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The Evolving Annual Report: How Small and Mid-Cap Companies Can Turn Compliance into Opportunity

  HomeScribeStar   : :   ScribeStar News   : :   The Evolving Annual Report: How Small and Mid-Cap Companies Can Turn Compliance into Opportunity

The Evolving Annual Report: How Small and Mid-Cap Companies Can Turn Compliance into Opportunity

The annual report has evolved from a purely financial document into a comprehensive tool that incorporates non-financial information and stakeholder engagement. It now shapes how companies present themselves to investors, analysts, and regulators, extending far beyond financial results.

Investors increasingly value strong governance, ethical practices, and strategic oversight alongside financial performance. This broadening of expectations has increased the complexity of reporting. UK regulators now require standardized disclosures to ensure accuracy and transparency. For small and mid-cap companies, frameworks such as the UK Corporate Governance Code (applied proportionally), Financial Reporting Council (FRC) guidance, and climate-related reporting under TCFD recommendations are increasingly relevant. While smaller companies often face tighter resources and fewer dedicated reporting teams, around 40–50% of FTSE SmallCap companies already report on climate-related risks, and adoption is growing steadily among mid-caps.

Modern investors prioritize a mix of financial, operational, governance, and ESG metrics. Tools for analysis, alongside investor communities like ShareSoc, make it easier for stakeholders to stay informed and shape market sentiment. In this fast-moving environment, timely and transparent reporting helps protect reputation and build trust.

Investor Relations and corporate strategy now play a central role in risk management, governance, and performance oversight. Small and mid-cap companies can gain real insight by taking a holistic view of reporting, rather than relying solely on traditional financial-focused processes.

Shifting perspective

Companies must demonstrate verifiable processes for collecting, generating, and communicating information in line with UK regulations. The Companies (Strategic Report) and Directors’ Report Regulations 2013, updated to include non-financial and operational metrics, require disclosure of strategy, key risks, and performance indicators. Reporting deadlines are becoming more structured: in 2024, the average FTSE SmallCap annual report was published 95 days after year-end, while mid-caps averaged 90 days. These timelines reflect the growing expectations on smaller companies, which often have limited personnel and budgets, making efficiency and automation increasingly important.

Digitization is an opportunity

Reporting has shifted from printed documents to digital, machine-readable formats, with increasing frequency. For small and mid-cap companies, digitizing and centralizing data across business functions not only improves auditability and compliance but also frees up time and resources for strategic initiatives. Implementing the right technology, such as Integrated Reporting Platforms, can turn reporting from a resource-intensive chore into a tool for insight, risk management, and investor engagement. Retroactively patching processes with separate tools can increase risk and cost, whereas embedding solutions into ongoing workflows provides clarity, efficiency, and control.

Self-uploaded Templates

Are documents uploaded by Super Users themselves via ScribeStar’s document upload feature. It’s easy to do, but some users like us to do it for them – in that case we’ll charge you the cost of “additional” templates beyond those

Regular Users

Regular Users will be the team members from your own or other organisations such as juniors in your team, the PR Firm and its clients, accountants and so on.

RNS Templates

RNS templates are forms prescribed by the FCA to be used for ongoing reporting by public companies. On ScribeStar these are pre-formatted and ready for LSE’s RNS Submit upload

Downloads

Means producing offline versions of documents and RNS Submit ready bundles. ScribeStar lets you download Word, PDF, HTML, XML and JSON versions of documents, as well as .csv files of pre-tagged data and information.

Self-uploaded Templates

Are documents uploaded by Super Users themselves via ScribeStar’s document upload feature. It’s easy to do, but some folks like us to do it for themin that case we’ll charge you the cost of “additional” templates beyond those included in your package

Custom Small Template

These are bespoke templates created for you. Tell us what you want or give us a previous document you want us to use for this purpose. Learn more under FAQ!!

Custom Large Templates

Bespoke for you and created in the same way as small ones. The only difference is the extensiveness of the document. Learn more under FAQ!!

Additional Small Template

Any small template you ask us to upload, beyond the ones already included in your package. If you upload it yourself, it will cost you 6 times less versus asking us to do it for you.

Additional Large Template

Any large template you ask us to upload, beyond the ones already included on your package. If you upload it yourself, it will cost you 6 times less versus asking us to do it for you.

Super Users

Super Users manage other users, control the project, the document and the reporting process. Typically, this would be the General Counsel, Company Secretary, CFO, Account Manager at the PR Firm and so on.