The ERP-EIF Facility

The ERP-EIF Facility is a joint initiative of the German Federal Government and the EIF providing venture and growth capital financing with a focus on high-tech early and later stage companies in Germany. 

The Facility has been mandated by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) on behalf of the German ERP Special Fund (ERP Sondervermögen) in 2004, and since then, it has been increased subsequently on several occasions.

The current volume of the ERP-EIF Facility is up to EUR 4.6bn, funded by ERP Special Fund resources managed and complemented by the EIF, and consists of the following sub-programmes:

• The ERP-EIF VC Fund of Funds (Dachfonds), investing in VC funds with aggregate volume of EUR 3.7bn (incl. EAF Germany below), with more than 100 fund investments.

• The European Angels Fund Germany (EAF Germany), investing in joint portfolios with experienced business angels with an aggregate volume of EUR 0.4bn, through more than 50 business angels and family offices.

• The ERP-EIF Growth Facility (Wachstumsfazilität), with an aggregate volume of up to EUR 0.5bn,  investing in co-investment funds managed by VC fund managers already supported by the Facility, in order to provide expansion financing for strong growth companies within their portfolios; more than 10 fund investments.

• The ERP co-investment in GFF-EIF Growth Facility (Zukunftsfonds-EIF Wachstumsfazilität), with an aggregate volume of up to EUR 0.4bn, will systematically co-fund investments of the GFF-EIF Growth Facility, expanding the scope of the ERP-EIF Facility towards growth and later stages.

Altogether, intermediaries under the ERP-EIF Facility have made more than 2 000 SME investments to date. Even though funds are not restricted to investing solely in German companies, their main focus of investments should be in Germany.

The ERP-EIF facilities covers all technology areas including ICT, life sciences, energy related innovations, as well as emerging and converging technologies). Innovators such as Flixbus have received support from this targeted programme. Find more success stories in our digital brochure.

More specifically, our objectives under the ERP-EIF Facility are to:

• seek attractive financial returns
• help structuring and improving the business proposition of VC teams
• be a pari passu cornerstone investor for commercially viable teams
• promote best industry practice (fund structures, governance)
• provide a catalytic role through high quality due diligence process
• be a network gateway for VCs through EIF's large portfolio
• be a reliable and active investor and adding value throughout the investment process

The success of the ERP-EIF Facility speaks for itself: not only did this initiative help reignite the German VC ecosystem, but its model of developing and deploying local mandates to address specific gaps has been replicated at a regional level in Germany, and in other European markets.

Are you a fund manager interested in partnering with us under the ERP-EIF Facility?

The ERP-EIF Facility aims at investing teams with complementary Venture Capital, technology and industry experience with an investment focus on Germany. EIF may not participate in funds where public funding (incl. EIF) is expected to exceed 50% of the fund's funding, after its target fundraising level is achieved.

Read more information here on how to submit and what to include in a fund proposal to the EIF: EIF for Venture Capital & Private Equity funds.

To apply for under EAF Germany please see more about the European Angels Fund here.

Information for SMEs

• If you are looking for funding and would like to see which financial intermediaries currently cooperate with us, please visit http://www.eif.org/what_we_do/where/index.htm and contact the intermediary in your country directly
• For information about finance available under further EU initiatives, please visit http://europa.eu/youreurope/business/funding-grants/access-to-finance