO)
Stewart
MacDonald (CFO)
|
+44 (0)20
7466 5000
|
|
Strand Hanson Limited (Financial and Nominated
Adviser)
Rory Murphy / James
Bellman
|
+44 (0)20
7409 3494
|
|
|
Buchanan (Public Relations)
Ben Romney / Barry
Archer / George Pope
|
+44 (0)20
7466 5000
|
|
|
Tennyson Securities (Bookrunner)
Peter Krens / Ed
Haig-Thomas
|
+44 (0)20
7186 9030
|
APPENDIX
I
FURTHER
DETAILS OF THE PLACING
TERMS AND
CONDITIONS OF THE PLACING
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING THIS
APPENDIX (TOGETHER, THE "ANNOUNCEMENT"), AND THE INFORMATION IN
IT IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR
DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR
INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, NEW ZEALAND, JAPAN,
THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN
WHICH SUCH PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE
UNLAWFUL.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT
ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING. THIS APPENDIX AND THE TERMS
AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN ARE FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND
ARE DIRECTED ONLY AT: (A) IN A MEMBER STATE OF THE EUROPEAN
ECONOMIC AREA ("EEA") OR
THE UNITED KINGDOM, PERSONS WHO ARE, UNLESS OTHERWISE AGREED
BY THE BOOKRUNNER, "QUALIFIED
INVESTORS" AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE 2(E) OF THE EU PROSPECTUS
REGULATION (WHICH MEANS REGULATION (EU) 2017/1129 AND INCLUDES ANY
RELEVANT IMPLEMENTING MEASURE IN ANY MEMBER STATE) (THE
"PROSPECTUS REGULATION") OR
WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 2(E) OF THE PROSPECTUS REGULATION
(EU) 2017/1129 AS IT FORMS PART OF THE LAW
OF ENGLAND AND WALES BY VIRTUE OF
THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 ("UK PROSPECTUS REGULATION"); AND (B) IN
THE UNITED KINGDOM, PERSONS WHO ARE: (I) "INVESTMENT
PROFESSIONALS" WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL
SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005 (THE
"ORDER"); (II) PERSONS
FALLING WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) ("HIGH NET WORTH COMPANIES,
UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATIONS, ETC") OF THE ORDER; OR (III) PERSONS
TO WHOM IT MAY OTHERWISE BE LAWFULLY COMMUNICATED (ALL SUCH PERSONS
TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS"). THIS APPENDIX AND
THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN MUST NOT BE ACTED ON OR
RELIED ON BY PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS. ANY INVESTMENT
OR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS APPENDIX AND THE TERMS AND
CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN RELATE IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO RELEVANT
PERSONS AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH RELEVANT
PERSONS.
PERSONS INTO WHOSE POSSESSION THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THE APPENDICES) COMES ARE REQUIRED BY THE
COMPANY AND THE BOOKRUNNER TO INFORM THEMSELVES ABOUT AND TO
OBSERVE ANY SUCH RESTRICTIONS.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER
FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER,
SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF
ANY JURISDICTION. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT ITSELF CONSTITUTE AN
OFFER FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION OF ANY SECURITIES IN THE
COMPANY.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT FOR
PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION AND SHOULD NOT BE FORWARDED, MAILED OR
TRANSMITTED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER OF SECURITIES
FOR SALE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THE SECURITIES
REFERRED TO HEREIN HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER
THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE
"SECURITIES ACT"), AND MAY
NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, EXCEPT
PURSUANT TO AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION. NO PUBLIC
OFFERING OF SECURITIES IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA.
NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN BY THE
BOOKRUNNER, THE COMPANY NOR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES THAT
WOULD PERMIT AN OFFER OF THE PLACING SHARES OR POSSESSION OR
DISTRIBUTION OF THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY OTHER PUBLICITY MATERIAL
RELATING TO SUCH PLACING SHARES IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE ACTION
FOR THAT PURPOSE IS REQUIRED. PERSONS RECEIVING THIS DOCUMENT ARE
REQUIRED TO INFORM THEMSELVES ABOUT AND TO OBSERVE ANY SUCH
RESTRICTIONS.
IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT ABOUT ANY OF
THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, YOU SHOULD OBTAIN INDEPENDENT
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. EACH PLACEE SHOULD CONSULT WITH ITS OWN
ADVISERS AS TO LEGAL, TAX, BUSINESS AND RELATED ASPECTS OF AN
INVESTMENT IN PLACING SHARES. THE PRICE OF THE PLACING SHARES AND
THE INCOME FROM THEM (IF ANY) MAY GO DOWN AS WELL AS UP AND
INVESTORS MAY NOT GET BACK THE FULL AMOUNT INVESTED ON DISPOSAL OF
THE PLACING SHARES.
The relevant clearances have not
been, nor will they be, obtained from the securities commission
of the United States of America or any state, province or
territory of Canada or Australia; no prospectus has
been lodged with or registered by the Japanese Ministry of
Finance, the South African Reserve Bank or
the Australian Securities and Investments Commission; and the
Placing Shares have not been, nor will they be, registered under or
offered in compliance with the securities laws of the United
States of America or any state, province or territory
of Canada, Australia, Japan or
the Republic of South Africa. Accordingly, the Placing Shares
may not (unless an exemption under the relevant securities laws is
applicable) be offered, sold, resold or delivered, directly or
indirectly, in or into the United States of
America, Canada, Australia, Japan, the Republic
of South Africa or any other jurisdiction in which such offer,
sale, resale or delivery would be unlawful.
