BENCHMARK HOLDINGS PLC ("BENCHMARK") – Proposals
ACCESS TO THIS AREA OF THE WEBSITE ("MICROSITE") MAY BE RESTRICTED UNDER SECURITIES LAWS OR REGULATIONS IN CERTAIN JURISDICTIONS. THIS NOTICE REQUIRES YOU TO CONFIRM CERTAIN MATTERS (INCLUDING THAT YOU ARE NOT RESIDENT IN SUCH A JURISDICTION), BEFORE YOU MAY OBTAIN ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION ON THIS MICROSITE. THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT DIRECTED AT, AND ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE ACCESSIBLE BY, PERSONS RESIDENT IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF THAT JURISDICTION OR WOULD RESULT IN A REQUIREMENT OF BENCHMARK TO OBTAIN A CONSENT OR COMPLY WITH ANY OTHER FORMALITY WHICH BENCHMARK REGARDS AS UNDULY ONEROUS (A "RESTRICTED JURISDICTION").
AS ANNOUNCED BY BENCHMARK ON 20 MAY 2025, BENCHMARK IS UNDERTAKING (A) A TENDER OFFER TO PURCHASE UP TO 226,934,325 ORDINARY SHARES AT 25 PENCE PER SHARE FOR AN AMOUNT OF UP TO APPROXIMATELY £56.73 MILLION ("TENDER OFFER"), (B) CANCEL ITS ADMISSION TO TRADING OF ITS SHARES ON (I) AIM, A MARKET OPERATED BY THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE AND (II) EURONEXT GROWTH OSLO ("DE-LISTINGS") AND (C) RE-REGISTER THE COMPANY AS A PRIVATE LIMITED COMPANY ("RE-REGISTRATION"), TOGETHER THE "PROPOSALS" AND THE "ANNOUNCEMENT". AS A RESULT OF SUCH ANNOUNCEMENT, BENCHMARK IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN AN "OFFER PERIOD" AS DEFINED IN THE CITY CODE ON TAKEOVERS AND MERGERS (THE "TAKEOVER CODE").
THIS MICROSITE CONTAINS CERTAIN ANNOUNCEMENTS, DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION ("INFORMATION") PUBLISHED BY BENCHMARK RELATING TO THE PROPOSALS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE TAKEOVER CODE. THE INFORMATION IS BEING MADE AVAILABLE IN GOOD FAITH AND FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY, AND ITS AVAILABILITY IS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT BELOW. ANY PERSON SEEKING TO ACCESS THE MICROSITE REPRESENTS AND WARRANTS TO BENCHMARK THAT THEY ARE DOING SO FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY.
- Access to the MICROSITE
If you would like to view the Microsite, please read this notice carefully. This notice applies to all persons who view the Information contained in this Microsite and, depending upon who you are and where you are located, it may affect your rights or responsibilities. Benchmark reserves the right to amend or update this notice at any time and you should, therefore, read it in full each time you visit the Microsite. In addition, the contents of the Microsite may be amended at any time, in whole or in part, at the sole discretion of Benchmark.
following in its entirety then click "I ACCEPT". If you are unable to agree, you must click "I DECLINE" and you will not be able to view any Information about the Proposals.
The Information contained in this Microsite does not constitute an offer to sell or otherwise dispose of or an invitation or solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for any securities, including in any jurisdiction in which such offer, invitation or solicitation is unlawful.
- Overseas jurisdictions
This Information is not directed at or intended to be accessible by persons resident in any Restricted Jurisdiction.
Viewing the Information you are seeking to access may be restricted under securities laws in certain jurisdictions. In other jurisdictions, only certain categories of person may be allowed to view the Information. All persons resident outside the United Kingdom who wish to view the Information contained in this Microsite must first satisfy themselves that they are not subject to any local requirements which prohibit or restrict them from doing so and should inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable legal or regulatory requirements applicable in their jurisdiction.
YOU SHOULD NOT PRINT, DOWNLOAD OR COPY ANY OF THE INFORMATION OR DOCUMENTS CONTAINED ON THIS MICROSITE OR OTHERWISE MAIL, FORWARD, TRANSFER, DISTRIBUTE OR SEND (BY ANY MEANS INCLUDING BY ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION) ANY OF THE INFORMATION OR DOCUMENTS CONTAINED ON THIS MICROSITE TO ANY PERSON. IN PARTICULAR YOU SHOULD NOT MAIL, FORWARD, TRANSFER, DISTRIBUTE OR SEND THE INFORMATION OR DOCUMENTS CONTAINED ON THIS MICROSITE TO ANY RESTRICTED JURISDICTION.
