Cornish Metals Inc. (AIM/TSX-V: CUSN), a mineral exploration and
development company focused on the advancement and restart of its
100% owned-and-permitted South Crofty high-grade tin project in
Cornwall, the United Kingdom, is pleased to announce that it is
undertaking a proposed fundraising to raise a minimum of £56
million (the "
Fundraising").
As part of the Fundraising, the Company today
announces that it has conditionally raised up to £28.75 million by
way of a strategic investment by the National Wealth Fund Limited
("NWF"), a company wholly-owned by HM Treasury
(the "NWF Subscription"), pursuant to which NWF
has conditionally agreed to subscribe for up to 359,375,000 new
common shares of no par value each ("Common
Shares") (the "NWF Subscription Shares")
at 8 pence per share (the "Issue Price"). The NWF
Subscription Shares are subject to the scale back arrangements as
described below, subject to NWF investing a minimum of £25 million
(before expenses).
Vision Blue Resources Limited ("Vision
Blue" or "VBR"), which currently holds
approximately 25.95 per cent. of the issued share capital of the
Company, has also conditionally agreed to subscribe at the Issue
Price (the "VBR Subscription") as follows: (i) for
such number of new Common Shares which are required in order to
maintain its c. 25.95 per cent. ownership interest in the Company
following the results of the Fundraising pursuant to the exercise
of its Participation Right (as more fully described below) (the
"VBR Participation Right Shares"); and (ii) in
addition and separately from its Participation Right, such further
number of Common Shares as shall be required in order for the VBR
Subscription to raise, in aggregate, up to a maximum of £18,280,550
(before expenses) for the Company (the "VBR Additional
Subscription Shares" and, together with the VBR
Participation Right Shares, the “VBR Subscription
Shares”). The VBR Additional Subscription Shares are
subject to the scale back arrangements as described below, subject
to VBR subscribing for a minimum number of Common Shares to
maintain its c. 25.95% ownership interest in the Company
immediately following the completion of the Fundraising.
The Company also announces that it has engaged
each of H&P Advisory Ltd ("Hannam &
Partners") and SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP ("SP
Angel") as joint bookrunners ("Joint
Bookrunners") and Canaccord Genuity Limited
("Canaccord Genuity") as co-manager
("Co-Manager") (the Joint Bookrunners and the
Co-Manager, together, the “Placing Agents") to
raise c.£8.8 million (before expenses) by way of a conditional
placing to both new and existing institutional and other investors
(the "Placing") at the Issue Price. The Company
has also granted the Placing Agents a broker option pursuant to
which an additional up to c.£5.9 million may be raised at the Issue
Price subject to demand following the release of this Announcement
(the "Broker Option"). The Broker Option may be
exercised at any time by the Placing Agents prior to the release of
the announcement of the results of the Fundraising by the
Company.
In addition, all of the Directors other than
John McGloin (the "Participating Directors") have
conditionally subscribed with the Company or participated in the
Placing for, in aggregate, 1,597,561 new Common Shares (the
"Director Participation Shares") at the Issue
Price, raising £127,805 for the Company (before expenses) (the
"Director Participations").
In order to provide the Company's existing
retail shareholders the opportunity to participate in the
Fundraising, the Company also intends to carry out a separate
retail offer to raise further gross proceeds of up to £3.0 million
at the Issue Price via the BookBuild Platform (the "Retail
Offer"). A separate announcement will be made shortly
regarding the Retail Offer and its terms. The Retail Offer is
expected to close on 31 January 2025. Accordingly, the final
results of the Fundraising, including VBR's and NWF's final
participation, will be confirmed and announced following the
results of the Retail Offer.
Capitalised terms in the announcement which are
not otherwise defined shall have the meaning as set out in Appendix
II.
Highlights of the
Fundraising:
The Fundraising will raise a minimum gross
proceeds of approximately £56 million (before expenses)
comprising:
- the NWF Subscription, raising up to
£28.75 million (before expenses) through the issue of up to
359,375,000 NWF Subscription Shares (subject to scaleback) at the
Issue Price;
- the VBR Subscription to raise up to
£18,280,550 (before expenses), comprising: (i) the subscription by
VBR at the Issue Price for such number of VBR Participation Right
Shares as shall be required in order to maintain its percentage
ownership interest (approximately 25.95 per cent.) in the Company
following the Fundraising pursuant to its Participation Right; and
(ii) the separate and additional subscription for the VBR
Additional Subscription Shares (subject to scaleback);
- the Placing to raise c.£8.8 million
(before expenses) at the Issue Price together with the Broker
Option to accommodate any additional demand following the release
of this announcement;
- the Director Participations to
raise £127,805 (before expenses) through the issue of 1,597,561
Director Participation Shares at the Issue Price;
- the Retail Offer to raise up to
£3.0 million (before expenses) through the issue of up to
37,500,000 new Common Shares (the "Retail Offer
Shares") at the Issue Price. A further announcement will
be made shortly in connection with the Retail Offer.
- The proceeds of the Fundraising
will be principally used to ensure that the Company can continue
with its path to development through competing the shaft
refurbishment and de-watering process, the start of early project
works, ordering long lead items and completion of the project
finance process and up to the point of the formal final investment
decision at its South Crofty Tin Mine.
- The Issue Price of 8p (converted
into Canadian dollars at the Bank of Canada's closing exchange rate
for January 24, 2025 of C$1.7873/£1) represents a discount of
approximately 3.61 per cent. to the closing middle market price of
8.3 pence per Common Share on 27 January 2025, being the latest
practicable date prior to the date and time of this Announcement,
and a discount of approximately 1.39 per cent. to the closing price
of C$0.145 per Common Share on 27 January 2025, being the last
closing price of the Common Shares trading on the TSX Venture
Exchange (“TSX-V”) prior to the date and time of
this Announcement.
- The Placing will be effected by way
of an accelerated bookbuild process (the
"Bookbuild"). The Placing Agents will commence the
Bookbuild immediately following the release of this announcement
and will be conducted in accordance with the terms of conditions
set out in Appendix I to this announcement. The number of Placing
Shares (including any new Common Shares to be issued pursuant to
the Broker Option (the "Broker Option Shares") in
the event there is excess demand which can be accommodated) will be
determined at the end of the Bookbuild. 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.
- Any Broker Option Shares issued
shall scale back both the NWF Subscription Shares and the VBR
Additional Subscription Shares on an equal basis as follows: for
every 1 (one) Broker Option Share subscribed for; the number of NWF
Subscription Shares shall be reduced by 0.5 (i.e. half a share) and
the number of VBR Additional Subscription Shares shall be reduced
by 0.5 (half a share) with the number of shares being subscribed
for being rounded up in each case to a full share) provided that:
(i) NWF shall invest a minimum of £25 million; and (ii) VBR shall,
in accordance with its Participation Right, subscribe for at least
such number of VBR Participation Right Shares as shall ensure it
maintains its c. 25.95% ownership interest in the Company
immediately following completion of the Fundraising. Given the
results of the Retail Offer will only be announced following the
results of the Placing (and any exercise of the Broker Option), the
Company will confirm the final results of the Fundraising
(including the number of NWF Subscription Shares and VBR
Subscription Shares subscribed for once the results of the Retail
Offer are confirmed.)
- The VBR Subscription, the Placing
and the Director Participations are being undertaken in two
tranches as the Company, at the date of this announcement, has
insufficient authorities from its shareholders to issue all of the
VBR Subscription Shares, Placing Shares and Director Participation
Shares. Accordingly, the Company plans to utilise the share
issuance authorities that it was granted at its annual general and
special meeting held on June 4, 2024 to issue the First Tranche New
Shares (being up to a maximum of 133,817,678 new common shares and
comprising: (i) 34,722,222 of the VBR Subscription Shares,
representing a portion of the VBR Participation Right Shares
("First Tranche VBR Subscription Shares"); (ii)
97,698,902 of the Placing Shares (“First Tranche Placing
Shares”); and (iii) 1,396,554 of the Director
Participation Shares (“First Tranche Director Participation
Shares”)). For further details regarding the Company’s
share issuance authorities, please refer to the Company’s
management information circular dated April 19, 2024 for the annual
general and special meeting held on June 4, 2024, a copy of which
is available on the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at
www.sedarplus.ca.
- Any new Common Shares of the
Company which are not issuable by the Company in the first tranche
of the Fundraising pursuant to the Company’s existing share
issuance authorities shall be issued by the Company conditional
upon the Company obtaining new share issuance authorities from
shareholders at a special meeting of shareholders of the Company
(the “Special Meeting”) to be held on or about
March 18, 2025. The Company has filed a notice of meeting and
record date in respect of the Special Meeting, a copy of which is
available on the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at
www.sedarplus.ca.
- Subject to receipt of all necessary
approvals, including approvals from the shareholders at the Special
Meeting and the approval of the TSX-V, the Company expects to issue
the remaining VBR Subscription Shares, representing the remaining
portion of the VBR Participation Right Shares plus the VBR
Additional Subscription Shares ("Second Tranche VBR
Subscription Shares"); remaining Placing Shares
(“Second Tranche Placing Shares”); remaining
Director Participation Shares (“Second Tranche Director
Participation Shares”); all of the Retail Offer Shares;
and all of the NWF Subscription Shares (together the
"Second Tranche New Shares") and expects such
remaining shares to be admitted to trading on AIM and the TSX-V
shortly after the Special Meeting.
- It is important to note that the
First Tranche New Shares shall be issued on First Admission of
those shares to trading on AIM, which, subject to TSXV Conditional
Approval, is expected to occur at 8.00 a.m. on 06 February 2025 (or
such later date as the Company and the Placing Agents may agree).
If the conditions to the issue of the Second Tranche New
Shares are not subsequently satisfied (including the passing of the
necessary shareholder resolutions at the Special Meeting, TSXV
Conditional Approval and the NWF Subscription Agreement becoming
unconditional in all respects), the Second Tranche New Shares will
not be issued by the Company and neither the NWF Subscription nor
the Retail Offer will proceed, notwithstanding the fact that the
First Tranche New Shares will already be in issue.
None of the NWF Subscription Shares nor the Retail Offer
Shares will be issued in the first tranche of the
Fundraising.
- Neither the Placing, Director
Participations nor the Retail Offer are underwritten.
The Placing is subject to the terms and
conditions set out in Appendix I to this Announcement (which forms
part of this Announcement).
Don Turvey, CEO of Cornish Metals,
commented: “We are very pleased to welcome NWF as a major
shareholder in Cornish Metals and to lead this fundraise alongside
Vision Blue, demonstrating support for the Company and our plans to
bring tin mining back to Cornwall.
Tin is a critical mineral that is essential for
the energy transition and anything electronic. South Crofty is a
strategic asset with the ability to responsibly provide a secure,
high grade long-term supply of tin, reviving Cornwall’s rich mining
history and contributing to the local economy and the UK’s
transition to net zero.
The Cornish Metals team has achieved many
important milestones over the last couple of years as we rapidly
advance South Crofty towards a restart of production. This
financing will enable the Company to maintain this strong momentum
and further unlock the project’s potential by delivering crucial
milestones expected in the coming year including the completion of
mine dewatering and shaft refurbishment, the start of early project
works, placing orders for long-lead items, and concluding the
project finance process.”
John Flint, CEO of NWF,
commented: “Critical minerals are not only an important
driver of the UK’s transition to net zero, but also of the UK’s
growth mission, providing opportunities to anchor important supply
chains in the UK.
This is our second investment in critical
minerals in Cornwall, and indicative of our ability to mobilise
private investment into local economies, creating skilled and
long-term employment.”
Rationale for the
FundraisingSubject to shareholder approval and the issue
of the Second Tranche New Shares, the Fundraising will enable the
Company to further de-risk the South Crofty Project and advance it
towards a formal final investment decision by:
- bringing the South Crofty Project
nearer to production by funding approximately £20m of the South
Crofty Project’s initial capital expenditure requirements;
- commencing early project works,
including initial construction of the groundworks for the
processing plant;
- placing orders for long-lead items
of plant and equipment; and
- advancing detailed project
engineering studies;
Use of proceedsIn addition to
the Company’s current cash balances (being £5.3 million as at 31
December 2024), the proceeds of the Fundraising will be allocated
towards the following workstreams:
- £13.3 million for mining and
related works and dewatering;
- £17.2 million for early works and
long-lead items;
- £5.1 million for project
engineering studies;
- £7.8 million for the repayment of
the credit facility plus accrued interest provided by Vision Blue
to the Company, details of which were announced on 15 October
2024;
- £12.6 million for South Crofty site
costs, facilities and land purchase, financing fees associated with
the Fundraising and corporate costs.
The Fundraising is expected to provide financial
runway through to the end of Q1 2026 with project debt finance to
be arranged before then and a final investment decision expected at
that time.
The proceeds from the Retail Offer Shares issued
and any Broker Option Shares issued in excess of the scale back of
NWF and VBR will provide additional working capital to the
Company.
The NWF SubscriptionNWF is
operationally independent but wholly-owned and backed by HM
Treasury. It was launched in June 2021 as the UK Infrastructure
Bank, transforming into the National Wealth Fund in October 2024.
The Fund partners with the private sector and local government to
increase investment in pursuit of two strategic objectives:
tackling climate change and driving growth across the regions and
nations of the United Kingdom. NWF's investments must achieve one
or both of its strategic objectives, generate a positive financial
return and demonstrate additionality - focusing where there is an
undersupply of private sector financing and reducing barriers to
investment - thereby mobilising private capital. NWF is based in
Leeds and has £27.8bn of finance to deploy across the capital
structure, including loans, credit enhancement, equity investments
and guarantees.
NWF has entered into a conditional agreement
with the Company dated 28 January, 2025 (the “NWF
Subscription Agreement”) pursuant to which it has agreed
to subscribe for up to 359,375,000 NWF Subscription Shares at the
Issue Price, raising a total of up to £28.75 million for the
Company (and a minimum of £25 million).
The number of NWF Subscription Shares to be
subscribed for will be scaled back by the number of Broker Option
Shares issued (if any) subject to a minimum investment from NWF of
£25 million. The scale back will affect the NWF Subscription Shares
and the VBR Additional Subscription Shares on an equal basis such
that every 1 (one) Broker Option Share issued will scale back the
NWF Subscription Shares by 0.5 (i.e. half a share) and the VBR
Additional Subscription Shares by 0.5 (half a share) (with the
number of shares being subscribed for by each of NWF and VBR being
rounded up to a full share).
Subject to receipt of all necessary approvals,
including approvals from the shareholders at the Special Meeting
and TSXV Conditional Approval, completion of the NWF Subscription
shall occur on Second Admission. No NWF Subscription Shares will be
issued on First Admission.
The NWF Subscription is subject to certain conditions, including,
among other things: |
(a) |
receipt of the requisite shareholder approvals at the Special
Meeting to approve the creation of NWF as a new “Control Person” of
the Company within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities
laws and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions in
the NWF Subscription Agreement; |
(b) |
all other
resolutions being passed at the Special Meeting; |
(c) |
all
necessary approvals from the TSXV in respect of the completion of
all of the transactions contemplated by the Fundraising, which, for
certainty, shall include the transactions contemplated by the NWF
Subscription Agreement, VBR Subscription Agreement, the Placing
Agreement and the Debt Set-Off Agreement, which approvals shall
include, without limitation, Conditional Acceptance (within the
meaning of Policy 4.1 of the TSXV Rules) and acceptance of the Debt
Set-Off Agreement by the TSXV pursuant to Policy 4.3 of the TSXV
Rules, and the fulfilment by the Company of all applicable
conditions set forth in such Conditional Acceptance or acceptance,
respectively, prior to the issuance of the New Shares, on the terms
and conditions contemplated in the Fundraising and the listing of
the New Shares on the TSXV ("TSXV Conditional
Approval") |
(d) |
should,
following the results of the Bookbuild, NWF hold over 25 per cent.
of the Company's issued and outstanding Commons Shares (which shall
be confirmed following the results of the Bookbuild), the Secretary
of State confirming, inter alia, that no action will be taken under
the UK National Security and Investment Act 2021 in relation to the
NWF Subscription; |
(e) |
the
Company having obtained title insurance in respect of its
registered land, and for its unregistered land on commercially
acceptable terms, with an indemnity limit of £28.75 million; |
(f) |
the
Company having received irrevocable legally-binding commitments by
all participants in the Fundraising raising gross proceeds of, in
aggregate, at least £56 million (before expenses); |
(g) |
the
Placing Agreement becoming unconditional in all respects save for
Second Admission (and save for any condition therein relating to
the NWF Subscription Agreement itself or the other transaction
documents becoming unconditional) and not having been
terminated; |
(h) |
the VBR
Subscription Agreement and the Debt Set Off Agreement becoming
unconditional in all respects save for Second Admission (and save
for any condition relating to the NWF Subscription Agreement itself
or the other transaction documents becoming unconditional) and to
the extent they are not set off under the Debt Set Off Agreement,
the subscription monies for the Second Tranche VBR Subscription
Shares having been received by the Company (or on the Company's
behalf by its solicitors); |
(i) |
the
Director's Participation agreements becoming unconditional in all
respects save for Second Admission (and save for any condition
therein relating to the NWF Subscription Agreement itself or the
other transaction documents becoming unconditional) and not having
been terminated; |
(j) |
First
Admission having occurred; and |
(k) |
admission
of the Second Tranche New Shares (including the NWF Subscription
Shares) taking place not later than 8.00 am on 24 March 2025 or
such later date as is agreed in writing between the Company and
NWF, but in any event not later than 8.00 am on 25 April 2025. |
|
|
Application will also be made to the TSX-V to
approve the issuance and listing of the NWF Subscription
Shares.
