SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
Report of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
03 March, 2003
BT Group plc
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
BT Centre
81 Newgate Street
London
EC1A 7AJ
England
(Address of principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F..X... Form 40-F.....
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the
information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the
information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes ..... No ..X..
If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the
registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- ________
Enclosures:
1. BT Launches Partnership announcement made on 3 February 2003
2. Technical Interest Adjustment announcement made on 4 February 2003
3. Re-investment of dividends announcement made on 12 February 2003
4. Technical Interest Adjustment announcement made on 27 February 2003
Enclosure: 1
February 3, 2003
BT, COLLER CAPITAL AND NEW VENTURE PARTNERS LAUNCH CORPORATE VENTURE PARTNERSHIP
BT to boost value from research and technology innovation through new venturing
partnership
BT today announced that BTexact Technologies, its advanced research and
technology business, has teamed up with Coller Capital and New Venture Partners
(NVP) to create a new, independent corporate venturing partnership to be known
as NVP Brightstar.
NVP Brightstar will have the exclusive rights to create new start-up businesses
with BTexact using BT's extensive and developing intellectual property
portfolio. It is expected to begin activities in March 2003 and will initially
purchase the majority of the existing portfolio of technology ventures developed
by BTexact's corporate incubator, Brightstar. An office will be located in
Ipswich, UK.
Coller Capital, the UK-based global private equity secondaries investment
manager, will purchase a majority stake with BT retaining approximately 23 per
cent of NVP Brightstar. New Venture Partners, the US-based venture capital firm,
will oversee and manage investment decisions for NVP Brightstar and provide
funding for further new ventures. The total capital commitments of the parties
is approximately $100m.
Stewart Davies, chief executive of BTexact Technologies, said: "BT's objective
is to gain maximum value from continuing investment and innovation in research
and technology development. Brightstar is already a success story and setting up
NVP Brightstar in conjunction with Coller Capital and New Venture Partners to
create the leading global corporate venture development organisation will enable
us to realise even more value from current and future intellectual property.
This venturing unit complements BT's existing patent technology licensing
programme for which it has an exclusive long-term arrangement with Silicon
Valley-based IPVALUE Management Inc.
"This deal is not only good for BT, it's good for the UK too. Because of the
organisations involved in NVP Brightstar we expect that our natural
determination to innovate and the intellectual property under development by
BTexact will attract further interest resulting in many more UK-based
high-technology businesses and jobs."
Jeremy Coller, chief executive officer of Coller Capital, said: "This important
investment initiative further confirms that we are the partner of choice in
complex private equity secondaries. BTexact has a globally-recognised and
outstanding research ability, which continues to strengthen its lead in the
technology sector. This transaction adds neatly to our portfolio of high-quality
technology assets, which includes our acquisition last year of an 80 per cent
stake in Bell Labs' in-house venture portfolio, managed by the spinout team now
called New Venture Partners, the most successful US corporate venture capital
group."
Andrew Garman, managing partner of New Venture Partners, said: "Our deep
expertise in new venture development, together with BTexact's powerful R&D
capability, and Coller Capital's global transactional experience will allow us
to maximise the value of NVP Brightstar's existing portfolio and generate a
significant number of new technology investment opportunities."
NVP Brightstar's initial portfolio of businesses based on BTexact's intellectual
property (IP) will include:
- a.p.solve, the provider of intelligent fieldforce management solutions;
- Azure, the telecoms revenue assurance specialist;
- Evolved Networks, the provider of artificial-intelligence-based software
that automates telecoms network design and provisioning, delivering
substantial time and cost savings;
- Microwave Photonics, developer of new enabling technology that will
revolutionise enterprise wireless LANs (WiFi) and mobile cellular
infrastructure.
Brightstar was set up in 2000 to develop ventures based on the people and
technology of BTexact. It has provided seed funding for internal start-ups, in
which groups of BT's brightest technologists are given the chance to develop
their technology ideas into fledgling ventures whilst still under the BT
umbrella. Brightstar has now successfully created and spun out nine companies,
raising $55 million in venture capital funding.
---------------------
Inquiries about this news release should be made to the BT Group Newsroom on
its 24-hour number: 020 7356 5369. From outside the UK, dial + 44 20 7356 5369.
All BT Group news releases can be accessed at our web site:
www.btplc.com/mediacentre
About BTexact Technologies
BTexact Technologies helps businesses and organisations gain maximum advantage
from communications technology. It creates value and competitive advantage by
combining deep knowledge of networks and networked applications with proven
skills in business consulting, change management and innovation.