Solely for the purposes of the
product governance requirements contained within: (a) EU Directive
2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments, as amended
("MiFID II") and (b)
Articles 9 and 10 of Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593
supplementing MiFID II, all as incorporated into the law
of England and Wales as appropriate; and (c)
local implementing measures (together, the "MiFID II Product Governance
Requirements"), and disclaiming all and any liability,
whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any
"manufacturer" (for the purposes of the Product Governance
Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Placing
Shares have been subject to a product approval process, which has
determined that the Placing Shares are: (i) compatible with an end
target market of: (a) retail investors, (b) investors who meet the
criteria of professional clients and (c) eligible counterparties
(each as defined in MiFID II); and (ii) eligible for distribution
through all distribution channels as are permitted by MiFID II (the
"Target Market
Assessment"). Notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment,
distributors should note that: the price of the Placing Shares may
decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment;
the Placing Shares offer no guaranteed income and no capital
protection; and an investment in the Placing Shares is compatible
only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital
protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate
financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits
and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources
to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom. The Target
Market Assessment is without prejudice to the requirements of any
contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation
to the offer. In all circumstances the Bookrunner will only
procure investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and
eligible counterparties.
For the avoidance of doubt, the
Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (a) an assessment of
suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of MiFID II; or (b)
a recommendation to any investor or group of investors to invest
in, or purchase, or take any other action whatsoever with respect
to the Placing Shares.
Each distributor is responsible for
undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the
Placing Shares and determining appropriate distribution
channels.
Persons (including, without
limitation, nominees and trustees) who have a contractual or other
legal obligation to forward a copy of this Appendix or this
Announcement of which it forms part should seek appropriate advice
before taking any action.
These terms and conditions apply to
persons making an offer to acquire Placing Shares. Each Placee
hereby agrees with the Bookrunner and the Company to be bound by
these terms and conditions as being the terms and conditions upon
which Placing Shares will be issued or acquired. A Placee shall,
without limitation, become so bound if the Bookrunner confirms to
such Placee its allocation of Placing Shares.
Upon being notified of its
allocation of Placing Shares, a Placee shall be contractually
committed to acquire the number of Placing Shares allocated to it
at the Placing Price and, to the fullest extent permitted by law,
will be deemed to have agreed not to exercise any rights to rescind
or terminate or otherwise withdraw from such commitment.
In this Appendix, unless the context
otherwise requires, "Placee" means a Relevant Person
(including individuals, funds or others) who has been invited to
participate in the Placing and on whose behalf a commitment to
subscribe for or acquire Placing Shares has been given.
Details of the Placing Agreement and
the Placing Shares
The Company has today entered into
the Placing Agreement with Tennyson Securities, a trading name
of Shard Capital Partners LLP ("Tennyson") (the Company's sole
bookrunner in connection with the Placing) under which the
Bookrunner has, on the terms and subject to the conditions set out
therein, undertaken to use their reasonable endeavours to procure
subscribers for the Placing Shares. It is expected that the Placing
will raise approximately £2.6
million in gross proceeds. The
Placing is not being underwritten by the Bookrunner or any other
person.
The Placing Shares will be issued on
or around 5 March
2024. The Placing Shares will, when issued,
be subject to the articles of association of the Company, be
credited as fully paid and rank pari passu in all respects with
the existing Ordinary Shares, including the right to receive all
dividends and other distributions (if any) declared, made or paid
on or in respect of Ordinary Shares after the date of issue of the
Placing Shares.
The proceeds raised through the
Placing are intended to be used for the purposes disclosed in this
announcement. No shareholder approval is required to effect the
Placing.
The Placing Shares will trade on AIM
under BCE with ISIN: IM00BKSCP798.
Application for admission to trading
of the Placing Shares
Application will be made to
the London Stock Exchange for the Placing Shares to be
admitted to trading on AIM. Admission for the Placing Shares is
expected to become effective and dealings in such shares are
expected to commence at 8.00 a.m. on or
around 5 March
2024 ("Admission"). In any event, the latest
date for Admission is 14 March 2024 (the "Long Stop Date").
Placing
This Appendix gives details of the
terms and conditions of, and the mechanics of participation in, the
Placing. No commissions will be paid to Placees or by Placees in
respect of any Placing Shares.
Participation in, and principal
terms of, the Placing are as follows:
1.
The Bookrunner is arranging the Placing as agents for, and
bookrunners to, the Company.
2.
The Placing Price and the number of Placing Shares to be issued
will be determined by the Company (in consultation with the
Bookrunner) following completion of a bookbuilding exercise by the
Bookrunner (the "Bookbuild"). The results of the
Bookbuild will be released through a Regulatory Information
Service following the completion of the Bookbuild. The
Bookrunner shall be entitled to effect the Placing by such
alternative method to the Bookbuild as they may, in their absolute
discretion determine, following consultation with the
Company.
3.
To bid in the Bookbuild, Placees should communicate their bid by
telephone or in writing to their usual sales contact at Tennyson.
Each bid should state the number of Placing Shares which the
prospective Placee wishes to acquire either at the Placing Price
which is ultimately established by the Company or at prices up to a
price limit specified in its bid. Bids may be scaled down by the
Bookrunner on the basis referred to in paragraph 7
below.
4.
The Bookbuild is expected to close no later than 8.00
a.m. on 29 March 2024 but may be closed earlier or
later at the discretion of the Bookrunner. The Bookrunner may, in
agreement with the Company, accept bids received after the
Bookbuild has closed.
5.
Participation in the Placing is only available to persons who are
lawfully able to be, and have been, invited to participate by the
Bookrunner. The Bookrunner is entitled (but under no obligation) to
participate in the Placing as principal.
6. Following
the close of the Bookbuild for the Placing, each Placee's
allocation will be confirmed to Placees orally, or in writing
(which can include email), by the Bookrunner and a trade
confirmation or contract note will be dispatched as soon as
possible thereafter. The Bookrunner's oral or written confirmation
will give rise to an irrevocable, legally binding commitment by
that person (who at that point becomes a Placee), in favour of the
Bookrunner and the Company, under which it agrees to acquire by
subscription the number of Placing Shares allocated to it at the
Placing Price and otherwise on the terms and subject to the
conditions set out in this Appendix and in accordance with the
Company's articles of association. Except with the Bookrunner's
consent, such commitment will not be capable of variation or
revocation.
