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REG - Wellcome Trust Fin - Annual Financial Report

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RNS Number : 5948O  Wellcome Trust Finance plc  13 January 2026

Wellcome Trust and Wellcome Trust Finance plc (a wholly owned subsidiary of
The Wellcome Trust Limited as trustee of the Wellcome Trust) announce that
they have each published their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the
year to 30 September 2025 today. A copy of each document is available on the
Wellcome Trust website (https://wellcome.ac.uk/what-we-do/reports) .

Wellcome has today issued the following press release in connection with the
publication of its Annual Report and Financial Statements:

Wellcome's charitable expenditure on our mission supporting science to solve
the urgent health challenges facing everyone rose to £1.9 billion in 2024/25,
compared to £1.6 billion in 2023/24. Wellcome's sole source of funds is our
investment portfolio, which delivered a total return of 10.2 per cent in GBP
(6.4 per cent after inflation) for the year to 30 September 2025. The
investment portfolio value increased to £39.9 billion(1) and total funds (the
value of the investment portfolio less all liabilities) rose to £35.7
billion, compared to £33.9bn in 2023/24.

We remain confident Wellcome will be able to meet our ambition to spend £16
billion on our charitable activities over the ten years to 2032, given our
long-term investment performance. This funding will support discovery research
into life, health, and wellbeing. It will also enable us to continue our work
on the three key worldwide health challenges of mental health, infectious
disease and climate and health. Spending since 2022 now totals £5.2 billion,
this compares to around £10 billion over the ten years to 2022.

Returns were underpinned by strong public equity markets, which overcame
significant intra-year volatility. Currency effects were minimal for the year,
with sterling virtually unchanged against the US dollar from September 2024 to
September 2025. The investment portfolio has returned 203 per cent cumulative
(11.7 per cent annualised) in the decade since September 2015, recording
positive returns in each of these years.  Returns have been 588 per cent
cumulative (10.1 per cent annualised) over 20 years. Since the inception of
the investment portfolio in 1985, it has provided a total return of 13.2 per
cent per annum.

The endowment has been resilient in a mixed economic and market backdrop, and
continues to maintain a strong liquidity position and AAA/Aaa (stable) credit
rating. Leverage was 6.7 per cent(1) on 30(th) September 2025. We issued no
new bonds during the year and have no impending bond expiries until 2027.

We saw varied returns across the asset classes in which we invest (public
equity, private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, property, bonds and
cash). Public equities, private equity, hedge funds and bonds and cash
delivered positive returns. Property delivered a slightly negative return in
aggregate against a difficult market backdrop. We extended several currency
hedges that matured over the year, realising cash gains in the process. At the
end of the financial year, sterling exposure stood at 18.2 per cent. Cash
levels remain higher than our longer-term history in the absence of sizeable,
compelling new investment opportunities and in preparation for future
charitable spending. On 30 September 2025, our cash level was 8.9 per cent of
gross investment portfolio assets.

Our plan to achieve a net zero portfolio by 2050 at the latest was published
in July 2021. Our annual report includes the fourth update on our net zero
tracking data. This is, and will continue to be, an integral factor in our
investment decision-making and engagement.

Julia Gillard, Chair of the Wellcome Trust, said:

"This year, I have seen first-hand the work Wellcome's teams and partners are
leading in pursuit of our mission to build a healthier future for everyone,
all while navigating a rapidly changing world. We saw promising trials in
Madagascar of a new oral antibiotic for plague which discovered that it was as
effective as an injection, led innovative work on digital interventions for
mental health in the UK, and have invested millions to advance climate and
health science in areas such as extreme heat, super pollutants and infectious
disease to support global action and policies on climate change. My thanks go
to all of Wellcome's staff and our partners around the world for their
diligent work."

"I thank the Investment Team for steering the endowment through a highly
uncertain environment. Our investment portfolio allows us to be truly
independent and operate at an increasingly large scale, funding ambitious
projects at a global level. Our long-term horizon is a powerful advantage,
both in our mission-related activities and as an investor. The investment
portfolio has performed very strongly over the last decade, and while we
recognise the challenge of current elevated market valuations for prospective
returns, the quality of our assets and strength of our team underpin the
Board's confidence in our charitable mission spend ambition."

Lisha Patel, co-Chief Investment Officer at Wellcome, said:

"It was reassuring to see the investment portfolio value reach a new high,
despite significant market volatility over the course of the year. We remain
focused on the long term and laying the foundations for Wellcome's investment
portfolio for the decades ahead, even if the near-term outlook appears
increasingly challenged, and are confident in our team's sound stewardship of
Wellcome's assets."

Fabian Thehos, co-Chief Investment Officer, added:

"The investment portfolio has performed well in a turbulent environment, with
positive contributions from many different parts. We are grateful for our
high-quality roster of investment partners, many of whom have been active
relationships for decades. Our flexible, unconstrained investment mandate and
our strong governance structure that allows efficient decision making mean we
can pursue opportunities that many others cannot access. We maintain a strong
liquidity position that allows us to take advantage of any future market
dislocations that may arise."

 

 1  Investment portfolio value and Leverage are Alternative Performance
Measures, defined and reconciled in Note 15(g) of the Wellcome Trust Annual
Report and Financial Statements for the year to 30 September 2025.

Wellcome Trust Finance plc further announces that a copy of its Annual Report
and Financial Statements for the year ended 30 September 2025 has been
submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for
inspection at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism
(https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism) .

In accordance with the Disclosure and Transparency Rules, the following
information is taken from the Annual Report and Financial Statements for
Wellcome Trust Finance plc for the year ended 30 September 2025:

 

Wellcome Trust Finance plc
Annual Report and Financial Statements
Year ended 30 September 2025

 

Strategic Report

 

The Directors of Wellcome Trust Finance plc (the "Company" and the
"Directors") present their strategic report for the year ended 30 September
2025 (the "Strategic Report").

 

 

Strategy and objectives

 

The principal activity of the Company is to meet its obligations relating to
the bonds that it has previously issued and admitted to trading on the London
Stock Exchange and to continue to lend the proceeds to other group entities.

 

 

Review of the business and future developments

 

The Company has one tranche of bonds outstanding: £550 million issued on 25
July 2006 of 4.625% Guaranteed Bonds due July 2036. The Company loaned the
proceeds from the Bonds to its parent company, the Wellcome Trust, as detailed
further in Note 10. The Company continues to receive interest on loans to the
Wellcome Trust and to pay interest on the July 2036 Bond liabilities.

