Capgemini S.E.

Decision

Headnote

National Policy 11-203 Process for Exemptive Relief Applications in Multiple Jurisdictions -- Application for relief from the prospectus and registration requirements for certain trades made in connection with an employee share offering by a French issuer -- the issuer cannot rely on the employee exemption in section 2.24 of National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions as the securities are not being offered to Canadian employees directly by the issuer but rather through special purpose entities -- Canadian participants will have access to disclosure documents -- the special purpose entities are subject to the supervision of the local securities regulator -- Canadian employees will not be induced to participate in the offering by expectation of employment or continued employment -- there is no market for the securities of the issuer in Canada -- the number of Canadian participants and their share ownership are de minimis -- there is no market for the securities of the issuer in Canada -- relief granted, subject to conditions.

Applicable Legislative Provisions

Securities Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. S.5, as am., ss. 25, 53 and 74(1).

National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions.

National Instrument 45-102 Resale of Securities.

Ontario Securities Commission Rule 72-503 Distributions Outside Canada.

[TRANSLATION]

August 30, 2022

IN THE MATTER OF THE SECURITIES LEGISLATION OF QUÉBEC AND ONTARIO (the Jurisdictions) AND IN THE MATTER OF THE PROCESS FOR EXEMPTIVE RELIEF APPLICATIONS IN MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS AND IN THE MATTER OF CAPGEMINI S.E. (the Filer)

DECISION

Background

The securities regulatory authority or regulator in each of the Jurisdictions (the Decision Maker) has received an application from the Filer for a decision under the securities legislation of the Jurisdictions (the Legislation) for:

1. an exemption from the prospectus requirement (the Prospectus Relief) so that such requirement does not apply to:

a) trades of:

i) units (the 2022 Units) of ESOP Leverage NP 2022 (the 2022 Compartment), a compartment of a fonds commun de placement d'entreprise or "FCPE", a form of collective shareholding vehicle commonly used in France for the conservation or custodianship of shares held by employee-investors named ESOP Capgemini (the Fund, and together with the Compartments (as defined below) and the Transfer Compartment (as defined below), the Funds); and

ii) units (together with the 2022 Units, the Units) of future compartments of the Fund organized in the same manner as the 2022 Compartment (together with the 2022 Compartment, the Compartments),

made under the Capgemini S.E. employee share ownership plan (ESOP) to or with Qualifying Employees (as defined below) resident in the Offering Jurisdictions (as defined below) (collectively, the Canadian Employees, and Canadian Employees who subscribe for Units, the Canadian Participants);

b) trades of ordinary shares of the Filer (the Shares) by the relevant Compartment and another compartment of the Fund named Capgemini Classic (the Transfer Compartment) to or with Canadian Participants upon the redemption of Units and Transfer Compartment Units (as defined below), respectively, as requested by Canadian Participants; and

c) trades of Transfer Compartment Units made pursuant to an Employee Offering (as defined below) to or with Canadian Participants, including upon a transfer of the Canadian Participants' assets in the relevant Compartment to the Transfer Compartment at the end of the Lock-Up Period (as defined below); and

2. an exemption from the dealer registration requirement (the Registration Relief, and together with the Prospectus Relief, the Exemption Sought) so that such requirement does not apply to the Filer and its Local Related Entities (as defined below), the Funds and Amundi Asset Management (the Management Company) in respect of:

a) trades in Units made pursuant to an Employee Offering to or with Canadian Employees not resident in Ontario or Manitoba;

b) trades in Shares by the relevant Compartment and the Transfer Compartment to or with Canadian Participants upon the redemption of Units and Transfer Compartment Units, respectively, as requested by Canadian Participants; and

c) trades in Transfer Compartment Units made pursuant to an Employee Offering to or with Canadian Participants, including upon a transfer of the Canadian Participants' assets in the relevant Compartment to the Transfer Compartment at the end of the applicable Lock-Up Period.

