Balance Sheet

As at 31 December 2023

Cash Flow Statement

for the year ended 31 December 2023

Statement of Directors' Responsibilities in respect of the Annual Report and the Financial Statements

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law they have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with UK-adopted international accounting standards and applicable law.

Under company law the Directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company and of its profit or loss for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Directors are required to:

-  select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

-  make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

-  state whether they have been prepared in accordance with UK-adopted international accounting standards;

-  assess the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern; and

- use the going concern basis of accounting unless they either intend to liquidate the Company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.  As explained in note 2, the Directors do not believe that it is appropriate to prepare these financial statements on a going concern basis.

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company and enable them to ensure that its financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are responsible for such internal control as they determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and have general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably open to them to safeguard the assets of the Company and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities.

Under applicable law and regulations, the Directors are also responsible for preparing a Strategic Report, Directors' Report, Directors' Remuneration Report and Corporate Governance Statement that complies with that law and those regulations.

The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the Company's website. Legislation in the UK governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Responsibility statement of the Directors in respect of the annual financial report

We confirm that to the best of our knowledge:

- the financial statements, prepared in accordance with the applicable set of accounting standards, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the Company; and

- the Strategic Report and Directors' Report includes a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position of the Company, together with a description of the principal risks and uncertainties that it faces.

We consider the annual report and financial statements taken as a whole, is fair, balanced and understandable and provides the information necessary for shareholders to assess the Company's position and performance, business model and strategy.

Duncan Budge

Chairman

22 March 2024

Notes to the Accounts

1. Preliminary Results

The financial information contained in this report does not constitute the Company's statutory accounts for the years ended 31 December 2023 or 2022. The financial information for 2022 is derived from the statutory accounts for 2022 which have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The auditor has reported on those accounts. Their report was (i) unqualified, (ii) did not include a reference to any matters to which the auditor drew attention by way of emphasis without qualifying their report and (iii) did not contain a statement under section 498(2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2006. The audit of the statutory accounts for the year ended 31 December 2023 is not yet complete. These accounts will be finalised on the basis of the financial information presented by the Directors in this preliminary announcement and will be delivered to the Registrar of Companies following the Company's annual general meeting.

2.       Going Concern

The financial information for 2022 and 2023 has not been prepared on a going concern basis, since the Company's current objective is to conduct an orderly realisation of the investment portfolio and return cash to shareholders.  Following the Director's assessment, no adjustments were deemed necessary to the investment valuations or other assets and liabilities included in the financial information as a consequence of the change in the basis of preparation.

3.       Dividends

A dividend of 10.0p per share for the year ended 31 December 2023 was paid to shareholders on 19 January 2024.

4.         Earnings per share

The earnings per share figures are based on the weighted average numbers of shares set out above.  Earnings per share is based on the revenue profit in the period as shown in the consolidated income statement.

References to page numbers and notes in the disclosures below are to page numbers and notes to the annual report and accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2023.

5.         Principal Risks and Uncertainties (Strategic Report page 13)

The principal risks and uncertainties identified by the Board which might affect the Company's business model and future performance, and the steps taken with a view to their mitigation, are as follows:

Investment and liquidity risk: the Company's investments are in small and medium-sized unquoted companies, which by their nature entail a higher level of risk and lower liquidity than investments in large quoted companies. Mitigation: the Manager aims to limit the risk attaching to the portfolio as a whole by closely monitoring individual holdings, including the appointment of investor directors to the board of portfolio companies. The Board reviews the portfolio, including the schedule of projected exits, with the Manager on a regular basis with a view to ensuring that the orderly realisation process is progressing.

          No change in overall risk in year

Portfolio concentration risk: following the adoption of the Company's revised investment policy in May 2016 the portfolio will become more concentrated as investments are realised and cash is returned to shareholders. This will increase the proportionate impact of changes in the value of individual investments on the value of the Company as a whole. The Directors' valuation of the Company's investments represents their best assessment of the fair value of the investments as at the valuation date and the amounts eventually realised from such investments may be more or less than the Directors' valuation. Mitigation: the Directors and Manager keep the changing composition of the portfolio under review and focus closely on those holdings which represent the largest proportion of total value.

Increase in overall risk in year

Financial risk: most of the Company's investments involve a medium to long term commitment and many are relatively illiquid. Mitigation: the Directors consider it appropriate to finance the Company's activities through borrowing on a short-term basis. Accordingly, the Board seeks to ensure that the availability of cash reserves and bank borrowings match the forecast cash flows of the Company both on a base and stress case basis given the level of undraw commitments to limited partnership funds.

No change in overall risk in year

Economic risk: events such as economic recession or general fluctuations in stock markets and interest rates may affect the valuation of portfolio companies and their ability to access adequate financial resources, as well as affecting the Company's own share price and discount to net asset value. An economic risk is the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Mitigation: the Company invests in a diversified portfolio of investments spanning various sectors and maintains access to sufficient cash reserves to be able to provide additional funding to portfolio companies should this become necessary.  The Manager and board of each portfolio company is keeping under review the impact of the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and developing contingency plans/mitigating actions where appropriate.

No change in overall risk in year

Credit risk: the Company holds a number of financial instruments and cash deposits and is dependent on counterparties discharging their commitment. Mitigation: the Directors review the creditworthiness of the counterparties to these investments and cash deposits and seek to ensure there is no undue concentration of credit risk with any one party.

No change in overall risk in year

Currency risk: the Company is exposed to currency risk as a result of investing in companies who transact in foreign currencies and funds denominated in euros. The sterling value of these investments can be influenced by movements in foreign currency exchange rates. Mitigation: Currency risk is monitored by the Manager on an ongoing basis and on a quarterly basis by the Board.

No change in overall risk in year

Internal control risk: the Company's assets could be at risk in the absence of an appropriate internal control regime. Mitigation: the Board regularly reviews the system of internal controls, both financial and non-financial, operated by the Company and the Manager. These include controls designed to ensure that the Company's assets are safeguarded and that proper accounting records are maintained.

No change in overall risk in year

6.         Related Party Transactions (Notes to the Accounts page 50, note 20)

The Company has investments in Dunedin Buyout Fund II LP, Dunedin Buyout Fund III LP and Dunedin Fund of Funds LP. Each of these limited partnerships are managed by Dunedin. The Company has paid a management fee of £0.2m (2022: £0.4m) in respect of these limited partnerships. The total investment management fee payable by the Company to the Manager is therefore £0.3m (2022: £0.6m).

Since the Company began investing in Dunedin Buyout Funds ("the Funds") executives of the Manager have been entitled to participate in a carried interest scheme via the Funds. Performance conditions are applied whereby any gains achieved through the carried interest scheme associated with the Funds are conditional upon a certain minimum return having been generated for the limited partner investors. Additionally, within Dunedin Buyout Fund II LP and Dunedin Buyout Fund III LP the economic interest of the Manager is aligned with that of the limited partner investors by co-investing in this fund.

As at 31 December 2023 there is a provision made within Investments for carried interest of £1.1m (2022: £1.4m) relating to Dunedin Buyout Fund III LP. Current executives of the Manager are entitled to 42% of the carried interest in Dunedin Buyout Fund III LP.

ENDS