The NWF Subscription Agreement contains
representations and warranties from the Company in favour of NWF.
The NWF Subscription Agreement may be terminated by NWF in certain
circumstances prior to Second Admission, including circumstances
where any of the representations and warranties are or could
reasonably be expected to become untrue, inaccurate or misleading,
the Placing Agreement is terminated or there has occurred, in NWF’s
opinion, any fact, matter, event, circumstance, condition or change
occurring which materially and adversely affects the business,
operations, assets, liabilities, condition (whether financial or
otherwise) of the Company and its affiliates (the
"Group") or the South Crofty Project taken as a
whole.
The NWF Subscription Agreement grants the following rights to NWF
for so long as its shareholding and those of its affiliates in the
Company is not less than 10 per cent. of the Company’s issued and
outstanding Shares: |
(a) |
NWF may nominate from time to time one person to the Company’s
board of directors and a further person as an observer at board
meetings; |
(b) |
NWF will have a participation right to maintain its percentage
ownership interest in the Company upon any offering of securities
for cash; and |
(c) |
certain "demand registration" and "piggy back" registration rights
for such time as the Company remains a reporting issuer in Canada,
further details of which will be provided the management
information circular in respect of the Special Meeting. |
|
|
Cornish Metals’ Board have also provided an
undertaking to NWF that it shall use all reasonable but
commercially prudent endeavours to effect a delisting of the share
capital of the Company from the TSX-V and a re-domiciliation of the
Company to England & Wales within 12 months following the
conclusion of the Fundraising at Second Admission.
Relationship Agreement
In addition to the NWF Subscription Agreement, the Company, SP
Angel and NWF, subject to Second Admission, will enter into the
Relationship Agreement pursuant to which, for so long as the
Company’s shares remain admitted to trading on AIM and NWF holds at
least 10 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company, NWF
has undertaken to the Company and (for as long as it remains
nominated adviser to the Company) SP Angel, that it shall, and it
shall procure that each of its associates shall, exercise the
voting rights attaching to their Common Shares so that, inter
alia: |
(a) |
the Group is capable at all times of carrying on business
independently of NWF and its associates; |
(b) |
the Company shall be capable of being managed in accordance with
the Corporate Governance Code published by the UK's Quoted
Companies Alliance (the "QCA Code") and the applicable Canadian
corporate governance provisions or any other corporate governance
regime adopted by the board of directors from time to time; |
(c) |
all transactions or arrangements entered into between any member of
the Group on the one hand and NWF and/or its associates on the
other will be made at arm’s length and on a normal commercial basis
and in compliance with, and disclosed in accordance with, all
applicable laws and regulations including the AIM Rules for
Companies published by London Stock Exchange plc, as amended or
reissued from time to time; and |
(d) |
there are and remain at all times a majority of directors who do
not have a significant business, financial or commercial
relationship with NWF on the Board and not less than two directors
who are at the relevant time considered by the Board to be
independent, as determined by reference to the QCA Code. |
|
|
The Relationship Agreement will terminate on
NWF, together with any of its associates, ceasing to hold an
interest in 10 per cent. or more of the voting rights attaching to
their Shares.
VBR's Subscription and the Vision Blue
Debt Set Off AgreementOn May 24, 2022, the Company
completed a £40,500,000 private placement offering of units
(comprising shares and warrants) of the Company (the “2022
Offering”). In connection with the 2022 Offering, the
Company and Vision Blue entered into an investment agreement dated
27 March 2022 (the “VBR 2022 Investment
Agreement”), pursuant to which, among other things, for so
long as Vision Blue holds not less than 10% of the Company’s issued
and outstanding common shares, Vision Blue has a participation
right to maintain its percentage ownership interest in the Company
upon any offering of securities at the issue price and similar
terms as are applicable to such offering (the
“Participation Right”). As at the date of this
Announcement, Vision Blue's ownership interest in the common shares
of the Company is currently approximately 25.95 per cent.
On October 15, 2024, the Company entered into a
US$9.1 million (£7.0 million) secured credit facility (the
“Facility”) with Vision Blue to support the
continued development of the South Crofty Project, with the
proceeds of such Facility being used for the Company’s general
operating and corporate purposes.
In accordance with the terms of the VBR 2022
Investment Agreement, the Fundraising has permitted Vision Blue to
exercise its Participation Right upon the terms and condition of
the VBR 2022 Investment Agreement and Vision Blue has accordingly
entered into the VBR Subscription Agreement pursuant to which it
has conditionally agreed to subscribe for such number of VBR
Participation Right Shares at the Issue Price as is required in
order to maintain its percentage ownership interest in the Company
following completion of the Fundraising (which is approximately
25.95 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company).
Separately from its Participation Right, Vision Blue has also
conditionally agreed to subscribe for such further VBR Additional
Subscription Shares which would be required in order for the VBR
Subscription to raise, in aggregate, up to a maximum of £18,280,550
(before expenses) for the Company.
The number of VBR Additional Subscription Shares
to be subscribed for will be scaled back by the number of Broker
Option Shares issued (if any) subject to a minimum investment from
VBR to maintain its percentage ownership interest in the
Fundraising of c. 25.95 per cent. The scale back will affect the
VBR Additional Subscription Shares and the NWF Subscription Shares
on an equal basis such that every 1 (one) Broker Option Share
issued will scale back the NWF Subscription Shares by 0.5 (i.e.
half a share) and the VBR Additional Subscription Shares by 0.5
(half a share) (with the number of shares being subscribed for by
VBR being rounded up to a full share).
In connection with the Participation Right,
Vision Blue and the Company have also entered into a debt set-off
deed dated 28 January 2025 (the “Debt Set Off
Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company and Vision Blue
have conditionally agreed to set off amounts owed by the Company to
Vision Blue under the Facility against amounts due from Vision Blue
to the Company in respect of the subscription of the VBR
Participation Right Shares pursuant to the VBR 2022 Investment
Agreement. The Debt Set-Off Agreement is treated as a “Shares for
Debt” transaction under the policies of the TSX-V and is subject to
the approval of the TSX-V. Application will be made to
the TSX-V to approve the issuance and listing of the VBR
Subscription Shares issuable to Vision Blue.
The VBR Subscription will take place in two
tranches. The subscription by Vision Blue for the First Tranche VBR
Subscription Shares is conditional upon (amongst other things):
|
(a) |
the NWF Subscription Agreement not having been terminated and no
event having arisen or occurred which would entitle any party
thereto to terminate the NWF Subscription Agreement; |
|
(b) |
receipt of TSXV Conditional Approval; |
|
(c) |
the Debt Set-Off Agreement not having been terminated; |
|
(d) |
the Placing Agreement becoming unconditional in respect of the
First Tranche Placing Shares save for First Admission (and save for
any condition therein relating to the VBR Subscription Agreement
itself or the other transaction documents becoming unconditional)
and not having been terminated; |
|
(e) |
the Director's Participation agreements becoming unconditional in
respect of the First Tranche Director Participation Shares save for
First Admission (and save for any condition therein relating to the
VBR Subscription Agreement itself or the other transaction
documents becoming unconditional) and not having been
terminated; |
|
(f) |
First Admission taking place not later than 8.00 am on 06 February
2025 or such later date as is agreed in writing between the Company
and VBR, but in any event not later than 8.00 am on the First
Admission Longstop Date. |
|
|
|
The subscription by Vision Blue for the Second
Tranche VBR Subscription Shares is conditional (amongst other
things) upon:
|
(a) |
First Admission having occurred; |
|
(b) |
the NWF Subscription Agreement becoming unconditional in all
respects save for Second Admission (and save for any condition
therein relating to the VBR Subscription Agreement itself or the
other relevant transaction documents becoming unconditional) and no
event having arisen or occurred which would entitle any party
thereto to terminate the agreement; |
|
(c) |
the Placing Agreement becoming unconditional in unconditional in
all respects save for Second Admission (and save for any condition
therein relating to the VBR Subscription Agreement itself or the
other transaction documents becoming unconditional) and not having
been terminated; |
|
(d) |
the Director's Participation agreements becoming unconditional in
all respects save for Second Admission (and save for any condition
therein relating to the VBR Subscription Agreement itself or the
other transaction documents becoming unconditional) and not having
been terminated; |
|
(e) |
the Debt Set-Off Agreement not having been terminated; |
|
(f) |
all resolutions being passed at the Special Meeting; |
|
(g) |
TSXV Conditional Approval in respect of the Second Tranche New
Shares; and |
|
(h) |
Second Admission taking place not later than 8.00 am on 24 March
2025 or such later date as is agreed in writing between the Company
and VBR but in any event not later than 8.00 am on the Second
Admission Longstop Date. |
|
|
|
Vision Blue is deemed to be a “related party” of
the Company pursuant to MI 61-101 given that it holds more than 10%
of the Company's issued share capital. The “related party
transaction” requirements under Policy 5.9 of the TSX-V and MI
61-101 do not apply to the Participation Right, since the
subscription by Vision Blue of the VBR Participation Right Shares
satisfies the exclusion from such requirements under Section
5.1(h)(iii) of MI 61-101. The subscription by Vision Blue of the
VBR Additional Subscription Shares would constitute a “related
party transaction” of the Company under MI 61-101 and the rules and
policies of the TSX-V. Further details will be announced when the
Bookbuild has closed.
Additional Information on the
PlacingThe Placing is expected to the completed in two
tranches, with the first tranche utilising the Company’s existing
share issuance authorities most recently approved by the
shareholders at the annual general and special meeting of the
Company held on June 4, 2024. The Second Tranche Placing Shares,
being those new common shares of the Company which are not issuable
by the Company in the first tranche of the Placing pursuant to the
Company’s existing share issuance authorities, are expected to be
issued by the Company conditional upon the Company obtaining new
share issuance authorities from shareholders at the Special
Meeting.
The Bookbuild will determine final demand for
and participation in the Placing. The Bookbuild is expected to
close not later than 12 p.m. (London time) 28
January 2025 but may be closed at such earlier or later time as the
Joint Bookrunners, in their absolute discretion (following
consultation with the Company), determine.
The final number of Placing Shares to be issued
pursuant to the Placing will be determined by the Company and the
Joint Bookrunners following closure of the Bookbuild.
The Placing Shares will, subject to receipt by the Company in full
of the consideration for such Placing Shares, when issued be fully
paid and rank pari passu in all respects with the existing common
shares in the capital of the Company, including, without
limitation, as regards the right to receive all dividends and other
distributions declared, made or paid after the date of issue.
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 Appendix I (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,
each Placee will be deemed to have read and understood this
announcement in its entirety (including the Appendices) and to be
making such offer to acquire and acquiring the Placing Shares on
the terms and subject to the conditions set out in Appendix I to
this announcement, and to be providing the representations,
warranties, undertaking and acknowledgements contained in Appendix
I to this announcement. Members of the public are not eligible to
take part in the Placing and no public offering of Placing Shares
is being or will be made.
The Broker Option and scale back
The Company has granted a Broker Option to the
Placing Agents pursuant to the Placing Agreement in order to enable
the Placing Agents to deal with any additional demand in the event
that requests to participate in the Fundraising are received during
the period from the date of the publication of this Announcement up
until the release of the announcement confirming the close of the
Bookbuild.
Any Broker Option Shares issued pursuant to the
exercise of the Broker Option will be issued on the same terms and
conditions as the Placing Shares, which are set out in Appendix II
to this Announcement, and will comprise up to 74,223,526 new
Shares.
The Broker Option may be exercised by one or
more of the Placing Agents in their absolute discretion, but there
is no obligation on a Placing Agent to exercise the Broker Option
or to seek to procure subscribers for any Broker Option Shares from
investors pursuant to the Broker Option.
Any Broker Option Shares issued will scale back
the NWF Subscription Shares and the VBR Additional Subscription
Shares on an equal footing as follows: for every 1 (one) Broker
Option Share subscribed for; the number of NWF Subscription Shares
shall be reduced by 0.5 (i.e. half a share) and the number of VBR
Additional Subscription Shares shall be reduced by 0.5 (half a
share) (with the number of shares being subscribed for being
rounded up in each case to a full share) provided that: (i) NWF
shall invest a minimum of £25 million; and (ii) VBR shall, in
accordance with its Participation Right, subscribe for at least
such number of VBR Subscription Shares as shall ensure it maintains
its c. 25.95% ownership interest in the Company immediately
following the Fundraising on Second Admission.
Given the results of the Retail Offer will only
be announced following the results of the Placing (and any exercise
of the Broker Option), the Company will confirm the final results
of the Fundraising (including the number of NWF Subscription Shares
and VBR Subscription Shares subscribed for once the results of the
Retail Offer are confirmed.)
Director ParticipationsThe
Participating Directors (being Patrick Anderson, Lodewyk Daniel
Turvey, Kenneth Armstrong, Don Njegovan, Stephen Gatley, Tony
Trahar and Samantha Hoe-Richardson) have conditionally subscribed
for 1,597,561 Director Participation Shares at the Issue Price for
an aggregate amount of £127,805.
The Company has entered into conditional
subscription agreements with Patrick Anderson, Lodewyk Daniel
Turvey, Kenneth Armstrong, Don Njegovan, Stephen Gatley and
Samantha Hoe-Richardson and Tony Trahar will subscribe for his
Director Participation Shares as a Placee.
The Director Participations are expected to take
place in two tranches.
As each of the Participating Directors is deemed
to be a “related party” of the Company pursuant to Multilateral
Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in
Special Transactions (“MI 61-101”), their
participation in the Director Participations would constitute a
“related party transaction” of the Company under MI 61-101 and the
rules and policies of the TSX-V. Further details will be announced
when the Bookbuild has closed.
Conditions
Completion of the Fundraising relating to the
First Tranche New Shares (being the First Tranche Placing Shares,
First Tranche VBR Subscription Shares and First Tranche Director
Participation Shares) is subject to certain conditions including,
among other things:
|
(a) |
TSXV Conditional Approval in respect of the First Tranche New
Shares; |
|
(b) |
NWF having entered into a legally binding NWF Subscription
Agreement with the Company and it not having been terminated1; |
|
(c) |
The Placing Agreement becoming unconditional in respect of the
First Tranche Placing Shares save for First Admission (and save for
any condition therein relating to the other transaction documents
becoming unconditional) and not being terminated in accordance with
its terms; |
|
(d) |
The VBR Subscription Agreement becoming unconditional in respect of
the First Tranche VBR Subscription Shares save for First Admission
(and save for any condition therein relating to the other
transaction documents becoming unconditional) and not being
terminated in accordance with its terms; |
|
(e) |
The Director Participation agreements becoming unconditional in
respect of the First Tranche Director Participation Shares save for
First Admission (and save for any condition therein relating to the
other transaction documents becoming unconditional) and not being
terminated in accordance with its terms; |
|
(f) |
The Admission of the First Tranche New Shares to trading on
AIM. |
|
|
|
Completion of the Fundraising relating to the
Second Tranche New Shares (being the NWF Subscription Shares, the
Retail Offer Shares, the Second Tranche Placing Shares, Second
Tranche VBR Subscription Shares and Second Tranche Director
Participation Shares) is subject to certain conditions including,
among other things:
|
(a) |
First Admission having occurred; |
|
(b) |
TSXV Conditional Approval in respect of the Second Tranche New
Shares; |
|
(c) |
All Resolutions having been passed at the Special Meeting; |
|
(d) |
The NWF Subscription Agreement becoming unconditional in all
respects save for Second Admission (and save for any condition
therein relating to the other transaction documents becoming
unconditional) and not being terminated in accordance with its
terms; |
|
(e) |
The VBR Subscription Agreement becoming unconditional in all
respects save for Second Admission (and save for any condition
therein relating to the other transaction documents becoming
unconditional) and not being terminated in accordance with its
terms; |
|
(f) |
The Placing Agreement becoming unconditional in all respects save
for Second Admission (and save for any condition therein relating
to the other transaction documents becoming unconditional) and not
being terminated in accordance with its terms; |
|
(g) |
The Director Participation agreements becoming unconditional in all
respects save for Second Admission (and save for any condition
therein relating to the other transaction documents becoming
unconditional) and not being terminated in accordance with its
terms; |
|
(h) |
The Admission of the Second Tranche New Shares to trading on
AIM. |
|
|
|
|
IF THE
CONDITIONS TO THE ISSUE OF THE SECOND TRANCHE NEW SHARES ARE NOT
SUBSEQUENTLY SATISFIED (INCLUDING THE PASSING OF THE NECESSARY
SHAREHOLDER RESOLUTIONS AT THE SPECIAL MEETING AND TSXV CONDITIONAL
APPROVAL AND THE NWF SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT BECOMING UNCONDITIONAL
IN ALL RESPECTS), THE SECOND TRANCHE NEW SHARES WILL NOT BE ISSUED
BY THE COMPANY AND NEITHER THE NWF SUBSCRIPTION NOR THE RETAIL
OFFER WILL PROCEED, NOTWITHSTANDING THE FACT THAT THE FIRST TRANCHE
NEW SHARES WILL ALREADY BE IN ISSUE. NONE OF THE
NWF SUBSCRIPTION SHARES NOR THE RETAIL OFFER SHARES WILL BE ISSUED
IN THE FIRST TRANCHE OF THE FUNDRAISING. |
|
|
|
Lock-in Agreements
NWF has entered into an agreement with the
Company (the “NWF Lock-In Agreement”) pursuant to
which, subject to certain exceptions and conditional upon Second
Admission becoming effective, NWF and its connected persons has
undertaken with the Company not to, and to procure that its
connected persons do not, dispose of any interest in the NWF
Subscription Shares or other Common Shares acquired after the date
of the NWF Lock-In Agreement, for the period of 6 months following
Second Admission.
