AEW has launched the AEW UK Impact Fund (UKIF) as part of its first place-based impact investing strategy in the UK.
The open-ended fund has been seeded with a diversified £100m portfolio of UK assets comprising specialist supported living, key worker accommodation and care homes, together with community and residential-led town centre regeneration projects that influence wellbeing.
AEW is currently looking to raise capital on behalf of UKIF, targeting a range of investors, from institutional capital and local government pension schemes to private wealth.
The fund will focus on the provision of “sustainable real estate with a social use value” and will target residential, care facilities, nurseries and leisure and community facilities amongst other assets.
AEW has worked with social advisory firm The Good Economy to implement a bespoke Impact Management & Measurement (IMM) system designed to align with the best principles of impact investing, the requirements of the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Nick Winsley, head of AEW UK, said: “The built environment has a huge influence on people’s everyday lives and the launch of our first impact fund provides investors with an opportunity to invest in a way that creates both a tangible positive social and environmental impact, whilst also achieving their return objectives. Seeded with a portfolio of strongly performing assets, the fund is already delivering on its social value and cashflow objectives and we are excited to grow the fund from here.”