This Microsite contains Information that has been prepared for the purposes of complying with English law and the Takeover Code and the Information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this Information had been prepared in accordance with the laws and regulations of any jurisdiction outside of England and Wales.
It is your responsibility to satisfy yourself as to the full observance of any relevant laws and regulatory requirements. If you are not permitted to view the Information on this Microsite or viewing the Information would result in a breach of the above, or you are in any doubt as to whether you are permitted to view the Information, please exit this Microsite.
Additional U.S. information
Benchmark is an English company and is subject to UK procedural and disclosure requirements that are different from those of the United States. Any financial statements or other financial information included in this Microsite has been prepared in accordance with non-US accounting standards that may not be comparable to the financial statements of US companies or companies whose financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. It may be difficult for US holders of shares to enforce their rights and any claims they may have arising under the US federal securities laws in connection with the Proposals, since Benchmark is located in a country other than the United States, and some or all of its officers and directors may be residents of countries other than the United States. US holders of shares may not be able to sue Benchmark or its officers or directors in a non-US court for violations of the US securities laws. Further, it may be difficult to compel Benchmark and its affiliates to subject themselves to the jurisdiction or judgment of a US court.
- Forward-looking statements
This Microsite and the Information contained in it may contain statements about Benchmark that are or may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “targets”, “plans”, “believes”, “expects”, “aims”, “intends”, “will”, “may”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “projects” or similar words or terms or by discussions of, inter alia, strategies, goals or plans. Forward looking statements include statements relating to the following: (i) future capital expenditures, expenses, revenues, earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition, dividend policy, losses and future prospects; (ii) business and management strategies of Benchmark’s operations resulting from the Proposals progressing; and (iii) the effects of government regulation on Benchmark’s business.
By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. There are several factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements are changes in the global, political, economic, business, competitive, market and regulatory forces, future exchange and interest rates, changes in tax rates and future business combinations or dispositions. Due to such uncertainties, Benchmark cannot give any assurance that any forward-looking statement will prove to be correct in the future. Benchmark does not undertake any obligation to update or publicly revise any forward-looking or other statements (whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise) contained in this Microsite, except to the extent required by applicable law or regulation, including the Takeover Code, the rules made by the Financial Conduct Authority under Part VI of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and the AIM Rules of the London Stock Exchange. You are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
- NO profit forecast
Save as otherwise expressly stated in any relevant Information, no statement in any document contained in this Microsite is intended as a profit forecast or a profit estimate for any period and no statement in any document contained in this Microsite should be interpreted to mean that the earnings or earnings per share of Benchmark or any of its affiliates for current or future financial years will necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings per share for Benchmark.
- Responsibility
Please note any statement of responsibility contained within the Information accessible in this Microsite.
The Information in this Microsite issued or published by Benchmark speak only at the specified date of the relevant document or announcement reproduced on this Microsite and Benchmark has, and accepts, no responsibility or duty to update or revise such documents or announcements, subject to any continuing obligations under applicable law or regulation.
In relation to any Information which relates to any third party, the only responsibility accepted by Benchmark and its directors is for the correctness and fairness of its reproduction or presentation on the Microsite.
Neither the directors of Benchmark, nor Benchmark, nor any of its affiliated companies, have reviewed, and no such person is or shall be responsible for or accepts any liability in respect of, any information contained on any other website which may be linked to or from this Microsite.
- other
If you are in any doubt about the contents of this Microsite or the action you should take, you should seek your own financial advice from an independent financial adviser authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended) or, if you are located outside the UK, from an appropriately authorised independent financial adviser.
This notice shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law.
- Confirmation of understanding and acceptance of DISCLAIMER
BY CLICKING ON THE “I ACCEPT” BUTTON BELOW, YOU CERTIFY THAT:
(i) you have read and understood the notice set out above and agree to be bound by its terms;
(ii) you are not (nor do you act on behalf of someone who is) resident in any country that renders the accessing of the Information on this Microsite or parts of it illegal;
(iii) you will not print, download or copy any of the Information on this Microsite or otherwise mail, forward, transfer, distribute or send (by any means including by electronic transmission) any of the Information on this Microsite in whole or in part to any other person at any time; and
(iv) you represent and warrant to Benchmark that you intend to access this Microsite for information purposes only.
If you are not able to give these confirmations, you should click on “I DECLINE” below.