Risk Capital Fund

what we offer

The Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC), is a juristic person duly established under Section 2 of the Eastern Cape Development Corporation Act 1997 (Act 2 of 1997) to plan, finance, co-ordinate, market, promote and implement the development of the province and all its people in the fields of industry, commerce, agriculture, transport and finance. ECDC has established a pilot Risk Capital Fund (RCF) programme with the objective of promoting the development of innovative businesses ideas/concepts that support the growth of the Eastern Cape economy, contribute towards the creation of sustainable jobs as well as contribute towards the competitiveness of the province. The fund shall be reviewed after an initial period of 12 months.

Objectives of the Risk Capital Fund (RCF)

The main objective the RCF is to provide business development support funding in the form of Business Finance and Projects Development Finance, to enterprises/entrepreneurs across the various levels of the business cycle. Depending on the needs of the enterprise and its stage of development, the ECDC funding can be in the form of equity, loan or a blended equity – loan offering. The RCF Business Finance will comprise of equity and/or loans invested over the medium to long term. The total investment inclusive of loan finance and equity from ECDC will be limited to 30% of total funding required. ECDC funding shall be subordinated to unlock and secure funding from other financial institutions prior to disbursement of ECDC funds. The maximum term for the loans will be seven (7) years at a risk adjusted prime related interest rate. In the case of equity investments, ECDC as an institutional investor will always strive to exit at earliest point of commercial viability, and where possible in less than 5 years. Notwithstanding, the ECDC shall work towards exiting equity investments in a period of 5 to 10 years. ECDC Business finance is limited to the lesser of 20% of total project/business funding required and R3 million.

The RCF Project Development Finance (High impact projects) will be considered for the development of preliminary studies, technical and commercial plans, prior to project/business take-off (Not limited to: Feasibility studies, business plan, market testing, etc.). Project Development Finance will attract a project development service fee of 30% of the total ECDC investment made. The service fee shall be payable upon completion of the project development initiatives applied for, once the total project take off funding has been secured for the project commercialisation phase. A well-developed, costed concept/business plan and pre-feasibility study where applicable, will be required, as well as a benchmark model of the concept in order to assess and test the viability of the concept prior to ECDC commitment of the support to be provided. ECDC project development finance is limited to the lesser of 80% of total project funding required and R1.5 million. The applicant’s 20% own contribution shall be a pre-requisite for the release of the ECDC approved funding.

Project Development Finance will be considered for the following activities (not limited to):

Sourcing of Intellectual Property (IP) opinions and patent support
Certification activities including quality assurance standards (ISO)
Detailed primary market research
Built environment professional services
Sector and industry related research and planning
Technical studies
Prototype development/improvement
Production of market samples and/or testing
Specialist designs and models
Business Plan development

Qualifying Criteria: Who May Apply?

Strategic ventures that require seed capital prior to the Start – up phase for Project Development Support services, where the sponsors can demonstrate their efforts and commitment through actual/quasi capital invested in the venture to date.
Commercially viable ventures with expansion plans and Project Sponsors for start – up ventures, where these ventures require significant equity investment and/or loans
Strategic businesses operating, or planning to operate within the geographical boundaries of the Eastern Cape Province and within the priority/targeted sectors where more than 70% of the employees are South African citizens
Commercially viable ventures relocating and investing in the Eastern Cape
Existing strategic ventures planning to expand by mergers of existing businesses
Management and/or employees seeking to participate in the equity of the business and/or management buy - outs
Viable businesses that apply could qualify for blended finance – Equity and a loan from the Loans portfolio
In relation to Business Finance, the business owners who can provide a minimum of 10% own contribution in relation to the amount of the equity and the loan, can have their contribution based on cash or on existing assets owned to be utilized in the business. Where the contribution is in assets, a minimum of 20% of the total contribution must be in cash. Further, the applicant business must have been in operation for a minimum period of six months, or a start-up with a verifiable, credible long-term business contract.
In relation to Project Development Finance, the applicant’s 20% own contribution shall be a pre-requisite for the release of the ECDC approved funding
The business must demonstrate commercial viability and must be profitable and have access to markets (Projects for public goods or social services are excluded)
Businesses that are registered and tax compliant or in good standing with SARS.

A description of the strategic impact of future expansion and investment plans on other businesses, industries, initiatives, job creation (outside your organisation) and infrastructure is also required from the applicant. This is intended to show future impact and alignment to critically identified industrial sectors prioritised by the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy (PGDS). This should typically include the following:

Venture viability and its ability to attract equity and loan from investors
Opening up of new markets and new entrants into the Eastern Cape economy.
Potential of creating and/or leveraging indirect jobs.
Additional imports and exports through the East London harbour and therefore enhancing the chances of the port being expanded.
Investment into one of the EC IDZ's.
Spatial orientation / location of your expansion / investment.
Skills development
BEE Participation (where applicable)

The application process (Assessment and Evaluation)

All applications for the RCF will be submitted to designated ECDC regional officials for processing, vetting, assessment and screening. Applications that pass the screening stage will be packaged into investment proposals to be tabled at the Risk Capital Project Committee (Evaluation Committee). Once this Evaluation Committee recommends the submission for approval, it is submitted to the Credit Risk and Investment Committee for final recommendation to the Senior Manager: Enterprise Final for approval.

Applications should meet the following requirements for consideration. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Completed and signed application form
A well-developed, costed concept/business plan
Business registration documents
IDs of the business owners
Tax clearance or proof of good standing with SARS (where applicable)
Proof of address (lease agreement or title deed) – where applicable
Proof of preliminary studies conducted (where applicable)

The following basic criteria will be used in the pre-screening phase:

Commercial viability
Market appetite or sufficient evidence of market appetite
Demonstrable competitive advantage
Management team capability
Transformation and empowerment
Socio-economic benefits provincially and countrywide

Submission of Applications

Applications can be hand-delivered or submitted electronically and must be addressed as follows. Strictly one application per applicant should be submitted at any of the below offices. Download application form here.

East London

ECDC House, Ocean Terrace Park Street

Quigney

East London
5241

Mnquma

24 High Street

PO Box 117
Mnquma
4960

Mthatha

7 Sisson Street

Fort Gale
Mthatha
5099

Komani

118 Cnr Ebden &