 

The Company has not issued any bonds during the year and does not expect to
issue any bonds in the foreseeable future. For the year ending 30 September
2025, the Company earned income of £29,068,750 (2024: £29,099,490) and
incurred cost of sales of £25,826,217 (2024: £25,876,674).

 

The Bonds are admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange. The
obligations of the Company in relation to the Bonds are governed by Trust
Deeds between the Company, The Wellcome Trust Limited, as trustee of the
Wellcome Trust, and Citicorp Trustee Company Limited, as the trustee for the
holders of the Bonds. The payment of all amounts due in respect of the Bonds
is unconditionally and irrevocably guaranteed pursuant to the terms of a
guarantee given by The Wellcome Trust Limited, as corporate trustee of the
Wellcome Trust; the guarantee is part of the Trust Deeds.

 

 

Results for the year

 

The Company made a profit on ordinary activities before taxation of
£3,312,864 (2024: £3,164,651) during the year ended 30 September 2025. As at
30 September 2025 the Company had net assets of £137,500,000 (2024:
£137,500,000) and cash of £4,847,925 (2024: £4,248,359). The Company has a
policy to donate its taxable profits as Gift Aid to the Wellcome Trust.

 

 

Key performance indicators

 

Due to the nature of the Company's operations, the key performance measures
are that the Company meets all its legal obligations to the Bond holders and
that the Company achieves sufficient return on its assets to be profitable
before any Gift Aid donations to the Wellcome Trust. During the year the
Company met all its legal obligations to the Bond holders and made a net
profit before Gift Aid donations to Wellcome Trust.

 

 

Financial risk management objectives and policies

 

The Directors of the Company implement policies to manage the inherent risks
relating to the financial assets and liabilities of the Company.

 

The Directors have assessed for each financial asset and liability: the market
risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk, and credit risk exposure. The
Company is not exposed to significant market risk or interest rate risk
because the Company's main financial assets have fixed redemption values,
fixed interest rates and fixed maturity dates, which match those of its
financial liabilities. The liquidity risk of the Company is mitigated by the
matching of the cash flows from the Company's financial assets and
liabilities. Credit risk exposure of the Company's loans is reduced by the
Company only advancing loans to entities within the Group. Credit risk
exposure of the Company's remaining financial assets is reduced by stringent
selection procedures for any external counterparties with which the Company
transacts.

 

The Company's internal control and risk management, which includes
consideration of the impact of higher interest rates and climate change are
considered at a group level and documented within the Wellcome Trust Annual
Report and Financial Statements 2025 which are available from Wellcome's
website at (wellcome.org/news-and-reports/reports
(https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwellcome.org%2Fnews-and-reports%2Freports&data=05%7C01%7CC.Raja%40wellcome.org%7C9aff3eeef9754ccfb7d708daaaa5eed7%7C3b7a675a1fc84983a100cc52b7647737%7C0%7C0%7C638009926893051384%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=8AQMwx0mwLcz%2FB%2FBH%2FHaFt2q25rt0s7Z%2FzhbiInOmbk%3D&reserved=0)
).

 

The Company's internal control and risk management is undertaken as part of
the Wellcome Trust's processes, which are detailed in the Wellcome Trust
Annual Report and Financial Statements, available at
wellcome.org/news-and-reports/reports
(https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwellcome.org%2Fnews-and-reports%2Freports&data=05%7C01%7CC.Raja%40wellcome.org%7C9aff3eeef9754ccfb7d708daaaa5eed7%7C3b7a675a1fc84983a100cc52b7647737%7C0%7C0%7C638009926893051384%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=8AQMwx0mwLcz%2FB%2FBH%2FHaFt2q25rt0s7Z%2FzhbiInOmbk%3D&reserved=0)
. The key elements of this specifically applicable to the Company are:

·      delegation: there is a clear organisational structure with
documented lines of authority and responsibility for control and documented
procedures for reporting decisions, actions and issues; and

·      review: the Group Audit and Risk Committee reviews the
effectiveness of the Company's internal control, its financial reporting
process, the independence of its statutory auditors and its compliance with
relevant statutory and finance regulations and advises the Directors of the
Company of any relevant matters.

 

 

Section 172 statement

 

The Board of Directors, in line with their duties under s172 of the Companies
Act 2006, act in a way they consider, in good faith, would be most likely to
promote the success of the Company for the benefit of its members as a whole,
and in doing so have regard to a range of matters when making decisions for
the long term.

 

The key stakeholders of the Company are considered to be Wellcome Trust (as
the sole member) and the holders of the Bonds. We ensure that the requirements
of s172(1) Companies Act 2006 are met and the interests of our stakeholder
groups are considered through a combination of the following:

·      The Board sets the Company's purpose and strategy which considers
the long-term sustainable success of the Company and our impact on key
stakeholders. The key purpose is discussed under Key performance indicators
above.

·      The Board's risks management procedures identify the principal
risks facing the Company, and the mitigations in place to manage the impact of
these risks. This is discussed under Financial risk management objectives and
policies above.

·      The Company has no employees and no carbon generating assets. The
Wellcome Trust group's consideration of Social Responsibility, including
climate change and energy transition is discussed in their Annual Report and
Financial Statements.

 

 

Corporate and social responsibility

 

Due to the nature of its activities the Company has a minimal environmental
impact. The Group's approach to social responsibility is detailed in the
Wellcome Trust Annual Report and Financial Statements, which are available at
wellcome.org/news-and-reports/reports
(https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwellcome.org%2Fnews-and-reports%2Freports&data=05%7C01%7CC.Raja%40wellcome.org%7C9aff3eeef9754ccfb7d708daaaa5eed7%7C3b7a675a1fc84983a100cc52b7647737%7C0%7C0%7C638009926893051384%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=8AQMwx0mwLcz%2FB%2FBH%2FHaFt2q25rt0s7Z%2FzhbiInOmbk%3D&reserved=0)

 

This report was approved by the Board of Directors and signed on 12 January
2026 on its behalf by:

Karen Chadwick

Director

12 January 2026

 

 

Directors' Report

 

The Directors of Wellcome Trust Finance plc present their report and the
audited Financial Statements for the year ended 30 September 2025.

 

Future developments

 

These are discussed in the Strategic Report.