Under the Process for Exemptive Relief Applications in Multiple Jurisdictions (for a dual application):

a) the Autorité des marchés financiers is the principal regulator for this application;

b) the Filer has provided notice that section 4.7(1) of Regulation 11-102 respecting Passport System, CQLR, c. V-1.1, r. 1 (Regulation 11-102) is intended to be relied upon in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island (together with the Jurisdictions, the Offering Jurisdictions); and

c) the decision is the decision of the principal regulator and evidences the decision of the securities regulatory authority or regulator in Ontario.

Interpretation

Terms defined in Regulation 14-101 respecting Definitions, CQLR, c. V-1.1, r. 3, Regulation 11-102 and Regulation 45-106 respecting Prospectus Exemption, CQLR, c. V-1.1, r. 21 (Regulation 45-106) have the same meaning if used in this decision, unless otherwise defined.

Representations

This decision is based on the following facts represented by the Filer:

31. The Filer is a corporation formed under the laws of France. It is not, and has no current intention of becoming, a reporting issuer under the securities legislation of any jurisdiction of Canada. The head office of the Filer is located in France and the Shares are listed on Euronext Paris. The Filer is not in default of securities legislation of any jurisdiction of Canada.

2. The Filer carries on business in Canada through certain related entities and has established a global employee share offering under the ESOP (the 2022 Employee Offering) and expects to establish subsequent global employee share offerings following 2022 for the next four years that are substantially similar (Subsequent Employee Offerings, and together with the 2022 Employee Offering, theEmployee Offerings) for Qualifying Employees and participating related entities of the Filer, including related entities that employ Canadian Employees (Local Related Entities, and together with the Filer and other related entities of the Filer, the Capgemini Group). Each Local Related Entity is a direct or indirect controlled subsidiary of the Filer and no Local Related Entity has any current intention of becoming a reporting issuer under the securities legislation of any jurisdiction of Canada.

3. As of the date hereof, "Local Related Entities" include Capgemini Canada Inc., New Horizon System Solutions, Inc. and Capgemini Solutions Canada Inc. For any Subsequent Employee Offering, the list of "Local Related Entities" may change.

4. Each Employee Offering involves an offering of Shares to be subscribed through the relevant Compartment of the Fund (the Leveraged Plan), subject to the decision of the supervisory boards of the FCPEs and the approval of the Autorité des marchés financiers in France (the French AMF).

5. Only persons who are employees of an entity forming part of the Capgemini Group during the subscription period for an Employee Offering and who meet other employment criteria (the Qualifying Employees) will be allowed to participate in the relevant Employee Offering.

6. The 2022 Compartment was established for the purpose of implementing the 2022 Employee Offering. The Transfer Compartment was established for the purpose of receiving assets transferred at the end of the applicable Lock-Up Period. The Fund was established for the purpose of implementing the Employee Offerings generally. There is no current intention for any of the 2022 Compartment, the Transfer Compartment or the Fund to become a reporting issuer under the securities legislation of any jurisdiction of Canada. There is no current intention for any future Compartment that will be established for the purpose of implementing Subsequent Employee Offerings to become a reporting issuer under the securities legislation of any jurisdiction of Canada.

7. The Fund, the 2022 Compartment and the Transfer Compartment have been registered with, and approved by, the French AMF as of April 29, 2022. It is expected that each Compartment established for Subsequent Employee Offerings will be registered with, and approved by, the French AMF.

8. Under the Leveraged Plan, each Employee Offering will be made as follows:

a) Canadian Participants will subscribe for Units, and the relevant Compartment will then subscribe for Shares using the Employee Contribution (as defined below) and certain financing made available by Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank (the Bank), which is a bank governed by the laws of France. For any Subsequent Employee Offering, the "Bank" may change, but its successor will remain a large French commercial bank subject to French banking legislation.

b) The subscription price will be the Canadian dollar equivalent of the volume weighted average opening prices of the Shares (expressed in Euros) on Euronext Paris for the 20 trading days preceding the date of the fixing of the subscription price (the Reference Price), less a specified discount to the Reference Price (the Subscription Price).

