Your deal team, without hiring one.
Big groups have a deal team. You have a business to run. The Acquisitiv Expansion Partnership does what an in-house deal team would do. We keep your search running. We manage the list of firms you're talking to. We support you through live deals and keep your lawyers and accountants on the same plan. You make the decisions. We keep deals moving while you run the business.
Every Expansion Partnership starts with a free Expansion Briefing.
For founders who want more than one deal
You plan to buy more than once
You plan to add two, three or more businesses over the next few years. But nobody has the job of making that happen.
You have a live deal on the table
An owner wants to talk, or you're already talking terms. You need someone to run the process while you run the business.
You've thought about hiring
A head of M&A or a deal manager takes months to find. They are also a cost that never stops. The Expansion Partnership gives you that help now, for as long as you need it.
Four jobs, one team
Keep the search running
We keep your plan for what to buy up to date. We research new firms and approach owners in confidence. We check the owners who reply. So new introductions keep coming, rather than drying up after one project.
Decide which deals to go for
For each serious option, we look at what it's worth and what it would cost to fund. We look at what could go wrong, and whether it still fits. You get clear advice, including when to walk away.
Run the process
We handle offers and agree the main deal terms in writing (heads of terms). We run the deal timetable. We run the checks on the business (due diligence) and the requests for information that go with them. We keep your lawyers, accountants and tax advisers on one plan. That way, what they find feeds into the price and terms.
Oversee integration
Your team leads and carries out the integration. That means bringing the two businesses together. While the Expansion Partnership runs, we oversee that team. We review milestones and risks. We check who is accountable for what. And we track whether the gains you bought it for are coming through.
A routine you can rely on
Progress meeting
Thirty to sixty minutes on new firms, replies and talks. Plus the decisions we need from you.
Deal meeting
When a deal is live, we meet every week. We keep the timetable, the advisers and the decisions moving.
Written report
Two pages on the firms you're talking to, our work, live deals, risks and next steps.
Plan review
Is the plan still right? What we've learned from the market, and what to change.
We keep several firms moving at once. But we chase one main deal at a time, so it gets the attention it needs.
You decide. We run it. Your advisers do the specialist work.
| Area | Acquisitiv Expansion Partnership | You | Your lawyers, accountants and lenders |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan and what to buy | Draft, test and keep up to date | Agree and sign off | Tax and deal structure advice when needed |
| Finding businesses | Research, approach owners, check them | Approve who we approach | n/a |
| Price and terms | Work out value, advise, negotiate alongside you | Decide what to offer and accept | Funding offers from lenders |
| Checks (due diligence) | Plan the checks, keep them moving, turn what they find into decisions | Decide what to do about what they find | Financial, legal and tax checks |
| Contracts and completing the deal | Keep the timetable and list of issues moving | Sign | Draft and negotiate the legal papers |
| Integration | Oversee your integration team: milestones, risks, accountability and intended benefits | Lead and carry out the integration through your own team | Staff and contract points |
Acquisitiv doesn't give legal advice, tax advice or finance. We organise the people who do.
The work of a deal team, without the hiring
An in-house team usually means three people. An analyst to research, a manager to run deals and a head of M&A to lead. Hiring even one of them takes months. And the cost carries on between deals. The Expansion Partnership gives you that work from the first month. It's led by someone who has run deals as the buyer. Minimum six months, with one month's notice.
- Businesses
- 212 businesses mapped · 74 approached · 11 in conversation
- Main deal
- Main terms agreed in writing Checks start next week
- Next in line
- Two owners ready for a second meeting
- Risks
- Key customer contract renews in March. Checking if it can pass to a new owner.
- Decisions needed
- Approve what the checks cover and their budget
Michael Ferguson, with CDI Global behind him
Michael ran acquisitions as head of M&A at one of the world's largest family-owned spirits companies. He was also finance director at a FTSE-listed company. He's a Partner at CDI Global in the UK. CDI Global is an M&A firm for mid-sized firms, with more than 45 offices in more than 30 countries. So deals abroad have local colleagues on the ground.
What founders ask about the Expansion Partnership
Who makes the decisions?
You do. We advise and give our reasons. We'll tell you when we think you should walk away. What to offer, what to accept and whether to complete is always your call.
Do you guarantee a deal?
No. We commit to keeping the search and your live deals moving. And we report honestly on both. Whether a deal completes depends on owners, price and funding. It also depends on what the checks find.
Can we start here, or do we need Target 45 first?
You can start here. Many founders start with Acquisitiv Target 45. They move to the Expansion Partnership once a deal is live, or when they want the search to keep running.
Do you work with our current advisers?
Yes. We work with your lawyers, accountants and lenders. We don't replace them. If you need a specialist, we can suggest people we've worked with.
Want a deal team without hiring one?
Start with a free Expansion Briefing. We'll look at what you want to buy and if the Expansion Partnership is right for you.