 

Going Concern

 

The Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company has adequate
resources to continue in operational existence and to meet any commitments as
they fall due for the foreseeable future, being at least 12 months from the
date of signing the Financial Statements. The maturities of the loans to
Parent undertaking will match the maturity of the July 2036 Bond liabilities,
which will allow the Bonds to be repaid to investors on maturity. The interest
from the loans with Wellcome Trust is sufficient to meet the fixed rate
interest payment to bond holders. Accordingly, they continue to adopt the
going concern basis in preparing the Financial Statements. The Directors have
considered the impact of higher interest rates on the Company and have
concluded there are no material uncertainties related to these events or
conditions that may cast doubt upon the Company's ability to continue as a
going concern.

 

 

Employees

 

There are no employees of the Company (2024: nil).

 

The administration of the Company is undertaken by staff from the Wellcome
Trust. The Wellcome Trust has not incurred any incremental staff costs due to
the administration of this Company.

 

 

Dividends and Gift Aid donations

 

The Directors do not propose the payment of a dividend (2024: £nil). The
Company has a policy to donate its taxable profits as Gift Aid to the Wellcome
Trust. During the year, the Company accrued a final Gift Aid donation of
£3,312,864 (2024: £3,164,651) to the Wellcome Trust.

 

 

Financial risk management objectives and policies

 

These are discussed in the Strategic Report.

 

 

Corporate Governance

 

The Company is limited by shares. Its governing documents are its articles of
association. The shareholder of the Company is The Wellcome Trust Limited, as
trustee of the Wellcome Trust. The Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the
Wellcome Trust through its corporate trustee, The Wellcome Trust Limited. The
Company is not subject to the requirements of the UK Corporate Governance
Code. The governance policies of the Group and of the Wellcome Trust are
included in the Wellcome Trust's Annual Report and Financial Statements for
the year ended 30 September 2025.

 

The Group Audit and Risk Committee and the internal audit function of the
Wellcome Trust oversee all group entities. The Company complies with all
applicable filing and information requirements of the Financial Conduct
Authority.

 

 

Directors and their interests

 

The Directors of the Company who were in office during the year and up to the
date of signing the Financial Statements were:

 

Karen Chadwick

Nicholas Moakes

Fabian Thehos

 

None of the Directors held any beneficial interest in the shares of the
Company or any interest in its Parent undertaking the Wellcome Trust through
its corporate trustee, The Wellcome Trust Limited.

 

Each of the Directors is an employee of the Group and receives remuneration
from the Group as an employee. No remuneration is paid to any Director for
their services as a Director.

 

 

Directors' indemnity policy

 

The Company is party to a Group-wide directors' and officers' liability
insurance policy which provides cover to all the current Directors. There are
no qualifying indemnity provisions (as defined in the Companies Act 2006) that
benefit the Directors of the Company.

 

 

Statement of disclosure of information to auditor

 

Each Director in office at the date of approving this report confirms that:

·      so far as the Director is aware, there is no relevant audit
information of which the Company's auditor is unaware; and

·      each Director has taken all the steps that ought to have been
taken as a Director in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit
information and to establish that the Company's auditors is aware of that
information.

 

This confirmation is given and should be interpreted in accordance with the
provisions of s418 of the Companies Act 2006.

 

 

Independent auditors

 

In accordance with Section 485 of the Companies Act 2006, a resolution dated
12 January 2026 was passed by the members re-appointing Deloitte LLP as
auditors of the Company.

 

 

Events after the end of the reporting period

 

There have been no subsequent events requiring disclosure.

 

This report was approved by the Board of Directors and signed on its behalf on
12 January 2026 by:

 

Karen Chadwick

Director

 

 

Statement of Directors' Responsibilities

 

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Strategic Report, Directors'
Report and the Financial Statements in accordance with applicable law and
regulations.

 

Company law requires the Directors to prepare Financial Statements for each
financial year. Under that law the Directors have prepared the Financial
Statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting
Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law), including
FRS 102 the Financial Reporting Standards applicable in U.K. and Republic of
Ireland. Under company law the Directors must not approve the Financial
Statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of
the state of affairs of the Company and of the profit or loss of the Company
for that period. In preparing these Financial Statements, the Directors are
required to:

 

·      select suitable accounting policies and then apply them
consistently;

·      make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and
prudent;

·      state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been
followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the
Financial Statements; and

·      prepare the Financial Statements on the going concern basis
unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Company will continue in
business.

 

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are
sufficient to show and explain the Company's transactions and disclose with
reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company and
enable them to ensure that the Financial Statements comply with the Companies
Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Company
and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of
fraud and other irregularities.

 

The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the
corporate and financial information included on its Parent undertaking's
(Wellcome Trust's) website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the
preparation and dissemination of Financial Statements may differ from
legislation in other jurisdictions.

 

The Directors consider that the Annual Report and Financial Statements, taken
as a whole, is fair, balanced and understandable and provides the information
necessary for shareholders to assess the Company's performance, business model
and strategy.

 

Each of the Directors, whose names are listed in the Directors' Report confirm
that, to the best of their knowledge:

 

·      the Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance
with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom
Accounting Standards and applicable law), including FRS 102 the Financial
Reporting Standards applicable in U.K. and Republic of Ireland, give a true
and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and result of the
Company; and

 

·      the Directors' Report contained in this section of the Annual
Report includes a fair review of the development and performance of the
business and the position of the Company, together with a description of the
principal risks and uncertainties that it faces.

 

 

 

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT TO THE MEMBER OF WELLCOME TRUST FINANCE PLC

Report on the audit of the financial statements

1.   Opinion

 

We have audited the financial statements which comprise:

·    the Income Statement;

·    the Statement of Financial Position;

·    the Statement of Changes in Equity; and

·    the related notes 1 to 17.

The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation
is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial
Reporting Standard 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK
and Republic of Ireland" (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting
Practice).

2.   Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing
(UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those
standards are further described in the auditor's responsibilities for the
audit of the financial statements section of our report.

We are independent of the company in accordance with the ethical requirements
that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK,
including the Financial Reporting Council's (the 'FRC's') Ethical Standard as
applied to listed public interest entities, and we have fulfilled our other
ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We confirm
that we have not provided any non-audit services prohibited by the FRC's
Ethical Standard to the company.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and
appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

3.   Summary of our audit approach

 

               Key audit matters  The key audit matters that we identified in the current year were:

                                  ·   The amortised cost of bond liabilities; and

                                  ·   The collectability of intercompany loans

                                  ·   Within this report, key audit matters are identified as follows:

                                    Similar level of risk

 Materiality                                                             The materiality that we used in the current year was £13.8m (2024: £13.7m)
                                                                         which was determined on the basis of 2% of total assets (2024: 2% of total
                                                                         assets).
 Scoping                                                                 Audit work to respond to the risks of material misstatement was performed
                                                                         directly by the audit engagement team.
 Significant changes in our approach                                     There are no significant changes in our approach.