After the period of 6 months, NWF has agreed to
only dispose of Common Shares held by it in accordance with certain
orderly market provisions for a further period of 6 months.
Similarly, Vision Blue has entered into an
agreement with the Company (the “VBR Lock-In
Agreement”) pursuant to which, subject to certain
exceptions, Vision Blue and its connected persons has undertaken
with the Company not to, and to procure that its connected persons
do not, dispose of any interest in any Common Shares held by it or
subsequently acquired after the date of the VBR Lock-In Agreement,
for the period from execution of the agreement to Second Admission
and then, should Second Admission occur, from 6 months following
Second Admission.
After the period of 6 months from Second
Admission, Vision Blue has agreed to only dispose of Common Shares
held by it in accordance with certain orderly market provisions for
a further period of 6 months.
In the event that Second Admission does not
occur or the NWF Subscription Agreement terminates or does not
become unconditional, the VBR-Lock-in Agreement shall lapse and
have no effect.
New Performance Share Plan
In connection with the Fundraising, at the
Special Meeting, the Company will be requesting shareholders
approve the adoption of a new performance share plan, details of
which will be set out in the circular to shareholders convening the
Special Meeting (the "Proposed Performance
Share Plan").
Subject to receipt of all necessary approvals,
including approvals from the shareholders at the Special Meeting
and the approval of the TSX-V, upon implementation, the Proposed
Performance Share Plan shall permit the grant of Performance Share
Units (“PSUs”) to eligible Participants (as
defined in the Proposed Performance Share Plan). The Proposed
Performance Share Plan will be effective from the date of
shareholder approval until the date it is terminated by the Board
in accordance with the Proposed Performance Share Plan.
The purpose of the Proposed Performance Share
Plan is to: (i) provide the Company with a share-related mechanism
to attract, retain and motivate qualified Employees (as defined in
the Proposed Performance Share Plan), (ii) to reward such of those
Employees as may be granted PSUs under the Proposed Performance
Share Plan by the Board from time to time for their contributions
towards the long term goals and success of the Company, and (iii)
to enable and encourage such Employees to acquire common shares as
long term investments and proprietary interests in the Company.
The Proposed Performance Share Plan provides
that the maximum number of Common Shares available for issuance, in
the aggregate, under all of the Company’s Security Based
Compensation Arrangements shall not exceed 10% of the aggregate
number of Common Shares issued and outstanding from time to time
(calculated on a non-diluted basis). Any Common Shares subject to a
PSU or Legacy Option (as defined in the Proposed Performance Share
Plan) that has been exercised or settled in common shares, will
again be available for issuance under the Proposed Performance
Share Plan. The number of Common Shares available for issuance
under the Proposed Performance Share Plan will increase as the
number of issued and outstanding Common Shares increases from time
to time. The Company's Remuneration Committee is currently
undertaking a benchmarking exercise with an external remuneration
consultant in order to make a recommendation as to the specific
grants which will be made under the Proposed Performance Share
Plan.
Further details of the Proposed Performance
Share Plan will be set out in the management information circular
for the Special Meeting referred to below.
Special Meeting
Subject to receipt of the TSXV Conditional
Approval, the Company expects to file the management information
circular in respect of the Special Meeting on the Company’s profile
on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca on or about 10 February 2025,
providing further details of the Fundraising (including, the NWF
Subscription Agreement) and a notice convening the Special Meeting,
to seek the necessary shareholder approvals, including, to approve
the creation of NWF as a new “Control Person” of the Company and to
approve new share issuance authorities for the Second Tranche New
Shares under the Fundraising.
Issue of Equity and
AdmissionApplication will be made to the TSX-V for the
First Tranche New Shares to be admitted to trading on the TSX-V,
with listing subject to the approval of the TSX-V and the Company
satisfying all of the requirements of the TSX-V. Subject to the
satisfaction of the conditions relating to the issue of the First
Tranche New Shares set out above, the Company expects First
Admission to occur (subject to TSXV Conditional Approval) on or
before 8.00 a.m. on 06 February 2025 (or such later date and/or
time as the Joint Bookrunners and the Company may agree, being no
later than 8.00 a.m. on 28 February 2025). Subject to the
satisfaction of the conditions relating to the issue of the Second
Tranche New Shares set out above the company expects Second
Admission to occur (subject to TSXV Conditional Approval) on 8.00
a.m. on 24 March 2025following the receipt of all necessary
approvals, including approvals from shareholders at the Special
Meeting (or such later date and/or time as the Joint Bookrunners
and the Company may agree, being no later than 8.00 a.m. on 25
April 2025).
The TIDM for the Company's Common Shares on AIM
is CUSN. The Company's LEI is 8945007GJ5APA9YDN221.
This Announcement should be read in its
entirety. Attention is drawn to the section headed 'Important
Information' in this Announcement and the terms and conditions of
the Placing (representing important information for Placees only)
in Appendix I to this Announcement.
The Company and the Joint Bookrunners reserve
the right to alter the dates and times referred to above. If
any of the dates and times referred to above are altered by the
Company, the revised dates and times will be announced through a
Regulatory Information Service without delay.
All references to time in this Announcement are
to London time, unless otherwise stated.
The New Shares: (i) have not been qualified for
distribution by prospectus in Canada, and (ii) may not be offered
or sold in Canada during the course of their distribution except
pursuant to a Canadian prospectus or in reliance on an available
prospectus exemption. Subject to completion of the Fundraising, all
the New Shares to be issued as part of the Fundraising will be
subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date
of their issuance in Canada in accordance with applicable Canadian
securities legislation. Under applicable Canadian securities
legislation, such hold period will only apply to trades (as defined
under applicable Canadian securities legislation) of the New
Shares, in Canada or through a market in Canada, such as the
TSX-V.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
“Lodewyk Daniel (Don) Turvey”Don Turvey
For additional information please contact:
Cornish Metals |
Fawzi HananoIrene Dorsman |
investors@cornishmetals.com info@cornishmetals.com |
|
|
Tel: +1 (604) 200 6664 |
SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP (Nominated Adviser,
Joint Bookrunner & Joint
Broker) |
Richard Morrison Charlie Bouverat Grant Barker |
Tel: +44 203 470 0470 |
|
|
|
Hannam & Partners(Joint Bookrunner and
Financial
Adviser) |
Matthew HassonAndrew Chubb Jay Ashfield |
cornish@hannam.partners Tel: +44
207 907 8500 |
|
|
|
Canaccord Genuity Limited(Co-Manager) |
James AsensioCharlie HammondSam Lucas |
Tel: +44 207 523 8000 |
Cavendish Capital Markets Limited(Joint
Broker) |
Derrick LeeNeil McDonald |
Tel: +44 131 220 6939 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
BlytheRay(Financial PR) |
Tim Blythe Megan Ray |
tim.blythe@blytheray.com megan.ray@blytheray.comTel: +44 207 138
3204 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its
Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the
policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for
the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
This announcement is not for publication or
distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States.
This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the
United States. The securities referred to herein have not been and
will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States,
except pursuant to an applicable exemption from registration. No
public offering of securities is being made in the United
States.
Placees Resident in
Australia
This announcement is not a prospectus, product
disclosure statement or other form of offer document under
Australian law. No offer of securities is made pursuant to
this announcement in Australia except to a person who will
represent to the Company and/or the Joint Bookrunners (as
applicable) that such person(a) is a sophisticated investor within
the meaning of section 708(8) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) or
an experienced investor meeting the criteria in section 708(10) of
the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) or a “professional investor” within
the meaning of section 708(11) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth);
and (b) is not acquiring the securities with the purpose of selling
or transferring the securities, or granting, issuing or
transferring interests in, or options over, them.
Placees Resident in Canada
No offer of securities is made pursuant to this
announcement in Canada except to a person who will represent to the
Company and/or the Placing Agents (as applicable) that such person:
(i) is purchasing as principal, or is deemed to be purchasing as
principal in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws,
for investment only and not with a view to resale or distribution;
and (ii) is (x) an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in
section 1.1 of National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions
or (y) an eligible purchaser satisfying the requirements of BC
Instrument 72-503- Distribution of Securities Outside British
Columbia.
The Placing Shares are being sold in Canada in
reliance on an exemption or exemptions from the requirements to
provide the relevant Placees with a prospectus and, as a
consequence of acquiring securities pursuant to this exemption or
exemptions, certain protections, rights and remedies provided by
the applicable Canadian securities laws will not be available to
the relevant Placees. The Placing Shares will be subject to
statutory resale (hold) restrictions for a period of four months
and one day under the applicable Canadian securities laws and any
resale of the Placing Shares must be made in accordance with such
resale restrictions or in reliance on an available exemption
therefrom. Each Placee is solely responsible (and the Company is
not in any way responsible) for compliance with applicable
securities laws in the resale of any Placing Shares.
Notice to Investors in Hong
Kong
This announcement has not been reviewed by any
regulatory authority in Hong Kong and it has not been, and will not
be, registered as a prospectus under the Companies (Winding Up and
Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32 of the Laws of Hong
Kong) (“C(WUMP)O”), nor has it been authorised by
the Securities and Futures Commission pursuant to the Securities
and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong)
(“SFO”). Accordingly, the Placing Shares may not
be offered or sold in Hong Kong, by means of any document, other
than (a) to persons who are ”professional investors” as defined in
the SFO and any rules made thereunder; or (b) in other
circumstances which do not result in this announcement being a
“prospectus” as defined in the C(WUMP)O or which do not constitute
an offer to the public within the meaning of C(WUMP)O.
No advertisement, invitation or document
relating to the Placing Shares, which is directed at, or the
contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public
in Hong Kong has been or will be issued or may be in the possession
of any person for the purpose of issue, whether in Hong Kong or
elsewhere (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws
of Hong Kong), other than with respect to the Placing Shares which
are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong
Kong or only to ''professional investors'' as defined in the SFO
and any rules made thereunder.
Notice to investors in
Singapore
This announcement has not been reviewed by any
regulatory authority in Singapore and it has not been, and will not
be, registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of
Singapore. Accordingly, this material and any other document or
material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for
subscription or purchase, of the Placing Shares may not be
circulated or distributed, nor may the Placing Shares be offered or
sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or
purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore
other than (i) to an institutional investor (as defined in the
Securities and Futures Act 2001 of Singapore (“SFA”), as amended or
modified (the “SFA”)) pursuant to Section 274 of the SFA, (ii) to a
relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA) pursuant
to Section 275(1) of the SFA, or any person pursuant to Section
275(1A) of the SFA, and in accordance with the conditions specified
in the SFA.
Caution regarding forward looking
statements
This news release contains certain
“forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements”
(collectively, “forward-looking statements”). Forward-looking
statements include predictions, projections, outlook, guidance,
estimates and forecasts and other statements regarding future
plans, the realisation, cost, timing and extent of mineral resource
or mineral reserve estimates, estimation of commodity prices,
currency exchange rate fluctuations, estimated future exploration
expenditures, costs and timing of the development of new deposits,
success of exploration activities, permitting time lines,
requirements for additional capital and the Company’s ability to
obtain financing when required and on terms acceptable to the
Company, future or estimated mine life and other activities or
achievements of Cornish Metals, including but not limited to:
statements in connection with the Fundraising (including, for
certainty, the subscription by Vision Blue) and the issuance of the
New Shares (including each tranche thereof), including the amounts
expected to be invested, the timeline of certain events in respect
thereof, including the satisfaction of conditions for closing of
the Fundraising, including TSXV Conditional Approval, the listing
of the New Shares (including each tranche thereof) on the TSX-V and
Admission, statements regarding the expected security holdings in
the Company of Vision Blue and investors following closing of the
Fundraising, the related party transaction matters, statements
regarding the Special Meeting (including timing thereof) and the
filing of the management information circular in respect of the
Special Meeting, the applicable exemptions under MI 61-101, the
expected use of proceeds, and evaluating potential project
development opportunities, exploration potential and development
opportunities for the South Crofty Project and the timing thereof,
and the strategic vision of Cornish Metals and expectations
regarding the South Crofty mine.] Forward-looking
statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of
words such as “seek”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “plan”, “estimate”,
“forecast”, “expect”, “potential”, “project”, “target”, “schedule”,
“budget” and “intend” and statements that an event or result “may”,
“will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “might” occur or be achieved
and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof.
All statements other than statements of historical fact included in
this news release, are forward-looking statements that involve
various risks and uncertainties and there can be no assurance that
such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and
future events could differ materially from those anticipated in
such statements.
Forward-looking statements are subject to risks
and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially
different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements, including but not limited to: risks related to receipt
of regulatory approvals, risks related to general economic and
market conditions; risks related to the availability of financing;
the timing and content of upcoming work programmes; actual results
of proposed exploration activities; possible variations in Mineral
Resources or grade; outcome of the current Feasibility Study;
projected dates to commence mining operations; failure of plant,
equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour
disputes, title disputes, claims and limitations on insurance
coverage and other risks of the mining industry; changes in
national and local government regulation of mining operations, tax
rules and regulations. The list is not exhaustive of the factors
that may affect Cornish’s forward-looking statements.
Cornish Metals’ forward-looking statements are
based on the opinions and estimates of management and reflect their
current expectations regarding future events and operating
performance and speak only as of the date such statements are made.
Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors
that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ from
those described in forward- looking statements, there may be other
factors that cause such actions, events or results to differ
materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that
forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and
accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on
forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place
undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Cornish Metals does
not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if
circumstances or management’s beliefs, expectations or opinions
should change other than as required by applicable law.
This announcement and the information contained
herein is not for release, publication or distribution, directly or
indirectly, in whole or in part, in or into Australia, Hong Kong,
Singapore, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of South Africa,
Japan, or any other jurisdiction where to do so might constitute a
violation of the relevant laws or regulations of such
jurisdiction.
The distribution of this announcement and other
information in connection with the Fundraising and Admission in
certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and persons into
whose possession this announcement, any document or other
information referred to herein comes should inform themselves about
and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these
restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of
any such jurisdiction. Neither this announcement nor any part of it
nor the fact of its distribution shall form the basis of or be
relied on in connection with or act as an inducement to enter into
any contract or commitment whatsoever.
SP Angel, which is authorised and regulated by
the FCA in the United Kingdom, is acting as Joint Bookrunner to the
Company and as Nominated Adviser. SP Angel has not authorised the
contents of, or any part of, this announcement, and no liability
whatsoever is accepted by SP Angel for the accuracy of any
information or opinions contained in this announcement or for the
omission of any material information. The responsibilities of SP
Angel as the Company's Nominated Adviser under the AIM Rules for
Companies and the AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers are owed solely
to London Stock Exchange plc and are not owed to the Company or to
any director or shareholder of the Company or any other person, in
respect of its decision to acquire shares in the capital of the
Company in reliance on any part of this announcement, or otherwise.
SP Angel will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company
for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for
providing advice in relation to the Fundraising or any other
matters referred to in this announcement.
Hannam & Partners is authorised and
regulated by the FCA in the United Kingdom and is acting as Joint
Bookrunner exclusively for the Company and no one else in
connection with the Fundraising and Hannam & Partners will not
be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the
protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in
relation to the Fundraising or any other matters referred to in
this announcement.
