Met de sterke performance van ons huidige fonds waarin eind september de tiende overname wordt voltooid, zijn wij verheugd om ons nieuwe fonds aan te kondigen: Berk Partners Groeifonds II.
We streven naar een eerste closing van ons nieuwe fonds in oktober 2023. Dit is een belangrijke stap in onze voortdurende toewijding aan het ondersteunen van innovatieve en groeiende Nederlandse MKB ondernemingen.
Onze succesvolle investeringsstrategie blijven we voortzetten. We richten ons daarbij op het identificeren van groeikansen, het ondersteunen van ondernemers en het creëren van waarde voor alle belanghebbenden. Portfoliobedrijven moeten tenminste voldoen aan de volgende criteria: een omzet vanaf € 5 miljoen en een EBITDA vanaf € 1,5 miljoen.
De target return van het fonds is > 20% IRR (bruto over 10 jaar) en een money multiple > 2,5x. Bij financiering van overnames gebruiken we beperkte leverage, zodat gerealiseerde cash in verdere winstgevende groei van de portfoliobedrijven geïnvesteerd kan worden. Een van onze belangrijkste doelen van ons nieuwe fonds blijft om onze inspanningen op het gebied van ESG te intensiveren.
Als u geïnteresseerd bent om mogelijk te investeren in Berk Partners Groeifonds II kan dat vanaf € 250.000,-. Voor meer informatie hierover kunt u contact opnemen met Willem Kamps: kamps@berkpartners.nl | M: +31 6 55 85 41 78.
Beloningsbeleid Berk Partners
Berk Partners heeft een beloningsbeleid op basis van Wet beloningsbeleid financiële ondernemingen zoals opgenomen in Boek 1 Wft Hoofdstuk 1.7. Dit geldt voor alle medewerkers van Berk Partners. Het beloningsbeleid is erop gericht dat beloningen van medewerkers geen onwenselijke risico’s of gedrag opleveren ten aanzien van (in)directe belanghebbenden of soliditeit/continuïteit van Berk Partners.
Het beloningsbeleid is vastgesteld door de directie. Het beloningsbeleid wordt jaarlijks opnieuw bekeken om vast te stellen of het beleid voldoet aan de eisen van de directie, de geldende wet-en regelgeving en de belangen van (in)directe belanghebbenden. Hierbij wordt bekeken of alle vormen van beloning onwenselijk gedrag kunnen stimuleren en hoe het beloningsbeleid voorziet in passende beheersende maatregelen. Indien noodzakelijk kan de beoordeling vaker worden uitgevoerd.
Het beloningsbeleid is in overeenstemming met de integratie van duurzaamheidsrisico’s. De variabele beloning van elke persoon die onder de verantwoordelijkheid van Berk Partners werkt, is gebaseerd op criteria die onder meer omvatten hoe de individuele persoon heeft aangetoond in het beste belang van Berk Partners en de beleggers te hebben gehandeld, met inbegrip van de naleving van het beleid en de procedures van Berk Partners. Dit omvat relevant beleid en processen van Berk Partners op het gebied van beleggingsselectie en risicobeheer, waarin relevante duurzaamheidsrisico’s kunnen zijn geïntegreerd.
Berk Partners keert aan alle medewerkers een vaste maandelijkse vergoeding uit die niet afhankelijk is van doelstellingen of prestaties. Berk Partners kan discretionaire variabele beloningen uitkeren, dit zijn beloningen die zijn verbonden aan het behalen van criteria in relatie tot het functioneren van de medewerker maar ook de financiële soliditeit van Berk Partners. De verhouding tussen vaste en variabele beloningen zijn passend en kunnen nooit meer bedragen dan 20% van het vaste inkomen. Berk Partners werkt niet met gegarandeerde variabele beloningen en toegekende bonussen scheppen geen precedent voor eventuele volgende jaren.
Voor variabele beloningen worden prestatie-indicatoren vastgesteld op basis van een beoordeling of de beloning risico zoekend gedrag zal opleveren en de maatregelen om dat te voorkomen. De toekenning van een variabele beloning is ter discretie van de directie en wordt doorgaans alleen toegekend bij een positieve beoordeling op basis van o.a. de prestatie indicatoren en indien de financiële situatie Berk Partners dat toelaat.
