Company Announcements

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

28 MAY 2021

RECOMMENDED Acquisition
of
proactis holdings PLC
by
CAFE BIDCO LIMITED

(a wholly-owned subsidiary of investment funds advised and managed by
POLLEN STREET CAPITAL LIMITED)

Timetable for publication of the Scheme Document

On 30 April 2021, the boards of Cafe Bidco Limited ("Bidco") and Proactis Holdings plc ("Proactis") issued an announcement (the "Offer Announcement") that they had reached agreement on the terms and conditions of a recommended cash offer by Bidco for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Proactis (the "Acquisition"). Unless otherwise defined, capitalised terms used in this announcement have the meaning given to them in the Offer Announcement. 

Bidco and Proactis have agreed to extend the date by which the Scheme Document must be posted to Proactis Shareholders to 11 June 2021. The Panel has consented to this extension.

The extension has been agreed to facilitate ongoing discussions between Bidco and DBay Advisors Limited ("DBay") regarding DBay's support for, and participation in, the Acquisition at an offer price of 75 pence in cash for each Proactis Share.

This announcement does not amount to an announcement of a firm intention to make an offer pursuant to Rule 2.7 of the Takeover Code. A further announcement will be made as and when appropriate.

DBay has provided its consent to the publication of this announcement.

Enquiries:

Proactis                                                                                               +44 (0)19 3754 5070
Tim Sykes
Richard Hughes                                                                                                

finnCap                                                                                                +44 (0)20 7220 0500
(Financial Adviser to Proactis)
Carl Holmes
Henrik Persson
Emily Watts

Houlihan Lokey                                                                                    +44 (0)20 7907 4200
(Financial Adviser to Bidco)
Lawrence Guthrie
Mark Fisher
Yashin Mody

Stand Agency
(Communications adviser to Pollen Street Capital)
Cait Dacey                                                                                            +44 (0) 7973 596 503

Further information

finnCap, which is authorised and regulated by the FCA in the United Kingdom, is acting exclusively for Proactis as financial adviser and no one else in connection with the Acquisition and will not be responsible to anyone other than Proactis for providing the protections afforded to clients of finnCap or for providing advice in relation to the Acquisition or any other matters referred to in this announcement. Neither finnCap nor any of its subsidiaries, affiliates or branches owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct, indirect, consequential, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of finnCap in connection with this announcement, any statement contained in this announcement or otherwise.

Houlihan Lokey, which is authorised and regulated by the FCA in the United Kingdom, is acting exclusively as financial adviser to Bidco and no one else in connection with the matters described in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than Bidco for providing the protections afforded to clients of Houlihan Lokey or for providing advice in relation to the Acquisition or any other matters referred to in this announcement. Neither Houlihan Lokey nor any of its subsidiaries or affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Houlihan Lokey in connection with this announcement or any matter referred to in this announcement.

This announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to, and does not, constitute or form part of any offer or inducement to sell or an invitation to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of, any securities or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction, pursuant to the Acquisition or otherwise.

Overseas Shareholders

This announcement has been prepared in accordance with and for the purpose of complying with the laws of England and Wales, the Takeover Code, the Market Abuse Regulation, the AIM Rules and the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules and information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws of jurisdictions outside England and Wales.

The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in or into certain jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom may be restricted by law and therefore any persons who are subject to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the United Kingdom should inform themselves of, and observe, any applicable requirements of their jurisdictions.

The availability of the Acquisition to Proactis Shareholders who are not resident in and citizens of the United Kingdom may be affected by the laws of the relevant jurisdictions in which they are located or of which they are citizens. Persons who are not resident in and citizens of the United Kingdom should inform themselves of, and observe, any applicable legal or regulatory requirements of their jurisdictions. In particular, the ability of persons who are not resident in and citizens of the United Kingdom to vote their Proactis Shares with respect to the Scheme at the Court Meeting, or to execute and deliver forms of proxy appointing another person to vote at the Court Meeting on their behalf, may be affected by the laws of the relevant jurisdictions in which they are located or of which they are a citizen. Any failure to comply with the applicable restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the companies and persons involved in the Acquisition disclaim any responsibility or liability for the violation of such restrictions by any person.

Unless otherwise determined by Bidco or required by the Takeover Code, and permitted by applicable law and regulation, participation in the Acquisition will not be made available, directly or indirectly, in, into or from a Restricted Jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws in that jurisdiction and no person may vote in favour of the Acquisition by any such use, means, instrumentality or from within a Restricted Jurisdiction or any other jurisdiction if to do so would constitute a violation of the laws of that jurisdiction. Accordingly, copies of this announcement and any formal documentation relating to the Acquisition are not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction and persons receiving this announcement and all such documents relating to the Acquisition (including custodians, nominees and trustees) must not mail or otherwise forward, distribute or send them in, into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction. Doing so may render invalid any related purported vote in respect of the Acquisition. If the Acquisition is implemented by way of an Offer (unless otherwise permitted by applicable law and regulation), the Offer may not be made directly or indirectly, in or into, or by the use of mails or any means or instrumentality (including, but not limited to, facsimile, e-mail or other electronic transmission, telex or telephone) of interstate or foreign commerce of, or of any facility of a national, state or other securities exchange of, any Restricted Jurisdiction and the Offer may not be capable of acceptance by any such use, means, instrumentality or facilities.