c) Canadian Participants will contribute 10% of the Subscription Price of each Share to the relevant Compartment (the Employee Contribution). The relevant Compartment will enter into a swap agreement (the Swap Agreement) with the Bank. Under the terms of the Swap Agreement, the Bank will contribute the remaining 90% of the Subscription Price of each Share to be subscribed for by the relevant Compartment (the Bank Contribution). The relevant Compartment will apply the cash received from the Employee Contribution and the Bank Contribution to subscribe for Shares.

d) Each Canadian Participant will receive Units in the relevant Compartment entitling him or her to the Euro amount of the Employee Contribution and a multiple of the Average Increase (as defined below) in the price of the Shares subscribed for on his or her behalf.

e) Under the terms of the Swap Agreement, the relevant Compartment will remit to the Bank an amount equal to the net amount of any dividends paid on the Shares held in such Compartment.

f) The Units will be subject to a hold period of approximately five years (the Lock-Up Period), subject to certain exceptions provided for in the rules and regulations governing the Funds and adopted for an Employee Offering (such as death, disability or termination of employment).

g) In the event of an early exit resulting from a Canadian Participant exercising one of the exceptions to the Lock-Up Period (Early Redemption), the Canadian Participant may request the redemption of Units from the relevant Compartment using the Redemption Formula (as defined below).

h) At the end of the applicable Lock-Up Period, the relevant Compartment will owe to the Bank an amount equal to the market value of the Shares held in the relevant Compartment (as determined pursuant to the terms of the Swap Agreement), less

i) 100% of the Employee Contributions, plus:

ii) the Participation Percentage (as defined below) multiplied by the quotient obtained from dividing the Reference Price by the Average Increase of the Shares, if any, and further multiplied by the difference between the Average Increase and the Reference Price (the Appreciation Amount).

A. The Participation Percentage will be determined for the relevant Employee Offering and communicated to Canadian Participants prior to finalization of their subscriptions.

B. The Average Increase will be determined on the basis of the last closing price of the Shares on the last trading day of each month in the last 60 weeks of the Lock-Up Period. In the event a closing price is less than the Reference Price, the Reference Price will be used instead.

i) If, at the end of the Lock-Up Period, the market value of the Shares held in the relevant Compartment is less than 100% of the Employee Contributions, the Bank will, pursuant to the terms and conditions of a guarantee contained in the Swap Agreement, make a contribution to the relevant Compartment to make up such shortfall.

j) At the end of the relevant Lock-Up Period, the Swap Agreement will terminate after the final swap payments. A Canadian Participant may then request the redemption of his or her Units in consideration for cash or Shares with a value representing:

i) the Canadian Participant's Employee Contribution; and

ii) the Canadian Participant's portion of the Appreciation Amount, if any

(the Redemption Formula).

k) If a Canadian Participant does not request the redemption of his or her Units in the relevant Compartment at the end of the Lock-Up Period, his or her investment will be transferred to the Transfer Compartment (subject to the decision of the supervisory board of the Fund and the approval of the French AMF).

l) Units of the Transfer Compartment (Transfer Compartment Units) will be issued to Canadian Participants in recognition of the assets transferred to the Transfer Compartment. Canadian Participants may request the redemption of the Transfer Compartment Units whenever they wish. However, following a transfer to the Transfer Compartment, the Employee Contribution and the Appreciation Amount will not be covered by the Swap Agreement (including the Bank's guarantee contained therein).

m) Pursuant to the terms of the guarantee contained in the Swap Agreement, a Canadian Participant will be entitled to receive 100% of his or her Employee Contribution (in Euros) at the end of the Lock-Up Period or in the event of an Early Redemption. The Management Company is permitted to cancel the Swap Agreement (which will have the effect of cancelling the guarantee) in certain strictly defined conditions where it is in the best interests of the unitholders. In the event that the Management Company cancelled the Swap Agreement and this was not in the best interests of the unitholders, then such unitholders would have a right of action under French law against the Management Company.

n) Under no circumstances will a Canadian Participant be responsible to contribute an amount greater than his or her Employee Contribution.

