21 November 2022
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY (IN WHOLE OR IN PART) IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF THAT JURISDICTION
RECOMMENDED CASH ACQUISITION
of
TP Group plc
("TP Group" or the "Company")
by
Science Group plc
("Science Group")
to be effected by way of scheme of arrangement
under Part 26 of the Companies Act 2006 ("Companies Act")
PUBLICATION AND POSTING OF SCHEME DOCUMENT
On 31 October 2022, the independent boards of TP Group and Science Group announced that they had reached agreement on the terms of a recommended cash acquisition pursuant to which Science Group shall acquire the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of TP Group (not already owned by Science Group). The Acquisition is to be effected by means of a Court‑sanctioned scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the Companies Act (the "Scheme").
Publication of the Scheme Document
TP Group and Science Group announce that a circular in relation to the Scheme (the "Scheme Document"), setting out, among other things, a letter from the Senior Independent Non-Executive Director of TP Group, the explanatory statement pursuant to section 897 of the Companies Act, full terms and conditions of the Scheme, an expected timetable of principal events, notices of the Court Meeting and the General Meeting and details of the actions to be taken by TP Group Shareholders has been published today on TP Group's website at https://www.tpgroupglobal.com/offer-related-documents and on Science Group's website at https://www.sciencegroup.com/tp-group-plc-disclaimer/
The Independent TP Group Directors, who, having been so advised by Cenkos Securities plc ("Cenkos"), as the independent adviser for the purposes of Rule 3 of the Takeover Code, as to the financial terms of the Acquisition, consider the terms of the Acquisition to be fair and reasonable. In providing its financial advice to the Independent TP Group Directors, Cenkos has taken into account the commercial assessments of the Independent TP Group Directors.
Notice of shareholder meetings and action to be taken
As further detailed in the Scheme Document, in order to become Effective, the Scheme will require, among other things, that the requisite majority of: (i) eligible Scheme Shareholders vote in favour of the Scheme at the Court Meeting; and (ii) eligible TP Group Shareholders vote in favour of the Special Resolution at the General Meeting. The Scheme must also be sanctioned by the Court.
The Scheme will require approval at a meeting of the Scheme Shareholders convened by order of the Court to be held at the offices of CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP, Cannon Place, 78 Cannon Street,
Hard copies of the Scheme Document (or, depending on TP Group Shareholders communication preferences, a letter or email giving details of the website where the Scheme Document may be accessed) and Forms of Proxy for the Court Meeting and the General Meeting of TP Group are being sent today to TP Group Shareholders.
Scheme Shareholders are strongly encouraged to lodge proxy appointments and instructions for the Court Meeting and the General Meeting as soon as possible, by post or electronically through CREST, as more particularly described in the Scheme Document.
It is important that, for the Court Meeting in particular, as many votes as possible are cast so that the Court may be satisfied that there is a fair representation of opinion of Scheme Shareholders. Whether or not Scheme Shareholders intend to attend and/or vote at the Court Meeting, Scheme Shareholders are therefore strongly urged to submit their proxy appointment for the Court Meeting as soon as possible by post or electronically through CREST.
The Independent TP Group Directors unanimously recommend that all the Scheme Shareholders vote in favour of the Scheme at the Court Meeting and all TP Group Shareholders (to the extent eligible) vote in favour of the Special Resolution to be proposed at the General Meeting, as the Independent TP Group Directors have irrevocably undertaken to do in respect of their own beneficial holdings of 3,253,847 Shares, representing approximately 0.42 per cent. of the issued share capital of TP Group, as at 18 November 2022, being the latest practicable date before publication of the document.
TP Group Shareholders should carefully read the Scheme Document in its entirety before making a decision with respect to the Scheme.
Cancellation of admission of TP Group to trading on AIM
If the Scheme becomes Effective in accordance with its terms, it is currently expected that trading on AIM of TP Group Shares will be suspended at 7.30 a.m. (
Expected timetable of principal events
The Scheme Document contains an expected timetable of principal events in relation to the Scheme, which is also set out in the Appendix to this Announcement. The Scheme remains conditional on the approval of the requisite majority of eligible Scheme Shareholders at the Court Meeting, the requisite majority of eligible TP Group Shareholders at the General Meeting and the satisfaction or (if capable of waiver) waiver of the other Conditions set out in the Scheme Document, including the sanction of the Court.
The Scheme is expected to become Effective in Q1 2023. TP Group will make further announcements through a Regulatory Information Service, with such announcements also being made available on the TP Group website: www.tpgroupglobal.com/investors, in relation to the expected timetable as appropriate in respect of the NSIA and FATA clearances upon which the Acquisition is conditional.