Canaccord Genuity Limited is authorised and
regulated by the FCA in the United Kingdom and is acting as
Co-Manager exclusively for the Company and no one else in
connection with the Fundraise and Canaccord Genuity Limited will
not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing
the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in
relation to the Fundraise or any other matters referred to in this
announcement.
The person responsible for arranging the release
of this announcement on behalf of the Company is Don Turvey.
This announcement does not constitute a
recommendation concerning any investor's option with respect to the
Fundraising. Each investor or prospective investor should conduct
his, her or its own investigation, analysis and evaluation of the
business and data described in this announcement and publicly
available information. The price and value of securities can go
down as well as up. Past performance is not a guide to future
performance.
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 Nominated
Adviser or Joint Bookrunners or the Co-Manager 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 therefor is
expressly disclaimed.
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, this announcement.
Information to Distributors
UK Product Governance
Requirements
Solely for the purposes of the Product
Governance requirements contained within Chapter 3 of the FCA
Handbook Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook
(the “UK Product Governance Requirements”) and
disclaiming all and any liability, whether arising in tort,
contract or otherwise, which any “manufacturer” (for the purposes
of the UK 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 the FCA Handbook
Conduct of Business Sourcebook; and (ii) eligible for distribution
through all distribution channels as are permitted by UK Product
Governance Requirements (the “UK Target Market
Assessment”). Notwithstanding the UK 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 UK Target Market Assessment is without
prejudice to the requirements of any contractual, legal or
regulatory selling restrictions in relation to the Placing.
Furthermore, it is noted that, notwithstanding the UK Target Market
Assessment, the Placing Agents will only procure investors who meet
the criteria of professional clients and eligible
counterparties.
For the avoidance of doubt, the UK Target Market
Assessment does not constitute: (a) an assessment of suitability or
appropriateness for the purposes of Chapters 9A or 10A,
respectively, of the FCA Handbook Conduct of Business Sourcebook;
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.
EU Product Governance
Requirements
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”), (b) Articles 9 and 10 of Commission
Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593 supplementing MiFID II and (c)
local implementing measures (together the “EU Product
Governance Requirements”) and disclaiming all and any
liability, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which
any “manufacturer” (for the purposes of the EU Product Governance
Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Placing
Shares have been subject to 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 EU Product
Governance Requirements (the “EU Target Market
Assessment”). Notwithstanding the EU 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 EU Target Market Assessment is without
prejudice to the requirements of any contractual, legal or
regulatory selling restrictions in relation to the Placing.
Furthermore, it is noted that, notwithstanding the EU Target Market
Assessment, the Placing Agents will only procure investors who meet
the criteria of professional clients and eligible
counterparties.
Furthermore, it is noted that, notwithstanding
the UK Target Market Assessment and the EU Target Market
Assessment, the Placing Agents will only procure investors who meet
the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties.
For the avoidance of doubt, the EU 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.
APPENDIX I
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE PLACING
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON THE PLACING FOR
INVITED PLACEES ONLY
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO TAKE
PART IN THE PLACING AND NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF PLACING SHARES IS
BEING OR WILL BE MADE.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THE APPENDICES) AND
THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN (THE
"ANNOUNCEMENT") IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY
AND IS DIRECTED ONLY AT ELIGIBLE PERSONS UNDER NATIONAL INSTRUMENT
45-106 – PROSPECTUS EXEMPTIONS (“NI 45-106”)
AND/OR BC INSTRUMENT 72-503 – DISTRIBUTION OF SECURITIES OUTSIDE
BRITISH COLUMBIA (“BCI 72-503”), INCLUDING PERSONS
WHOSE ORDINARY ACTIVITIES INVOLVE THEM IN ACQUIRING, HOLDING,
MANAGING AND DISPOSING OF INVESTMENTS (AS PRINCIPAL OR AGENT) FOR
THE PURPOSES OF THEIR BUSINESS AND WHO HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS AND ARE: (A) IF IN A MEMBER
STATE OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA (THE "EEA")
(EACH A "RELEVANT STATE"), QUALIFIED INVESTORS
WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 2(E) OF THE EU PROSPECTUS
REGULATION ("QUALIFIED INVESTORS"); OR (B) IF
IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, QUALIFIED INVESTORS WITHIN THE MEANING
OF ARTICLE 2(E) OF THE UK PROSPECTUS REGULATION WHO ARE ALSO (I)
PERSONS WHO FALL WITHIN THE DEFINITION OF "INVESTMENT PROFESSIONAL"
IN ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT
2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005, AS AMENDED (THE
"ORDER"), OR (C) IF IN HONG KONG, PROFESSIONAL
INVESTORS AS DEFINED IN THE SECURITIES AND FUTURES ORDINANCE (CAP
571 OF THE LAWS OF HONG KONG) AND ANY RULES MADE UNDER THAT
ORDINANCE (“PROFESSIONAL INVESTORS”); OR (II)
PERSONS WHO FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) OF THE ORDER, (D)
IF IN SINGAPORE, INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS OR RELEVANT PERSONS AS
DEFINED IN THE SECURITIES AND FUTURES ACT 2001 OF SINGAPORE, OR (E)
PERSONS TO WHOM IT MAY OTHERWISE BE LAWFULLY COMMUNICATED (ALL SUCH
PERSONS REFERRED TO IN (A), (B), (C), (D) AND € ABOVE TOGETHER
BEING REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS").
ANY INVESTMENT OR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES IS AVAILABLE IN RELEVANT STATES ONLY TO
QUALIFIED INVESTORS AND, IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, ONLY TO RELEVANT
PERSONS, AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH QUALIFIED INVESTORS IN
RELEVANT STATES AND RELEVANT PERSONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. BY
ACCEPTING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, YOU
REPRESENT AND AGREE THAT YOU ARE A RELEVANT PERSON. THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT MUST NOT BE ACTED ON OR RELIED ON BY PERSONS IN
RELEVANT STATES WHO ARE NOT QUALIFIED INVESTORS BY PERSONS IN THE
UNITED KINGDOM WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS.
THE CONTENT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT HAS NOT BEEN
APPROVED BY THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE OR THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE
OR AN AUTHORISED PERSON WITHIN THE MEANING OF FSMA OR ANY
SECURITIES COMMISSIONS OR REGULATORY AUTHORITY IN CANADA, NOR IS IT
INTENDED THAT IT WILL BE SO APPROVED. RELIANCE ON THIS ANNOUNCEMENT
FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENGAGING IN ANY INVESTMENT ACTIVITY MAY EXPOSE
AN INDIVIDUAL TO A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF LOSING ALL OF THE PROPERTY
OR OTHER ASSETS INVESTED.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT ITSELF CONSTITUTE AN
OFFER FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION OF, OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER
TO ACQUIRE OR SUBSCRIBE FOR, ANY SECURITIES IN THE COMPANY.
PERSONS DISTRIBUTING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST,
PRIOR TO DOING SO, SATISFY THEMSELVES THAT IT IS LAWFUL TO DO SO
AND WITHOUT REQUIRING THE FILING OF A PROSPECTUS OR REGISTRATION
STATEMENT OR DELIVERING AN OFFERING MEMORANDUM OR SIMILAR
DISCLOSURE DOCUMENT UNDER ALL APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS. EACH
PLACEE SHOULD CONSULT WITH ITS OWN ADVISERS AS TO LEGAL, TAX,
BUSINESS AND RELATED ASPECTS OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE PLACING
SHARES.
THE PLACING SHARES HAVE NOT BEEN, AND WILL NOT
BE, REGISTERED UNDER THE US SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE
"SECURITIES ACT"), AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD
IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES ABSENT REGISTRATION UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE
REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT. NO PUBLIC OFFERING
OF THE SHARES REFERRED TO IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS BEING MADE IN THE
UNITED KINGDOM, HONG KONG, CANADA, THE UNITED STATES, ANY OTHER
RESTRICTED JURISDICTION (AS DEFINED BELOW) OR ELSEWHERE.
EACH PLACEE SHOULD CONSULT WITH ITS OWN ADVISORS
AS TO LEGAL, TAX, BUSINESS AND RELATED ASPECTS OF A PURCHASE OF
PLACING SHARES.
Subject to certain exceptions, the securities
referred to in this Announcement may not be offered or sold in any
Restricted Jurisdiction or to, or for the account or benefit of, a
citizen or resident, or a corporation, partnership or other entity
created or organised in or under the laws of any Restricted
Jurisdiction. The Placing Shares have not been qualified for
distribution by prospectus in Canada and no securities commission
or similar regulatory authority in Canada has reviewed or passed on
the merits of the Placing Shares, and in particular no governmental
agency or authority, stock exchange or other regulatory body or any
other entity has made any finding or determination as to the merit
for investment of, nor have any such agencies, authorities,
exchanges, bodies or other entities made any recommendation or
endorsement with respect to, the Placing Shares. No prospectus has
been lodged with, or registered by, the Australian Securities and
Investments Commission or the Japanese Ministry of Finance or the
Hong Kong Companies Registry or the Monetary Authority of
Singapore; the relevant clearances have not been, and will not be,
obtained for the South Africa Reserve Bank or any other applicable
body in the Republic of South Africa in relation to the Placing
Shares and the Placing Shares have not been, nor will they be
registered under or offered in compliance with the securities laws
of any state, province or territory of Australia, Hong Kong,
Singapore, Canada, 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, delivered, or distributed, directly or indirectly, in or
into or through a market in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore,
Canada, Japan or the Republic of South Africa or any other
jurisdiction outside the EEA.
Persons (including without limitation, nominees
and trustees) who have a contractual right or other legal
obligations to forward a copy of this Announcement should seek
appropriate independent advice before taking any action.
This Announcement should be read in its
entirety. In particular, any Placee should read and understand the
information provided in the "Important Notice" section of this
Announcement.
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
Placing Agents, any of their respective affiliates or any person
acting on their behalf 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 party or
its advisers, and any liability therefore is expressly
disclaimed.
By participating in the Bookbuild and the
Placing, each Placee by whom or on whose behalf a commitment to
acquire Placing Shares has been given will be deemed to have read
and understood this Announcement in its entirety, to be
participating, making an offer and acquiring Placing Shares on the
terms and conditions contained herein and to be providing the
representations, warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements and
undertakings contained herein.
In particular, each such Placee represents,
warrants, undertakes, agrees and acknowledges (amongst other
things) that:
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Article I. |
if it is in the United Kingdom, it is a Relevant Person and an
eligible person satisfying the requirements of a prospectus
exemption under NI 45-106 or BCI 72-503 (including, without
limitation, it is, or is deemed to be, purchasing the Placing
Shares as principal for its own account in accordance with
applicable Canadian securities laws, for investment only and not
with a view to resale or redistribution, and such person was not
created or used solely to purchase or hold the Placing Shares as an
accredited investor under NI 45-106); if it is in a Relevant State,
it is a Qualified Investor and an eligible person satisfying the
requirements of a prospectus exemption under NI 45-106 or BCI
72-503, and undertakes that it will subscribe for, hold, manage or
dispose of any Placing Shares that are allocated to it for the
purposes of its business in compliance with all applicable
securities laws, including all applicable resale and transfer
restrictions; |
|
Article II. |
it is acquiring the Placing Shares as principal for its own account
or is acquiring the Placing Shares for a fully managed account with
respect to which it exercises sole investment discretion without
requiring a client’s express consent to a transaction and has the
authority to make and does make the representations, warranties,
indemnities, agreements and acknowledgements, contained in these
terms and conditions; |
|
Article
III. |
if it is a financial intermediary, as that term is used in Article
5(1) of the EU Prospectus Regulation and the UK Prospectus
Regulation, that it understands the resale and transfer
restrictions set out in this Appendix I and that any Placing Shares
subscribed for by it in the Placing will not be subscribed for on a
non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor will they be subscribed
for with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in
circumstances which may give rise to an offer of securities to the
public other than an offer or resale in a member state of the EEA
to Qualified Investors or in the United Kingdom to Relevant
Persons, or in circumstances in which the prior consent of the
Placing Agents has been given to each such proposed offer or
resale; |
|
Article IV. |
it understands (or if acting for a fully managed account of another
person, such person has confirmed that such person understands)
that the Placing Shares are subject to certain resale and transfer
restrictions under applicable securities laws, including the resale
and transfer restrictions set out in this Appendix I; and |
|
Article
V. |
in the case of a person in Canada who acquires any Placing Shares
pursuant to the Placing: (i) it is an “accredited investor” within
the meaning of section 1.1 NI 45-106; (ii) it is, or is deemed to
be, purchasing the Placing Shares as principal for its own account
in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws, for
investment only and not with a view to resale or redistribution;
and (iii) such person was not created or used solely to purchase or
hold the Placing Shares as an accredited investor under NI
45-106. |
|
Article
VI. |
in the case of a person in Hong Kong who acquires any Placing
Shares pursuant to the Placing, it is a Professional Investor (as
defined in the SFO) and (i) it is taking up the Placing Shares as
principal for its own account; and (ii) it is not taking up the
Placing Shares on behalf of any other person(s) or with a view to
distribute such Placing Shares to other person(s). |
|
Article
VII. |
In the case of a person in Singapore who acquires any Placing
Shares pursuant to the Placing, it is and will at all times
continue to be an “institutional investor” as defined in section
4A(1)(c) of the Securities and Futures Act 2001 of Singapore
(“SFA”) and/or “relevant person” as defined under section 275(2) of
the SFA, or a person to whom an offer is made pursuant to section
275(1A) of the SFA, and agree to be bound by the limitations and
restrictions set out in the SFA. In particular, it is not acquiring
the Placing Shares on behalf of any other person(s) or with a view
of distributing or reselling such Placing Shares in whole or in
part to other persons. |
|
|
|
Unless otherwise stated, defined terms
used in this Appendix I are set out in Appendix
II.
2. Details of the Placing Agreement and
the Placing Shares
The Joint Bookrunners are acting as joint
bookrunners in connection with the Placing and Canaccord Genuity
are acting as Co-Manager and have entered into the Placing
Agreement with the Company under which, on the terms and subject to
the conditions set out in the Placing Agreement, the Joint
Bookrunners and the Co-Manager, as agents for and on behalf of the
Company, have agreed to use their respective reasonable endeavours
to procure placees for the Placing Shares. The Placing is not being
underwritten by the Placing Agents or any other person nor is any
part of the Placing subject to clawback from the Retail Offer.
The price per Share at which the Placing Shares
are to be placed is 8 pence (the "Issue Price”).
The timing of the closing of the book and allocations are at the
discretion of the Company and the Joint Bookrunners. Details of the
total number of Placing Shares will be announced as soon as
practicable after the close of the Bookbuild via the Results
Announcement.
The Placing Shares will be allotted and
issued in two tranches:
- |
the first tranche will be up to a maximum of 97,698,902 First
Tranche Placing Shares utilising the Company’s existing share
issuance authorities and shall be allocated on a pro rata basis
with the other First Tranche New Shares; and |
- |
the Second Tranche Placing Shares, being the balance of the Placing
Shares not issuable in the First Admission will be allotted and
issued conditional upon (inter alia) approval of the Resolutions at
a Special Meeting. |
|
|
The Placing Shares have been, or will be duly
authorised and will, when issued by the Company, subject to receipt
by the Company in full of the consideration for such Placing
Shares, be credited as fully paid and non-assessable and will be
issued subject to the articles and by-laws of the Company and
rank pari passu in all respects with the existing Shares,
including the right to receive all dividends and other
distributions declared, made or paid on or in respect of the Shares
after the date of issue of the Placing Shares, and will on issue be
free of all pre-emption rights, claims, liens, charges,
encumbrances and equities other than applicable restrictions on
transfer or resale imposed by applicable securities laws, including
the TSXV Rules.
In addition to the Placing, the Company is
seeking to raise additional funds through the NWF Subscription, the
VBR Subscription, the Director Participations and the Retail Offer.
Cavendish will be acting as coordinator of the Retail Offer
(“Retail Offer Coordinator”).
3. Application for listing and admission
to trading of the Placing Shares
Applications will be made to the London Stock Exchange for First
Admission of the First Tranche New Shares to trading on AIM and for
Second Admission of the Second Tranche New Shares
It is expected that:
- |
First Admission will occur at 8.00 a.m. on 06 February 2025 (or
such later time or date as the Joint Bookrunners may agree with the
Company, being no later than 8.00 a.m. on 28 February 2025) and
that dealings in the First Tranche New Shares will commence at that
time; |
- |
Second Admission will occur on or about at 8.00 a.m. on 24 March
2025 (or such later time or date as the Joint Bookrunners may agree
with the Company, being no later than 8.00 a.m. on 25 April 2025)
and that dealings in the Second Tranche New Shares will commence at
that time. |
|
|
4. Details of the Broker
Option
The Company has granted the Broker Option to the
Placing Agents in order to enable them to deal with any additional
demand under the Placing from Relevant Persons in the event that
requests to participate in the Placing are received during the
period from the publication of this Announcement to immediately
prior to the release of the Results Announcement. The primary
purpose of the Broker Option is to facilitate demand from those
Relevant Persons who were unable to participate in the Placing. The
Broker Option is exercisable by the Placing Agents, in their
absolute discretion.
