BusinessWanted.comThe Strategic Buyer Network

Standards

Qualification and trust.

Verification is neither a stamp nor a credit reference. It is a defined review gate applied before every mandate is published, and re-tested when a mandate is materially updated.

Four review tests

  • Funding position: evidence, appropriate to the buyer type, that the acquirer can complete a transaction of the size described.
  • Investment thesis: a coherent statement of what the buyer is looking for and why, testable against the sectors and structures they claim to pursue.
  • Adviser standing: where an adviser is representing the mandate, confirmation of instruction and a named contact.
  • Readiness to transact: a stated timeline and decision-making structure consistent with a live search rather than a scoping exercise.

What verification is not

It is not a credit reference, a valuation opinion, or a guarantee of completion. It is the review minimum below which a mandate does not appear on the register at all.

Owner-side confidentiality

Owners quoting a mandate reference do so under standard confidentiality. Identity is not shared with the acquirer until the owner explicitly agrees.

See also our methodology for the full review standard.