4.   Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors'
use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the
financial statements is appropriate.

Our evaluation of the directors' assessment of the company's ability to
continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting included:

·      Evaluating management's going concern assessment by reference to
the company's current year performance and year-end position;

·      Performing a subsequent events review up until the date of this
audit report to assess whether any events have been identified that are
relevant to company's going concern assessment; and

·      Assessing the appropriateness of the going concern disclosures in
the financial statements.

 

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material
uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or
collectively, may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue
as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the
financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to
going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

5.   Key audit matters

Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgement, were
of most significance in our audit of the financial statements of the current
period and include the most significant assessed risks of material
misstatement (whether or not due to fraud) that we identified. These matters
included those which had the greatest effect on: the overall audit strategy;
the allocation of resources in the audit; and directing the efforts of the
engagement team.

These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the financial
statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not
provide a separate opinion on these matters.

5.1.      Amortised cost of bond liabilities

 

 Key audit matter description                                  The company has external debt (bonds listed on the London Stock Exchange) of

                                                               £549m (2024: £549m) as at 30 September 2025, which is repayable on 24 July
                                                               2036. The bonds incur interest at a rate of 4.625% per annum.

                                                               These bonds are highly material to the company as they account for 99.9% of
                                                               total liabilities of the company (2024: 99.9%).

                                                               The bond liabilities are stated at amortised cost on the balance sheet as at
                                                               30 September 2025, using the effective interest rate method. This is performed
                                                               by management using an amortisation schedule. This calculation has a material
                                                               impact on the carrying value of the bond liabilities. The amortised cost of
                                                               bond liabilities has been identified as the key audit matter, as this had a
                                                               significant impact on the overall audit strategy, the allocation of resources
                                                               in the audit and directing the efforts of the engagement team.

                                                               Bond liabilities are disclosed in note 11 and the accounting policies in note
                                                               1.
 How the scope of our audit responded to the key audit matter  In responding to the key audit matter arising when determining the amortised
                                                               cost of bond liabilities, we performed the following procedures:

                                                               -      obtained the original bond prospectuses to assess whether the terms
                                                               of the bonds agree to the inputs used by management to calculate the effective
                                                               interest rate;

                                                               -      recalculated the year-on-year effective interest and the carried
                                                               forward balance of the bond liabilities; and

                                                               -      assessed the disclosures in the financial statements relating to
                                                               bond liabilities as at 30 September 2025.
 Key observations                                              As a result of our procedures, we concluded that the amortised cost of bond
                                                               liabilities was appropriately stated, and their related disclosures are
                                                               appropriately reported.

 

5.2.      Collectability of intercompany loans

 

 Key audit matter description     As at 30 September 2025 the company has loans to Parent undertakings relating
                                  to intercompany loans totalling £676m (2024: £676m) due from its Parent, the
                                  Wellcome Trust ("Parent").

                                  These intercompany loans are highly material to the company as they account
                                  98.1% of the total assets of the company (2024: 98.1%).

                                  The ability of the company to repay the bond liabilities when they mature and
                                  pay the interest to the bond holders is dependent on the future financial
                                  performance of the Parent and its ability to repay the intercompany loans to
                                  the company. The basis for this collectability relies on accurate assumptions
                                  in the future forecasts of the Parent and its liquidity position, and whether
                                  these suggest any indicators of non-recovery. Collectability of intercompany
                                  loans has been identified as a key audit matter, because this had a
                                  significant impact on the overall audit strategy, the allocation of resources
                                  in the audit and directing the efforts of the engagement team.

                                  Loans to parent undertakings are disclosed in note 10, as well as the
                                  accounting policies in note 1.

 How the scope of our audit responded to the key audit matter               In responding to the key audit matter arising when determining the
                                                                            collectability of intercompany loans, we performed the following procedures:

                                                                            -      performed a credit risk analysis by assessing the current net asset
                                                                            and liquidity position of the Parent as at 30 September 2025;

                                                                            -      obtained the cash flow forecast of the Parent and assessed whether
                                                                            the assumptions in the forecast were reasonable;

                                                                            -      assessed whether the cash flow forecast and the liquidity position
                                                                            of the Parent suggested any indicators of non-recovery; and

                                                                            -      assessed the disclosures in the financial statements relating to
                                                                            intercompany loans as at 30 September 2025.
 Key observations                                                           As a result of our procedures, we concluded that the intercompany loans were
                                                                            appropriately stated, and their related disclosures are appropriately
                                                                            reported.

 

6.   Our application of materiality

6.1.      Materiality

We define materiality as the magnitude of misstatement in the financial
statements that makes it probable that the economic decisions of a reasonably
knowledgeable person would be changed or influenced. We use materiality both
in planning the scope of our audit work and in evaluating the results of our
work.

Based on our professional judgement, we determined materiality for the
financial statements as a whole as follows:

 

 Materiality                          £13.8m (2024: £13.7m)
 Basis for determining materiality    2% of total assets (2024: 2% of total assets)
 Rationale for the benchmark applied  Total assets is considered as an appropriate benchmark, as the principal
                                      activity of the entity is to issue bonds on the London Stock Exchange and then
                                      provide financing to the Wellcome Trust, and therefore it is the key area of
                                      interest for the users of the financial statements.

6.2.      Performance materiality

We set performance materiality at a level lower than materiality to reduce the
probability that, in aggregate, uncorrected and undetected misstatements
exceed the materiality for the financial statements as a whole. Performance
materiality was set at 70% of materiality for the 2025 audit (2024: 70%). In
determining performance materiality, we considered the following factors:

·    our risk assessment, including our assessment of the overall control
environment; and

·    our past experience of the audit, which has indicated a low number of
corrected and uncorrected misstatements identified in prior periods.

 

6.3.      Error reporting threshold

We agreed with the Audit and Risk Committee of the Wellcome Trust that we
would report to the Committee all audit differences in excess of £690k (2024:
£686k), as well as differences below that threshold that, in our view,
warranted reporting on qualitative grounds. We also report to the Audit and
Risk Committee on disclosure matters that we identified when assessing the
overall presentation of the financial statements.

