The LfA-EIF Facilities

The LfA-EIF Facilities are virtually structured fund of funds (Dachfonds) totalling EUR 300 million funded by LfA Förderbank Bayern and the EIF’s own resources, whereby the EIF also acts as the manager of this initiative aiming to address specific equity financing gaps at regional level.

The intention of LfA Förderbank Bayern and the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy has been to broaden the range of venture capital funds and available equity capital offer for early-stage, technology-oriented SMEs in Bavaria. We are helping to achieve this by strengthening the equity capital market and creating incentives to raise additional funds from private or public sector investors.

Since its establishment in 2009, this co-operation has developed as follows:

• LfA-EIF Facility: Closing in 2009 at EUR 50 million, subsequently increased in 2011 and 2014 to EUR 150 million.

• LfA-EIF 2 Facility: Closing in 2018 at EUR 50 million.

• LfA-EIF 3 Facility: Closing in mid-2020 at EUR 50 million, subsequently increased in 2021 to EUR 100 million.

The LfA-EIF Facilities invest in venture capital funds present and investing in Bavaria, as well as co-investing with Bavarian business angels in the EIF´s European Angels Fund (EAF) Germany. They target all technology areas (ICT, life sciences, energy-related innovations, as well as emerging and converging technologies), and are typically co-invested by other EIF managed mandates, e.g. the ERP-EIF Facility with its investment focus on Germany.

Funds are not restricted to invest solely in companies based in the Bavaria region, but their investment activity should mainly focus on this region. Fund managers interested to apply for an investment the LfA-EIF Facilities, should find further details on the application criteria and process here: EIF for Venture Capital & Private Equity funds

 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
• If you are based in Germany and wish to apply for finance to LfA under the COSME programme, you can directly contact LfA under the following website: www.lfa.de

For information about finance available under further EU initiatives, please visit http://europa.eu/youreurope/business/funding-grants/access-to-finance