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The deadline for Greencore's acquisition of Bakkavor has been extended after an initial agreement in principle for the £1.2 billion deal announced earlier this month.

The deadline by which Greencore was required either to announce a firm intention to make an offer, or confirm that it does not intend to make one, was 5pm on 11 April. This has now been extended to 5pm on 11 May. 

The extension follows three previous takeover bids from Greencore. It made its first proposal on 25 February 2025, which Bakkavor’s board rejected two days later. Following this, Greencore then approached the food group with a revised proposal on 7 March, implying a total equity value of £1.14 billion for Bakkavor. The agreement in principle regarding Greencore's third proposal of £1.2bn was announced on 2 April.

In a statement shared on 11 April, Bakkavor said this extension will allow time to continue discussions on the other terms and conditions of the merger deal.

Should the companies still fail to announce either a firm offer, or that they will not be proceeding with a merger before the deadline, they will be subject to a six-month standstill period. However, there is still potential for the deadline to be extended further.