o) In the event of an Early Redemption, a Canadian Participant may request the redemption of Units from the relevant Compartment. The value of the Units will be calculated in accordance with the Redemption Formula. The measurement of the increase, if any, from the Reference Price will be carried out in accordance with similar rules to those applied to redemption at the end of the Lock-Up Period, but it will be measured using values of the Shares at the time of the Early Redemption instead.

p) The maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be subscribed for by the Qualifying Employees under the 2022 Employee Offering is 3,500,000 (the Maximum Offering Size). A separate Maximum Offering Size may apply to Subsequent Employee Offerings. If subscriptions received from Qualifying Employees under an Employee Offering would result in an acquisition of Shares by the Fund in excess of the Maximum Offering Size, a reduction will be applied to the subscriptions as follows:

i) an individual subscription threshold, equal to the Maximum Offering Size, divided by the number of participants in the Employee Offering, will be calculated (the Individual Subscription Size). Subscriptions will be accepted in full from each subscriber up to the Individual Subscription Size; and

ii) the remaining number of Shares available for subscription will be determined, and subscriptions in excess of the Individual Subscription Size will then be proportionally reduced, so as to reduce the aggregate number of Shares subscribed for under the Employee Offering below the Maximum Offering Size.

9. For Canadian federal income tax purposes, a Canadian Participant should be deemed to receive all dividends paid on the Shares financed by either the Employee Contribution or the Bank Contribution at the time such dividends are paid to the relevant Compartment, notwithstanding the actual non-receipt of the dividends by the Canadian Participants.

10. The declaration of dividends on the Shares (in the ordinary course or otherwise) is strictly decided by the shareholders of the Filer on the proposition of the board of directors. The Filer has not made any commitment to the Bank as to any minimum payment of dividends during the term of the Lock-Up Period.

11. Considering that, at the time of the initial investment decision relating to participation in an Employee Offering, Canadian Participants will be unable to quantify their potential income tax liability resulting from such participation, the Filer or its Local Related Entities are prepared to indemnify each Canadian Participant for all tax costs to the Canadian Participants associated with the payment of dividends in excess of a specified amount of Euros per calendar year per Share during the Lock-Up Period such that, in all cases, a Canadian Participant will, at the time of the original investment decision, be able to determine his or her maximum tax liability in connection with dividends received by the relevant Compartment on his or her behalf under an Employee Offering.

12. At the time the relevant Compartment's obligations under the Swap Agreement are settled, the Canadian Participant will realize a capital gain (or capital loss) by virtue of having participated in the Swap Agreement to the extent that amounts received by the relevant Compartment, on behalf of the Canadian Participant, from the Bank exceed (or are less than) amounts paid by the Compartment, on behalf of the Canadian Participant, to the Bank. Any dividend amounts paid to the Bank under the Swap Agreement will serve to reduce the amount of any capital gain (or increase the amount of any capital loss) that the Canadian Participant would have realized. Capital losses (gains) realized by a Canadian Participant may generally be offset against (reduced by) any capital gains (losses) realized by the Canadian Participant on a disposition of the Shares, in accordance with the rules and conditions under theIncome Tax Act (Canada) or comparable provincial legislation (as applicable).

13. Under the laws of France, an FCPE is a limited liability entity. The portfolio of the Compartment will consist almost entirely of Shares as well as the rights and associated obligations under the Swap Agreement. The Compartment may also hold cash or cash equivalents pending investments in Shares and for the purposes of facilitating Unit redemptions.

14. As indicated above, a Canadian Participant's assets in a Compartment will only be transferred to the Transfer Compartment if such Canadian Participant does not elect to request the redemption of his or her Units at the end of the Lock-Up Period. A Canadian Participant will be able to request the redemption of Transfer Compartment Units at any time in consideration of the underlying Shares or a cash payment equal to the then market value of the Shares held by the Transfer Compartment.

