Confidentiality

Our approach to confidentiality

We are operators and business people first. We understand that the most sensitive information in a business transaction is not the numbers - it is the people, the relationships, and the reputation behind them.

Whether you are at the very early stage of exploring a sale, or deep in due diligence, Capital SCO will handle your information with the same care we would expect applied to our own.

Confidentiality is not a box we tick - it is a professional and ethical standard we hold ourselves to at every stage of the process.

What information we protect

We treat the following categories of information as strictly confidential:

• The identity of your business and the fact that it may be for sale
• Financial information - revenue, profit, margins, debts, and liabilities
• Customer and supplier relationships, contracts, and pricing
• Employee details, structures, and remuneration
• Operational systems, processes, and intellectual property
• Any strategic or commercially sensitive information shared during discussions
• The existence and content of any negotiations or discussions between us

Who may see your information

Your information is shared only on a strict need-to-know basis. Access is limited to:

• Capital SCO principals - the core team directly involved in evaluating and progressing the transaction
• Professional advisors - solicitors, accountants, or other specialists engaged to support a transaction, and only where this is necessary and with your knowledge
• Finance providers - only where relevant to completing a transaction and only with your prior agreement

We will never share your information with competitors, brokers, or other third parties without your explicit written consent.

Initial enquiries

Your initial enquiry via our website contact form is completely confidential and carries no obligation on either side. You are not committing to anything by getting in touch.

At this stage, we ask only for the basics: your name, contact details, and the nature of your enquiry. We do not ask for - and you should not include - sensitive financial or operational details in an initial contact form.

Formal NDA

Before any detailed financial, operational, or commercially sensitive information is exchanged, we are happy to enter into a formal Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with you.

An NDA creates a legally binding obligation of confidentiality on both parties. It clearly defines:

• What information is considered confidential
• How it may and may not be used
• Who it may be disclosed to
• The duration of the confidentiality obligation
• The legal remedies available if confidentiality is breached

If you would like a mutual NDA in place before sharing detailed information, please request one - we will arrange this promptly and without fuss.

Protecting your employees & relationships

We understand that one of the greatest concerns for any business owner considering a sale is the potential impact on staff, customers, and suppliers if news of discussions were to leak prematurely.

Capital SCO will never approach your employees, customers, or suppliers directly without your explicit permission and without a clear mutual understanding of how and when that will happen. Premature disclosure can damage businesses and people — we take that seriously.

Throughout any evaluation and due diligence process, we work with you to determine the right time and manner for any broader disclosure, and we follow your lead entirely on this.

If a deal does not proceed

Not every conversation leads to a transaction, and that is entirely fine. If discussions do not progress - for any reason - we will:

• Cease using any confidential information you have shared for any purpose
• Return or destroy confidential documents if requested
• Retain your basic contact details only as required by our data retention policy (see our Privacy Policy)
• Never use information gained during discussions to approach your employees, customers, or suppliers
• Maintain confidentiality obligations indefinitely in relation to commercially sensitive information

Our reputation is built on trust. We treat every conversation - successful or not - with the same standard of integrity.

Request an NDA or contact us

If you have any questions about how we handle confidential information, wish to request a formal NDA before proceeding, or simply want to start a confidential conversation about your business, please get in touch.