7. Each
Placee's allocation will, unless otherwise agreed between the
Placee and the Bookrunner, be evidenced by a trade confirmation or
contract note issued to each such Placee by the Bookrunner. The
terms and conditions of this Announcement (including this Appendix)
will be deemed to be incorporated in that trade confirmation,
contract note or such other confirmation and will be legally
binding on the Placee on behalf of which it is made and, except
with the Bookrunner's consent, will not be capable of variation or
revocation from the time at which it is issued.
8. Each
Placee will have an immediate, separate, irrevocable and binding
obligation, owed to the Bookrunner (as agent for the Company), to
pay to the Bookrunner (or as the Bookrunner may direct) in cleared
funds an amount equal to the product of the Placing Price and the
number of Placing Shares such Placee has agreed to acquire and the
Company has agreed to allot and issue to that Placee.
9.
Except as required by law or regulation, no press release or
other announcement will be made by the Bookrunner or the Company
using the name of any Placee (or its agent), in its capacity as
Placee (or agent), other than with such Placee's prior written
consent.
10.
Irrespective of the time at which a Placee's allocation pursuant to
the Placing is confirmed, settlement for all Placing Shares to be
acquired pursuant to the Placing will be required to be made at the
same time, on the basis explained below under "Registration and
Settlement".
11.
All obligations of the Bookrunner under the Placing will be subject
to fulfilment of the conditions referred to below under "Conditions
of the Placing" and to the Placing not being terminated on the
basis referred to below under "Right to terminate under the Placing
Agreement".
12.
By participating in the Placing, each Placee agrees that its rights
and obligations in respect of the Placing will terminate only in
the circumstances described below and will not be capable of
rescission or termination by the Placee.
13.
To the fullest extent permissible by law and the applicable rules
of the Financial Conduct Authority, neither of the Bookrunner nor
any of their Affiliates shall have any liability to Placees (or to
any other person whether acting on behalf of a Placee or otherwise
whether or not a recipient of these terms and conditions) in
respect of the Placing. Each Placee acknowledges and agrees that
the Company is responsible for the allotment of the Placing Shares
to the Placees and the Bookrunner and their Affiliates shall have
no liability to the Placees for the failure of the Company to
fulfil those obligations. In particular, neither the Bookrunner nor
any of their Affiliates shall have any liability (including to the
extent permissible by law, any fiduciary duties) in respect of the
Bookrunner's conduct of the Placing or of such alternative method
of effecting the Placing as the Bookrunner and the Company may
determine.
Conditions of the Placing
The Bookrunner's obligations under
the Placing Agreement in respect of, amongst other things, the
Placing are conditional on, inter alia:
1.
the release of this Announcement to a Regulatory Information
Service by no later than 28
February 2024;
2.
application having been made by or on behalf of the Company for
Admission to the London Stock Exchange not later
than 4.45 p.m. on [29 February 2024];
3.
the publication of an announcement communicating the results of the
Placing not later than 8.00a.m. on the first Business
Day following the date of this Announcement (or such other time
and/or date as agreed by the Company and the
Bookrunner);
4.
the delivery by the Company to the Bookrunner of certain documents
required under the Placing Agreement;
5.
the Company having complied with its obligations under the Placing
Agreement to the extent that such obligations fall to be performed
prior to Admission;
6.
the delivery by the Company to the Bookrunner on the Business Day
immediately before Admission of a warranty certificate signed on
behalf of the Company;
7.
none of the warranties given in the Placing Agreement being untrue,
inaccurate or misleading at any time between the date of the
Placing Agreement and Admission, and no matter having arisen prior
to Admission which might reasonably render any of the warranties
untrue or inaccurate or misleading in any respect if it was
repeated as at Admission;
8.
the Placing Shares having been allotted, subject only to
Admission;
9.
prior to Admission, there not having occurred, in the sole opinion
of Strand Hanson and Tennyson (acting in good faith) any material
adverse change since entering into the Placing
Agreement;;
10.
the Placing Agreement not having been terminated by the Bookrunner;
and
11.
admission of the Placing Shares to trading on AIM becoming
effective in accordance with Rule 6 of Part 1 the AIM Rules not
later than 8.00 a.m. on [14 March 2024] or such
later date as may be agreed in writing between the Company and
Tennyson, but in any event not later than 8.00 a.m. on
the Long Stop Date.
If: (i) any of the conditions
contained in the Placing Agreement, including those described
above, are not fulfilled or (where applicable) waived by Tennyson
by the respective time or date where specified (or such later time
or date as Tennyson may notify to the Company); (ii) any of such
conditions becomes incapable of being fulfilled; or (iii) the
Placing Agreement is terminated in the circumstances specified
below, the Placing will not proceed and the Placees' rights and
obligations hereunder in relation to the Placing Shares shall cease
and terminate at such time and each Placee agrees that no claim can
be made by the Placee in respect thereof.
Tennyson may, at their discretion
and upon such terms as they think fit, waive, or extend the period
for, compliance by the Company with the whole or any part of any of
the Company's obligations in relation to the conditions in the
Placing Agreement save that the condition relating to Admission
taking place by the Long Stop Date may not be waived. Any such
extension or waiver will not affect Placees' commitments as set out
in this Announcement.
None of Tennyson, the Company nor
any of their respective Affiliates shall have any liability to any
Placee (or to any other person whether acting on behalf of a Placee
or otherwise) in respect of any decision they may make as to
whether or not to waive or to extend the time and/or date for the
satisfaction of any condition to the Placing nor for any decision
they may make as to the satisfaction of any condition or in respect
of the Placing generally and by participating in the Placing each
Placee agrees that any such decision is within the absolute
discretion of Tennyson.
