Summary
The Endowments Investing Challenge is inviting investment service providers to present their solutions for ‘an investment portfolio for future generations’, through a transparent and collaborative tender process. Major funders are pooling up to £50 million to create this investment mandate.
Aims and activities
Aims and questions
Aims and activities
The Endowments Investing Challenge (EIC) is an open and collaborative tender process for an investment mandate, currently up to £50 million, seeking positive impact on future generations alongside financial returns.
The process culminates in a high-profile event in March 2026 where shortlisted candidates pitch to a live audience and a “people’s choice” winner is determined by an audience vote.
The main aims of the process are:
- The investment industry recognises that values-driven investors expect transparency and impactful portfolios and products
- Values-driven investors work collectively to align their investments with their purpose
- Capital is allocated to investment managers who prioritise impact on future generations alongside financial returns
- The voices of future generations (usually excluded) are heard in the process of selecting an investment service provider
How to get involved
We’re still open to funders with investment capital who are interested in joining as a capital-committing partner. More capital from values-aligned partners will increase the positive impact on the investment sector.
We would also love funders to share with their investment service providers and general networks.
Interested funders can reach out to hello@endowmentsinvestingchallenge.com or call + 44 (0) 1904 629675 and ask for the investment team.
Who's involved
Who was involved
The organisations behind the initiative include the Blagrave Trust, the Children’s Society, Cripplegate Foundation, Friends Provident Foundation, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and Vivensa Foundation, with support from John Ellerman Foundation, The Robertson Trust, Share Action’s Charities Responsible Investment Network, the Impact Investing Institute, and Redington, a Gallagher company.
The process also involves participation from a Future Generations Panel of seven 18–25-year-olds from across the UK, each of whom faces social, economic or environmental risks. The Panel will inform the partners at each stage of the process. You can hear from the Panel in this video.
Learning and Resources
We will develop learning as the process develops and share on the Funders Collaborative Hub. However, the following blog post reflects on the first iteration of the initiative, coined the “ESG investing Olympics”, which took place in 2020: Raising the bar: Reflections 3 years after the launch of the Cazenove Capital Sustainable Growth Fund - Friends Provident Foundation
