• Bloomsbury combines academic and general publishing in different formats and distributes its products through multiple channels. In addition, we operate in multiple countries and sell our products worldwide. This diversified portfolio and customer base, together with our international presence, creates a level of resilience in respect of market or country-specific downturns

• Close monitoring of revenue streams, lists and channels; range and diversity of our content; resilience of demand for strong content

• Continued focus on promoting Non-Consumer sales and BDR products

• Continued focus on acquisition opportunities in Academic and digital publishing to grow the Non-Consumer Division

• Increased marketing and sales activities focused on retaining reader engagement

• Renewed focus on promotion of reading for pleasure including at key travel points

• Ongoing focus on expansion in international markets in order to mitigate against economic downturn in any particular market; international expansion and penetration of new markets, in line with Bloomsbury's strategic priorities.

• Grow expert marketing teams skilled in internet sales.

• Engage with multiple internet retailers and support independent retailers.

• Focus on promoting sales from the Company's own website and on direct sales to customers

• Increase focus on developing other marketing opportunities and other revenue streams, e.g. academic and professional digital products, rights and services

• Develop digital services that deliver mixed Open Access and proprietary content in the form that customers demand and will continue to pay for.

• Director of Research and Open Access manages responses to developments in Open Access publishing and related mandates to ensure the successful transition to sustainable Open Access business models. Business workflow and systems are in the process of being adapted to ensure capacity to operate at scale

• Open Access publishing initiatives are underway to ensure Bloomsbury is well placed to continue to serve its UK academic authors, and in preparation for the adoption of UKRI's proposed policy in respect of monographs from 2024. An example is Bloomsbury Open Collections, an innovative commercial Open Access model. See page 21 for further information

• Digital subscriptions and multiple ebook purchasing models are offered direct to institutions and students

• Develop digital resources and ebook platforms to deliver, direct to institutions and students, the content and flexible pricing models to suit readers' requirements

• Develop a portfolio of high-quality online content services in markets we understand well

• Use third party content and content partnerships to scale up projects more quickly and create economies of scale.

• Continue to invest in internal resource and infrastructure to support product pipeline

• Continue to actively pursue Academic acquisition opportunities with digital potential that will support the scaling up and enhancement of existing digital products and the creation of new ones. 

• Adoption of flexible sales models where budgets for annual subscriptions are restricted

•            Broaden the international institutional customer base so that the Company is not reliant on sales in specific territories

• Adoption of technological measures to enable librarians and administrators to select content according to local and State regulations

• Potential acquisition targets are assessed by the members of the Executive Committee according to strategic and cultural fit. Thorough pre-acquisition due diligence is conducted by relevant functions, including finance, legal, publishing and sales. Capital allocation for acquisitions is determined at Group level and approved by the Board. Integration plans are developed at Divisional level and are implemented by a cross-functional team of experts, with Divisional oversight

• Regular reports are presented to the Board throughout the year on post-acquisition performance, including an assessment of any variation to the expected return on investment

• Advances over a certain limit are required to be authorised by the Chief Executive and Group Finance Director

• Financial forecasts are prepared prior to acquisition to predict commercial success

• Focus on acquiring world rights where possible in order to increase sales opportunities and mitigate the risk posed by competing editions in open markets

• Editorial guidelines and policies in place to guide acquisition decisions

• Clear governance mechanisms in place which assign responsibility for systems security and monitoring

• Implementation of technological security programmes and controls which are kept under review and updated  to address evolving cyber threats 

• Maintenance of appropriate information security and IT acceptable use policies

• Training provided to all staff on cybersecurity risk, including regular phishing simulations

• Appropriate incident response plans in place which include procedures to recover and restore data and systems in the event of a cyber event

• Sensitive personal data is stored securely and protected with password controls or encryption. User access controls are embedded in the Company's finance systems