Right to terminate the Placing
Agreement
The Placing Agreement can be
terminated by the Bookrunner by giving notice to the Company in
certain circumstances, including, inter alia, if before
Admission:
1.
it shall have come to the notice of the Company or the Bookrunner
that:
1.1
any statement contained in the Issue Documents (as defined in the
Placing Agreement) is or has become untrue, incorrect or
misleading, or there is an omission therefrom as the Bookrunner
consider material (acting in good faith) in the context of the
Placing;
1.2 any of the
Warranties under the Placing Agreement were not when given true and
accurate or were misleading in each case as the Bookrunner
considers to be material (acting in good faith) in the context of
the Placing;
1.3 in
the opinion of the Bookrunner (acting in good faith) there
has been an actual or prospective material adverse change (whether
or not foreseeable at the date of the Placing
Agreement),
2. there
shall have occurred, or it is reasonably likely that there will
occur in each case, in the opinion of the Bookrunner (acting in
good faith):
(a)
a suspension of trading in securities generally on AIM or
the London Stock Exchange or trading is limited or
minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum
range for prices of securities have been required on such exchange
or by such system or by order of any governmental authority, or a
material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or
securities settlement or clearance services in the United
Kingdom, the United States or a member or associate
member of the European Union; or
(b)
a declaration of banking moratorium by the authorities in
the United Kingdom or internationally; or
(c)
any international crisis, act of terrorism, outbreak or escalation
of hostilities, change in national or international financial,
monetary, economic, political, financial, industrial or market
conditions including fluctuations in exchange rates or exchange
controls, or any declaration in the UK, the rest
of Europe, or the US of a national emergency or
war.
If the Placing Agreement is
terminated prior to Admission then the Placing will not
occur.
The rights and obligations of the
Placees will not be subject to termination by the Placees or any
prospective Placees at any time or in any circumstances. By
participating in the Placing, Placees agree that the exercise by
the Bookrunner of any right of termination or other discretion
under the Placing Agreement shall be within the absolute discretion
of the Bookrunner and that the Bookrunner need not make any
reference to Placees in this regard and that neither the Bookrunner
nor any of their Affiliates shall have any liability to Placees
whatsoever in connection with any such exercise or failure so to
exercise.
No Admission Document or
Prospectus
The Placing Shares are being offered
to a limited number of specifically invited persons only and have
not been nor will be offered in such a way as to require the
publication of an admission document or prospectus in
the United Kingdom or any equivalent document in any
other jurisdiction. No offering document, admission document or
prospectus has been or will be submitted to be approved by the FCA
or the London Stock Exchange in relation to the Placing,
and Placees' commitments will be made solely on the basis of the
information contained in this Announcement (including this
Appendix) ("Reliance
Information"). Each Placee, by accepting a participation in
the Placing, agrees that the content of this Announcement is
exclusively the responsibility of the Company and confirms that it
has neither received nor relied on any other information (other
than the Reliance Information, representation, warranty or
statement made by or on behalf of the Company or the Bookrunner or
any other person and the Bookrunner, the Company nor any other
person will be liable for any Placee's decision to participate in
the Placing based on any other information, representation,
warranty or statement which the Placees may have obtained or
received and, if given or made, such information, representation,
warranty or statement must not be relied upon as having been
authorised by the Bookrunner, the Company or their respective
officers, directors, employees or agents. Each Placee acknowledges
and agrees that it has relied on its own investigation of the
business, financial or other position of the Company in accepting a
participation in the Placing. Neither the Company nor the
Bookrunner are making any undertaking or warranty to any Placee
regarding the legality of an investment in the Placing Shares by
such Placee under any legal, investment or similar laws or
regulations. Each Placee should not consider any information in
this Announcement to be legal, tax or business advice. Each Placee
should consult its own solicitor, tax adviser and financial adviser
for independent legal, tax and financial advice regarding an
investment in the Placing Shares. Nothing in this paragraph shall
exclude the liability of any person for fraudulent
misrepresentation.
Registration and
Settlement
Settlement of transactions in the
Placing Shares will, unless otherwise agreed, take place on a
delivery versus payment basis within the system administered
by Euroclear UK & Ireland Limited ("CREST"). Each Placee will be deemed to
agree that it will do all things necessary to ensure that delivery
and payment is completed as directed by the relevant Placing
Party in accordance with the standing CREST settlement
instructions which they have in place with such Placing
Party.
Settlement of transactions in the
Placing Shares following Admission will take place within CREST
provided that, subject to certain exceptions, the Placing Parties
reserve the right to require settlement for, and delivery of, the
Placing Shares (or a portion thereof) to Placees by such other
means that it deems necessary if delivery or settlement is not
possible or practicable within CREST within the timetable set out
in this Announcement or would not be consistent with the regulatory
requirements in any Placee's jurisdiction.
It is expected that settlement of
the Placing Shares will be on 5 March
2024 unless otherwise notified by the
Placing Parties and Admission is expected to occur
by 5 March
2024 or such later time as may be
agreed between the Company and Tennyson, not being later than the
Long Stop Date.
Following the close of the
Bookbuild, each Placee allocated Placing Shares in the Placing will
be sent a contract note or electronic confirmation in accordance
with the standing arrangements in place with the Bookrunner stating
the number of Placing Shares to be allocated to it at the Placing
Price, the aggregate amount owed by such Placee to the Bookrunner
or its sub-agent and settlement instructions. Each Placee will be
deemed to agree that it will do all things necessary to ensure that
delivery and payment is completed in accordance with the standing
CREST or certificated settlement instructions that it has in place
with the Bookrunner. It is expected that such contract note or
electronic confirmation will be despatched on or
around 29 February 2024
and that this will be the trade date.
The Company will deliver the Placing
Shares to a CREST account operated by the Bookrunner (as
appropriate) or their respective sub-agent, in each case, as agent
for and on behalf of the Company and will enter its delivery (DEL)
instruction into the CREST system. The input to CREST by a Placee
of a matching or acceptance instruction will then allow delivery of
the relevant Placing Shares to that Placee against payment. It is
expected that settlement will be on 5
March 2024 on a T+3 basis in
accordance with the instructions set out in the contract
note.
Interest is chargeable daily on
payments not received from Placees on the due date in accordance
with the arrangements set out above at the rate of two percentage
points above LIBOR as determined by the Bookrunner.