Relevant Persons who wish to register their
interest in subscribing for Broker Option Shares should instruct
their stockbroker or independent financial adviser to communicate
their interest to the Placing Agents. Each bid should state the
number of Broker Option Shares that the investor wishes to acquire
at the Issue Price. Any investors allocated Broker Option Shares
will be considered Placees, as defined in this Announcement.
Any Broker Option Shares issued will scale back
the NWF Subscription Shares and the VBR Additional Subscription
Shares on an equal footing as follows: for every 1 (one) Broker
Option Share subscribed for; the number of NWF Subscription Shares
shall be reduced by 0.5 (i.e. half a share) and the number of VBR
Additional Subscription Shares shall be reduced by 0.5 (half a
share) (with the number of shares being subscribed for being
rounded up in each case to a full share) provided that: (i) NWF
shall invest a minimum of £25 million; and (ii) VBR shall, in
accordance with its Participation Right, subscribe for at least
such number of VBR Subscription Shares as shall ensure it maintains
its c. 25.95% ownership interest in the Company following the
Fundraising.
To the extent the Broker Option is exercised,
the Broker Option Shares will be issued on the same terms and
conditions as the Placing Shares (and shall form part of the
Placing Shares), which terms are set out in this Appendix. Orders
from investors pursuant to the Broker Option to the Placing Agents
will only be accepted from Relevant Persons.
The Broker Option may be exercised by the
Placing Agents in their absolute discretion, but there is no
obligation on them to exercise the Broker Option or to seek to
procure subscribers for any Broker Option Shares pursuant to the
Broker Option.
The maximum number of Broker Option Shares which
may be issued pursuant to the exercise of the Broker Option is
74,223,526 new Shares.
5. Bookbuild
Following this announcement, the Placing Agents
will commence the accelerated bookbuilding process to determine
demand for participation in the Placing by Placees (the
"Bookbuild"). This Announcement 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.
The Placing Agents and the Company shall be
entitled to effect the Placing by such alternative method to the
Bookbuild as they may, in their sole discretion, determine.
6. Participation in, and principal terms
of, the Placing
1. |
SP Angel and Hannam & Partners are arranging the Placing as
joint bookrunners and Canaccord as co-manager, on behalf of the
Company. |
2. |
Participation in the Placing will only be available to persons who
may lawfully be, and are, invited to participate by any of the
Placing Agents without requiring the filing of a prospectus or
registration statement or delivering an offering memorandum or
similar disclosure document under all applicable securities laws.
Each of the Placing Agents may itself agree to be a Placee in
respect of all or some of the Placing Shares or may nominate any
member of its group to do so. |
3. |
The Bookbuild, if successful, will establish the aggregate amount
payable to the Placing Agents, as settlement agents for the
Company, by all Placees whose bids are successful. The number
of Placing Shares will be agreed by the Joint Bookrunners (in
consultation with the Company) following completion of the
Bookbuild. The number of Placing Shares to be issued (in aggregate)
will be announced on an RIS following the completion of the
Bookbuild via the Results Announcement. |
4. |
To bid in the Bookbuild, prospective Placees should communicate
their bid orally by telephone or in writing to the relevant Placing
Agent. Each bid should state the number of Placing Shares up to
which the prospective Placee wishes to subscribe for at the Issue
Price. A bid in the Bookbuild will be made on the terms and subject
to the conditions in this Appendix I and shall constitute a legally
binding offer from the Placee on behalf of which it is made. Such
offer will not be capable of variation or revocation after the time
at which it is submitted, except with the relevant Placing Agent's
consent. Bids may be scaled down by the Joint Bookrunners on the
basis referred to in paragraph 6 below. The Placing Agents reserve
the right not to accept bids or to accept bids in part rather than
in whole without further consultation with the prospective Placees.
The acceptance of the bids shall be at the Placing Agents’s
absolute discretion, subject to agreement with the Company. |
5. |
The Bookbuild is expected to close no later than 12.00 p.m. on 28
January 2025 but may be closed earlier or later at the discretion
of the Joint Bookrunners. The Placing Agents may, in agreement with
the Company, accept bids that are received after the Bookbuild has
closed. The Company reserves the right (upon the prior agreement of
the Joint Bookrunners) to reduce the number of shares to be issued
pursuant to the Placing, in its absolute discretion. |
6. |
Allocations of the Placing Shares will be determined by the Joint
Bookrunners after consultation with the Company (and in accordance
with the relevant Joint Bookrunner's allocation policy as has been
supplied by each Joint Bookrunner to the Company in advance of such
consultation). Allocations will be confirmed orally by the relevant
Placing Agents to the Placee and a Form of Confirmation will be
despatched as soon as possible thereafter. The Placing Agent’s oral
confirmation to such Placee shall trigger the obligation for such
person (who will at that point become a Placee) to subscribe for
the number of Placing Shares allocated to it and to pay the Issue
Price in respect of each such share on the terms and conditions set
out in this Appendix I and in accordance with the Company's
articles and by-laws. |
7. |
Each Placee's allocation and commitment will be evidenced by a Form
of Confirmation issued to such Placee. The terms of this Appendix I
will be deemed incorporated in that Form of Confirmation. |
8. |
Irrespective of the time at which a Placee's allocation pursuant to
the Placing is confirmed, settlement for all Placing Shares to be
subscribed/purchased for pursuant to the Placing will be required
to be made at the same time, on the basis explained below under
"Registration and Settlement". |
9. |
All obligations under the Bookbuild and the Placing will be subject
to fulfilment or (where applicable) waiver 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" prior to First
Admission in respect of the First Tranche Placing Shares and prior
to Second Admission in respect of the Second Tranche Placing
Shares. |
10. |
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. |
11. |
To the fullest extent permissible by law, none of the Placing
Agents, the Company nor any of their respective affiliates, agents,
directors, officers, representatives or employees shall have any
responsibility or liability to Placees (or to any other person
whether acting on behalf of a Placee or otherwise). In particular,
none of the Placing Agents, the Company, nor any of their
respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers representatives
or employees shall have any responsibility or liability (including
to the extent permissible by law, any fiduciary duties) in respect
of each Placing Agent’s conduct of the Placing. |
12. |
The Placing Shares will be issued subject to the terms and
conditions of this Announcement and each Placee's commitment to
subscribe for Placing Shares on the terms set out herein will
continue notwithstanding any amendment that may in future be made
to the terms and conditions of the Placing and Placees will have no
right to be consulted or require that their consent be obtained
with respect to the Company's or the Placing Agents's conduct of
the Placing. |
13. |
All times and dates in this Announcement may be subject to
amendment. The Placing Agents shall notify the Placees and any
person acting on behalf of the Placees of any changes. |
14. |
Each potential Placee: (i) who is located or resident in Canada,
must qualify as an “accredited investor” (as such term is defined
in section 1.1 of National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus
Exemptions); or (ii) is an eligible purchaser satisfying the
requirements of BC Instrument 72-503 - Distribution of Securities
Outside British Columbia. |
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7. Conditions of the
Placing
The Placing and each of the First Admission and
Second Admission is conditional, amongst others, upon the Placing
Agreement becoming unconditional and not having been terminated in
accordance with its terms.
The obligations of the Placing Agents under the
Placing Agreement in respect of the First Tranche Placing Shares
are conditional on customary conditions, including (amongst others)
(the "First Conditions"):
- the Company
having complied with its obligations which fall to be performed on
or prior to First Admission under the Placing Agreement;
- the aggregate
subscription monies in respect of the First Tranche Director
Participation Shares received by the Company prior to First
Admission;
- NWF having
entered into a legally binding NWF Subscription Agreement with the
Company and such agreement not having been terminated;
- VBR having
entered into a legally binding VBR Subscription Agreement with the
Company, with the conditions to the VBR Subscription Agreement
relating to the First Tranche VBR Subscription Shares (other than
First Admission and conditions relating to other transaction
documents becoming unconditional) having been met or waived and the
Debt Set Off Agreement being entered into such that the aggregate
subscription monies in respect of the First Tranche VBR
Subscription Shares relating to the VBR Subscription will be set
off in accordance with the terms of the Debt Set Off Agreement on
First Admission;
- the Company
allotting the First Tranche New Shares, subject only to First
Admission;
- receipt of TSXV
Conditional Approval in respect of the First Tranche New Shares
prior to First Admission;
- in the opinion of
the Placing Agents, the warranties given by the Company contained
in the Placing Agreement being true, accurate and not misleading at
the date of the Placing Agreement, and immediately before First
Admission;
- in the opinion of
the Placing Agents (acting in good faith), there having been no
development or event resulting in a Material Adverse Effect;
- none of the
Placing Agents having terminated the Placing Agreement; and
- First Admission
occurring no later than 8.00 a.m. on 06 February 2025 (or such
later time or date as the Joint Bookrunners may otherwise agree
with the Company, being no later than 8.00 a.m. on the First
Admission Longstop Date).
The obligations of the Placing Agents under the
Placing Agreement in respect of the Second Tranche Placing Shares
are conditional on customary conditions, including (amongst others)
(the "Second Conditions",
together with the First Conditions, the
“Conditions”):
- First Admission
having occurred;
- the NWF
Subscription Agreement having become unconditional in accordance
with its terms (save for any condition therein relating to the
other transaction documents becoming unconditional and Second
Admission);
- the VBR
Subscription Agreement not having been terminated, with all
conditions to the VBR Subscription Agreement (other than Second
Admission and any conditions therein relating to the other
transaction documents becoming unconditional) having been met or
waived and Debt Set Off Agreement being entered into such that the
aggregate subscription monies in respect of the Second Tranche VBR
Subscription Shares will in part be set off in accordance with the
terms of the Debt Set-Off Agreement on Second Admission with the
balance received by the Company (or on its behalf) prior to Second
Admission;
- the Resolutions
being passed at the Special Meeting;
- the Company
having complied with its obligations which fall to be performed on
or prior to the Second Admission under the Placing Agreement;
- the aggregate
subscription monies in respect of the Second Tranche Director
Participation Shares having been received by the Company prior to
Second Admission;
- the Company
allotting the Second Tranche New Shares subject only to Second
Admission;
- receipt of TSXV
Conditional Approval for the Second Tranche New Shares prior to the
Second Admission;
- in the opinion of
the Placing Agents, the warranties given by the Company contained
in the Placing Agreement being true, accurate and not misleading at
all times up to and immediately before the Second Admission;
- in the opinion of
the Placing Agents (acting in good faith), there having been no
development or event resulting in a Material Adverse Effect;
- none of the
Placing Agents having terminated the Placing Agreement in
accordance with its terms and conditions prior to Second Admission;
and
- Second Admission
occurring not later than 8.00 a.m. on 24 March 2025 (or such later
time or date as the Joint Bookrunners may otherwise agree with the
Company, being no later than 8.00 a.m. on the Second Admission
Longstop Date).
Completion of the Placing is not subject to any
minimum fundraising under the Retail Offer being achieved.
Completion of Second Admission is conditional upon the completion
of First Admission. However, termination or withdrawal of the
Placing (by termination of the Placing Agreement) will equally
result in termination of the Retail Offer.
IF THE CONDITIONS TO THE ISSUE OF THE
SECOND TRANCHE PLACING SHARES ARE NOT SUBSEQUENTLY SATISFIED
(INCLUDING THE PASSING OF THE NECESSARY SHAREHOLDER RESOLUTIONS AT
THE SPECIAL MEETING AND TSXV CONDITIONAL APPROVAL AND THE NWF
SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT BECOMING UNCONDITIONAL IN ALL RESPECTS), THE
SECOND TRANCHE PLACING SHARES WILL NOT BE ISSUED BY THE COMPANY AND
NEITHER THE NWF SUBSCRIPTION NOR THE RETAIL OFFER WILL PROCEED,
NOTWITHSTANDING THE FACT THAT THE FIRST TRANCHE PLACING SHARES WILL
ALREADY BE IN ISSUE.
If, in respect of either First Admission or
Second Admission: (i) any of the conditions relating to that
tranche contained in the Placing Agreement, including (without
limitation) those described above, are not fulfilled or (where
applicable) waived by the Placing Agents by the relevant time or
date specified (or such later time or date as the Company and the
Placing Agents may agree, being not later than 8.00 am on First
Admission Longstop Date or Second Admission Longstop Date as
applicable date); or (ii) the Placing Agreement is terminated in
the circumstances specified below under "Right to terminate under
the Placing Agreement", that tranche of the Placing, in respect of
the First Tranche Placing Shares and/or Second Tranche Placing
Shares, will lapse and the Placees' rights and obligations
hereunder in relation to that tranche of Placing Shares as
applicable shall cease and terminate at such time and each Placee
agrees that no claim can be made by it in respect thereof. If the
Placing Agreement is terminated after the First Admission but prior
to Second Admission, such termination shall be without prejudice to
the First Admission.
The Placing Agents may, jointly, at their
discretion and upon such terms as they think fit, waive compliance
by the Company with the whole or any part of any of their
obligations in relation to the Conditions or extend the time or
date provided for fulfilment of any such Conditions in respect of
all or any part of the performance thereof, save in respect of any
condition relating to First Admission, Second Admission, TSXV
Conditional Approval or the passing of the Resolutions. Any such
extension or waiver will not affect Placees' commitments as set out
in this Appendix I.
If: (i) any of the Conditions are not fulfilled
or (where permitted) waived by Placing Agents by the relevant time
or date specified (or such later time or date as Placing Agents may
agree with the Company, being no later than the First Admission
Longstop Date in respect of the First Tranche Placing Shares or the
Second Admission Longstop Date in respect of the Second Tranche
Placing Shares); or (ii) the Placing Agreement is terminated in the
circumstances specified below under "Right to terminate under the
Placing Agreement" prior to First Admission, 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 it or on
its behalf (or any person on whose behalf the Placee is acting) in
respect thereof; or (iii) the Placing Agreement is terminated in
the circumstances specified below under "Right to terminate under
the Placing Agreement" prior to Second Admission but after First
Admission, the Placing will not proceed in respect of the Second
Tranche Placing Shares and the Placees' rights and obligations
hereunder in relation to the Second Tranche Placing Shares shall
cease and terminate at such time and each Placee agrees that no
claim can be made by it or on its behalf (or any person on whose
behalf the Placee is acting) in respect thereof, such termination
shall be without prejudice to the First Admission.
For the avoidance of doubt, termination or
withdrawal of the Retail Offer shall not impact or prejudice the
Placing. However, termination or withdrawal of the Placing (by
termination of the Placing Agreement) will equally result in
termination of the Retail Offer.
None of the Placing Agents or the Company, or
any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers or
employees 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 Placing
Agents.
8. Right to terminate under the Placing
Agreement
Any of the Placing Agents are entitled, at any
time before Admission, to terminate the Placing Agreement in
accordance with its terms in certain circumstances, including
(amongst other things):
1. |
where, in the opinion of the Placing Agents acting honestly and
reasonably, the Company has breached or cannot in any respect
comply with any of its material obligations under the Placing
Agreement; |
2. |
where, in the opinion of the Placing Agents acting honestly and
reasonably, there has been or reasonably could be, a breach of any
of the warranties contained in the Placing Agreement; |
3. |
where, in the opinion of the Placing Agents acting honestly and
reasonably, any statement contained in any Placing Document is or
has become materially untrue, incorrect or misleading, or any
matter has arisen, which would, if the Placing were made and/or
Admission became effective at that time, constitute a material
omission from any of the Placing Documents; and |
4. |
where, in the opinion of the Placing Agents acting honestly and
reasonably, there has been a development or event resulting in a
Material Adverse Effect. |
|
|
If the Placing Agreement is terminated after the
First Admission, but prior to Second Admission, such termination
shall be without prejudice to the First Admission.
Upon termination, the parties to the Placing
Agreement shall be released and discharged (except for any
liability arising before or in relation to such termination) from
their respective obligations under or pursuant to the Placing
Agreement, subject to certain exceptions.
By participating in the Placing, each Placee
agrees with the Company and the Placing Agents that (i) the
exercise by the Placing Agents of any right of termination or of
any other discretion under the Placing Agreement shall be within
the absolute discretion of the Placing Agents and that they need
not make any reference to, or consult with, Placees and that they
(nor any of them) shall have no liability to Placees whatsoever in
connection with any such exercise or failure to so exercise and
(ii) its rights and obligations terminate only in the circumstances
described above under "Right to terminate under the Placing
Agreement" and "Conditions of the Placing", and its participation
will not be capable of rescission or termination by it after oral
confirmation by the Placing Agents of the allocation and
commitments following the close of the Bookbuild.