7.   An overview of the scope of our audit

7.1.      Scoping

Our audit was scoped by obtaining an understanding of the entity and its
environment, including internal control, and assessing the risks of material
misstatement. The audit work to respond to the risks of material misstatement
was performed directly by the audit engagement team. We did not place reliance
on controls and have performed a fully substantive audit approach.

8.   Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report,
other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The
directors are responsible for the other information contained within the
annual report.

Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information
and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not
express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider
whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial
statements, or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise
appears to be materially misstated.

If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material
misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a
material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the
work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of
this other information, we are required to report that fact.

 

 

9.   Responsibilities of directors

As explained more fully in the directors' responsibilities statement, the
directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and
for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal
control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of
financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to
fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for
assessing the company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing as
applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis
of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the company or
to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

10. Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial
statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to
fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion.
Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that
an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material
misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and
are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could
reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on
the basis of these financial statements.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial
statements is located on the FRC's website at:
www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities
(http://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities) .
(http://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities) This description forms part
of our auditor's report.

11. Extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting
irregularities, including fraud

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and
regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined
above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities,
including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting
irregularities, including fraud is detailed below.

11.1.         Identifying and assessing potential risks related to
irregularities

In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of
irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations,
we considered the following:

·    the nature of the industry and sector, control environment and
business performance including the design of the company's remuneration
policies, key drivers for directors' remuneration, bonus levels and
performance targets;

·    results of our enquiries of management, the directors and the
Wellcome Trust's Audit and Risk Committee about their own identification and
assessment of the risks of irregularities, including those that are specific
to the company's sector;

·    any matters we identified having obtained and reviewed the company's
documentation of their policies and procedures relating to:

o  identifying, evaluating and complying with laws and regulations and
whether they were aware of any instances of non-compliance;

o  detecting and responding to the risks of fraud and whether they have
knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud;

o  the internal controls established to mitigate risks of fraud or
non-compliance with laws and regulations; and

·    the matters discussed among the audit engagement team and relevant
internal specialists, including IT specialists, regarding how and where fraud
might occur in the financial statements and any potential indicators of fraud.

As a result of these procedures, we considered the opportunities and
incentives that may exist within the organisation for fraud. In common with
all audits under ISAs (UK), we are also required to perform specific
procedures to respond to the risk of management override.

We also obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework that
the company operates in, focusing on provisions of those laws and regulations
that had a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and
disclosures in the financial statements. The key laws and regulations we
considered in this context included UK Companies Act and the Listing Rules
given the company's listed bonds.

In addition, we considered provisions of other laws and regulations that do
not have a direct effect on the financial statements but compliance with which
may be fundamental to the company's ability to operate or to avoid a material
penalty. These included the regulatory requirements of the Charities Act 2011
and Gift Aid Rules, because the profit of the company for the year is paid
under the Gift Aid regime to the Parent entity, the Wellcome Trust, a
registered charity.

11.2.         Audit response to risks identified

As a result of performing the above, we did not identify any key audit matters
related to the potential risk of fraud or non-compliance with laws and
regulations.

Our procedures to respond to risks identified included the following:

·    reviewing the financial statement disclosures and testing to
supporting documentation to assess compliance with provisions of relevant laws
and regulations described as having a direct effect on the financial
statements;

·    enquiring of management, the Audit and Risk committee and in-house
legal counsel concerning actual and potential litigation and claims;

·    performing analytical procedures to identify any unusual or
unexpected relationships that may indicate risks of material misstatement due
to fraud;

·    reading minutes of meetings of those charged with governance,
reviewing internal audit reports and reviewing correspondence with HMRC and
the Charity Commission; and

·    in addressing the risk of fraud through management override of
controls, testing the appropriateness of journal entries and other
adjustments; assessing whether the judgements made in making accounting
estimates are indicative of a potential bias; and evaluating the business
rationale of any significant transactions that are unusual or outside the
normal course of business.

We also communicated relevant identified laws and regulations and potential
fraud risks to all engagement team member, including internal specialists, and
remained alert to any indications of fraud or non-compliance with laws and
regulations throughout the audit.

Report on other legal and regulatory requirements

12. Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

 

 

13. Matters on which we are required to report by exception

13.1.         Adequacy of explanations received and accounting records

Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required to report to you if, in our
opinion:

·    we have not received all the information and explanations we require
for our audit; or

·    adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate
for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

·    the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting
records and returns.

 

13.2.         Directors' remuneration

Under the Companies Act 2006 we are also required to report if in our opinion
certain disclosures of directors' remuneration have not been made.

14. Other matters which we are required to address

14.1.         Auditor tenure

Following the recommendation of the Audit and Risk committee, we were
appointed by the directors on 14 December 2015 to audit the financial
statements for the year ending 30 September 2016 and subsequent financial
periods. The period of total uninterrupted engagement including previous
renewals and reappointments of the firm is 10 years, covering the years ending
30 September 2016 to 30 September 2025. Following the tender on 24 July 2025,
we were reappointed by the Trust to audit the financial statements from 30
September 2026 to 2035.

14.2.         Consistency of the audit report with the additional
report to the Audit and Risk committee

Our audit opinion is consistent with the additional report to the Audit and
Risk Committee we are required to provide in accordance with ISAs (UK).

15. Use of our report

This report is made solely to the company's member, as a body, in accordance
with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been
undertaken so that we might state to the company's member those matters we are
required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To
the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility
to anyone other than the company and the company's member as a body, for our
audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

 

 

Garrath Marshall, ACA (Statutory auditor)

For and on behalf of Deloitte LLP

Statutory Auditor

London, United Kingdom

12 January 2026

 

 

Wellcome Trust Finance plc

Income Statement

For the year ended 30 September 2025

 

                                                                                        Year ended                                                      Year ended

                                                                                        30 September                                                    30 September

                                                                                        2025                                                            2024

                                                Note      £                                                           £
 Turnover                                       3         29,068,750                                                  29,099,490
 Cost of sales                                  4         (25,826,217)                                                 (25,876,674)
 Operating profit                                         3,242,533                                                   3,222,816
 Administrative expenses                        5                                                                      (101,545)

                                                          (62,641)

 Interest receivable on cash deposits                     132,972                                                     182,610
 Interest expense                               6          -                                                           (139,230)
 Profit on ordinary activities before taxation            3,312,864                                                    3,164,651
 Tax credit on profit from ordinary activities  9         -                                                                              824,638
 Profit after taxation                                                                      3,312,864                                  3,989,289

 

All results are derived from continuing activities.