Responsible Investment Policy
Introduction
Berk Partners private equity (Berk Partners) is an independent investment company that assists companies and entrepreneurs in realizing their growth ambitions. With financial input and industry and market knowledge, Berk Partners enables the companies it invests in to accelerate their growth both organically and through acquisitions. Berk Partners actively supports its participating interests in financial, strategic and operational areas.
Berk Partners supports the Paris Agreement and is a signatory of the internationally recognized Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and demonstrates its commitment to responsible investments in this responsible investment policy (the Policy) and in actions. The PRI is an international network of investors working together to put principles for responsible investment into practice, supported by the United Nations.
At Berk Partners, we strongly believe that investing is more than traditional subjects such as finance and efficiency. In our view, responsible investing addresses the integration of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) practices into the investment management process. Management of ESG factors is an important driver for strong investment performance and business success and can have a positive impact on the performance of Berk Partners’ portfolio companies to the benefit of all stakeholders.
Berk Partners aims to “create a more sustainable company at exit”. To accomplish this ambition, Berk Partners will integrate ESG activities in every step of its investment process and in its ownership practices. We therefore incorporate ESG issues into our investment analysis and decision-making processes and encourage our investees to come up with action plans to address material ESG issues.
This policy describes what Berk Partners expects from its investees and what can be expected from Berk Partners as an investor.
Six Principles for Responsible Investment
By annually reporting on its responsible investment activities to the PRI, Berk Partners strives to continually improve its decisions in regard to economic, environmental, social and governance aspects in its investment process. Being compliant with the PRI’s six principles helps Berk Partners to contribute to a better world by guiding companies to create more value for themselves, its stakeholders and its shareholders. As signatory of the PRI we are committed to the following six principles:
- Berk Partners will incorporate ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes.
- Berk Partners will be active owners and incorporate ESG issues into our ownership policies and practices.
- Berk Partners will seek appropriate disclosure on ESG issues by the entities in which we invest.
- Berk Partners will promote acceptance and implementation of the Principles within the investment industry.
- Berk Partners will work together to enhance our effectiveness in implementing the Principles.
- Berk Partners will report on our activities and progress towards implementing the Principles.
ESG
Berk Partners considers the environment, social issues, and governance (ESG) in its investment activities as follows:
Environment: Berk Partners encourages company managers to regard material environmental issues in their decision making and operational activities. Managers are motivated to:
- Make efficient use of resources, such as electricity, water, waste, fuel
- Limit emissions (e.g. air, waste, water, and noise emissions)
- Ensure a responsible handling of waste
- Safeguard for an environmentally responsible supply chain
- Take into account the development of relevant environmental issues.
Social: Berk Partners aims to guarantee a working environment with respect to all its stakeholders. Berk Partners enters into dialogue with portfolio companies to encourage them to consider material social issues in their decision making and operational activities. As such, the management of our portfolio companies will be motivated to think of:
- Ensuring a healthy working environment where employees feel safe and happy, and where they feel valued
- Striving to eliminating discrimination in respect to employment, child labour, and all forms of forced labour, throughout the entire supply chain of the company
- Stimulating gender diversity within the board of directors and the company as a whole, as well as conducting a management team assessment
- Considering employee working conditions such as minimum wages, working hours and health & safety of the work force
- Stimulating creativity and innovation
- Supporting the elimination of forced and child labour, including the possible use of forced and child labour by the suppliers of portfolio companies
- Avoiding discrimination (e.g. based on age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or disability)
- Supporting sustainable employment
- Stimulating social cohesion
- Complying with international conventions of human rights.
