Bouwinvest Real Estate Investors aims to operate on the basis of a healthy balance between risk and return and strives to take risks in a conscious and sustainable manner. Integrated Risk Management is a key mechanism to meet this goal by providing the means to identify, assess and understand various types of risk inherent in all Bouwinvest services/products, activities, processes and systems. 

To support Integrated Risk Management and to ensure that the fund remains within its risk profile and consequently its risk appetite, Bouwinvest set up a Risk Management Framework that enables it to address the fund-specific risks that may prevent the Fund from achieving its objectives. This consists of a balanced set of control measures and fund-specific key risk indicators and limit setting (including early warning limits) for the Fund's risk taxonomy. 

Risk governance 

As manager of the Fund, Bouwinvest is responsible for the management of the risks in the Fund. Bouwinvest has a risk governance and decision-making system based on the Three Lines Model (derived from the IIA model). This creates a clear structure for everyone, which helps raise awareness of everyone's role and responsibility on the risk management front. The Management Board of Bouwinvest is ultimately responsible for risk management and provides the organisation with guidance on how to remain within the established risk appetite at strategic, tactical and operational levels.  

Risk profile

Bouwinvest uses a risk management framework to manage its risk profile and that of its funds. This framework helps the organisation to identify and manage all material risks at strategic, tactical and operational levels.  

Risk taxonomy

The risk taxonomy is a list of the material risks which the funds is or may be exposed to, and which arise from its business activities. The risk taxonomy ensures that the fund has insight into the relevant material risks and can manage these risks properly.  

The manager of the funds updates its risk taxonomy on an annual basis. If Bouwinvest is potentially exposed to a new or evolving type of risk, the risk taxonomy is updated more frequently.  

The main risks the manager recognises are market risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, business risk, operational risk, ESG risk and compliance risk. These main risks are subdivided into sub-risks and Bouwinvest has defined risk indicators and (early warning) limits for these. 

Risk appetite

The fund’s risk appetite determines the level of risk it is willing to take at an aggregate level to achieve its objectives. The manager constantly monitors its risk appetite using a risk indicator framework based on quantitative and qualitative variables. 

The risk indicator framework consists of statements for each material risk as included in the risk taxonomy. Each risk indicator has a limit that is used within the current risk profile. In addition, Bouwinvest has early warning limits in place so it can intervene in a timely fashion to prevent itself from exceeding its defined risk appetite.  

Each quarter, the manager briefs its investors about compliance with the risk appetite for the fund via the quarterly reports.  

As manager of the fund, Bouwinvest determines the risk appetite for the fund annually in the shareholders'/investors' meeting and records this in the relevant fund documentation.  

Risks in the portfolio are monitored closely and the following events and risks were noteworthy in 2023.