 

The Company has no gains or losses other than the results for the financial
year as set out above, and therefore no separate Statement of Comprehensive
Income has been presented.

 

The notes form part of these Financial Statements.

 

 

Wellcome Trust Finance plc

Statement of Financial Position

As at 30 September 2025

 

                                                                         As at                   As at

                                                                         30 September 2025       30 September 2024
                                                           Note          £                       £

 Fixed assets
 Loans to Parent undertakings                              10             676,000,000             676,000,000

 Current assets
 Amounts owed by Parent undertaking                                      3,476,460                        3,503,367
 Accrued interest on loans                                               5,415,548                        5,415,548
 Prepayments                                                             10,446                           10,081
 Cash at bank and in hand                                                4,847,925                        4,248,359
 Total current assets                                                    13,750,379                       13,177,355

 Total assets                                                            689,750,379                      689,177,355
 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year            11            (8,094,600)                      (7,910,293)
 Net current assets                                                      5,655,779                        5,267,062

 Total assets less current liabilities                                   681,655,779                      681,267,062
                                                           11            (544,155,779)                    (543,767,062)

 Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year

 Net assets                                                              137,500,000                      137,500,000

 Capital and reserves
 Called up share capital                                   12            137,500,000                      137,500,000
 Retained earnings / (losses)                                            -                                -
 Total shareholders' funds                                               137,500,000                      137,500,000

 

 

The Financial Statements were approved by the Board of Directors and
authorised for issue on 12 January 2026 and signed on its behalf by:

 

 

 

Karen Chadwick

Director

12 January 2026

 

Wellcome Trust Finance Plc

Wellcome Trust Finance plc

Statement of Changes in Equity

For the year ended 30 September 2025

 

 

                                 Note  Called Up Share Capital  Retained Earnings                                                       Total Shareholders' Funds
                                       £                        £                                                                       £

 At 1 October 2023                     137,500,000              (1,949,709)                                                             135,550,291

 Profit for the financial year          -                        3,989,289                                                              3,989,289
 Repayment of gift aid donation         -                       1,125,071                                                               1,125,071
 Gift Aid Donation                      -                       (3,164,651)                                                             (3,164,651)
 Total comprehensive income             -                       1,949,709                                                               1,949,709

 At 30 September 2024            12    137,500,000                                               -                                      137,500,000

 At 1 October 2024                     137,500,000              -                                                                       137,500,000

 Profit for the financial year          -                       3,312,864                                                               3,312,864
 Gift Aid Donation                      -                       (3,312,864)                                                             (3,312,864)
 Total comprehensive income             -                       -                                                                       -

 At 30 September 2025            12    137,500,000                                               -                                      137,500,000

 

Wellcome Trust Finance plc

Notes to the Financial Statements

For the year ended 30 September 2025

 

1.   ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The Financial Statements are prepared in accordance with applicable United
Kingdom law and United Kingdom accounting standards.  The accounting policies
which have been adopted consistently in the current and prior year are
described below.

 

(a)   Statement of compliance

The Company, a public limited company, is incorporated and domiciled in
England and Wales, United Kingdom under the Companies Act. The address of the
registered office is given in the Administrative Details section. The nature
of the Company's operations and its principal activities are set out in the
Strategic Report.

 

The Company is a wholly owned subsidiary undertaking of the Wellcome Trust
through its corporate trustee, The Wellcome Trust Limited, and is included in
the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Wellcome Trust, which are
publicly available.

 

The Financial Statements have been prepared on a going concern basis as well
as in accordance with applicable UK accounting standards (UK Generally
Accepted Accounting Practice), including Financial Reporting Standard 102 the
Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and the Republic
of Ireland ("FRS 102"). Refer to the Directors' report for more information.

 

The functional and presentational currency of the Company is pounds Sterling.
Most of transactions undertaken by the Company are denominated in pounds
Sterling.

 

The Company meets the definition of a qualifying entity under FRS 102 and has
therefore taken advantage of the disclosure exemptions available to it.
Exemptions have been taken in relation to financial instruments, the
presentation of a Statement of Cash Flows, related party disclosures, Pillar 2
disclosure requirements and the exposure to Pillar 2 income tax. The
equivalent disclosures relating to the exemptions have been included in the
Consolidated Financial Statements of the Wellcome Trust at
wellcome.org/news-and-reports/reports
(https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwellcome.org%2Fnews-and-reports%2Freports&data=05%7C01%7CC.Raja%40wellcome.org%7C9aff3eeef9754ccfb7d708daaaa5eed7%7C3b7a675a1fc84983a100cc52b7647737%7C0%7C0%7C638009926893051384%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=8AQMwx0mwLcz%2FB%2FBH%2FHaFt2q25rt0s7Z%2FzhbiInOmbk%3D&reserved=0)
.

 

(b) Summary of significant accounting policies

The principal accounting policies applied in the preparation of these
Financial Statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently
applied to all years presented, unless otherwise stated.

 

Basis of preparation

The Financial Statements have been prepared under the historical cost
convention. The preparation of Financial Statements in conformity with FRS 102
requires the use of certain significant accounting estimates. It also requires
management to exercise its judgement in the process of applying the Company's
accounting policies. The areas involving more judgement or complexity, or
areas where assumptions and estimates are significant to the Financial
Statements are disclosed in note 2.

 

(i)            Income

Income is interest derived from loans to Wellcome Trust. Income is calculated
using the effective interest rate method and is recognised on an accruals
basis. Interest is earned on amounts due from the Parent undertaking which are
repayable on demand or repayable on agreement between the Company and Wellcome
Trust.

 

(ii)           Cost of sales

Expenditure is the effective interest on the Bond liabilities (as described in
Bond Liabilities section below) and is recognised on an accruals basis and
recognised in the statement of income and retained earnings.

 

(iii)          Gift Aid

The amount of Gift Aid donation recognised for each period is equal to the
estimated taxable profits of the Company for that period at the time of the
approval of the Financial Statements. Gift Aid donation payments made within
nine months after the balance sheet date are equal to the estimated taxable
profits of the Company for the period at the time of payment. Any difference
between the Gift Aid donation accrued and Gift Aid donation paid is recognised
at the time of payment.

