Responsible corporate behaviour

Responsible, sustainable entrepreneurship is an essential component of sustainable economic growth in a global world. Gimv too attaches great importance to this, both in its own operations and in the way it approaches its portfolio companies.

Gimv's commitment to Responsible Corporate Behaviour stems from the very essence of its activities: stimulating entrepreneurship, growth and the creation of value on several fronts. All of Gimv's initiatives reflect its own vision, reflected in active partnership which does not interfere in daily operations, but acts primarily in an advisory capacity to add value at every level. The Gimv CSR policy comprises below commitments:
 

Microfinancing to encourage local entrepreneurship in developing countries

Incofin helps enterprising people in the third world develop their own local activity

Incofin enables enterprising people in the third world to develop their own economic activity. In early 2010, Gimv committed to Incofin, the Belgian microfinancing specialist that invests funds in sustainable microfinance institutions in developing countries.

With no guarantees, property or a fixed income, enterprising individuals and small local enterprises in developing countries are not an immediately attractive target for ordinary commercial banks. Microfinance focuses precisely on this group of people, offering a solution whereby those who want to develop their own local activity are able to borrow a small sum of money to start their own business and gain a degree of economic independence. In this way a local economy is born, in turn creating jobs and bringing stable growth.

Gimv invested in Incofin and more recently joined its board of directors, thus making its own particular contribution to the permanent combination of financial and social return.

The Corporate Funding Programme or CFP has formed a network of companies that commit in solidarity to the third world. CFP brings together companies and NGOs in concrete, sustainable longterm partnerships which – here again – aim to encourage local entrepreneurship. Since early 2009, Gimv has committed, via CFP and the NGO Trias, in the project to assist Aguidep, an organisation with approximately 2000 entrepreneur members in Guinea.

Through developing the local economy and microfinancing Aguidep is seeking to facilitate economic growth in the region. The emphasis is on training in professional management and in running a company, including cash and stock management.

Here too Gimv has zeroed in on initiatives which start with entrepreneurship, as delivering more stable added value for all parties in the longer term.

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Gimv Chair in Private Equity

Gimv and Vlerick launch Gimv Chair in Private Equity

Gimv and Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School founded in 2009 a chair in private equity in the belief that interaction between academic research and management practice is highly enriching.

A multi-disciplinary programme associated with daily investment practice is useful both for the two complementary partners of the chair and for the wider private equity and venture capital industry. Starting with research and collecting knowledge and valuable insights via different case studies, this cooperation is intended to grow into a competence centre in private equity and venture capital, and in so doing lift the entire private equity industry to a higher level.
 

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Stimulating entrepreneurship through other educational projects

Through VLAJO (Flemish Young Enterprises) in its role as a crossroads between education and business, Gimv sees an opportunity to instil a sense of entrepreneurship into young people during their student days. The organisation brings businesses and schools together in a win-win relationship and encouraging young people through learning-by-doing to be consciously creative and enterprising.

Gimv is involved in particular in the Small Business Project (SBP) and Start Academy, that sharpen entrepreneurial attitudes in college and university students. SBPs are mini-enterprises set up by higher education students, focused on turning a junior business plan into a profitable activity. In this way business life is brought practically into the classroom, with the help of a ‘godfather' from the real business world and young people gain a good insight into all aspects of entrepreneurship and starting up a business.

Start Academy is a business plan competition in which Flemish college and university students take their first steps in the business world. In this competition, students can develop their ideas into detailed business plans. Having an innovative idea alone is not enough, and for this reason other aspects of entrepreneurship are brought into play, including the assignment of developing a financial, strategic, marketing and business plan. Throughout the competition, participants are coached and judged by a panel of professionals.
 

Gimv also partners with NFTE, which encourages underprivileged young people. NFTE stands for Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship and works with youths and young adults who lacked opportunities. Because they had to deal with personal or familial adversity, discrimination or got bored with a school that didn't meet their needs .

Trainers with business experience offer the very practical course "Real life entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial skills “. In this process, the youngsters discover in a no-nonsense way the power of entrepreneurship, with tips that are useful in both their professional and personal lives (self-confidence, respect, business intelligence, cooperation, positive thinking, creativity, being active ...). The NFTE course has been recognised by one of the highest educational awards in the United States. And the business plans that have been developed during the course have already won several national and international prizes.
Since its inception in 1987, NFTE has reached more than 230,000 young people worldwide, in Belgium more than 3000 people have successfully completed a NFTE course over the past ten years. Prominent “captains of industry” form a strong Board of Directors. And thanks to the financial and material support of various business partners, young people seeking opportunites can follow the NFTE course free of charge.
 

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Other initiatives

Gimv sponsors the To Walk Again project, which enables anyone with a physical disability to practice sport

Gimv also supports various cultural initiatives and research projects.

DeFilharmonie, the professional symphony orchestra based in Antwerp, is systematically building its international career with concerts at home and abroad. The orchestra plays to around 100 000 people on an annual basis. Gimv has a longstanding relationship with deFilharmonie and makes regular use of its rich concert programme for its own corporate events.

For more than half a century the Festival of Flanders has made it a point of honour to enthuse young and old for classical music. The organisation also contributes greatly to the cultural image of Flanders. With its high quality concert offerings and educational projects in over 80 cities and municipalities, its support of young Flemish artists, and its eye for innovative trends it provides a solid impetus to Flemish artistic, tourist and economic life. Gimv sponsors concerts on various occasions.

The King Baudouin Foundation supports projects and citizens who commit to a better society, both in Belgium and abroad. Gimv is a longtime sponsor of the Foundation. It has focuses on a range of more specific projects. Thus Gimv is a project partner for To Walk Again, better known as the non-profit organisation founded by Marc Herremans, which pushes for anyone with physical disabilities to be able to access the physical, mental and social benefits of sport.

In addition, Gimv through the KBF also provides structural support to the Fondation Thierry Latran, which conducts research into the neurological disorder Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, for which no reliable diagnostic tools yet exist.

The Perdaens Eye Research Fund was created to carry out fundamental and clinically applied research on diseases of the human cornea which lead to irreversibly reduced vision. Gimv strongly believes in such initiatives, not only because they touch on Gimv's own biotechnology activities, but also because they go beyond the financial and economic domain.

There are also various other projects in the social, cultural or educational atmosphere through which Gimv seeks to express its social commitment. Gimv does this from a belief in responsible and sustainable entrepreneurship both in its own activities, in the way it deals with its portfolio companies and through various partnerships. Ultimately, investing means more than just providing financial support.
 

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