Further details in relation to Overseas Shareholders will be contained in the Scheme Document.

Notice to US investors in Proactis 

Proactis Shareholders in the United States should note that the Acquisition relates to the shares of an English company and is proposed to be made by means of a scheme of arrangement provided for under, and governed by, the laws of England and Wales. If the Acquisition is carried out under such Scheme, it is expected that any Alternative Offer Securities issued pursuant to the Acquisition would be issued in reliance upon the exemption from the registration requirements under the US Securities Act provided by Section 3(a)(10) thereof and would not be registered under the US Securities Act. Securities issued pursuant to the Scheme will not be registered under any laws of any state, district or other jurisdiction of the United States, and may only be issued to persons resident in such state, district or other jurisdiction pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of such laws.

Neither the proxy solicitation nor the tender offer rules under the US Exchange Act will apply to the Scheme. Moreover, the Scheme will be subject to the disclosure and procedural requirements and practices applicable in the United Kingdom to schemes of arrangement, which differ from the disclosure requirements of US tender offer and proxy solicitation rules. If, in the future, Bidco exercises the right to implement the Acquisition by way of an Offer and determines to extend the offer into the United States, the Acquisition will be made in compliance with applicable United States laws and regulations, including any applicable exemptions under the US Exchange Act. Such an Offer would be made in the United States by Bidco and no one else. In accordance with normal United Kingdom practice and consistent with Rule 14e-5 under the US Exchange Act, Bidco, certain affiliated companies and the nominees or brokers (acting as agents) may make certain purchases of, or arrangements to purchase, shares in Proactis outside such Offer during the period in which such Offer would remain open for acceptance. If such purchases or arrangements to purchase were to be made they would be made outside the United States either in the open market at prevailing prices or in private transactions at negotiated prices and would comply with applicable law, including, to the extent applicable, the US Exchange Act. Any information about such purchases will be disclosed as required in the United Kingdom, will be reported to a Regulatory Information Service and will be available on the London Stock Exchange website at www.londonstockexchange.com.

The financial information included in this announcement and the Scheme Document (or, if the Acquisition is implemented by way of an Offer, the Offer Document) has been or will have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles of the United Kingdom and thus may not be comparable to the financial information of US companies or companies whose financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.

The receipt of consideration by a US holder for the transfer of its Proactis Shares pursuant to the Acquisition may be a taxable transaction for US federal income tax purposes and under applicable US state and local, as well as non-US and other, tax laws. Each Proactis Shareholder is urged to consult their independent professional adviser immediately regarding the tax consequences of the Acquisition applicable to them, including under applicable US federal, state and local, as well as non-US and other, tax laws.

It may be difficult for US holders of Proactis Shares to enforce their rights and any claim arising out of the US federal laws or to enforce against them a judgment of a US court predicated upon the securities laws of the United Kingdom, since Bidco and Proactis are incorporated in a non-US jurisdiction, and some or all of their officers and directors may be residents of countries other than the United States. US holders of Proactis Shares may not be able to sue a non-US company or its officers or directors in a non-US court for violations of the US securities laws. Further, it may be difficult to compel a non-US company and its affiliates to subject themselves to a US court's judgement.

Dealing and opening position disclosure requirements

Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Takeover Code, any person who is interested in one per cent. 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 p.m. (London time) on the 10^th business day following the commencement of the offer period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3.30 p.m. (London time) on the 10^th business day following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of the offeree company or of a securities exchange offeror prior to the deadline for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead make a Dealing Disclosure.

Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Takeover Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in one per cent. 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, 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 p.m. (London time) on the business day following the date of the relevant dealing. 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.

Publication on a website and availability of hard copies

In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Takeover Code, copies of this announcement will be made available, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, on Proactis' website at https://www.proactis.com/uk/investors/ and Bidco's website at https://cafe.pollencap.com by no later than 12 noon (London time) on the first Business Day following the date of this announcement. For the avoidance of doubt, neither the contents of these websites nor any website accessible from hyperlinks is incorporated into or forms part of this announcement.

In accordance with Rule 30.3 of the Takeover Code, Proactis Shareholders, persons with information rights and participants in Proactis Share Plans may request a hard copy of this announcement by contacting Proactis' registrars, Link Group: (i) on +44 (0) 371 664 0300. Calls are charged at the standard geographic rate and will vary by provider. Calls outside the United Kingdom will be charged at the applicable international rate. Lines are open between 09:00 - 17:30, Monday to Friday excluding public holidays in England and Wales; or (ii) by submitting a request in writing to Link Group, 10th Floor, Central Square, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 4DL. Please note that Link Group cannot provide any financial, legal or tax advice and calls may be recorded and monitored for security and training purposes. For persons who receive a copy of this announcement in electronic form or via a website notification, a hard copy of this announcement will not be sent unless so requested. Such persons may also request that all future documents, announcements and information to be sent to them in relation to the Acquisition should be in hard copy form.

General

If you are in any doubt about the contents of this announcement or the action you should take, you are recommended to seek your own independent financial advice immediately from your stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor or independent financial adviser duly authorised under FSMA if you are resident in the United Kingdom or, if not, from another appropriate authorised independent financial adviser.