15. Any dividends paid on the Shares held in the Transfer Compartment will be contributed to the Transfer Compartment and used to purchase additional Shares on the stock market. To reflect this reinvestment, either new Transfer Compartment Units (or fractions thereof) will be issued to Canadian Participants or no additional Transfer Compartment Units will be issued and the net asset value of the existing Transfer Compartment Units will be increased.

16. The portfolio of the Transfer Compartment will consist almost entirely of Shares, and may also include, from time to time, cash in respect of dividends paid on the Shares which will be reinvested in additional Shares as well as cash or cash equivalents held for the purpose of investing in the Shares and redeeming Transfer Compartment Units.

17. The Management Company is a portfolio management company governed by the laws of France. The Management Company is registered with the French AMF as an investment manager and complies with the rules of the French AMF. The Management Company is not, and has no current intention of becoming, a reporting issuer under the securities legislation of any jurisdiction of Canada. For any Subsequent Employee Offering, the "Management Company" may change, but its replacement must comply with the terms described in this paragraph.

18. The Management Company's portfolio management activities in connection with an Employee Offering and the Compartment are limited to subscribing for Shares from the Filer, selling such Shares as necessary in order to fund redemption requests, investing available cash in cash equivalents, and such activities as may be necessary to give effect to the Swap Agreement. The Management Company's portfolio management activities in connection with the Transfer Compartment will be limited to transferring the Canadian Participant's investment amount (consisting of the Canadian Participant's Employee Contribution plus his or her portion of the Appreciation Amount) to the Transfer Compartment by transferring Shares held by the Compartment to the Transfer Compartment and/or acquiring Shares on the stock market, selling Shares held by the Transfer Compartment as necessary in order to fund redemption requests, and investing available cash in cash equivalents.

19. The Management Company is also responsible for preparing accounting documents and publishing periodic informational documents in respect of the relevant Compartment and the Transfer Compartment. The Management Company's activities will not affect the value of the Shares.

20. None of the entities forming part of the Capgemini Group, the Funds or the Management Company, or any of their directors, officers, employees, agents or representatives will provide investment advice to the Canadian Employees with respect to an investment in the Shares or the Units.

21. None of the entities forming part of the Capgemini Group, the Funds or the Management Company is currently in default of securities legislation of any jurisdiction of Canada.

22. Shares issued under an Employee Offering will be deposited in the relevant Compartment's accounts or the Transfer Compartment's accounts, as the case may be, with CACEIS Bank France (the Depositary), a large French commercial bank subject to French banking legislation. For any Subsequent Employee Offering, the "Depositary" may change, but its replacement will remain a large French commercial bank subject to French banking legislation.

23. The Management Company and the Depositary are obliged to act exclusively in the best interests of the holders of the Units (including Canadian Participants) and are liable to them under French legislation for any violation of the rules and regulations governing the FCPEs, any violation of the rules of the Funds, or for any self-dealing or negligence.

24. Participation in an Employee Offering is voluntary, and Canadian Employees will not be induced to participate in an Employee Offering by expectation of employment or continued employment.

25. For the 2022 Employee Offering, the total amount that may be invested by a Canadian Participant in an Employee Offering must be a minimum of CDN$150 and cannot exceed 2.5 % of his or her estimated gross annual compensation for 2022, such that the Canadian Participant's total investment, including the Bank Contribution, may not exceed 25 % of his or her gross annual compensation. For Subsequent Employee Offerings, the total amount that may be invested by a Canadian Participant will be based upon the greater of (i) his or her gross annual compensation for the calendar year ended prior to the year in which such Subsequent Employee Offering is completed, or (ii) the estimated gross annual compensation for the calendar year in which such Subsequent Employee Offering is completed.

26. The Shares, the Units and the Transfer Compartment Units are not currently listed for trading on any stock exchange in Canada and there is no intention to have the Shares, the Units or the Transfer Compartment Units so listed. As there is no market for the Shares in Canada, and as none is expected to develop, any first trades of Shares by Canadian Participants will be effected through the facilities of, and in accordance with, the rules and regulations of an exchange outside of Canada. Units and Transfer Compartment Units may only be redeemed by the relevant Compartment or Transfer Compartment.