Each Placee is deemed to agree that,
if it does not comply with these obligations, the Bookrunner may
sell any or all of the Placing Shares allocated to that Placee on
such Placee's behalf and retain from the proceeds, for the
Bookrunner account and benefit (as agent for the Company), an
amount equal to the aggregate amount owed by the Placee plus any
interest due. The relevant Placee will, however, remain liable and
shall indemnify the Bookrunner on demand for any shortfall below
the aggregate amount owed by it and may be required to bear any
stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or securities transfer tax
(together with any interest or penalties) which may arise upon the
sale of such Placing Shares on such Placee's behalf. By
communicating a bid for Placing Shares, each Placee confers on the
Bookrunner such authorities and powers necessary to carry out any
such sale and agrees to ratify and confirm all actions which the
Bookrunner lawfully takes in pursuance of such sale. Legal and/or
beneficial title in and to any Placing Shares shall not pass to the
relevant Placee until it has fully complied with its obligations
hereunder.
If Placing Shares are to be
delivered to a custodian or settlement agent, Placees should ensure
that any form of confirmation is copied and delivered immediately
to the relevant person within that organisation.
Insofar as Placing Shares are
registered in a Placee's name or that of its nominee or in the name
of any person for whom a Placee is contracting as agent or that of
a nominee for such person, such Placing Shares should, subject as
provided below, be so registered free from any liability
to UK stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or securities
transfer tax. Neither the Bookrunner nor the Company will be liable
in any circumstances for the payment of stamp duty, stamp duty
reserve tax or securities transfer tax in connection with any of
the Placing Shares. Placees will not be entitled to receive any fee
or commission in connection with the Placing.
Representations, Warranties and
Further Terms
By participating in the Placing,
each Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf) makes
the following representations, warranties, acknowledgements,
agreements and undertakings (as the case may be) to the Bookrunner
(in their capacity as placing agent of the Company) and the
Company:
1.
that it has read and understood this Announcement, including this
Appendix, in its entirety and that its subscription for or purchase
of Placing Shares is subject to and based upon all the terms,
conditions, representations, warranties, acknowledgements,
agreements, undertakings and other information contained herein and
undertakes not to redistribute or duplicate this
Announcement;
2.
that the shares in the capital of the Company are admitted to
trading on AIM;
3.
that its obligations are irrevocable and legally binding and shall
not be capable of rescission or termination by it in any
circumstances;
4.
that the exercise by the Bookrunner of any right or discretion
under the Placing Agreement shall be within the absolute discretion
of the Bookrunner and the Bookrunner need not have any reference to
it and shall have no liability to it whatsoever in connection with
any decision to exercise or not to exercise any such right and each
Placee agrees that it has no rights against the Bookrunner or the
Company, or any of their respective officers, directors or
employees, under the Placing Agreement pursuant to the Contracts
(Rights of Third Parties Act) 1999;
5.
that these terms and conditions represent the whole and only
agreement between it, the Bookrunner and the Company in relation to
its participation in the Placing and supersedes any previous
agreement between any of such parties in relation to such
participation. Accordingly, each Placee, in accepting its
participation in the Placing, is not relying on any information or
representation or warranty in relation to the Company or any of its
subsidiaries or any of the Placing Shares other than as contained
in this Announcementand the Reliance Information, such information
being all that it deems necessary to make an investment decision in
respect of the Placing Shares. Each Placee agrees that none of the
Company, the Bookrunner nor any of their respective officers,
directors or employees will have any liability for any such other
information, representation or warranty, express or
implied;
6.
that in the case of any Placing Shares acquired by it as a
financial intermediary, as that term is used in Article 5 of the
Prospectus Regulation, (i) the Placing Shares to be acquired by it
in the Placing will not be acquired on a non-discretionary basis on
behalf of, nor will they be acquired with a view to their offer or
resale to, persons in any member state of the EEA which has
implemented the Prospectus Regulation or in the United
Kingdom other than Qualified Investors or in
circumstances in which the prior consent of the Bookrunner and the
Company has been given to the offer or resale; or (ii) where
Placing Shares have been acquired by it on behalf of persons in any
member state of the EEA or the United Kingdom other
than Qualified Investors, the offer of those Placing Shares to
it is not treated under the Prospectus Regulation as having been
made to such persons;
7.
that neither it nor, as the case may be, its clients expect the
Bookrunner to have any duties or responsibilities to such persons
similar or comparable to the duties of "best execution" and
"suitability" imposed by the FCA's Conduct of Business Source Book,
and that the Bookrunner is not acting for it or its clients, and
that the Bookrunner will not be responsible for providing the
protections afforded to customers of the Bookrunner or for
providing advice in respect of the transactions described
herein;
8.
that it has made its own assessment of the Placing Shares and has
relied on its own investigation of the business, financial or other
position of the Company in accepting a participation in the Placing
and none of the Bookrunner nor the Company nor any of their
respective Affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees or
any person acting on behalf of any of them has provided, and will
not provide, it with any material regarding the Placing Shares or
the Company or any other person other than the information in this
Announcement or the Publicly Available Information; nor has it
requested the Bookrunner, the Company or any of their respective
Affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees or any person
acting on behalf of any of them to provide it with any such
information;
9.
that the only information on which it is entitled to rely on and on
which it has relied in committing to subscribe for the Placing
Shares is contained in this Announcement and the Publicly Available
Information, such information being all that it deems necessary to
make an investment decision in respect of the Placing Shares and it
has made its own assessment of the Company, the Placing Shares and
the terms of the Placing based on this Announcement and the
Publicly Available Information;
10.
that none of the Bookrunner nor the Company nor any of their
respective Affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees has
made any representation or warranty to it, express or implied, with
respect to the Company, the Placing or the Placing Shares or the
accuracy, completeness or adequacy of this Announcement or the
Publicly Available Information;
11.
that it and the person(s), if any, for whose account or benefit it
is subscribing for the Placing Shares is not subscribing for and/or
purchasing Placing Shares as a result of any "directed selling
efforts" as defined in Regulation S;
12.