 

(iv)          Taxation

Although subject to taxation, the Company does not pay UK Corporation Tax
because its policy is to donate taxable profits as Gift Aid to the Wellcome
Trust. However, in the prior year the Company paid a tax liability of
£1,125,071 in relation to interim Gift Aid donations in previous years not
made in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

 

Subject to the above, current tax, including UK corporation tax and foreign
tax, is provided at amounts expected to be paid (or recovered) using the tax
rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the balance
sheet date.

 

(v)           Financial assets and liabilities

The Company has chosen to adopt Sections 11 and 12 of FRS 102 in respect of
financial instruments. Financial assets and financial liabilities are
recognised when the Group becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the
instrument.

 

Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the
substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. All financial assets
and liabilities are initially measured at transaction price (including
transaction costs), and subsequently at amortised cost.

 

Financial assets which qualify as basic financial instruments as laid out in
FRS 102 paragraph 11.8, including trade and other receivables and cash and
bank balances, are subsequently valued at amortised cost and assessed for
impairment at the end of each reporting period. Financial assets and
liabilities are only offset in the Statement of Financial Position when, and
only when, a legally enforceable right exists to set off the recognised
amounts and the Group intends either to settle on a net basis, or to realise
the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

 

Financial assets are derecognised when and only when (a) the contractual
rights to the cash flows from the financial asset expire or are settled, (b)
the Company transfers to another party substantially all of the risks and
rewards of ownership of the financial asset, or (c) the Company, despite
having retained some, but not all, significant risks and rewards of ownership,
has transferred control of the asset to another party.

 

Financial liabilities are derecognised only when the obligation specified in
the contract is discharged, cancelled or expires.

 

Loans to Parent undertakings

The loans are not quoted in an active market. The loans were recognised
initially at fair value and after initial recognition are measured at
amortised cost using the effective interest method.

 

Bond Liabilities

The initial measurement of the liability is equal to the proceeds of issue
less all transaction costs directly attributable to the issue for each Bond.
After initial recognition the liability is measured at amortised cost using
the effective interest method. The Company is not required to, and therefore
does not, recognise any adjustment to fair value in the Statement of Financial
Position and Statement of Income and Retained Earnings.

 

 

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING JUDGEMENTS AND KEY SOURCES OF ESTIMATION UNCERTAINTY

 

Estimates and judgements are continually evaluated and are based on historical
experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are
believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.

 

Accounting judgements

The Company has made no significant accounting judgements in the application
of the Company's accounting policies that have a significant risk of causing a
material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within
the next financial year.

 

Significant accounting estimates and assumptions

The Company has made no significant accounting estimates and assumptions in
the application of the Company's accounting policies that have a significant
risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and
liabilities within the next financial year.

 

 

3. TURNOVER

                                                                             2025        2024
                                                                             £           £
 Interest receivable on loans to Parent undertaking                          29,068,750  29,099,490
 Total turnover                                                              29,068,750  29,099,490

 

Interest receivable on loans to Parent undertakings in the UK (see note 10) is
the effective interest on:

·      Loan A to Wellcome Trust at a fixed rate of 4.75%;

·      Loan C to Wellcome Trust at fixed rate of 4.00%; and

·      Loan D to Wellcome Trust at fixed rate of 4.125%.

 

All income is derived from the United Kingdom.

 

 

4. COST OF SALES

                                                                   2025           2024
                                                                   £              £
 Interest payable on bond liabilities                              25,826,217     25,876,674
 Total cost of sales                                               25,826,217     25,876,674

 

 

5. ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES

                                                                                                           2025                                                         2024
                                                                                                                                        £                               £
 Legal fees                                                                                                                     -                                                            41,352
 Auditor's remuneration                                                                                                         39,684                                                       34,620
 Rating agency fees                                                                                                            19,482                                                       18,852
 Tax compliance                                                                                                                   3,350                                 6,600
 Bank charges                                                                                                                        125                                121
 Total administrative expenses                                                                             62,641                                                       101,545

 

Auditor's remuneration is solely in relation to the statutory audit of the
Financial Statements.

 

 

6. INTEREST EXPENSE

 

During the current year, the Company paid an interest expense of £nil (2024:
£139,230).

 

 

7. EMPLOYEE INFORMATION

 

The Company has no employees (2024: nil). Employees of The Wellcome Trust
Limited (acting as trustee of the Wellcome Trust) undertake the administration
of the Company at no incremental cost to the Wellcome Trust.

 

 

8. REMUNERATION OF DIRECTORS

 

The Directors of the Company received no remuneration from the Company for
their services. There were no Directors for whom retirement benefits provided
by the Company are accruing under a money purchase or defined benefit scheme.
The Company does not issue share options or offer any long-term incentive
schemes, so there were no Directors who exercised share options during the
year or became entitled to shares under a long-term incentive scheme.

 

9. TAX CREDIT ON PROFIT FROM ORDINARY ACTIVITIES

 

The profits of the Company for the year will be paid under Gift Aid to the
Wellcome Trust, a charity registered in England under the UK Charities Act
2011 (registered charity number 210183). There is no difference between
retained profit/(loss) and taxable profits, so there is no provision required
for deferred tax.

                                                                                                       2025         2024
                                                                                                       £            £
 Profit before tax                                                                              3,312,864           3,164,651

 Current tax charge for the year:
 Tax on profit on ordinary activities at standard corporation tax rate of 25%                          828,216      791,163
 (2024: 25%)

 Tax relief on gift aid donations                                                                      (828, 216)   (791,163)

 Adjustment to tax charge in respect of previous periods                                               -            (824,638)

 Total current tax credit                                                                              -            (824,638)

 

The standard rate of corporation tax applied to taxable profit is 25% per cent
(2024: 25%).

 

As per the tax note above, Wellcome Trust Finance plc generated accounting
profits before tax of £3,312,864 in the year. Following adjustments for
corporation tax purposes, any current year taxable profits have been
extinguished to £nil due to qualifying charitable donations ("Gift Aid") to
be paid to Wellcome Trust.

 

 

10. LOANS TO PARENT UNDERTAKING

 

                         Principal amount  Interest rate per annum     Loan anniversary date     Amortised cost  Amortised cost

                                                                                                 2025            2024

                         £                 %                                                     £               £
 Non Current Assets
 Loan A                  245,500,000       4.750                        25 July                  245,500,000     245,500,000
 Loan C                  280,500,000       4.000                        25 July                  280,500,000     280,500,000
 Loan D                  150,000,000       4.125                        25 July                  150,000,000     150,000,000
                         676,000,000                                                             676,000,000     676,000,000

 

 

 

Loans to Parent undertakings are loans (the "Loans") to Wellcome Trust (Loan
A, Loan C and Loan D). The principal under Loan A is repayable on demand by
the Company. The principal under Loan C and Loan D is repayable on agreement
between the Company and Wellcome Trust. The Loans have an agreed repayment
date on 25 July 2036 (Loan A, Loan C and Loan D). Each Loan has a fixed
redemption value equal to the principal amount and a fixed interest rate.