27. Canadian Employees will receive an electronic information package in the French or English language, according to their preference, which will include a description of the terms of the relevant Employee Offering and a description of Canadian income tax consequences of subscribing for and holding the Units and requesting the redemption of such Units at the end of the Lock-Up Period. The information package will also include a risk statement which will describe certain risks associated with an investment in Units. Canadian Participants will have access to the Filer's Document d'Enregistrement Universel (in French and English) filed with the French AMF in respect of the Shares and a copy of the regulations of the relevant Compartment and Fund. The Canadian Employees will also have access to copies of the continuous disclosure materials relating to the Filer that are furnished to holders of Shares. Canadian Participants will receive an initial statement of their holdings under an Employee Offering together with an updated statement at least once per year.

28. For the 2022 Employee Offering, there were approximately 2,098 Canadian Employees, with the greatest number residing in Ontario (1,701), and the remainder in the provinces of British Columbia (78), Alberta (49), Saskatchewan (12), Manitoba (2), Québec (85), Newfoundland and Labrador (1), New Brunswick (2), Prince Edward Island (1) and Nova Scotia (167), who represent, in the aggregate, approximately 0.7 % of the number of employees in the Capgemini Group worldwide eligible to participate in the 2022 Employee Offering.

29. As of the date hereof and after giving effect to any Employee Offering, the Filer is and will be a "foreign issuer" as such term is defined in section 2.15(1) of Regulation 45-102 respecting Resale of Securities, CQLR, c. V-1.1, r. 20 (Regulation 45-102), section 2.8(1) of Ontario Securities Commission Rule 72-503 Distributions Outside Canada (OSC Rule 72-503) and section 11(1) of Alberta Securities Commission Rule 72-501 Distributions to Purchasers Outside Alberta (ASC Rule 72-501).

30. The Filer will retain a securities dealer registered as a broker/investment dealer under the securities legislation of Ontario and Manitoba to provide advisory services to Canadian Employees resident in Ontario or Manitoba who express an interest in an Employee Offering and to make a determination, in accordance with industry practices, as to whether an investment in an Employee Offering is suitable for each such Canadian Employee based on his or her particular financial circumstances.

Decision

Each of the Decision Makers is satisfied that the decision meets the test set out in the Legislation for the Decision Makers to make the decision.

The decision of the Decision Makers under the Legislation is that the Exemption Sought is granted, provided that:

1. with respect to the 2022 Employee Offering:

a) the prospectus requirement will apply to the first trade in any Units or Shares acquired by Canadian Participants pursuant to this decision, unless the following conditions are met:

i) the issuer of the security was a foreign issuer on the distribution date, as such term is defined in section 2.15(1) of Regulation 45-102, section 2.8(1) of OSC Rule 72-503 and section 11(1) of ASC Rule 72-501;

ii) the issuer of the security

A. was not a reporting issuer in any jurisdiction of Canada at the distribution date, or

B. is not a reporting issuer in any jurisdiction of Canada at the date of the trade; and

iii) the first trade is made

A. through an exchange, or a market, outside of Canada, or

B. to a person or company outside of Canada;

2. for any Subsequent Employee Offering under this decision completed within five years from the date of this decision, provided that:

a) the representations other than those in paragraphs 3, 8(a), 8(p), 25 and 28 remain true and correct in respect of that Subsequent Employee Offering; and

b) the conditions set out in paragraph (a) above are satisfied as of the date of any distribution of a security under such Subsequent Employee Offering (varied such that any references therein to the 2022 Compartment and the 2022 Employee Offering are read as references to the relevant Compartment and the Subsequent Employee Offering, respectively); and

3. in the Provinces of Ontario and Alberta, the prospectus exemption above, for the first trade in any Units or Shares acquired by Canadian Participants pursuant to this decision, is not available with respect to any transaction or series of transactions that is part of a plan or scheme to avoid the prospectus requirements in connection with a trade to a person or company in Canada.

"Benoît Gascon"
Senior Director, Corporate Finance
 
Application File #: 2022/0311