• Consistent and evidence-based approach to assumptions

• Board approval of key assumptions

•            Ongoing policy of support for copyright and intellectual property rights as a fundamental facet of publishing; active engagement with industry bodies including the UK Publishers Association and the American Association of Publishers to promote the legal protection of intellectual property rights and respond to proposed legislative measures relevant to such rights

• Continue to police infringements of the Group's territorial copyrights and take appropriate action to enforce such rights

•   Undertake targeted enforcement action against third-party infringers, independently and in cooperation with industry bodies in the markets in which we operate

•   Implement  appropriate digital rights management protection in respect of ebooks and digital formats

•   Inclusion of appropriate provisions and restrictions regarding the use of Bloomsbury's proprietary content in contracts with third parties

• Relationships with key partners are closely monitored and actively managed by senior managers. This includes frequent and regular engagement with key counterparties in order to ensure open communication and cooperation and to identify potential issues that may impact on the Company's business at the earliest opportunity. Other mitigations include having appropriate contracts and service level agreements in place, and interrogating the business continuity plans of key partners

•   Regular review of global supply chain resilience by a cross-functional Supply Chain Working Group to ensure proactive steps are implemented to mitigate supply chain risks and prioritise supply of print titles; the Group's formal risk register documents specific, critical supplier risks and associated mitigation and resilience plans, which are kept under regular review

• Ongoing diversification of supplier base

• Increased local printing to mitigate shipping delays and disruptions

•    Ongoing employee engagement measures to improve employee experience and organisational culture; more information on these measures is set out on pages 46 to 49 of this Annual Report

•    Continued focus on employee development through training and mentoring programmes for early and mid-career employees

•    Provision of executive coaching for senior staff

•    Ongoing Employee Voice Programme, allowing every employee to have their voice heard directly by senior management and the Board. HR initiatives are implemented in response to matters raised during Employee Voice Meetings

•    Formal appraisal system provides the opportunity to identify learning and development opportunities to support career progression and succession planning

•    Ongoing monitoring and tailoring of remuneration and benefit schemes to attract and motivate the best talent at appropriate levels of cost

•    Ongoing focus on fostering an inclusive culture, which supports the promotion of a diverse workforce with the benefits which diversity of skills, experience, backgrounds and thought bring in respect of the delivery of the Group's strategic objectives

• Global staff turnover by Division and functional area is reported to the Executive Committee and monitored against agreed thresholds

• Relevant individuals within the business who are engaged in activities which relate to or are governed by key contracts are made aware of the terms of such contracts. Legal advice is sought from the Group's legal function where appropriate to ensure performance by the Company in accordance with contractual terms

• Annual Report and Accounts is reviewed internally by the Head of Group Finance and the Group Finance Director, and externally by the Group's appointed Auditor. Material balances are tested in accordance with relevant standards. The Head of Investor Relations and the Group Company Secretary advise on content requirements under relevant regulation/legislation.

• Mitigation in respect of the risk of a data breach is noted above in connection with Information Technology and Systems

• Since the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR"), which came into force in May 2018, the Company has implemented a range of measures to ensure compliance with the requirements of GDPR. These include the implementation of policies and guidance in key areas, the provision of training to employees, reviewing and updating the Company's data collection methods and marketing communications, updating supplier terms and conditions, and updating privacy policies on the Company's websites. The Company has appointed a Data Protection Officer to oversee GDPR compliance

•    Ongoing monitoring of legislative and regulatory developments which affect the Group's products and services by the Group's Legal Department; external specialist advice is sought as required

•                Cross-functional working groups and steering committees established to address the measures required to respond to specific relevant legislative and regulatory developments including any changes which may be required to the Group's supply chain in respect of particular products and services.

• Diversify the Company's portfolio of products and services to reduce dependencies on individual customers, sales channels and markets

• Long-term contracts with key suppliers to manage and mitigate cost increases; active price management of Bloomsbury products to recover incremental costs; diversification of supplier base

• Staff costs are managed as part of the Group's budgeting process and annual salary reviews