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Buy box template: write your acquisition criteria in one page

Updated 2026-10-28

A buy box is the same criteria written so a stranger can say yes or no in a minute. Note beside it any rule your target size triggers.

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Thresholds to note

CMA merger control

A merger can be reviewed where the target's UK turnover exceeds £100 million, among the other tests in section 23.

Source: Enterprise Act 2002, section 23

National Security and Investment Act

An acquisition in a notifiable sector is in scope when a stake or voting rights cross 25%, 50% or 75%; a notification is reviewed within 30 days, and the government can call in a deal up to 5 years after it.

Source: UK Acquisition Rules

Send us your buy box

Sector, area, price range and timing. Joseph Ellul reads it himself and replies directly. Free, no obligation.

What you want to buy

Which sector is in your buy box?

Where in the UK?

A town, a region or anywhere: it is the first filter on any search.

Roughly what price are you looking to pay?

Share purchase or asset purchase?

Buy the company's shares Buy the business and its assets Not sure yet

It changes the tax, the diligence and who takes on the liabilities. Not sure is a fine answer.

Free, and no obligation
Read and answered by Joseph Ellul himself; no firm receives it
Information only: no tax, legal or investment advice

Send us your buy box.

Sector, area, price range and timing. Joseph Ellul reads it himself and replies directly. Free, no obligation.

Send my brief

Sources

This site's own datasets, every figure quoted from its source and dated:

The UK Acquirer Criteria Board carries 3 published figures read from 2 sources' own pages, from 1,000,000 to 20,000,000 GBP, read 28 October 2026.
The UK Acquisition Rules carries 2 published figures read from 1 source's own page, from 100,000,000 to 350,000,000 GBP, read 28 October 2026.

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