Governance: Berk Partners pursues to be compliant with the highest ethical standards. Hence, we ask our portfolio companies to implement governance practices in its business. Berk Partners aims to promote sound ethical practices and prevent corruption in the companies that it owns, including:
- Avoiding corruption and unethical business practices
- Promoting sound business ethics
- Promoting transparency and accountability
- Creating awareness and promoting compliance with relevant laws and regulations
- Stimulating the necessary checks & balances within an organization
Sector Exclusion
Berk Partners will not invest in companies that engage in or are related to illegal economic activities. Additionally, Berk Partners has excluded sectors that do not contribute positively or are even harmful to society. Thus, Berk Partners will not invest in companies that are engaged in the following businesses:
- The production, distribution, marketing or trade in tobacco or tobacco products
- The production, marketing or use of, or trade in, (key components of) weapons of mass destruction, dedicated weapon platforms, munitions, military and paramilitary services, or inhuman weapons or technologies which are subject to existing international prohibitions, such as: anti-personnel mines and cluster weapons.
- The ownership, operation, marketing or management of gambling facilities and/or the development or processing of gambling.
- The production, distribution, hosting or marketing of material or activities relating to pornography.
Berk Partners will comply with all anti-money laundering and terrorism financing standards as required by applicable law.
Reporting
For each portfolio company, the CEO and a Berk Partners Board Member will be responsible for the overall ESG policy. This will increase the awareness of ESG-related risks and opportunities at Board level.
On a regular basis, all Board Members responsible for ESG of all portfolio companies will be present at an internal ESG meeting to discuss the current status of ESG implementation, progress made and to share best practices. Berk Partners reports annually to its investors. This report combines quantitative and qualitative information on the current status of ESG implementation, milestones achieved and targets set.
Organization and Governance
Responsible investing is an ongoing process and we will continuously aim to enhance our effectiveness in implementing this Policy and beliefs set out herein. Berk Partners will promote acceptance and implementation of the principles within the investment industry.
This Policy is an important document in supporting all Berk Partners team members (both partners and employees) to make sure we perform our investment activities in line with principles for responsible investment. We believe that responsible investment and the implementation of this Policy is a responsibility for everybody within our organization. Hence, all members are aware of the content of this Policy to ensure that they work in accordance with our principles and know what is expected from them with regard to executing their work in accordance with this Policy.
SFDR (2019/2088) related disclosures
Risks attached to sustainability
Berk Partners considers Sustainability Risk as an environmental, social or governance event or condition that, if it occurs, could cause an actual or potential material negative impact on the value of the investment.
Before any investment decisions are made on behalf of Berk Partners Growth Fund-II, Berk Partners completes a process that aims at identifying the material risks associated with each proposed investment; these will include relevant sustainability risks. Berk Partners aims to assess the identified risks alongside other relevant factors in its due diligence. The investment committee of Berk Partners resolves upon investment decisions taking into consideration the assessment of the identified risks. It is the intention that throughout the entire process, relevant sustainability risks are identified and assessed using the same process as is applied to other relevant risks affecting the fund and investments made on its behalf.
Berk Partners generally considers, among other things, the following Sustainability Risks: negative sector risks, health care risks, natural disasters, scarcity of raw materials and water, unethical sourcing and labour practices, CO2 and climate risks. Berk Partners assesses that the potential impact on the return on investment of these Sustainability Risks is medium to low; this is assessed based on the likelihood in relation to the potential impact of this risk.
Consideration of Principle Adverse Impacts
In accordance with Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, Berk Partners states that it currently does not consider adverse impacts of investment decisions on sustainability factors in connection with all their products and services, as defined under and in accordance with the SFDR and therefore does not make the disclosures as described in the Disclosure Regulation. Given the reach of the organization of Berk Partners, such disclosure and its accompanying administrative burden would not be proportional nor practical considering the limited amount of data. Therefore, Berk Partners cannot guarantee the completeness and quality of the information to comply with the technical standards.
In practice, depending on the investment strategy and product, Berk Partners considers a relevant sub-set of the “sustainability factors” listed in the SFDR, including environmental, social and employee matters, respect for human rights, anti-corruption and/or anti-bribery matters by means of its policy on integration of environmental, social and governance risks and value creation opportunities into its investment process. Berk Partners will reconsider disclosing adverse impacts of its investment decisions on sustainability factors at entity level when data quality and availability in relation to its portfolio are at a level required to comply in full. Berk Partners will periodically evaluate and reconsider this position.