that it and the person(s), if any, for whose account or benefit it
is subscribing for the Placing Shares was given and it is not
acquiring Placing Shares with a view to the offer, sale, resale,
transfer, delivery or distribution, directly or indirectly, of any
Placing Shares into the United States of America;
13.
that it and the person(s), if any, for whose account or benefit it
is subscribing for Placing Shares is not a "US Person", and at the
time it subscribes for the Placing Shares will be outside the
United States of America and acquiring the Placing Shares in
an "offshore transaction" as defined in and pursuant to Regulation
S;
14.
that it is not a national or resident of the United States of
America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,
the Republic of South Africa or Japan or a
corporation, partnership or other entity organised under the laws
of the United States of
America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,
the Republic of South Africa or Japan and that
it will not offer, sell, renounce, transfer or deliver, directly or
indirectly, any of the Placing Shares in the United States of
America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,
the Republic of South Africa or Japan or to or
for the benefit of any person resident in the United States of
America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,
the Republic of South Africa or Japan and each
Placee acknowledges that the relevant exemptions are not being
obtained from the Securities Commission of the United
States or any province of Canada, that no document has
been or will be lodged with, filed with or registered by
the Australian Securities and Investments
Commission or Japanese Ministry of Finance and that
the Placing Shares are not being offered for sale and may not be,
directly or indirectly, offered, sold, transferred or delivered in
or into the United States of
America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the
Republic South Africa or Japan;
15.
that it does not have a registered address in, and is not a
citizen, resident or national of, any jurisdiction in which it is
unlawful to make or accept an offer of the Placing Shares and it is
not acting on a non-discretionary basis for any such
person;
16.
that it has not, directly or indirectly, distributed, forwarded,
transferred or otherwise transmitted, and will not, directly or
indirectly, distribute, forward, transfer or otherwise transmit,
any presentation or offering materials concerning the Placing or
the Placing Shares to any persons within the United States of
America;
17.
that it (and any person acting on its behalf) will make payment for
the Placing Shares allocated to it in accordance with this
Announcement on the due time and date set out herein, failing which
the relevant Placing Shares may be placed with other subscribers or
sold as the Bookrunner may in their discretion determine and
without liability to such Placee;
18.
that it is entitled to subscribe for and/or purchase Placing Shares
under the laws of all relevant jurisdictions which apply to it and
that it has fully observed such laws and obtained all governmental
and other consents which may be required thereunder or otherwise
and complied with all necessary formalities and that it has not
taken any action which will or may result in the Company or the
Bookrunner or any of their respective directors, officers,
employees or agents acting in breach of any regulatory or legal
requirements of any territory in connection with the Placing or its
acceptance;
19.
that it has obtained all necessary consents and authorities to
enable it to give its commitment to subscribe for and/or purchase
the Placing Shares and to perform its subscription and/or purchase
obligations;
20.
that where it is acquiring Placing Shares for one or more managed
accounts, it is authorised in writing by each managed account: (a)
to acquire the Placing Shares for each managed account; (b) to make
on its behalf the representations, warranties, acknowledgements,
undertakings and agreements in this Appendix and this Announcement
of which it forms part; and (c) to receive on its behalf any
investment letter relating to the Placing in the form provided to
it by the Bookrunner;
21.
that it is either: (a) a person of a kind described in paragraph 5
of Article 19 (persons having professional experience in matters
relating to investments and who are investment professionals) of
the Order; or (b) a person of a kind described in paragraph 2 of
Article 49 (high net worth companies, unincorporated associations,
partnerships or trusts or their respective directors, officers or
employees) of the Order; or (c) a person to whom it is otherwise
lawful for this Announcement to be communicated and in the case of
(a) and (b) undertakes that it will acquire, hold, manage or
dispose of any Placing Shares that are allocated to it for the
purposes of its business;
22.
that, unless otherwise agreed by the Bookrunner, it is a qualified
investor (as defined in section 86(7) of the Financial Services and
Markets Act 2000, as amended ("FSMA"));
23.
that, unless otherwise agreed by the Bookrunner, it is a
"professional client" or an "eligible counterparty" within the
meaning of Chapter 3 of the FCA's Conduct of Business Sourcebook
and it is purchasing Placing Shares for investment only and not
with a view to resale or distribution;
24.
it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only
communicate or cause to be communicated any invitation or
inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of
section 21 of FSMA) relating to the Placing Shares in circumstances
in which section 21(1) of FSMA does not require approval of the
communication by an authorised person;
25.
that any money held in an account with the Bookrunner (or its
nominees) on its behalf and/or any person acting on its behalf will
not be treated as client money within the meaning of the rules and
regulations of the FCA. Each Placee further acknowledges that the
money will not be subject to the protections conferred by the FCA's
client money rules. As a consequence, this money will not be
segregated from the Bookrunner's (or its nominee's) money in
accordance with such client money rules and will be used by the
Bookrunner in the course of its own business and each Placee will
rank only as a general creditor of the Bookrunner;
26.
that it will (or will procure that its nominee will) if applicable,
make notification to the Company of the interest in its ordinary
shares in accordance with the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency
Rules published by the FCA;
27.
that it is not, and it is not acting on behalf of, a person falling
within subsections (6), (7) or (8) of sections 67 or 70
respectively or subsections (2) and (3) of section 93 or subsection
(1) of section 96 of the Finance Act 1986;
28.
that it will not deal or cause or permit any other person to deal
in all or any of the Placing Shares which it is subscribing for
and/or purchasing under the Placing unless and until Admission
becomes effective;
29.
that it appoints irrevocably any director of the Bookrunner as its
agent for the purpose of executing and delivering to the Company
and/or its registrars any document on its behalf necessary to
enable it to be registered as the holder of the Placing
Shares;
30.
that, as far as it is aware it is not acting in concert (within the
meaning given in The City Code on Takeovers and Mergers) with any
other person in relation to the Company, save as previously
disclosed to the Bookrunner;
31.