9. Registration and
Settlement
Settlement of transactions in the Placing Shares
(ISIN: CA21948L1040) following Admission will take place within the
system administered by Euroclear UK & International Limited
("CREST"), subject to certain exceptions. The
Placing Agents reserve the right to require settlement for, and
delivery of, the Placing Shares (or any part thereof) to Placees by
such other means that they may deem necessary if delivery or
settlement is not possible or practicable within the CREST system
or would not be consistent with the regulatory requirements in the
Placee's jurisdiction.
The Placing Agents are acting as settlement
banks. Following the close of the Bookbuild, each Placee to be
allocated Placing Shares in the Placing will be sent a Form of
Confirmation stating the number of Placing Shares allocated to them
at the Issue Price, the aggregate amount owed by such Placee to a
Placing Agent and settlement instructions. Each Placee agrees 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 in respect of the Placing Shares that it
has in place with a Placing Agent.
The Company will deliver (or will procure the
delivery of) the Placing Shares to CREST accounts operated by the
Placing Agents as agents for the Company and the Placing Agents
will each enter its respective delivery 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:
- |
in respect of the First Tranche Placing Shares will take place at 8
a.m. on or about 06 February 2025; and |
- |
the Second Tranche Placing Shares will take place at 8 a.m. on or
about 24 March 2025, on a delivery versus payment basis. |
|
|
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 the prevailing Sterling Overnight Index Average (SONIA) as
determined by the Placing Agents.
Each Placee is deemed to agree that, if it does
not comply with these obligations, the Placing Agents may sell any
or all of the Placing Shares allocated to that Placee on such
Placee's behalf and retain from the proceeds, from the Placing
Agent’s account and benefit, an amount equal to the aggregate
amount owed by the Placee plus any interest due. The relevant
Placee will, however, remain liable for any shortfall below the
aggregate amount owed by it and will be required to bear any stamp
duty or stamp duty reserve tax or other taxes or duties (together
with any interest or penalties) imposed in any jurisdiction which
may arise upon the sale of such Placing Shares on such Placee's
behalf.
If Placing Shares are to be delivered to a
custodian or settlement agent, Placees should ensure that the Form
of Confirmation is copied and delivered immediately to the relevant
person within that organisation. Insofar as Placing Shares are
issued 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. If there are any
circumstances in which any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or
other similar taxes or duties (including any interest and penalties
relating thereto) is payable in respect of the allocation,
allotment, issue, sale, transfer or delivery of the Placing Shares
(or, for the avoidance of doubt, if any stamp duty or stamp duty
reserve tax is payable in connection with any subsequent transfer
of or agreement to transfer Placing Shares), neither the Placing
Agents or the Company shall be responsible for payment thereof.
10. No Prospectus
The Placing Shares are being offered to a
limited number of specifically invited persons only and will not be
offered in such a way as to require any prospectus or other
offering document to be published. No prospectus or other offering
document has been or will be submitted to be approved by the FCA or
submitted to the London Stock Exchange or TSX Venture Exchange or
any securities commission or other regulatory body in Canada in
relation to the Placing or the Placing Shares and Placees'
commitments will be made solely on the basis of their own
assessment of the Company, the Placing Shares and the Placing based
on the information contained in this Announcement and the
announcement of the results of the Placing (the "Results
Announcement") (together, the "Placing
Documents") and any information publicly announced through
a regulatory information service ("RIS") by or on
behalf of the Company on or prior to the date of this Announcement
(the "Publicly Available Information") and subject
to any further terms set forth in the Form of Confirmation sent to
Placees by the Placing Agents to confirm their acquisition of
Placing Shares.
Each Placee, by participating in the Placing,
agrees that the content of the Placing Documents is exclusively the
responsibility of the Company and confirms that it has neither
received nor relied on any information (other than the Publicly
Available Information), representation, warranty or statement made
by or on behalf of the Placing Agents or the Company or any other
person and none of the Placing Agents, the Company nor any other
person acting on such person’s behalf nor any of their respective
affiliates has or shall have any responsibility or liability for
any Placee’s decision to participate in the Placing based on any
other information, representation, warranty or statement
(regardless of whether or not such information, representation,
warranty or statement was given or made by or on behalf of any such
persons). 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. No
Placee should consider any information in this Announcement to be
legal, tax or business advice. Each Placee should consult its own
attorney, tax advisor and business advisor for legal, tax and
business advice regarding an investment in the Placing Shares.
Nothing in this paragraph shall exclude the liability of any person
for fraudulent misrepresentation.
11. Representations, warranties,
undertakings and acknowledgements
By participating in the Placing, each Placee
(and any person acting on such Placee's behalf) irrevocably
acknowledges, confirms, undertakes, represents, warrants and agrees
(as the case may be, for itself and for any such prospective
Placee, save where the Placing Agents expressly agree in writing to
the contrary) with each of the Placing Agents (in their capacity as
placing agents in respect of the Placing) and the Company, in each
case as a fundamental term of its application for Placing Shares,
the following:
- it has read and understood this Announcement in its entirety
and its subscription for Placing Shares is subject to and based
upon all the terms, conditions, representations, warranties,
acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings and other information
contained herein and it has not relied on, and will not rely on,
any information given or any representations, warranties or
statements made at any time by any person in connection with the
Placing, the Company, the Placing Shares or otherwise other than
the information contained in the Placing Documents and the Publicly
Available Information;
- the Shares are admitted to trading on AIM and the TSX Venture
Exchange and that the Company is therefore required to publish
certain business and financial information in accordance with the
AIM Rules and TSXV Rules which includes a description of the
Company's business and the Company's financial information,
including balance sheets and income statements, and that it is able
to obtain or has access to such information without undue
difficulty, and is able to obtain and has obtained access to such
information or comparable information concerning any other publicly
traded companies, without undue difficulty;
- to be bound by the terms of the articles and by-laws of the
Company;
- the person whom it specifies for registration as holder of the
Placing Shares will be (a) itself or (b) its nominee, as the case
may be. Neither the Placing Agents or the Company will be
responsible for any liability to stamp duty or stamp duty reserve
tax or other similar taxes or duties imposed in any jurisdiction
(including interest and penalties relating thereto)
("Indemnified Taxes"). Each Placee and any person
acting on behalf of such Placee agrees to indemnify the Placing
Agents and the Company on an after-tax basis in respect of any
Indemnified Taxes;
- neither the Placing Agents nor any of their respective
affiliates agents, directors, officers, representatives or
employees accept any responsibility for any acts or omissions of
the Company or any of the directors of the Company or any other
person in connection with the Placing;
- time is of the essence as regards its obligations under this
Appendix I;
- any document that is to be sent to it in connection with the
Placing will be sent at its risk and may be sent to it at any
address provided by it to a Placing Agent;
- it will not redistribute, forward, transfer, duplicate or
otherwise transmit this Announcement or any part of it, or any
other presentational or other material concerning the Placing
(including electronic copies thereof) to any person and represents
that it has not redistributed, forwarded, transferred, duplicated,
or otherwise transmitted any such documents to any person;
- it is a Relevant Person and therefore no prospectus or other
offering document is required under applicable securities laws,
including Canadian securities laws, the EU Prospectus Regulation or
UK Prospectus Regulation, nor will one be prepared in connection
with the Bookbuild, the Placing or the Placing Shares and it has
not received and will not receive a prospectus or other offering
document in connection with the Bookbuild, the Placing or the
Placing Shares and therefore certain protections, rights and
remedies provided in applicable securities laws, including
statutory rights of rescission or damages, may not be available to
it;
- in connection with the Placing, the Placing Agents and any of
their respective affiliates acting as an investor for their own
account may subscribe for Placing Shares in the Company and in that
capacity may retain, purchase or sell for their own account such
Placing Shares in the Company and any securities of the Company or
related investments and may offer or sell such securities or other
investments otherwise than in connection with the Placing.
Accordingly, references in this Announcement to the Placing Shares
being issued, offered or placed should be read as including any
issue, offering or placement of such shares in the Company to the
Placing Agents or any of its affiliates acting in such
capacity;
- the Placing Agents and their affiliates may enter into
financing arrangements and swaps with investors in connection with
which the Placing Agents and any of their affiliates may from time
to time acquire, hold or dispose of such securities of the Company,
including the Placing Shares;
- the Placing Agents do not intend to disclose the extent of any
investment or transactions referred to in paragraphs 10 and 11
above otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory
obligation to do so;
- the Placing Agents do not owe any fiduciary or other duties to
any Placee in respect of any representations, warranties,
undertakings or indemnities in the Placing Agreement;
- its participation in the Placing is on the basis that it is not
and will not be a client of the Placing Agents or any of them in
connection with its participation in the Placing, nor do the
Placing Agents or any of them, have duties or responsibilities to
it for providing the protections afforded to its clients or
customers or for providing advice in relation to the Placing nor in
respect of any representations, warranties, undertakings or
indemnities contained in the Placing Agreement nor for the exercise
or performance of any of its rights and obligations thereunder
including any rights to waive or vary any conditions or exercise
any termination right;
- the content of the Placing Documents and the Publicly Available
Information has been prepared by and is exclusively the
responsibility of the Company (and such other persons specifically
identified as accepting responsibility to certain parts thereto)
and none of the Placing Agents nor any of their affiliates, agents,
directors, officers or employees nor any person acting on behalf of
any of them is responsible for or has or shall have any
responsibility or liability for any information, representation or
statement contained in, or omission from, the Placing Documents,
the Publicly Available Information or otherwise nor will they be
liable for any Placee's decision to participate in the Placing
based on any information, representation, warranty or statement
contained in the Placing Documents, the Publicly Available
Information or otherwise, provided that nothing in this paragraph
excludes the liability of any person for fraudulent
misrepresentation made by such person;
- the only information on which it is entitled to rely and on
which such Placee has relied in committing itself to subscribe for
Placing Shares is contained in the Placing Documents or any
Publicly Available Information (save that in the case of Publicly
Available Information, a Placee's right to rely on that information
is limited to the right that such Placee would have as a matter of
law in the absence of this paragraph 16), such information being
all that such Placee deems necessary or appropriate and sufficient
to make an investment decision in respect of the Placing
Shares;
- it has neither received nor relied on any other information
given, or representations, warranties or statements, express or
implied, made, by the Placing Agents nor the Company nor any of
their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers,
representatives or employees acting on behalf of any of them
(including in any management presentation delivered in respect of
the Bookbuild) with respect to the Company, the Placing or the
Placing Shares or the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of any
information contained in the Placing Documents, or the Publicly
Available Information or otherwise;
- neither the Placing Agents nor the Company nor any of their
respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers, representatives
or employees or any person acting on behalf of any of them has
provided, nor will provide, it with any material or information
regarding the Placing Shares or the Company or any other person
other than the information in the Placing Documents or the Publicly
Available Information; nor has it requested any of the Placing
Agents or the Company or any of their respective affiliates or any
person acting on behalf of any of them to provide it with any such
material or information;
- neither the Placing Agents nor the Company will be liable for
any Placee's decision to participate in the Placing based on any
other information, representation, warranty or statement, provided
that nothing in this paragraph excludes the liability of any person
for fraudulent misrepresentation made by that person;
- it may not rely, and has not relied, on any investigation that
the Placing Agents, or any of their respective affiliates or any
person acting on their behalf, may have conducted with respect to
the Placing Shares, the terms of the Placing or the Company, and
none of such persons has made any representation, express or
implied, with respect to the Company, the Placing, the Placing
Shares or the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information
in the Placing Documents, the Publicly Available Information or any
other information;
- in making any decision to subscribe for Placing Shares it:(a)
has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters
to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of subscribing for
the Placing Shares;(b) will not look to any Placing Agent for all
or part of any such loss it may suffer;(c) is experienced in
investing in securities of this nature in this sector and is aware
that it may be required to bear, and is able to bear, the economic
risk of an investment in the Placing Shares;(d) is able to sustain
a complete loss of an investment in the Placing Shares;(e) has no
need for liquidity with respect to its investment in the Placing
Shares;(f) has made its own assessment and has satisfied itself
concerning the relevant tax, legal, currency and other economic
considerations relevant to its investment in the Placing Shares in
consultation with its independent advisors; and(g) has conducted
its own due diligence, examination, investigation and assessment of
the Company and Group, the Placing Shares and the terms of the
Placing and has satisfied itself that the information resulting
from such investigation is still current and relied on that
investigation for the purposes of its decision to participate in
the Placing;
- it is subscribing for the Placing Shares as principal for its
own account or for a fully managed account with respect to which it
exercises sole investment discretion without requiring a client’s
express consent to a transaction and has the authority to make and
does make the acknowledgements, representations and agreements
contained in this Appendix I;
- it is acting as principal only in respect of the Placing or, if
it is acting for a fully managed account with respect to which it
exercises sole investment discretion without requiring a client’s
express consent to a transaction, it:(a) is duly authorised to do
so and has full power to make the acknowledgments, representations
and agreements herein on behalf of each such person; and(b) will
remain liable to the Company and/or the Placing Agents for the
performance of all its obligations as a Placee in respect of the
Placing (regardless of the fact that it is acting for another
person);
- it and any person acting on its behalf is entitled to subscribe
for the Placing Shares under the laws and regulations of all
relevant jurisdictions that apply to it and that it has fully
observed such laws and regulations, has capacity and authority and
is entitled to enter into and perform its obligations as a
subscriber of Placing Shares and will honour such obligations, and
has obtained all such governmental and other guarantees, permits,
authorisations, approvals and consents which may be required
thereunder and complied with all necessary formalities to enable it
to commit to this participation in the Placing and to perform its
obligations in relation thereto (including, without limitation, in
the case of any person on whose behalf it is acting, all necessary
consents and authorities to agree to the terms set out or referred
to in this Appendix I) and will honour such obligations and that it
has not taken any action or omitted to take any action which will
or may result in the Placing Agents or the Company or any of their
respective directors, officers, agents, employees or advisers
acting in breach of the legal or regulatory requirements of any
jurisdiction in connection with the Placing;
- where it is subscribing for Placing Shares for one or more
fully managed accounts with respect to which it exercises sole
investment discretion without requiring a client’s express consent
to a transaction, it is authorised in writing by each such managed
account to subscribe for the Placing Shares for each such managed
account;
- it irrevocably appoints any duly authorised officer of the
Placing Agents as its agent for the purpose of executing and
delivering to the Company and/or its registrars any documents on
its behalf necessary to enable it to be registered as the holder of
any of the Placing Shares for which it agrees to subscribe for upon
the terms of this Appendix I;
- the Placing Shares have not been and will not be registered or
otherwise qualified and that a prospectus will not be cleared in
respect of any of the Placing Shares under the securities laws or
legislation of the Restricted Jurisdictions, or any state,
province, territory or jurisdiction thereof;
- the Placing Shares may not be offered, sold, delivered or
distributed, directly or indirectly, in or into or through a market
in (subject to certain limited exceptions) the Restricted
Jurisdictions or any jurisdiction in which it would be unlawful to
do so and no action has been or will be taken by any of the Company
or the Placing Agents or any person acting on behalf of the Company
or the Placing Agents that would, or is intended to, permit a
public offer of the Placing Shares in the Restricted Jurisdictions
or any country or jurisdiction, or any state, province, territory
or jurisdiction thereof, where any such action for that purpose is
required;
- no action has been or will be taken by any of the Company or
the Placing Agents or any person acting on behalf of the Company or
the Placing Agents that would, or is intended to, permit a public
offer of the Placing Shares in any country or jurisdiction where
any such action for that purpose is required;
- unless otherwise specifically agreed with the Placing Agents,
it is not and at the time the Placing Shares are subscribed for,
neither it nor the beneficial owner of the Placing Shares will be,
a resident of, nor have an address in, Australia, Hong Kong,
Singapore, New Zealand, Japan, the Republic of South Africa or any
province or territory of Canada;
- it may be asked to disclose in writing or orally to a Placing
Agent and the Company:(a) if he or she is an individual, his or her
nationality and jurisdiction of residence; or(b) if he or she is a
discretionary fund manager, the jurisdiction in which the funds are
managed or owned;
- it understands that any investment or investment activity to
which this Announcement relates is available only to, in the United
Kingdom, Relevant Persons, in any Relevant State, Qualified
Investors, and will be engaged in only with such persons, and
further understands that this Announcement must not be acted on or
relied on by persons who are not, in the United Kingdom, Relevant
Persons and, in any Relevant State, Qualified Investors;
- it has not offered or sold and will not offer or sell any