Berk Partners Remuneration Policy
Berk Partners has a remuneration policy based on the Remuneration Policy for Wet beloningsbeleid financiële ondernemingen as included in Book 1 Wft Chapter 1.7. This applies to all employees of Berk Partners. The remuneration policy is aimed at ensuring that employee rewards do not pose undesirable risks or behavior towards direct or indirect stakeholders or the solidity / continuity of Berk Partners.
The remuneration policy has been determined by the management. The remuneration policy is reviewed annually to determine whether the policy meets the requirements of the Board of Directors, applicable laws and regulations and the interests of (in)direct stakeholders. It is examined whether all forms of remuneration could stimulate undesirable behavior and how the remuneration policy provides for appropriate control measures. If necessary, the assessment can be performed more often.
The remuneration policy is consistent with the integration of sustainability risks. Variable remuneration of each person working under the responsibility of Berk Partners is based on criteria that include, amongst others, how the individual person demonstrated that they acted in the best interest of Berk Partners and the Investors, including compliance with Berk Partners’ policies and procedures. This encompasses relevant investment selection and risk management policies and processes of Berk Partners, which may integrate relevant sustainability risks.
Berk Partners pays all employees a fixed monthly remuneration which is not dependent on goals or performance. Berk Partners can pay discretionary variable remuneration, which is remuneration that is linked to the achievement of criteria in relation to the performance of the employee, but also the financial soundness of Berk Partners. The ratio between fixed and variable remuneration is appropriate and can never exceed 20% of the fixed income. Berk Partners does not work with guaranteed variable remuneration and bonuses awarded do not set a precedent for any subsequent years.
For variable remuneration, performance indicators are determined on the basis of an assessment of whether the remuneration will result in risk-seeking behavior and the measures to prevent this. The award of variable remuneration is at the discretion of the board of management and is usually only awarded in the event of a positive assessment based on, among other things, the performance indicators and if Berk Partners’ financial situation permits.
Stageplaats Private Equity
Berk Partners heeft doorlopend stageplaatsen beschikbaar.
Over Berk Partners
Berk Partners is een onafhankelijke investeringsmaatschappij die ondernemingen en ondernemers terzijde staat bij het realiseren van hun groeiambities. Met financiële inbreng en industrie- en marktkennis stelt Berk Partners haar deelnemingen in staat om zowel autonoom als door middel van acquisities versneld te groeien. Berk Partners ondersteunt haar deelnemingen daarbij actief op financieel, strategisch en operationeel vlak.
Berk Partners streeft een actief partnership na met ondernemers en managementteams. Wij zijn sparringpartner bij formulering en toetsing van de ondernemingsstrategie, stellen ons netwerk open bij het vinden van de goede mensen en brengen kennis en ervaring in acquisities en (her)financiering. Op operationeel niveau ondersteunen wij onze participaties onder andere met het verbeteren van bedrijfsprocessen.
Wat houdt een stage bij Berk Partners in?
Als stagiair bij Berk Partners bied je ondersteuning aan het investment team binnen alle aspecten van de investment cycle. Werkzaamheden omvatten onder andere marktstudies, evaluatie van investeringsvoorstellen, deal executie en ondersteuning bij het uitvoeren van projecten bij onze portfolio bedrijven. De nadruk zal liggen op analyse van markten, sectoren, bedrijven en het opstellen en analyseren van investeringsvoorstellen, waarbij een financiële analyse en het maken van waardering essentiële onderdelen zijn.
Wat zoeken wij?
Wij zijn op zoek naar ondernemende stagiairs, met een proactieve, verantwoordelijke instelling.
Een ideale stagiair voldoet aan het volgende profiel:
- Heeft een bachelor in bedrijfskundige, (bedrijfs)economische, financiële, technische of gerelateerde studierichting
- Beheerst de Nederlandse taal goed in woord en geschrift
- Is analytisch, numeriek en commercieel sterk
- Houdt van aanpakken en trekt zelf werk naar zich toe
- Is in staat om zelfstandig te werken en sturing te vragen wanneer nodig
- Is full time (40 uur per week) beschikbaar voor een aaneensluitende periode van 4 tot 6 maanden
- Wilt u werken bij investeringsmaatschappij Berk Partners? Neem dan contact op via het contact formulier.