that this Announcement does not constitute a securities
recommendation or financial product advice and that none of the
Bookrunner nor the Company has considered its particular
objectives, financial situation and needs;
32.
that it has sufficient knowledge, sophistication and experience in
financial, business and investment matters as is required to
evaluate the merits and risks of subscribing for or purchasing the
Placing Shares and is aware that it may be required to bear, and
it, and any accounts for which it may be acting, are able to bear,
the economic risk of, and is able to sustain, a complete loss in
connection with the Placing;
33.
that it will indemnify and hold the Company and the Bookrunner and
their respective Affiliates harmless from any and all costs,
claims, liabilities and expenses (including legal fees and
expenses) arising out of or in connection with any breach of the
representations, warranties, acknowledgements, agreements and
undertakings in this Appendix and further
`
`agrees that the Company and the Bookrunner will rely on the truth
and accuracy of the confirmations, warranties, acknowledgements and
undertakings herein and, if any of the foregoing is or becomes no
longer true or accurate, the Placee shall promptly notify the
Bookrunner and the Company. All confirmations, warranties,
acknowledgements and undertakings given by the Placee, pursuant to
this Announcement (including this Appendix) are given to both the
Bookrunner and the Company and will survive completion of the
Placing and Admission;
34.
that time shall be of the essence as regards its obligations
pursuant to this Appendix;
35.
that it is responsible for obtaining any legal, financial, tax and
other advice that it deems necessary for the execution, delivery
and performance of its obligations in accepting the terms and
conditions of the Placing, and that it is not relying on the
Company or the Bookrunner to provide any legal, financial, tax or
other advice to it;
36.
that all dates and times in this Announcement (including this
Appendix) may be subject to amendment and that the Bookrunner shall
notify it of such amendments;
37.
that (i) it has complied with its obligations under the Criminal
Justice Act 1993, Part VIII of FSMA and the Market Abuse Regulation
(as it forms part of the law
of England and Wales by virtue of
the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018), (ii) in
connection with money laundering and terrorist financing, it has
complied with its obligations under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
(as amended), the Terrorism Act 2000 (as amended),the Terrorism Act
2006 and the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of
Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 and (iii) it is
not a person: (a) with whom transactions are prohibited under the
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 or any economic sanction
programmes administered by, or regulations promulgated by,
the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of
the Treasury; (b) named on the Consolidated List of Financial
Sanctions Targets maintained by HM Treasury of
the United Kingdom; or (c) subject to financial sanctions
imposed pursuant to a regulation of the European Union or
a regulation adopted by the United Nations (together, the
"Regulations"); and, if
making payment on behalf of a third party, that satisfactory
evidence has been obtained and recorded by it to verify the
identity of the third party as required by the Regulations and, if
making payment on behalf of a third party, that satisfactory
evidence has been obtained and recorded by it to verify the
identity of the third party as required by the Regulations and has
obtained all governmental and other consents (if any) which may be
required for the purpose of, or as a consequence of, such purchase,
and it will provide promptly to the Bookrunner such evidence, if
any, as to the identity or location or legal status of any person
which the Bookrunner may request from it in connection with the
Placing (for the purpose of complying with such Regulations or
ascertaining the nationality of any person or the jurisdiction(s)
to which any person is subject or otherwise) in the form and manner
requested by the Bookrunner on the basis that any failure by it to
do so may result in the number of Placing Shares that are to be
subscribed for and/or purchased by it or at its direction pursuant
to the Placing being reduced to such number, or to nil, as the
Bookrunner may decide in its absolute discretion;
38.
that it will not make any offer to the public of those Placing
Shares to be subscribed for and/or purchased by it for the purposes
of the Prospectus Regulation Rules made by the FCA pursuant to
Prospectus Regulation Rules Instrument 2019 (FCA
2019/80);
39.
that, in relation to any Placees located in Australia, it is a
"wholesale investor" being a sophisticated or experienced investor
meeting the criteria in sections 708(8) or (10) of the Corporations
Act 2001 (the "Corporations Act") or a "professional investor" (as
defined in the Corporations Act) or does not otherwise require
disclosure pursuant to one or more exemptions contained in section
708 of the Corporations Act so that it is lawful to offer the
Placing Shares without disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of
the Corporations Act;
40.
that it is not acquiring the Placing Shares for the purposes of
selling or transferring them, or granting, issuing or transferring
interests in, or options or warrants over, them,
within Australia within the period of 12 months after the
date of allotment except in circumstances where disclosure to
investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act would not be
required pursuant to an exemption under section 708 of the
Corporations Act or otherwise or where the offer is pursuant to a
disclosure document which complies with Chapter 6D of the
Corporations Act;
41.
that it will not distribute any document relating to the Placing
Shares and it will be acquiring the Placing Shares for its own
account as principal or for a discretionary account or accounts (as
to which it has the authority to make the statements set out
herein) for investment purposes only and it does not have any
contract, understanding or arrangement with any person to sell,
pledge, transfer or grant a participation therein to such person or
any third person with respect of any Placing Shares; save that if
it is a private client stockbroker or fund manager it confirms that
in purchasing the Placing Shares it is acting under the terms of
one or more discretionary mandates granted to it by private clients
and it is not acting on an execution only basis or under specific
instructions to purchase the Placing Shares for the account of any
third party;
42.
that it acknowledges that these terms and conditions and any
agreements entered into by it pursuant to these terms and
conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with
the laws of England and Wales and it submits
(on behalf of itself and on behalf of any person on whose behalf it
is acting) to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts as
regards any claim, dispute or matter arising out of any such
contract, except that enforcement proceedings in respect of the
obligation to make payment for the Placing Shares (together with
any interest chargeable thereon) may be taken by the Company or the
Bookrunner in any jurisdiction in which the relevant Placee is
incorporated or in which its assets are located or any of its
securities have a quotation on a recognised stock
exchange;
43.