Placing Shares to persons in the EEA except to Qualified Investors
or otherwise in circumstances which have not resulted in and which
will not result in an offer to the public in any member state of
the EEA within the meaning of the EU Prospectus Regulation;
- if a financial intermediary, as that term is used in Article
5(1) of the EU Prospectus Regulation and the UK Prospectus
Regulation, the Placing Shares subscribed for/purchased 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 a member state of the EEA which has
implemented the EU Prospectus Regulation other than Qualified
Investors or persons in the United Kingdom other than Relevant
Persons, or in circumstances in which the prior consent of the
Placing Agents has been given to each proposed offer or
resale;
- if in the United Kingdom, that it is a person (i) having
professional experience in matters relating to investments who
falls within the definition of “investment professionals” in
Article 19(5) of the Order or (ii) who falls within Article 49(2)
(a) to (d) (“High Net Worth Companies, Unincorporated Associations,
etc”) of the Order, or (iii) to whom it may otherwise lawfully be
communicated;
- if in Hong Kong, that it is a Professional Investor (as defined
in the SFO) and (i) it is taking up the Placing Shares as principal
for its own account and (ii) it is not taking up the Placing Shares
on behalf of any other person(s) or with a view to distribute such
Placing Shares to other person(s);
- If it is in Australia, it (a) is a sophisticated investor
within the meaning of section 708(8) of the Corporations Act 2001
(Cth) or an experienced investor meeting the criteria in section
708(10) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) or a “professional
investor” within the meaning of section 708(11) of the Corporations
Act 2001 (Cth); and (b) is not acquiring the securities with the
purpose of selling or transferring the securities, or granting,
issuing or transferring interests in, or options over, them;
- If it is in Singapore, it is an “institutional investor” as
defined in section 4A(1)(c) of the Securities and Futures Act 2001
of Singapore (“SFA”) and/or “relevant person” as defined under
section 275(2) of the SFA, or a person to whom an offer is made
pursuant to section 275(1A) of the SFA, and agree to be bound by
the limitations and restrictions set out in the SFA. In particular,
it is not acquiring the Placing Shares on behalf of any other
person(s) or with a view of distributing or reselling such Placing
Shares in whole or in part to other persons;
- if in a member state of the EEA, unless otherwise specifically
agreed with a Placing Agent in writing, it is a Qualified Investor,
it has not offered or sold and will not offer or sell any Placing
Shares to persons in the United Kingdom, except to persons whose
ordinary activities involve them in acquiring, holding, managing or
disposing of investments (as principal or agent) for the purposes
of their business or otherwise in circumstances which have not
resulted and which will not result in an offer to the public in the
United Kingdom within the meaning of section 85(1) of the Financial
Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended;
- 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 and it acknowledges and
agrees that the Placing Documents have not and will not have been
approved by the Placing Agents in their respective capacity as
authorised persons under section 21 of the FSMA and it may not
therefore be subject to the controls which would apply if it was
made or approved as a financial promotion by an authorised
person;
- it has complied and will comply with all applicable laws with
respect to anything done by it or on its behalf in relation to the
Placing Shares (including all applicable provisions in FSMA and UK
MAR) in respect of anything done in, from or otherwise involving,
the United Kingdom);
- if it is a pension fund or investment company, its subscription
for/purchase of Placing Shares is in full compliance with
applicable laws and regulations;
- it has complied with its obligations under the Criminal Justice
Act 1993 and Articles 8, 10 and 12 of MAR and in connection with
money laundering and terrorist financing under the Proceeds of
Crime Act 2002 (as amended), the Terrorism Act 2000, the Terrorism
Act 2006 and the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer
of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 and any
related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued,
administered or enforced by any government agency having
jurisdiction in respect thereof (the “Regulations”) and the Money
Laundering Sourcebook of the FCA 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;
- in order to ensure compliance with the Regulations, the Placing
Agents (for themselves and as agents on behalf of the Company) or
the Company’s registrars may, in their absolute discretion, require
verification of its identity. Pending the provision to the Placing
Agents or the Company’s registrars, as applicable, of evidence of
identity, definitive certificates in respect of the Placing Shares
may be retained at a Placing Agent’s absolute discretion or, where
appropriate, delivery of the Placing Shares to it in uncertificated
form may be delayed at a Placing Agent’s or the Company’s
registrars’, as the case may be, absolute discretion. If within a
reasonable time after a request for verification of identify a
Placing Agent (for itself and as agent on behalf of the Company) or
the Company’s registrars have not received evidence satisfactory to
them, either the Placing Agent and/or the Company may, at its
absolute discretion, terminate its commitment in respect of the
Placing, in which event the monies payable on acceptance of
allotment will, if already paid, be returned without interest to
the account of the drawee’s bank from which they were originally
debited;
- the allocation, allotment, issue and delivery to it, or the
person specified by it for registration as holder, of Placing
Shares will not give rise to a stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax
liability under (or at a rate determined under) any of sections 67,
70, 93 or 96 of the Finance Act 1986 (depositary receipts and
clearance services) and that the Placing Shares are not being
acquired in connection with arrangements to issue depositary
receipts or to issue or transfer Placing Shares into a clearance
service;
- it (and any person acting on its behalf) has the funds
available to pay for the Placing Shares for which it has agreed to
subscribe and acknowledges and agrees that it will make payment in
respect of the Placing Shares allocated to it in accordance with
this Appendix I on the due time and date set out herein, failing
which the relevant Placing Shares may be placed with other
subscribers or sold as a Placing Agent may in its sole discretion
determine and without liability to such Placee, who will remain
liable for any amount by which the net proceeds of such sale falls
short of the product of the relevant Issue Price and the number of
Placing Shares allocated to it and will be required to bear any
stamp duty, stamp duty reserve tax or other taxes or duties
(together with any interest, fines or penalties) imposed in any
jurisdiction which may arise upon the sale of such Placee’s Placing
Shares;
- any money held in an account with a Placing Agent on behalf of
the Placee and/or any person acting on behalf of the Placee and/or
any person acting on behalf of the Placee will not be treated as
client money within the meaning of the relevant rules and
regulations of the FCA made under the FSMA. Each Placee
acknowledges that the money will not be subject to the protections
conferred by the client money rules: as a consequence this money
will not be segregated from a Placing Agent’s money in accordance
with the client money rules and will be held by it under a banking
relationship and not as trustee;
- its allocation (if any) of Placing Shares will represent a
maximum number of Placing Shares which it will be entitled, and
required, to subscribe for, and that the Placing Agent or the
Company may call upon it to subscribe for a lower number of Placing
Shares (if any), but in no event in aggregate more than the
aforementioned maximum;
- its allocation of Placing Shares will be split pro rata with
the other First Tranche New Shares between the First Admission and
the Second Admission;
- that the allotment and issue of the Second Tranche Placing
Shares is conditional (inter alia) upon the passing of the
Resolutions at the Special Meeting, and that there is no guarantee
that the Resolutions will be passed and therefore that such Second
Tranche Placing Shares will be issued;
- none of the Placing Agents nor any of their respective
affiliates, nor any person acting on behalf of them, is making any
recommendations to it, advising it regarding the suitability of any
transactions it may enter into in connection with the Placing;
- if it has received any ‘inside information’ (for the purposes
of MAR and section 56 of the Criminal Justice Act 1993) in relation
to the Company and its securities in advance of the Placing, it
confirms that it has received such information within the market
soundings regime provided for in article 11 of MAR and associated
delegated regulations and it has not:(a) used that inside
information to acquire or dispose of securities of the Company or
financial instruments related thereto or cancel or amend an order
concerning the Company’s securities or any such financial
instruments;(b) used that inside information to encourage, require,
recommend or induce another person to deal in the securities of the
Company or financial instruments related thereto or to cancel or
amend an order concerning the Company’s securities or such
financial instruments; or(c) disclosed such information to any
person, prior to the information being made publicly
available;
- each of the Retail Offer, the NWF Subscription, the VBR
Subscription and those Director Participations which are by way of
direct subscription are not part of the Placing;
- the rights and remedies of the Company and the Placing Agents
under the terms and conditions in this Appendix I are in addition
to any rights and remedies which would otherwise be available to
each of them and the exercise or partial exercise of one will not
prevent the exercise of others; and
- these terms and conditions of the Placing and any agreements
entered into by it pursuant to the terms and conditions of the
Placing, and all non-contractual or other obligations arising out
of or in connection with them, shall be governed by and construed
in accordance with the laws of England 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
(including any dispute regarding the existence, validity or
termination of such contract or relating to any non- contractual or
other obligation arising out of or in connection with 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 either the Company
or the Placing Agents in any jurisdiction in which the relevant
Placee is incorporated or in which any of its securities have a
quotation on a recognised stock exchange;
- it acknowledges that its commitment to acquire Placing Shares
on the terms set out in this Announcement and in the Form of
Confirmation, contract note or other (oral or written) confirmation
will continue notwithstanding any amendment that may in future be
made to the terms and conditions of the Placing and that Placees
will have no right to be consulted or require that their consent be
obtained with respect to the Company's or Placing Agents’
conduct;
- it has been advised to consult, and have so consulted or
elected not to consult, its own independent advisers with respect
to all applicable laws in respect of the Placing Shares, including
applicable securities laws and resale and transfer restrictions,
and it acknowledges and agrees that it is solely responsible for
complying with all such laws, including applicable securities laws
and resale and transfer restrictions. It further acknowledges that,
under applicable Canadian securities legislation, a hold period
will apply to a trade (as defined under applicable Canadian
securities legislation) of the Placing Shares in Canada or through
a market in Canada, such as the TSX Venture Exchange, and it
further acknowledges that any certificates representing the Placing
Shares will bear the following legends in respect of such hold
period as required by applicable Canadian securities laws and you
agree to comply with such laws and the terms of such
legends:“UNLESS PERMITTED UNDER SECURITIES LEGISLATION, THE HOLDER
OF THIS SECURITY MUST NOT TRADE THE SECURITY BEFORE [the date which
is four months and one day after Admission will be
inserted]”“WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN APPROVAL OF THE TSX VENTURE
EXCHANGE AND COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE SECURITIES LEGISLATION,
THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE MAY NOT BE SOLD,
TRANSFERRED, HYPOTHECATED OR OTHERWISE TRADED ON OR THROUGH THE
FACILITIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE OR OTHERWISE IN CANADA OR TO
OR FOR THE BENEFIT OF A CANADIAN RESIDENT UNTIL [the date which is
four months and one day after Admission will be inserted]”;
- the Company is relying on an exemption from the requirement to
provide the Placee with a prospectus under applicable Canadian
securities laws and, as a consequence of acquiring the Placing
Shares pursuant to such exemption: (i) certain protections, rights
and remedies provided by applicable Canadian securities laws,
including statutory rights of rescission and certain statutory
remedies against an issuer, underwriters, auditors, directors and
officers that are available to investors who acquire securities
offered by a prospectus, will not be available to the Placee; (ii)
the common law may not provide investors with an adequate remedy in
the event that they suffer investment losses in connection with
securities acquired in a private placement; (iii) the Placee may
not receive information that would otherwise be required to be
given under applicable Canadian securities laws, and (iv) the
Company is relieved from certain obligations that would otherwise
apply under applicable Canadian securities laws;
- that it acknowledges that the distribution of the Placing
Shares in Canada is being made on an exempt distribution basis and
that any resale of the Placing Shares in Canada must be made
through an appropriately registered dealer or in accordance with an
available exemption from the dealer registration requirements of
applicable Canadian securities laws, and in accordance with, or
pursuant to an exemption from, the prospectus requirements of such
laws;
- it understands that certain personal information may be
collected by the Company for the purposes of completing the
Placing, which includes, without limitation, determining its
eligibility to purchase the Placing Shares under Canadian
securities laws and other applicable securities laws and completing
filings required by any securities commission or other regulatory
authority; that its personal information may be disclosed by the
Company to: (i) securities commissions or stock exchanges, (ii) the
Canada Revenue Agency or other taxing authorities, and (iii) any of
the other parties involved in the Placing, including legal counsel
to the Company and the Placing Agents and may be included in record
books in connection with the Placing; and that by purchasing the
Placing Shares, it will be deemed to have consented to the
foregoing collection, use and disclosure of its personal
information and the filing of copies or originals of any of its
documents submitted hereunder as may be required to be filed with
any securities commission or stock exchange in connection with the
transactions contemplated hereby. If required by applicable
Canadian securities laws (including any policies of the TSXV), it
will execute, deliver and file or assist the Company in filing such
reports, undertakings and other documents relating to the purchase
of the Placing Shares as may be required; and
- it understands that certain information provided by it,
including its name, address, telephone number and email address,
the number of Placing Shares being purchased, the exemption being
relied upon by it in purchasing the Placing Shares and its
registrant or insider status, if applicable, will be disclosed to
the applicable securities regulatory authorities, such information
is being collected by such securities regulatory authorities under
the authority granted to each of them under securities legislation
and it will be deemed to have authorised the indirect collection of
such information by such securities regulatory authorities. This
information is being collected for the purposes of the
administration and enforcement of the securities legislation of
such jurisdictions. In the event the Placee has any questions with
respect to the indirect collection of such information by such
securities regulatory authorities and regulators, it should contact
the applicable securities regulatory authority or regulator using
the contact information set out below:
Alberta
Securities CommissionSuite 600, 250 – 5th Street
SWCalgary, Alberta T2P 0R4Telephone: 403-297-6454Facsimile:
403-297-6156Toll free in Canada: 1-877-355-0585Public official
contact regarding indirect collection of information: FOIP
Coordinator
British
Columbia Securities CommissionP.O. Box 10142, Pacific
Centre701 West Georgia StreetVancouver, British Columbia V7Y
1L2Inquiries: 604-899-6854Toll free in Canada:
1-800-373-6393Facsimile: 604-899-6506Email:
FOI-privacy@bcsc.bc.caPublic official contact regarding indirect
collection of information: Privacy Officer
Ontario
Securities Commission20 Queen Street West, 22nd
FloorToronto, Ontario M5H 3S8Telephone: 416-593-8314Toll free in
Canada: 1-877-785-1555Facsimile: 416-593-8122Email:
exemptmarketfilings@osc.gov.on.caPublic official contact regarding
indirect collection of information: Inquiries Officer
The foregoing representations, warranties,
confirmations, acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings are
given for the benefit of the Company as well each of the Placing
Agents and are irrevocable. The Placing Agents, the Company and
their respective affiliates and others will rely upon the truth and
accuracy of the foregoing representations, warranties,
confirmations, acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings.
Each prospective Placee, and any person acting
on behalf of such Placee, irrevocably authorises the Company and
the Placing Agents to produce this Announcement, pursuant to, in
connection with, or as may be required by any applicable law or
regulation, administrative or legal proceeding or official inquiry
with respect to the matters set forth herein.
By participating in the Placing, each Placee
(and any person acting on such Placee's behalf) agrees to indemnify
on an after tax basis and hold the Company, the Placing Agents and
their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers,
representatives and employees 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 given by the Placee (and any person acting on such
Placee's behalf) in this Appendix I or incurred by the Placing
Agents, the Company or any of their respective affiliates, agents,
directors, officers or employees arising from the performance of
the Placees' obligations as set out in this Announcement, and
further agrees that the provisions of this Appendix I shall survive
after completion of the Placing.
Where any Placee is acting in its capacity as a
discretionary investment manager on behalf of its underlying
clients, then it is the discretionary investment manager that is to
be regarded as the Placee for the purpose of this Announcement and
not the underlying client. For the avoidance of doubt, the
representations and warranties given are to be taken as made on
behalf of the Placee itself and not their underlying client.
12. Taxation
The agreement to allot and issue certain of the
Placing Shares by the Company to Placees (and/or to persons for
whom such Placee is contracting as agent) free of stamp duty and
stamp duty reserve tax relates only to their allotment and issue to
Placees, or such persons as they nominate as their agents, direct
from the Company for the Placing Shares in question.
There should be no liability to stamp duty or
SDRT arising on the allotment of the Placing Shares by the Company.
The registration of and the issue of definitive share certificates
to Shareholders should not give rise to any liability to stamp duty
or SDRT.
In addition, neither UK stamp duty nor SDRT
should arise on the transfers/sale of Shares on AIM (including
instruments transferring Shares and agreements to transfer
Shares).
Such agreement also assumes that the Placing
Shares are not being acquired in connection with arrangements to
issue depositary receipts or to issue or transfer the Placing
Shares into a clearance service. If there are any such
arrangements, or the settlement relates to any other dealing in the
Placing Shares, stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or other
similar taxes or duties may be payable, for which neither the
Company nor the Placing Agents will be responsible and the Placees
shall indemnify the Company and the Placing Agents on an after-tax
basis for any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or other similar
taxes or duties (together with interest, fines and penalties) in
any jurisdiction paid by the Company or the Placing Agents in
respect of any such arrangements or dealings. If this is the case,
each Placee should seek its own advice and notify the Placing
Agents accordingly. Placees are advised to consult with their own
advisers regarding the tax aspects of the subscription for Placing
Shares.