BTexact's services are focused to help customers assess the value and
performance of communications technologies and systems, identify potential risks
and ensure they gain maximum advantage from investments in communications
technologies and applications.
Its employees include many who are world leaders in their specialist fields,
working at the forefront of standards development and new technologies in areas
including multimedia, IP and data networks, mobile communications, network
design and management, and business applications. For more information about
BTexact Technologies, please go to www.btexact.com
In 2002, as part of its strategy to increase value from intellectual property,
BTexact announced an exclusive long-term arrangement for an intellectual
property commercialisation programme in the US and Canada with Silicon
Valley-based IPVALUE Management Inc. IPVALUE partners with large global
companies to realise value from their intellectual property asset portfolios.
IPVALUE, founded by the iFormation Group, is funded by Goldman Sachs, General
Atlantic Partners and The Boston Consulting Group. More information about
IPVALUE can be found at www.ipvalue.com.
About Coller Capital Ltd
Coller Capital is a specialist investment manager that, since its formation in
1990, has become the leading global investor in private equity "secondaries"-
that is, in the purchase of stakes in venture capital, buyout and mezzanine
investments or portfolios of companies from their original investors. Including
its latest fund, Coller International Partners IV (CIP IV)-at $2.5 billion, the
largest global secondaries fund created to date, by far-the firm has in excess
of $3.5 billion under management.
Coller Capital is dedicated to making a difference as a pioneer and leader of
global private equity secondaries. In 1994, the firm launched the first European
secondaries fund, and in 1998 the first global secondaries fund. In mid-1998, in
what was at the time the largest secondaries purchase ever, Coller Capital
acquired the private equity portfolio of the US-based Shell Pension Trust,
valued at $265 million. Two years later, in what is still the largest-ever
secondaries transaction, Coller Capital led the $1 billion purchase of the
former National Westminster Bank portfolio of private equity interests,
involving 292 companies, from the Royal Bank of Scotland. In December 2001,
Coller Capital purchased a majority stake in the first significant portfolio of
in-house venture companies from Bell Labs, comprising 27 technology companies.
Today, Coller Capital is widely recognised as the world's leading secondaries
group and is the second-largest owner of companies by number in the UK, after
3i.
For more information about Coller Capital, visit its web site at
www.collercapital.com
About New Venture Partners LLC
New Venture Partners collaborates closely with corporate and institutional
laboratories to create independent new ventures. Its professionals take a
hands-on approach to identifying, incubating, and forming companies based on
advanced technology and underutilised existing company product lines.
The management team originally came together as the Lucent New Ventures Group,
developing spinouts from Bell Labs. New Venture Partners, with a syndicate led
by Coller Capital, acquired the former Bell Labs portfolio of 27 companies in
December 2001, as the starting point for its independent operation as a venture
capital firm. Its recent successes include Flarion, Watchmark, Intrado, Celiant
(now part of Andrew Corp.), and Ibiquity Digital.
For more information about NVP, see the web site www.nvpllc.com
About NVP Brightstar
NVP Brightstar is the name identified with NV Partners IV LP, a Cayman Islands
exempted limited partnership, in its venture activities. NVP Brightstar will be
managed by NVPM LLC, a Delaware limited liability company within the New Venture
Partners family of companies.
For further information, contact:
BTexact Technologies
David Pincott, Pirate Communications, T: +44 (0) 207 760 7052, Mob: +44 (0) 7866
261198 or email: david@piratecomms.com
Justine Manche, Pirate Communications, T: +44 (0) 207 760 7053, Mob: +44 (0)
7811 164724 or email: justine@piratecomms.com
Coller Capital
Shona Prendergast, Penrose Financial, T: +44 (0) 207 786 4884 or email
shonap@penrose.co.uk
Roy Winnick (in US), Kekst and Company, T: 001 212 521 4842 or email
roy-winnick@kekst.com
NVP
David Bikle, Mob (in US): 001 201-240-9839, T: 001 201-871-0104 or email
dapabi@aol.com
END
Enclosure: 2
SCHEDULE 11
NOTIFICATION OF INTERESTS OF DIRECTORS AND CONNECTED PERSONS
1) Name of company
BT Group plc
2. Name of Director
Sir Christopher Bland
Ben Verwaayen
Ian Livingston
Pierre Danon
Andy Green
Paul Reynolds
3) Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of
holding of the shareholder name in 2 above or in respect of a non-beneficial
interest or in the case of an individual holder if it is a holding of that
person's spouse or children under the age of 18 or in respect of a
non-beneficial interest.