that any documents sent to Placees will be sent at the Placees'
risk. They may be sent by post to such Placees at an address
notified to the Bookrunner;
44.
that neither the Bookrunner nor the Company owe any fiduciary or
other duties to any Placee in respect of any representations,
warranties, undertakings or indemnities in the Placing
Agreement;
45.
that the Bookrunner or any of their respective Affiliates may, at
their absolute discretion, agree to become a Placee in respect of
some or all of the Placing Shares;
46.
that no prospectus, admission document or other offering document
has been or will be prepared in connection with the Placing and it
has not received and will not receive a prospectus, admission
document or other offering document in connection with the Placing
or the Placing Shares; and
47.
that if it has received any confidential price sensitive
information concerning the Company in advance of the publication of
this Announcement, it has not: (i) dealt in the securities of the
Company; (ii) encouraged, required, recommended or induced another
person to deal in the securities of the Company; or (iii) disclosed
such information to any person, prior to such information being
made publicly available.
The Company, the Bookrunner and
their respective Affiliates will rely upon the truth and accuracy
of each of the foregoing representations, warranties,
acknowledgements and undertakings which are given to the Bookrunner
(for their own benefit and, where relevant, the benefit of any
person acting on their behalf) and are irrevocable.
The provisions of this Appendix may
be waived, varied or modified as regards specific Placees or on a
general basis by the Bookrunner.
The agreement to settle a Placee's
subscription and/or purchase (and/or the subscription of a person
for whom such Placee is contracting as agent) free of stamp duty
and stamp duty reserve tax depends on the settlement relating only
to a subscription by it and/or such person direct from the Company
for the Placing Shares in question. Such agreement assumes that the
Placing Shares are not being subscribed for in connection with
arrangements to issue depositary receipts or to transfer the
Placing Shares into a clearance service. If there are any such
arrangements, or the settlement relates to any other subsequent
dealing in the Placing Shares, stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax
may be payable, for which neither the Company nor either of the
Bookrunner will be responsible, and the Placee to whom (or on
behalf of whom, or in respect of the person for whom it is
participating in the Placing as an agent or nominee) the
allocation, allotment, issue or delivery of Placing Shares has
given rise to such UK stamp duty or stamp duty reserve
tax undertakes to pay such UK stamp duty or stamp duty
reserve tax forthwith and to indemnify on an after-tax basis and to
hold harmless the Company and the Bookrunner in the event that any
of the Company and/or either of the Bookrunner have incurred any
such liability to UK stamp duty or stamp duty reserve
tax. If this is the case, each Placee should seek its own advice
and notify the Bookrunner accordingly.
In addition, Placees should note
that they will be liable for any stamp duty and all other stamp,
issue, securities, transfer, registration, documentary or other
duties or taxes (including any interest, fines or penalties
relating thereto) payable outside the UK by them or any
other person on the subscription or purchase by them of any Placing
Shares or the agreement by them to subscribe for or purchase any
Placing Shares.
This Announcement has been issued
by, and is the sole responsibility, of the Company. No
representation or warranty express or implied, is or will be made
as to, or in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or
will be accepted by the Bookrunner or by any of their respective
Affiliates or agents as to or in relation to, the accuracy or
completeness of this Announcement or any other written or oral
information made available to or publicly available to any
interested party or its advisers, and any liability therefore is
expressly disclaimed.
No statement in the Placing
Documents is intended to be a profit forecast or estimate, and no
statement in the Placing Documents should be interpreted to mean
that earnings per share of the Company for the current or future
financial years would necessarily match or exceed the historical
published earnings per share of the Company.
The Placing Shares to be issued
pursuant to the Placing will not be admitted to trading on any
stock exchange other than AIM, a market operated by the London
Stock Exchange.
Neither the content of the Company's
website nor any website accessible by hyperlinks on the Company's
website is incorporated in, or forms part of, the Placing
Documents.
Pursuant to the General Data
Protection Regulation as implemented in the UK by the
Data Protection Act 2018 ("GDPR") the Company and/or
the Bookrunner may hold personal data (as defined in the
GDPR) relating to past and present shareholders. Personal data may
be retained on record for a period exceeding six years after it is
no longer used. The Company and/or the Bookrunner will
only process such information for the purposes set out below
(collectively, the "Purposes"), being to: (a) process its
personal data to the extent and in such manner as is necessary for
the performance of their obligations under the contractual
arrangements between them, including as required by or in
connection with its holding of Ordinary Shares, including
processing personal data in connection with credit and money
laundering checks on it; (b) communicate with it as necessary in
connection with its affairs and generally in connection with its
holding of Ordinary Shares; (c) provide personal data to such third
parties as the Company and/or the Bookrunner may consider necessary
in connection with its affairs and generally in connection with its
holding of Ordinary Shares or as the GDPR may require; and (d)
without limitation, provide such personal data to their respective
affiliates for processing; and (e) process its personal data for
the Company's and/or the Bookrunner's internal
administration.
By becoming registered as a holder
of Placing Shares, each Placee acknowledges and agrees that the
processing by the Company and/or the Bookrunner of any personal
data relating to it in the manner described above is undertaken for
the purposes of: (a) performance of the contractual arrangements
between them; and (b) to comply with applicable legal obligations.
In providing the Company and/or the Bookrunner with information, it
hereby represents and warrants to each of them that it has notified
any data subject of the processing of their personal data
(including the details set out above) by the Company and/or the
Bookrunner and their respective affiliates and group companies, in
relation to the holding of, and using, their personal data for the
Purposes. Any individual whose personal information is held or
processed by a data controller: (a) has the right to ask for a copy
of their personal information held; (b) to ask for any inaccuracies
to be corrected or for their personal information to be erased; (c)
object to the ways in which their information is used, and ask for
their information to stop being used or otherwise restricted; and
(d) ask for their personal information to be sent to them or to a
third party (as permitted by law). A data subject seeking to
enforce these rights should contact the relevant data controller.
Individuals also have the right to complain to
the UK Information Commissioner's Office about how their
personal information has been handled.