The UCITS brand has grown rapidly in recognition and reach over the last decade and during this period FundAssist has helped over 50 fund promoters service thousands of UCITS funds domiciled in Luxembourg, Ireland and Malta distribute to countries in the EU, the greater European area, Asia and South America.

Following the introduction of UCITS III, a much wider range of investment strategies can be accommodated within the UCITS framework and FundAssist has worked with leading managers of alternative assets to avail of the UCITS framework and the international distribution opportunities it provides.

With the imminent introduction of UCITS IV, FundAssist is working with clients to ensure a smooth transition to the updated framework and fully exploit the efficiencies that will now be possible.

We can help you with the formation, management and administration of your entities through the provision of our board support service, our management company administration (where relevant), the coordination of legal and tax advice, our financial reporting service, audit supervision and the oversight of fund administration services. With the upcoming introduction of UCITS IV, we can help you take advantage of Management Company passporting across fund ranges in Luxembourg, Ireland and Malta.

FundAssist has pioneered the introduction of electronic proxy voting for investors in UCITS funds. Our  clients are interested in fully engaging with their investors and offering them a convenient and efficient alternative to traditional paper-based voting. Fund restructuring decisions envisaged under UCITS IV will require shareholder approval. Our online voting service improves communications with investors, allows more effective solicitation and increases the likelihood of passing resolutions at shareholder meetings.

FundAssist provides a well-proven and comprehensive service to streamline the registration of UCITS funds for sale in host countries. We have assisted clients expand their distribution reach well outside the EU region and provide access to a network of logistical, distribution, translation and regulatory support.

Under UCITS IV, the registration process within the EU will be streamlined and offers greater efficiencies. A Key Investor Information Document (KIID) will be required as part of the new process and FundAssist are already working with promoters to facilitate its timely introduction. Current registration processes will remain the same for countries outside of the EU.

Ongoing changes to UCITS fund products and country registrations require careful management and coordination of the various service providers carrying out functions for the funds. FundAssist has developed a central repository of fund documentation and data to allow all services performed on behalf of the fund to be managed from one shared platform, thereby minimising confusion, delays or inefficiencies.

Financial reporting for UCITS funds can be a challenging undertaking. It requires a detailed knowledge of accounting standards, the audit process, the logistics of report production on top of and including the translation of the reports for filing with regulators,all of which must be undertaken within strict deadlines. FundAssist has developed an unmatched set of capabilities to meet these challenges. We combine highly experienced and qualified accounting staff with specifically developed reporting tools that allow parallel translation while the reports are being produced. We stay fully up to date with developments in accounting standards and have detailed knowledge of Luxembourg GAAP, IFRS and evolutions of local GAAP standards to include elements of IFRS.

UCITS IV will introduce new reporting challenges with regard to master-feeder structures in the various jurisdictions and across varying reporting standards. We are currently participating in industry discussions on solutions for these evolving obligations.

UCITS provides unprecedented opportunities for international fund distribution. We actively assist our clients in reaching diverse markets and distribution channels. Distribution agreements can be unwieldy to administer and FundAssist offers a full outsourcing alternative whereby all agreed fees, loads, rebates and other forms of distributor remuneration are administered on your behalf. Our language support and local logistics support is also invaluable in dealing with local barriers.

Investor and distributor communications are vitally important to fund promoters and the ongoing promotion of their brand. FundAssist has services to help present your offerings in a professional manner, suitable to your target investors and that match the requirements of the local markets and distribution channels. To this end we can also help you introduce the new Key Investor Information Document required under UCITS IV.