Information for TP Group Shareholders
If you are in any doubt as to the action you should take, you are recommended to seek your own personal financial advice immediately from your stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, accountant or other independent financial adviser authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 if you are in the
If you have any questions about the Scheme Document, the Scheme or any administrative issue, please contact Equiniti during business hours on 0371 384 2030 (or, if calling from outside the
Capitalised terms used in this announcement (the "Announcement") shall, unless otherwise defined, have the same meanings as set out in the Scheme Document. All references to times in this Announcement are to
Enquiries: |
|
TP Group plc |
Tel: +44 (0) 1753 285802 |
Derren Stroud, Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary |
|
Cenkos Securities plc, financial adviser, nominated adviser and broker to TP Group |
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7397 8980 |
Stephen Keys, Mark Connelly, Callum Davidson |
|
Science Group plc |
|
Sarah Cole, Group Legal Counsel & Company Secretary Jon Brett, Group Finance Director |
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 875 200 |
Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited, exclusive financial adviser, nominated adviser and joint broker to Science Group ("Stifel") |
|
Nick Adams, Alex Price, Richard Short |
Tel: +44 (0) 207710 7600 |
Liberum Capital Limited, Joint Broker to Science Group ("Liberum") |
|
Neil Patel, Cameron Duncan |
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3100 2000
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APPENDIX EXPECTED TIMETABLE OF PRINCIPAL EVENTS |
The following indicative timetable sets out the expected dates for the implementation of the Scheme. All times shown in this Announcement are
Event |
Time and/or date1 |
Latest time for lodging Forms of Proxy and registering proxy appointments through CREST for the: |
|
Court Meeting (blue form of proxy) |
11.00 a.m. on 12 December 20222 |
General Meeting (white form of proxy) |
11.15 a.m. on 12 December 20223 |
Voting Record Time for the Court Meeting and General Meeting |
6.30 p.m. on 12 December 2022 |
Court Meeting |
11.00 a.m. on 14 December 20224
|
General Meeting |
11.15 a.m. on 14 December 20225 |
The following dates are indicative only and are subject to change6 |
|
Court Hearing7 |
a date expected to be in the early part of Q1 2023, subject to NSIA and FATA clearances, and, in any event, prior to 11.59 p.m. on the Long-stop Date ("D")8 |
Last day of dealings in, and for registration of transfers of, and disablement in CREST of, Shares |
D+1 Business Day |
Scheme Record Time |
6.00 p.m. on D+1 Business Days |
Effective Date of the Scheme |
D+2 Business Days ("ED")9 |
Cancellation of admission to trading of Shares on AIM |
by 7.00 a.m. on ED+1 Business Day |
Latest date for despatch of cheques or settlement through CREST in respect of the cash consideration. |
within 14 days of the ED |
Long-stop Date |
20 April 202310 |
The Court Meeting and the General Meeting will both be held at the offices of CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP, Cannon Place, 78 Cannon Street,
If any of the expected times and/or dates above change, the revised times and/or dates will be notified to TP Group Shareholders by announcement through a Regulatory Information Service.
For the purposes of the Code this announcement has been made with the agreement of Science Group.
Publication on website
In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Code, a copy of this announcement will be available (subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in restricted jurisdictions) on TP Group's website at www.tpgroupglobal.com/investors and on Science Group's website at www.sciencegroup.com/investor-information/, by no later than 12.00 noon (
The content of the website referred to above is not incorporated into and does not form part of this announcement.
Important notice
This announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to, and does not, constitute or form part of any offer, invitation or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of, any securities, whether pursuant to this announcement or otherwise, or the solicitation of any vote or approval of any offer in any jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the laws of such jurisdiction and any such offer (or solicitation) may not be extended in any such jurisdiction.
Any securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or with any securities regulatory authority of any state of
This announcement has been prepared in accordance with the laws of
Cenkos, which is authorised and regulated in the
Stifel, which is authorised and regulated in the
Liberum, which is authorised and regulated in the
Disclosure requirements of the Takeover Code (the "Code")
Disclosure requirements of the Code
Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who is interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of an offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror in respect of which it has been announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an Opening Position Disclosure following the commencement of the offer period and, if later, following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. An Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (
Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror must make a Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the dealing concerned and of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s), save to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (
If two or more persons act together pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities of an offeree company or a securities exchange offeror, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3.
Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and 8.4).
Details of the offeree and offeror companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Takeover Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. You should contact the Panel's Market Surveillance Unit on +44 (0)20 7638 0129 if you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure.
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