NOTES TO THE GROUP CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2026
30. Share-based payment plans continued
31. Pension Defined contribution schemes
Outstanding share options under the executive share option schemes A summary of the options over ordinary shares that have been granted under the approved and unapproved executive share option schemes and remain outstanding is given below: At 31 March 2026
The Group makes payments to various defined contribution pension schemes, the assets of which are held in separately administered funds. In the United Kingdom, the main scheme is the discoverIE Group plc Employee Pension Scheme (“the discoverIE scheme”). Contributions by both employees and Group companies are held in externally invested trustee- administered funds. The Group contributes a specified percentage of earnings for members of the discoverIE scheme and, thereafter, has no further obligations in relation to the discoverIE scheme. At 31 March 2026, 94 employees were active members of the discoverIE scheme (2025: 99). The total cost charged to the consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss in relation to the UK- based discoverIE scheme was £487,000 (2025: £491,000). Employer contributions in respect of other UK-based schemes and overseas pension schemes were £849,000 (2025: £906,000) and £2,383,000 (2025: £2,673,000) respectively. Total contributions payable in the next financial year are expected to be at rates broadly similar to those in FY 2025/26 but based
Outstanding at 31 March 2026
Granted during the year
Forfeited during the year
Exercised during the year
Exercise price (pence)
Outstanding at 1 April 2025
Exercise dates
–
6,144 6,582 5,183 8,381
– – – – – – –
– – – – –
(6,144)
421.17 2022–2029 603.60 2023–2030 803.00 2024–2031 686.80 2025–2032 918.00 2026–2033 724.00 2027–2034
6,582 5,183 8,381 12,204 19,588 51,938
– – – – –
on actual salary levels in FY 2026/27. Defined benefit schemes
12,204 20,555 59,049
The acquisition of the Sedgemoor Group in June 1999 brought with it certain defined benefit pension schemes, together “the Sedgemoor Scheme”. The Sedgemoor Scheme is funded by the Group, provides retirement benefits based on final pensionable salary and its assets are held in a separate trustee-administered fund. Following the acquisition of the Sedgemoor Group, the Sedgemoor Scheme was closed to new members. Shortly thereafter, employees were given the opportunity to join the discoverIE scheme and future service benefits ceased to accrue to members under the Sedgemoor Scheme. Contributions to the Sedgemoor Scheme are determined in accordance with the advice of independent, professionally qualified actuaries and are set based upon funding valuations carried out every three years. On 21 January 2025, the Trustee entered into a bulk annuity “buy-in” policy with an insurance company. This policy covers all known current members of the Scheme and its fair value matches the present value of the benefits insured. The Group paid cash contributions to the Scheme of £0.9m over the year to March 2026, of which £0.3m was paid from the escrow account. This is to support the expenses of running the Scheme and payments required to members related to the data cleanse. As part of the buy-in process, the Trustee is carrying out a data cleanse. At the end of the process, a true-up premium or refund to the Company will be calculated by the insurer to cover any changes in data and benefits relative to those currently insured. Other than the Trustee bank account, the buy-in policy is the only asset now held by the Trustee as part of the Scheme’s investment strategy. Under the terms of the policy, the Trustee will receive income equal to the pension benefits that have been insured. This largely removes exposure to the Group from pension scheme investment, inflation and longevity risks. Residual differences between the benefits currently insured under the buy-in policy and those paid out by the Fund are allowed for within the IAS19 figures. For the year ended 31 March 2026, a total of £0.4m (2025: £0.8m) was paid into the escrow account and £0.6m was paid directly into the Scheme (2025: £1.5m). The estimated amount of employer contribution expected to be paid to the Sedgemoor Scheme over the year to 31 March 2027 is £0.8m, of which £0.4m is to be paid into escrow. The main actuarial assumptions used are set out as follows:
(967) (967)
(6,144)
At 31 March 2025
Outstanding at 31 March 2025
Granted during the year
Forfeited during the year
Exercised during the year
Exercise price (pence)
Outstanding at 1 April 2024
Exercise dates
6,144 11,374 11,731 13,855 17,882
– – – – –
–
– – – – – – –
6,144 6,582 5,183 8,381
421.17 2022–2029 603.60 2023–2030 803.00 2024–2031 686.80 2025–2032 918.00 2026–2033 724.00 2027–2034
(4,792) (6,548) (5,474) (5,678) (7,730) (30,222)
12,204 20,555 59,049
–
28,285 28,285
60,986
Changes in share options A reconciliation of option movements over the year to 31 March 2026 is shown below:
2026
2025
Weighted average exercise price
Weighted average exercise price
Number
Number
59,049
£7.21
Outstanding at 1 April
60,986 28,285
£7.35 £7.24
2026 2.5% 5.9% 3.6% 2.5%
2025
–
–
Granted Exercised Forfeited
Rate of increase of pensions in payment
2.4% 5.6% 3.3% 2.2%
(6,144)
£4.21 £7.24 £7.56 £6.90
–
–
Discount rate
(967)
(30,222) 59,049 29,249
£7.52 £7.21 £5.99
Inflation assumption – RPI Inflation assumption – CPI 1
Outstanding at 31 March Exercisable at 31 March
51,938 20,146
1 3.5% from 2030. The discount rate is based on the yields on AA-grade Sterling corporate bonds at the reporting date.
The weighted average remaining contractual life for the share options outstanding at 31 March 2026 is 6.9 years (2025: 7.5 years). The range of exercise prices for options outstanding at the end of the year was £6.03 to £9.18 (2025: £4.21 to £9.18).
Pensioner mortality assumptions are based on 110% of the rates in the “S4NA” table, projected from 2013 and with long-term improvement rates in line with CMI 2023 projections based on each member’s actual date of birth with a long-term annual rate of improvement of 1.25% p.a. These projections are the “core” projections released by the CMI, other than allowing for a 20% weighting of 2022 and 2023 mortality data reflecting our best estimate of the impact on long-term mortality trends. The weighted average duration of the defined benefit obligation at 31 March 2026 was 9 years (2025: 9 years).
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discoverIE Group plc Innovative Electronics
Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2026
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