The Astra Scout Programme

Know a great British business whose owner is ready to move on?

Introduce us to the owner. We do the rest. If we acquire the business, you earn up to £200,000 — starting with a £5,000 payment the moment we sign Heads of Terms.

1.5% of enterprise value
£5,000 at Heads of Terms
£200k reward cap
12 mo. introduction window
Why introduce to Astra

A serious, long-term home — not a quick flip.

Owners care about more than price. They care about their people, their customers, and the name above the door. Astra acquires to hold for the long term, keeps management in place, and protects the legacy the founder built. That makes us an easy business to introduce.

  • Four UK acquisitions completed and growing — a track record owners can check.
  • Management keep operational autonomy; we bring capital, talent and tools.
  • We move quickly and tell you straight away if it isn't a fit.
“Finding the right home for the business I built was incredibly important to me. Astra understands what makes it special, and I'm confident they'll support the team to grow.” — Founder of an Astra portfolio company
How it works

Four steps. We handle the heavy lifting.

1

You know an owner

Someone you know runs a UK business that fits our focus and is thinking about succession or a sale.

2

You make a warm intro

You've spoken to the owner, they're open to a conversation, and you introduce us by email to scout@astraholding.uk.

3

We take it from here

We meet the owner, evaluate, run diligence and negotiate. You stay informed; we do the work.

4

You get paid

£5,000 within 14 days of signed Heads of Terms, then the balance of your fee on completion.

The reward

Real money, paid early — and in full on completion.

Most referral schemes make you wait until the very end. We don't. You see the first part of your reward the moment a deal becomes real.

At signed Heads of Terms
£5,000

Paid within 14 days of signing — no invoice, no claim form, no chasing. Our way of recognising the introduction the moment it turns into a live deal.

On completion
1.5% of EV

The balance of 1.5% of the enterprise value — up to £200,000 in total — paid on completion. The £5,000 already advanced is credited against it.

Example: on a £6m enterprise value, the total reward is £90,000 — £5,000 of it within two weeks of Heads of Terms, the remaining £85,000 on completion. On larger deals the reward is capped at £200,000.

Who makes a great Scout

You don't have to be in M&A.

If you know a business owner and they trust you, you can be a Scout. Some of our best introductions come from people who simply know the owner well.

Accountants & advisors
Brokers & corporate finance
Solicitors
Searchers & ETA
Wealth managers
Commercial bankers
Fellow business owners
A friend or neighbour
What we look for

Profitable, founder-led UK industrial businesses.

Below are our investment criteria. If it broadly fits, send it our way.

Geography
UK-incorporated
Sector
B2B industrial — manufacturing, services, distribution, installation
Revenue
£2m – £20m
Profitability
15%+ EBITDA margin
Ownership
Founder-led, approaching succession
Team
Management willing to continue
The essentials

Fair, simple, and clear up front.

A warm introduction

You've spoken to the owner (who holds at least half the business) and they're expecting to hear from us.

First to introduce wins

If more than one person introduces the same business, the reward goes to whoever got there first.

We're straight with you

If we've already met the business, we'll tell you within 24 hours so no one wastes time.

12-month window

The reward applies if we complete within 12 months of your introduction.

Not already on the market

The reward doesn't apply to businesses already running a formal sale process through a broker at the time you introduce them.

Full terms on request

A short, plain-English agreement sets it all out. Ask us and we'll send it before you introduce.

Questions

Good to know

Do I need to be a professional intermediary?

No. Brokers and advisors are welcome, but so is anyone who knows a business owner well. The only thing that matters is that the introduction is warm and the owner is open to a conversation.

What actually counts as an introduction?

An email to scout@astraholding.uk naming the specific business, where you've already spoken to the owner and they're expecting to hear from us. We'll ask you to set up a first conversation that we attend.

When and how do I get paid?

£5,000 lands within 14 days of signed Heads of Terms automatically. The balance of your 1.5% (up to £200,000 total) is paid on completion against a simple VAT invoice.

What if I'm not sure it fits?

Send it anyway, or just ask. We'd far rather take a quick look than miss a good business. There's no downside to introducing.

Know someone? Let's talk.

Tell us about the business and the owner. One short email is all it takes to start — and to put your introduction on record.

Prefer email? Write to scout@astraholding.uk