 

 

11. CREDITORS

                                                                       2025         2024
                                                                       £            £
 Accruals                                                              42,695       6,601
 Gift Aid due to the Wellcome Trust                                    3,312,864    3,164,651
 Bond liabilities                                                      4,739,041    4,739,041
 Total creditors: amounts falling due within one year                  8,094,600    7,910,293
 Bond liabilities                                                      544,155,779  543,767,062
 Falling due after five years                                          544,155,779  543,767,062

 Total creditors: amounts falling due after one year                   544,155,779  543,767,062

 

The Bond liabilities are stated at the amortised cost using the effective
interest method for the £550 million 4.625% Guaranteed Bonds due July 2036
("£550 million Bonds"), issued by the Company on 25 July 2006. The Bond
liabilities falling due within one year are the unpaid coupon interest accrued
for the year to 30 September 2025. The interest payment to the Bond holders is
at a fixed rate of 4.625% per annum (£550 million Bonds) and is paid in
arrears on 25 July each year until repayment of the Bond principal. The bond
repayment and amounts receivable from group companies are aligned in timing
for liquidity management. Effective interest on bond liabilities is shown as
Cost of Sales in the Statement of Income and Retained Earnings.

 

The obligation of the Company on the Bonds is governed by a Trust Deed dated
25 July 2006 (£550 million Bonds) between the Company, The Wellcome Trust
Limited, as trustee of the Wellcome Trust, and Citicorp Trustee Company
Limited, as the trustee for the holders of the Bonds (the "Trust Deed"). The
payment of all amounts due in respect of the Bonds is unconditionally and
irrevocably guaranteed pursuant to the terms of a guarantee given by The
Wellcome Trust Limited, as corporate trustee of the Wellcome Trust; the
guarantee is part of the Trust Deed.

 

 

12. CALLED UP SHARE CAPITAL

                                                                                        2025                                  2024
                                                                       Number           £                                     £
 Issued and fully paid ordinary shares of £1 each                      137,500,000                   137,500,000                      137,500,000

 

 

13. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

The Company has taken advantage of the exemption contained in FRS 102 Section
33 paragraph 33.1A3 "Related Party Disclosures", which exempts it from
disclosing details of transactions with the Wellcome Trust and its subsidiary
undertakings, as the Company and its related undertakings with whom it may
have transactions are wholly owned subsidiaries of the Wellcome Trust through
its corporate trustee, The Wellcome Trust Limited. There are no other related
party transactions requiring disclosure.

 

 

14. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

 

The Company's financial instruments comprise the loans to Parent undertaking
and the liability arising from the issue of the Bonds. The Company's loans are
non-derivative financial assets with fixed payments which are not available
for sale. The Bond liability is a non-derivative financial liability with a
fixed redemption value, fixed interest rate and fixed maturity date. The
Company has not undertaken any trading in financial instruments during the
year.

 

The financial instruments issued by, or held by, the Company are Sterling
denominated and at fixed interest rates and carry no foreign exchange risk or
interest rate risk.

 

The key risks relating to the financial instruments held by the Company are
the credit risk and liquidity risk of the counterparty Wellcome Trust. These
risks are in respect of the Wellcome Trust's ability to meet the interest and
principal payments as they fall due. The total value exposed to credit risk as
at 30 September 2025 is £689.8 million (2024: £689.2 million), which
comprises the value of the loans to Parent undertaking, amounts owed by the
Parent undertaking, accrued interest on loans and cash at bank and in hand.
The liquidity risk of the Company is mitigated by the exact matching of the
cash flows from the Company's loans to the Parent undertaking to those arising
on the Bond Liabilities.

 

Credit risk exposure of the Company's loans is reduced by the Company only
advancing loans to its Parent undertaking. Credit risk exposure of the
Company's remaining financial assets is reduced by stringent selection
procedures for any external counterparties with which the Company transacts.

 

 

15. COMMITMENTS

 

The Company has no outstanding commitments at 30 September 2025 (2024: £nil).

 

 

16. ULTIMATE PARENT UNDERTAKING AND CONTROLLING PARTY

 

The Company is a company limited by shares. Its sole shareholder is the
Wellcome Trust through its corporate trustee, The Wellcome Trust Limited,
whose place of business is Gibbs Building, 215 Euston Road, London, United
Kingdom. The Company is considered a wholly owned subsidiary undertaking of
the Wellcome Trust for accounting purposes and its assets and liabilities have
been consolidated with those of the Wellcome Trust as required by section 9 of
FRS 102.

 

The ultimate parent undertaking and controlling party of the Company is the
Wellcome Trust, which is the parent undertaking of the smallest and largest
group to consolidate these Financial Statements.

 

Copies of the Wellcome Trust Annual Report and Financial Statements 2025 are
available from Wellcome's website (wellcome.org/news-and-reports/reports
(https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwellcome.org%2Fnews-and-reports%2Freports&data=05%7C01%7CC.Raja%40wellcome.org%7C9aff3eeef9754ccfb7d708daaaa5eed7%7C3b7a675a1fc84983a100cc52b7647737%7C0%7C0%7C638009926893051384%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=8AQMwx0mwLcz%2FB%2FBH%2FHaFt2q25rt0s7Z%2FzhbiInOmbk%3D&reserved=0)
) or from the Company Secretary.

 

 

17. EVENTS AFTER THE END OF THE REPORTING PERIOD

 

There have been no subsequent events requiring disclosure.

 

 

Wellcome Trust Finance plc

Administrative Details

As at 30 September 2025

 

Directors

 

Karen Chadwick

Nicholas Moakes

Fabian Thehos

 

 

Company Secretary

 

Christopher Bird

 

 

Registered Company Number

 

5857955

 

 

Registered Office

 

Gibbs Building

215 Euston Road

London

NW1 2BE

 

 

Independent Auditor

 

Deloitte LLP

Statutory Auditor

1 New Street Square

London

EC4A 3HQ

 

 

Banker

 

HSBC Bank plc

31 Holborn Circus

Holborn

London

EC1N 2HR

 

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.   END  FR AKBBKCBKDPDD



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