Adjustment in technical interest of the above directors
4) Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the number
of shares held by each of them (if notified)
Ilford Trustees (Jersey) Limited
5) Please state whether notification relates to a person(s) connected with
the Director named in 2 above and identify the connected person(s)
n/a
6) Please state the nature of the transaction. For PEP transactions please
indicated whether general/single co PEP and if discretionary/non discretionary
Adjustment in technical interest of the above directors
7) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired:
30,055 shares vesting to participant in BT Group Retention Share Plan
8) Percentage of issued class
n/a
9) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed
n/a
10) Percentage of issued class
n/a
11) Class of security
Ordinary shares of 5p each
12) Price per share
n/a
13. Date of transaction
31 January 2003
14) Date Company informed
03 February 2003
15) Total holding following this notification
n/a
16) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification
n/a
If a director has been granted options by the company please complete the
following boxes
17) Date of grant
n/a
18) Period during which or date on which exercisable
n/a
19) Total amount paid (if any) for grant of the option
n/a
20) Description of shares or debentures involved: class, number
n/a
21) Exercise price (if fixed at time of grant) or indication that price is
to be fixed at time of exercise
n/a
22. Total number of shares or debentures over which options held following this
notification
n/a
23) Any additional information
The above named Directors have technical interests, as at 04 February 2003 under
Section 13 of the Companies Act as follows:
- A technical interest, together with all employees of BT Group plc in
15,876,189 Ordinary Shares held by the Trustee, The Royal Bank of Scotland
Trust Company (Jersey) Limited;
- A technical interest, together with all employees of BT Group plc in
31,834,694 Ordinary Shares held by Ilford Trustees (Jersey) Limited in
respect of contingent awards under executive share plans;
- A technical interest, together with all employees of BT Group plc in
73,069 Ordinary Shares held in the name of BT Employee Shares Trustees
Limited.
- A technical interest, together with all employees of BT Group plc, in
18,002 ordinary shares held in the name of Halifax Corporate Trustees
Limited.
24) Name of contact and telephone number for queries
Graeme Wheatley 020 7356 6372
25) Name of signature or authorised company official responsible for making
this notification
Graeme Wheatley
Date of Notification: 04 February 2003
END
Enclosure: 3
SCHEDULE 11
NOTIFICATION OF INTERESTS OF DIRECTORS AND CONNECTED PERSONS
1) Name of company
BT Group plc
2. Name of Director
Sir Christopher Bland
Ben Verwaayen
Ian Livingston
Pierre Danon
Andy Green
Paul Reynolds
3) Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of
holding of the shareholder name in 2 above or in respect of a non-beneficial
interest or in the case of an individual holder if it is a holding of that
person's spouse or children under the age of 18 or in respect of a
non-beneficial interest.
Increase in shares under executive share award plans for the above Directors
following dividend re-investment
4) Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the number
of shares held by each of them (if notified)
Ilford Trustees (Jersey) Limited
5) Please state whether notification relates to a person(s) connected with
the Director named in 2 above and identify the connected person(s)
n/a
6) Please state the nature of the transaction. For PEP transactions please
indicated whether general/single co PEP and if discretionary/non discretionary
Increase in shares under executive share award plans for the above Directors
following dividend re-investment
7) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired:
Sir Christopher Bland - 3,995 shares
Ben Verwaayen - 11,003 shares
Ian Livingston - 7,757 shares
Pierre Danon - 5,353 shares
Andy Green - 5,333 shares
Paul Reynolds - 3,659 shares
8) Percentage of issued class
n/a
9) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed
n/a
10) Percentage of issued class
n/a
11) Class of security
Ordinary shares of 5p each
12) Price per share
177p per share
13. Date of transaction
10 February 2003
14) Date Company informed
11 February 2003
15) Total holding following this notification
Sir Christopher Bland
Personal holding - 673,876;
Contingent awards - 318,308.
Ben Verwaayen
Personal holding - 387,876;
Contingent awards - 876,750.
Ian Livingston
Personal holding - 110,444;
Contingent awards - 618,093.
Pierre Danon
Personal holding - 103,382;
Contingent awards - 430,425.
Andy Green
Personal holding - 85,729;
Contingent awards - 447,901.
Paul Reynolds
Personal holding - 43,070;
Contingent awards - 302,176.
16) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification
n/a
If a director has been granted options by the company please complete the
following boxes
17) Date of grant
n/a
18) Period during which or date on which exercisable
n/a
19) Total amount paid (if any) for grant of the option
n/a
20) Description of shares or debentures involved: class, number
n/a
21) Exercise price (if fixed at time of grant) or indication that price is
to be fixed at time of exercise
n/a
22. Total number of shares or debentures over which options held following this
notification
No change
23) Any additional information
The above named Directors have technical interests, as at 11 February 2003 under
Section 13 of the Companies Act as follows:
- A technical interest, together with all employees of BT Group plc in
15,876,189 Ordinary Shares held by the Trustee, The Royal Bank of Scotland
Trust Company (Jersey) Limited;
- A technical interest, together with all employees of BT Group plc in
31,863,653 Ordinary Shares held by Ilford Trustees (Jersey) Limited in
respect of contingent awards under executive share plans;
- A technical interest, together with all employees of BT Group plc in
73,069 Ordinary Shares held in the name of BT Employee Shares Trustees
Limited.
- A technical interest, together with all Employees of BT Group plc, in
18,002 ordinary shares held in the name of Halifax Corporate trustees
Limited.
24) Name of contact and telephone number for queries
Graeme Wheatley 020 7356 6372
25) Name of signature or authorised company official responsible for making
this notification
Graeme Wheatley
Date of Notification: 12 February 2003
END
Enclosure: 4
SCHEDULE 11
NOTIFICATION OF INTERESTS OF DIRECTORS AND CONNECTED PERSONS
1) Name of company
BT Group plc
2. Name of Director
Sir Christopher Bland
Ben Verwaayen
Ian Livingston
Pierre Danon
Andy Green
Paul Reynolds
3) Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of
holding of the shareholder name in 2 above or in respect of a non-beneficial
interest or in the case of an individual holder if it is a holding of that
person's spouse or children under the age of 18 or in respect of a
non-beneficial interest.
Adjustment in technical interest of the above directors
4) Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the number
of shares held by each of them (if notified)
Halifax Corporate Trustees Ltd
5) Please state whether notification relates to a person(s) connected with
the Director named in 2 above and identify the connected person(s)
n/a
6) Please state the nature of the transaction. For PEP transactions please
indicated whether general/single co PEP and if discretionary/non discretionary
Adjustment in technical interest of the above directors
7) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired:
Recovery of 1690 BT Group shares by Halifax Corporate Trustees Limited as
Trustee of the BT Group Employee Share Investment Plan from awards made to
non-eligible individuals.
8) Percentage of issued class
n/a
9) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed
n/a
10) Percentage of issued class
n/a
11) Class of security
Ordinary shares of 5p each
12) Price per share
n/a
13. Date of transaction
25 February 2003
14) Date Company informed
26 February 2003
15) Total holding following this notification
n/a
16) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification
n/a
If a director has been granted options by the company please complete the
following boxes
17) Date of grant
n/a
18) Period during which or date on which exercisable
n/a
19) Total amount paid (if any) for grant of the option
n/a
20) Description of shares or debentures involved: class, number
n/a
21) Exercise price (if fixed at time of grant) or indication that price is
to be fixed at time of exercise
n/a
22. Total number of shares or debentures over which options held following this
notification
n/a
23) Any additional information
The above named Directors have technical interests, as at 27 February 2002 under
Section 13 of the Companies Act as follows:
- A technical interest, together with all employees of BT Group plc in
15,876,189 Ordinary Shares held by the Trustee, The Royal Bank of Scotland
Trust Company (Jersey) Limited;
- A technical interest, together with all employees of BT Group plc in
31,863,653 Ordinary Shares held by Ilford Trustees (Jersey) Limited in
respect of contingent awards under executive share plans;
- A technical interest, together with all employees of BT Group plc in
73,069 Ordinary Shares held in the name of BT Employee Shares Trustees
Limited.
- A technical interest, together with all employees of BT Group plc, in
19,692 ordinary shares held in the name of Halifax Corporate Trustees
Limited.
24) Name of contact and telephone number for queries
Graeme Wheatley 020 7356 6372
25) Name of signature or authorised company official responsible for making
this notification
Graeme Wheatley
Date of Notification: 27 February 2003
END
Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
BT Group PLC
(Registrant)
By: /s/ Patricia Day
--------------------
Patricia Day, Assistant Secretary. Head of Shareholder Services
Date 3 March, 2003