The Company and the Placing Agents are not
liable to bear any taxes that arise on a sale of Placing Shares
subsequent to their acquisition by Placees, including any taxes
arising otherwise than under the laws of any country in the EEA.
Each prospective Placee should, therefore, take its own advice as
to whether any such tax liability arises and notify their Placing
Agent and the Company accordingly. Furthermore, each prospective
Placee agrees to indemnify on an after-tax basis and hold the
Placing Agent and/or the Company and their respective affiliates
harmless from any and all interest, fines or penalties in relation
to stamp duty, stamp duty reserve tax and all other similar duties
or taxes in any jurisdiction to the extent that such interest,
fines or penalties arise from the unreasonable default or delay of
that Placee or its agent.
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, whether inside or outside the UK, by them or any other
person on the subscription, acquisition, transfer or sale by them
of any Placing Shares or the agreement by them to subscribe for,
acquire, transfer or sell any Placing Shares.
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. Past performance is no guide to future
performance and persons needing advice should consult an
independent financial adviser.
The price of shares and any income expected from
them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the
full amount invested upon disposal of the shares. Past performance
is no guide to future performance, and persons needing advice
should consult an independent financial adviser.
The New Shares to be issued pursuant to the
Placing will not be admitted to trading on any stock exchange other
than AIM and the TSX Venture Exchange Market.
APPENDIX II
The following definitions apply to this
Announcement as the context shall admit:
"£", "GBP",
"pounds", "pound sterling" or
"sterling", "p",
"penny" or "pence" |
|
are to the lawful currency of the UK |
|
|
|
AIM |
|
AIM, a market operated by the London Stock Exchange |
|
|
|
AIM Rules |
|
the “AIM Rules for Companies” published by the London Stock
Exchange governing admission to AIM and the regulation of companies
whose securities are admitted to trading on AIM (including any
guidance notes), as each may be amended or reissued from time to
time; |
|
|
|
AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers |
|
the “AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers” published by the London
Stock Exchange governing the eligibility and ongoing
responsibilities of and certain disciplinary matters in relation to
Nominated Advisers, as amended or reissued from time to time; |
|
|
|
Announcement |
|
this announcement, including the appendices and the terms and
conditions of the Placing set out in Appendix I |
|
|
|
BookBuild
Platform |
|
the online capital markets platform developed by BB Technology
Limited a company incorporated in England and Wales with registered
number 13508012 |
|
|
|
Broker
Option |
|
the conditional placing of the Broker Option Shares to be arranged
by the Placing Agents in their absolute discretion each as agent
for the Company pursuant to the provisions of the Placing Agreement
and the terms and conditions set out in Appendix I to this
Announcement and which, if exercised, shall form part of the
Placing |
|
|
|
Broker Option
Period |
|
the period commencing on the date of this Announcement and
concluding immediately prior to the release of the Results
Announcement |
|
|
|
Broker Option
Shares |
|
up to 74,223,526 new Shares to be issued by the Company (at the
absolute discretion of the Placing Agents) at the Issue Price
pursuant to the Broker Option and such shares shall then form part
of the Placing Shares and be governed by the terms of the Placing
set out in Appendix I |
|
|
|
Business
Day |
|
a day (other than a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday (in
England)) on which (i) the London Stock Exchange is open for
business and (ii) clearing banks are generally open for a full
range of banking transactions in the City of London |
|
|
|
Canadian Securities
Laws |
|
means all applicable Canadian securities laws and the respective
rules and regulations under such laws, together with published
policy statements, notices and orders of the Securities
Commissions; |
|
|
|
Canaccord Genuity or
Co-Manager |
|
Canaccord Genuity Limited which is acting as Co-Manager in relation
to the Placing |
|
|
|
Cavendish or Retail Offer
Coordinator |
|
Cavendish Capital Markets Limited who are acting as Retail Offer
Coordinator in relation to the Retail Offer |
|
|
|
Certificated or in
Certificated form |
|
not in uncertificated form (that is, not in CREST) |
|
|
|
City Code |
|
The City Code on Takeovers and Mergers |
|
|
|
Company or
Cornish |
|
Cornish Metals Inc |
|
|
|
CREST |
|
the computerised settlement system to facilitate transfer of the
title to an interest in securities in uncertificated form operated
by Euroclear |
|
|
|
CREST
Regulations |
|
the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/3755) (as
amended) |
|
|
|
Debt Set Off
Agreement |
|
the agreement dated the date of this Announcement between the
Company and Vision Blue, pursuant to which the Company and Vision
Blue have agreed to set off amounts owed by the Company to Vision
Blue under the Facility against amounts due from Vision Blue to the
Company pursuant to the VBR Subscription Agreement |
|
|
|
Directors or Board |
|
the directors of the Company for the time being, together being the
board of directors |
|
|
|
Director
Participations |
|
means the subscription for the Director Participation Shares by the
Participating Directors |
|
|
|
Director Participation
Shares |
|
means the 1,597,561 new Shares to be issued pursuant to the
Director Participation, comprising the First Tranche Director
Participation Shares and the Second Tranche Director Participation
Shares |
|
|
|
EEA |
|
European Economic Area |
|
|
|
Enlarged Share
Capital |
|
the Existing Shares, together with the New Shares, being the issued
share capital of the Company immediately following Second
Admission |
|
|
|
EU Prospectus Regulation |
|
Prospectus Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 |
|
|
|
Euroclear |
|
Euroclear UK & International Limited |
|
|
|
EUWA |
|
the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 |
|
|
|
Existing
Shares |
|
the 535,270,712 Shares in issue at the date of this
Announcement |
|
|
|
Facility |
|
the agreement dated October 15, 2024 made between the Company and
Vision Plue, pursuant to which Vision Blue made available a £7
million (US$9.1 million) secured credit facility to support the
continued development of the South Crofty Project |
|
|
|
First Admission Longstop
Date |
|
28 February 2025 |
|
|
|
FCA |
|
the Financial Conduct Authority of the United Kingdom |
|
|
|
First
Admission |
|
admission of the First Tranche New Shares to trading on AIM
becoming effective in accordance with the AIM Rules |
|
|
|
First Tranche New
Shares |
|
the First Tranche Placing Shares, First Tranche VBR Subscription
Shares and First Tranche Director Participation Shares which shall
be issued on First Admission |
|
|
|
First Tranche Placing
Shares |
|
the new Shares to be issued by the Company on First Admission
pursuant to the Placing and, subject to the Broker Option being
exercised, the Broker Option Shares, the numbers of which will be
confirmed in the Results Announcement |
|
|
|
First Tranche Director
Participation Shares |
|
1,396,554 new Shares to be issued by the Company pursuant to the
Director Participations on First Admission |
|
|
|
First Tranche VBR
Subscription Shares |
|
the 34,722,222 of the VBR Participation Right Shares to be issued
to VBR by the Company pursuant to the VBR Subscription on First
Admission |
|
|
|
Form of
Confirmation |
|
the form of confirmation to be dispatched to the Placees by a
Placing Agent or the contract note made between a Placing Agent and
the Placees, in each case which incorporate by reference the terms
and conditions of the Placing contained in this Announcement |
|
|
|
FSMA |
|
the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 |
|
|
|
Fundraising or
Fundraise |
|
together the Placing, the Director Participations, the NWF
Subscription, the VBR Subscription and the Retail Offer |
|
|
|
Group |
|
the Company and its subsidiary undertakings (and "Group
Company" shall be construed accordingly) |
|
|
|
Hannam &
Partners |
|
H & P Advisory Limited |
|
|
|
Intermediary |
|
any financial intermediary that is appointed in connection with the
Retail Offer |
|
|
|
Joint
Bookrunners |
|
SP Angel and Hannam & Partners and “Joint
Bookrunner” means both or one of them as the context
admits |
|
|
|
Issue Price |
|
8p |
|
|
|
London Stock
Exchange |
|
London Stock Exchange plc |
MAR |
|
the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it forms part of
UK domestic law by virtue of the EUWA |
|
|
|
New Shares |
|
the new Shares expected to be issued by the Company pursuant to the
Fundraising, comprising the NWF Subscription Shares, the VBR
Subscription Shares, the Placing Shares, the Director Participation
Shares and any Retail Offer Shares, the numbers for which shall be
confirmed in the Results Announcement or, in respect of the NWF
Subscription Shares and the VBR Subscription Shares, following the
closing of the Retail Offer |
|
|
|
Nominated
Adviser |
|
SP Angel |
|
|
|
NWF |
|
The National Wealth Fund Limited |
|
|
|
NWF
Subscription |
|
the conditional subscription by NWF for the NWF Subscription Shares
pursuant to the NWF Subscription Agreement |
|
|
|
NWF Subscription
Agreement |
|
the agreement dated the same date as this Announcement between the
Company and NWF |
|
|
|
NWF Subscription
Shares |
|
up to 359,375,000 new Shares to be issued by the Company on Second
Admission pursuant to the NWF Subscription and subject to scale
back by any Broker Option Shares as described in this
announcement |
|
|
|
Participating
Directors |
|
means those directors subscribing for the Director Participation
Shares, being Patrick Anderson, Lodewyk Daniel Turvey, Kenneth
Armstrong, Stephen Gatley, Anthony Trahar, Samantha Hoe-Richardson
and Don Njegovan |
|
|
|
Participation
Right |
|
the right granted by the Company to VBR pursuant to the VBR 2022
Investment Agreement by which VBR can maintain its ownership
interest in the Company (being c. 25.95%) in the event the Company
makes any offering of securities for cash |
|
|
|
Placees |
|
a person procured by or on behalf of a Placing Agent who agrees to
subscribe for Placing Shares at the Issue Price |
|
|
|
Placing |
|
the conditional placing by the Placing Agents or on behalf of each
Placing Agent (or its respective agents) as an agent of the Company
of the Placing Shares at the Issue Price, in accordance with the
Placing Agreement, which shall also include the Broker Option |
|
|
|
Placing
Agents |
|
SP Angel and, Hannam & Partners and Canaccord Genuity and
“Placing Agent” means all or one of them as the context admits |
|
|
|
Placing
Agreement |
|
the agreement dated 28 January 2025 between the Company and the
Placing Agents and the Retail Offer Coordinator relating to the
Placing and the Retail Offer |
|
|
|
Placing
Documents |
|
this Announcement |
|
|
|
Placing
Shares |
|
the new Shares expected to be issued pursuant to the Placing,
comprising the First Tranche Placing Shares and the Second Tranche
Placing Shares |
|
|
|
Publicly Available
Information |
|
any information publicly announced through a regulatory information
service by or on behalf of the Company on
or prior to the date of this Announcement |
|
|
|
Regulation
S |
|
Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act |
|
|
|
Restricted
Jurisdictions |
|
Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Canada, the Republic of South
Africa or Japan or in any jurisdiction in which such publication or
distribution is unlawful or in any jurisdiction in which such
publication or distribution is unlawful or would require the filing
of a prospectus or registration statement or delivering an offering
memorandum or similar disclosure document under applicable
securities laws |
|
|
|
Results
Announcement |
|
the announcement to be issued by the Company following completion
of the accelerated book building process by the Placing Agents |
Retail Investors |
|
existing retail shareholders of the Company who are resident in the
United Kingdom and are a customer of an Intermediary who agree
conditionally to subscribe for Retail Offer Shares in the Retail
Offer |
|
|
|
Retail Offer |
|
the conditional offer by the Company of the Retail Offer Shares at
the Issue Price to Retail Investors, through Intermediaries via the
BookBuild Platform, to be announced by the Company shortly after
the release of this announcement |
|
|
|
Retail Offer Shares |
|
up to 37,500,000 New Shares to be issued by the Company to Retail
Investors on Second Admission at the Issue Price pursuant to the
Retail Offer |
|
|
|
Resolutions |
|
means the resolutions of the shareholders of the Company proposed
at the Special Meeting |
SDRT |
|
Stamp Duty Reserve Tax |
|
|
|
Second
Admission |
|
admission of the Second Tranche New Shares to trading on AIM
becoming effective in accordance with the AIM Rules which is
expected to occur on or around 24 March 2025 |
|
|
|
Second Admission Longstop
Date |
|
25 April 2025 |
|
|
|
Second Tranche New
Shares |
|
the NWF Subscription Shares, the Retail Offer Shares, the Second
Tranche VBR Subscription Shares, the Second Tranche Placing Shares
and Second Tranche Director Participation Shares which shall be
issued on Second Admission |
|
|
|
Second Tranche Placing
Shares |
|
the new Shares to be issued by the Company on Second Admission
pursuant to the Placing and, subject to the Broker Option being
exercised, the Broker Option Shares, the numbers of which will be
confirmed in the Results Announcement |
|
|
|
Second Tranche Director
Participation Shares |
|
201,007 new Shares to be issued by the Company on Second Admission
pursuant to the Director Participation |
|
|
|
Second Tranche VBR
Subscription Shares |
|
the balance of the VBR Subscription Shares to be issued to VBR by
the Company pursuant to the VBR Subscription on Second
Admission |
|
|
|
Shareholder |
|
a holder of Existing Shares |
|
|
|
Shares |
|
the common shares without par value in the capital of the
Company |
|
|
|
South Crofty
Project |
|
the Company's plans to develop the historic South Crofty tin mine
located in the town of Pool in Cornwall which operated until
1998 |
|
|
|
SP Angel |
|
S.P. Angel Corporate Finance LLP |
|
|
|
Special
Meeting |
|
has the meaning given to it in the main body of this
Announcement |
|
|
|
subsidiary or subsidiary
undertaking |
|
have the meaning given to such term in the Companies Act 2006 |
|
|
|
TSXV Conditional
Approval |
|
means all necessary approvals from the TSX Venture Exchange in
respect of the completion of all of the transactions contemplated
by the Placing Agreement, the NWF Subscription Agreement, the VBR
Subscription Agreement, the Debt Set Off Agreement, which approvals
shall include, without limitation, Conditional Acceptance (within
the meaning of Policy 4.1 of the TSXV Rules) and the fulfilment by
the Company of all applicable conditions set forth in such
Conditional Acceptance, prior to the issuance of the New Shares
(including each tranche thereof, as applicable) on the terms and
conditions contemplated in this agreement and the listing of the
New Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange |
|
|
|
TSX Venture
Exchange |
|
TSX Venture Exchange Inc |
|
|
|
TSX Venture Exchange
Market |
|
the TSX Venture Exchange market for securities operated by the TSX
Venture Exchange |
|
|
|
TSXV Rules |
|
the rules, regulations and policies of the TSX Venture Exchange
including the TSX Venture Exchange Corporate Finance Manual |
|
|
|
uncertificated or in
uncertificated form |
|
in respect of a share or other security, where that share or other
security is recorded on the relevant register of the share or
security concerned as being held in uncertificated form in CREST
and title to which may be transferred by means of CREST |
|
|
|
UK or United
Kingdom |
|
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
|
|
|
UK Prospectus
Regulation |
|
Prospectus Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of UK
domestic law by virtue of the EUWA |
|
|
|
VAT |
|
UK value added tax |
|
|
|
Vision Blue or
VBR |
|
Vision Blue Resources Limited |
|
|
|
VBR 2022 Investment
Agreement |
|
the investment agreement dated 27 March 2022 entered into between
the Company and Vision Blue |
|
|
|
VBR Additional
Subscription Shares |
|
such further number of Common Shares (when combined with the VBR
Participation Right Shares) as shall be required in order for the
VBR Subscription to raise, in aggregate, up to a maximum of
£18,280,550 (before expenses) for the Company |
|
|
|
VBR
Subscription |
|
the subscription by VBR for the VBR Participation Right Shares and,
separately and in addition, the VBR Additional Subscription Shares
pursuant to the VBR Subscription Agreement |
|
|
|
VBR Subscription
Agreement |
|
the agreement dated the date of this Announcement, pursuant to
which Vision Blue has agreed to subscribe for: (i) the VBR
Participation Right Shares; and (ii) separately and in addition to
the former, the VBR Additional Subscription Shares |
|
|
|
VBR Subscription
Shares |
|
the VBR Participation Right Shares and the VBR Additional
Subscription Shares |
|
|
|
VBR Participation Right
Shares |
|
such number of new Common Shares which are required in order for
VBR to maintain its c. 25.95 per cent. ownership interest in the
Company following the results of the Fundraising pursuant to the
exercise of its Participation Right. |
|
|
|
Cornish Metals (TSXV:CUSN)
과거 데이터 주식 차트
부터 2월(2) 2025 으로 3월(3) 2025
Cornish Metals (TSXV:CUSN)
과거 데이터 주식 차트
부터 3월(3) 2024 으로 3월(3) 2025