The Fund Foundry launches programme to support emerging fund managers from Guernsey
- Sue Fitzgerald
- May 19
- 2 min read
The Fund Foundry has launched a new programme aimed at helping first-time and emerging fund managers establish and grow investment funds from Guernsey.
The initiative, launched by Guernsey-based not-for-profit Foundry Partners at the Guernsey Funds Forum in London, is being described as the first programme of its kind in the Crown Dependencies to support emerging fund managers across all asset classes.
Applications for the programme will open in July 2026, with five managers selected each year from an international shortlist. Each successful applicant will receive a £25,000 service voucher to help cover legal, fund administration and audit costs during their first year, alongside mentoring, technical support and access to prospective investors.
The programme has secured backing from 26 industry and government partners, including law firms, fund administrators, auditors and investment firms based in Guernsey and internationally. Organisations supporting the initiative include Walkers, Bedell Cristin, Carey Olsen, Mourant, Ogier and Stephenson Harwood, alongside fund administrators and banking partners.
Justin Sykes, Programme Director at The Fund Foundry, said the initiative was designed to help address the challenges many emerging managers face when trying to launch their first regulated fund.
“I run a sustainable funds advisory business and for those emerging managers we work with, the support that the Fund Foundry provides will be of critical assistance in enabling them to reduce the time and cost of getting to first close. This initiative fills a gap in the Guernsey funds offering and offers significant opportunities to attract the next generation of fund managers to the island,” he said.
According to the organisers, many first-time fund managers face significant operational and regulatory hurdles, often spending between 12 and 24 months establishing a regulated investment vehicle before securing initial commitments from investors.
Rebecca Booth, Programme Director at The Fund Foundry, said: “Emerging managers in Europe consistently identify the same obstacles to launch. Not strategy, not deal flow, but the operational lift of standing up a regulated fund vehicle in a credible jurisdiction, alongside the difficulty of securing initial LP commitments without a track record at the GP level.”
The programme also aims to highlight Guernsey’s position as an international funds jurisdiction. The island currently holds more than £300 billion in fund assets across more than 1,500 vehicles, regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission.
Dirk Bischof, Programme Director at The Fund Foundry, said: “The Fund Foundry is the first programme of its kind from any International Finance Centre. Five places, twelve months, every asset class. The infrastructure has been here for decades. What was missing was a structured route in for first-time and emerging managers.”
A shortlist of 20 managers will travel to Guernsey in September 2026 for a two-day selection event, with the first cohort entering the full programme from November.
Pictured: Justin Sykes (with mic), Rebecca Booth both programme directors with Tim Clipstone from Ogier at the Fund Foundry launch.
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