0001679751-20-000002.txt : 20200103 0001679751-20-000002.hdr.sgml : 20200103 20200103155824 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001679751-20-000002 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: N-CSR PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 4 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20191031 FILED AS OF DATE: 20200103 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20200103 EFFECTIVENESS DATE: 20200103 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001679751 IRS NUMBER: 000000000 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: N-CSR SEC ACT: 1940 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 811-23172 FILM NUMBER: 20505103 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 60 STATE STREET CITY: BOSTON STATE: MA ZIP: 02109 BUSINESS PHONE: 617-742-7825 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 60 STATE STREET CITY: BOSTON STATE: MA ZIP: 02109 N-CSR 1 ncsr.txt UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM N-CSR CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES Investment Company Act file number 811-23172 Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter) 60 State Street, Boston, MA 02109 (Address of principal executive offices) (ZIP code) Terrence J. Cullen, Amundi Pioneer Asset Management, Inc., 60 State Street, Boston, MA 02109 (Name and address of agent for service) Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (617) 742-7825 Date of fiscal year end: October 31, 2019 Date of reporting period: November 1, 2018 through October 31, 2019 Form N-CSR is to be used by management investment companies to file reports with the Commission not later than 10 days after the transmission to stockholders of any report that is required to be transmitted to stockholders under Rule 30e-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (17 CFR 270.30e-1). The Commission may use the information provided on Form N-CSR in its regulatory, disclosure review, inspection, and policymaking roles. A registrant is required to disclose the information specified by Form N-CSR, and the Commission will make this information public. A registrant is not required to respond to the collection of information contained in Form N-CSR unless the Form displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget ("OMB") control number. Please direct comments concerning the accuracy of the information collection burden estimate and any suggestions for reducing the burden to Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20549-0609. The OMB has reviewed this collection of information under the clearance requirements of 44 U.S.C. ss. 3507. ITEM 1. REPORTS TO STOCKHOLDERS. Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annual Report | October 31, 2019 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents Financial Statements 3 Notes to Financial Statements 6 Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 9 Approval of Investment Management Agreement 10 Trustees, Officers and Service Providers 14 page 2. Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund | Annual Report | 10/31/19 Statement of Assets and Liabilities | 10/31/19 ASSETS: Cash $ 100,368 Due from the Adviser 18,802 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total assets $ 119,170 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LIABILITIES: Payables - Administrative fees $ 2,457 Professional fees 10,000 Printing expense 6,148 Accrued expenses 565 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total liabilities $ 19,170 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NET ASSETS: Paid-in capital $ 100,000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net assets $ 100,000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NET ASSET VALUE PER SHARE: No par value Based on $100,000/10,000 shares $ 10.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. page 3. Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund | Annual Report | 10/31/19 Statement of Operations For the Year Ended 10/31/19 INVESTMENT INCOME: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total investment income $ - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXPENSES: Administrative expense $ 12,045 Shareowner communications expense 10,000 Registration fees 24,456 Professional fees 4,610 Printing expense 18,280 Miscellaneous 800 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total expenses $ 70,191 Less fees waived and expenses reimbursed by the Adviser (70,191) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net expenses $ - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net investment income $ - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS) ON INVESTMENTS: Net realized gain (loss) on: Investments in unaffiliated issuers $ - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on: Investments in unaffiliated issuers $ - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments $ - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net increase in net assets resulting from operations $ - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. page 4. Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund | Annual Report | 10/31/19 Statements of Changes in Net Assets ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Year Period Ended Ended 10/31/19 10/31/18* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FROM OPERATIONS: Net investment income (loss) $ - $ - Net realized gain (loss) on investments - - Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Net increase in net assets resulting from operations $ - $ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DISTRIBUTIONS TO SHAREOWNERS: Total distributions to shareowners $ - $ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FROM FUND SHARE TRANSACTIONS: Net proceeds from sales of shares $ - $ 100,000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Net increase in net assets resulting from Fund share transactions $ - $ 100,000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Net increase in net assets $ - $ 100,000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NET ASSETS: Beginning of year $ 100,000 $ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ End of year $ 100,000 $ 100,000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Year Year Ended Ended Period Ended Period Ended 10/31/19 10/31/19 10/31/18* 10/31/18* Shares Amount Shares Amount ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FUND SHARE TRANSACTIONS Shares sold - $ - 10,000 $ 100,000 Reinvestment of distributions - - - - Less shares repurchased - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net increase - $ - 10,000 $ 100,000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * For the period from June 22, 2018 (date of capitalization) to October 31, 2018. As the Fund has not yet commenced capital raising or investment activity, there are no financial highlights to report. The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. page 5. Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund | Annual Report | 10/31/19 Notes to Financial Statements | 10/31/19 1. Organization Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund (the "Fund") was organized under the laws of the State of Delaware on June 20, 2016 and was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act) as a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund's investment objective is total return. The initial fund shares were issued on June 22, 2018 to Amundi Pioneer Asset Management, Inc. (the "Adviser"), an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Amundi Asset Management Co. and Amundi's wholly owned subsidiary, Amundi USA, Inc. In addition, the Adviser has agreed to pay all organizational and offering costs of the Fund. As of October 31, 2019, the Fund has not commenced operations and has not executed any transactions other than these relating to organizational matters and the issuance of initial shares to the Adviser as described above. As of October 31, 2019, the Adviser was the sole shareholder of the Fund. The Fund's financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") that require the management of the Fund to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of income, expenses and gains and losses on investments during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. 2. Fund Shares The Fund will offer shares through Amundi Pioneer Distributor, Inc., the principal underwriter for the Fund. Shares will be offered at the Fund's current net asset value ("NAV") per share. The Fund does not have an unlimited number of shares registered. Shares are not currently offered. The Fund is an "interval" fund and will make periodic offers to repurchase shares. Except as permitted by the Fund's structure, no shareholder will have the right to require the Fund to repurchase its shares. No public market for shares exists, and none is expected to develop in the future. Consequently, shareholders generally will not be able to liquidate their investment other than as a result of repurchases of their shares by the Fund. The Fund will offer to repurchase at least 5% and up to 25% of its shares at NAV on a regular schedule. The Fund's policy permits repurchases of between 5% and 25% of the Fund's outstanding shares for each repurchase offer. The Fund will typically conduct quarterly repurchase offers for 10% of the Fund's outstanding shares at their NAV per share, subject to applicable law and approval of the Board of Trustees. The schedule requires the Fund to make repurchase offers every three months. Quarterly repurchase offers occur in the months of January, April, July and October. In the event a repurchase offer by the Fund is oversubscribed, the Fund may repurchase, but is not required to repurchase, additional shares up to a maximum amount of 2% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. If the Fund determines not to repurchase additional shares beyond the repurchase offer amount, or if shareholders submit for repurchase an amount of shares greater than that which the Fund is entitled to repurchase, the Fund will repurchase the shares submitted for repurchase on a pro rata basis. The Fund has no repurchases as of October 31, 2019. 3. Management Agreement The Adviser manages the Fund's portfolio. Management fees will be calculated daily at the annual rate of 1.75% on the Fund's average daily net assets. In addition, under the management and administration agreements, certain other services and costs, including accounting, regulatory reporting and insurance premiums, will be paid by the Fund. The Fund did not incur or pay any management fees during the year ended October 31, 2019. 4. Transfer Agent DST Systems, Inc., serves as the transfer agent to the Fund at negotiated page 6. Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund | Annual Report | 10/31/19 rates and will provide substantially all transfer agent and shareowner services to the Fund at negotiated rates. The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. page 7. Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund | Annual Report | 10/31/19 5. Federal Income Taxes The Fund intends to qualify as a "regulated investment company" and to comply with the applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, such that it will not be subject to federal income tax on taxable income (including realized capital gains) that is distributed to shareholders. 6. Expense Reimbursements The Adviser has agreed to reimburse all organizational and offering costs, estimated at approximately $70,191. The Adviser directly provided certain organizational services to the Fund at no expense. This amount is disclosed in the Statement of Operations. The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. page 8. Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund | Annual Report | 10/31/19 Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm To the Board of Trustees and the Shareholders of Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund: Opinion on the Financial Statements We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund (the "Fund") as of October 31, 2019, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for the year ended October 31, 2019 and the period from September 11, 2018 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2018 and the related notes (collectively referred to as the "financial statements"). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund at October 31, 2019, the results of its operations for the year then ended and changes in its net assets for the year ended October 31, 2019 and the period from September 11, 2018 (commencement of operations) through October 31, 2018, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Basis for Opinion These financial statements are the responsibility of the Fund's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB") and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of the Fund's internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of October 31, 2019, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. /s/ Ernst & Young LLP We have served as the Fund's auditor since 2017. Boston, Massachusetts December 20, 2019 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. page 9. Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund | Annual Report | 10/31/19 Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund Approval of Investment Management Agreement Amundi Pioneer Asset Management, Inc. ("APAM") serves as the investment adviser to Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund (the "Fund") pursuant to an investment management agreement between APAM and the Fund. In order for APAM to remain the investment adviser of the Fund, the Trustees of the Fund must determine annually whether to renew the investment management agreement for the Fund. The contract review process began in January 2019 as the Trustees of the Fund agreed on, among other things, an overall approach and timeline for the process. Contract review materials were provided to the Trustees in March 2019, July 2019 and September 2019. In addition, the Trustees reviewed and discussed the Fund's performance at regularly scheduled meetings throughout the year, and took into account other information related to the Fund provided to the Trustees at regularly scheduled meetings, in connection with the review of the Fund's investment management agreement. In March 2019, the Trustees, among other things, discussed the memorandum provided by Fund counsel that summarized the legal standards and other considerations that are relevant to the Trustees in their deliberations regarding the renewal of the investment management agreement, and reviewed and discussed the qualifications of the investment management teams for the Fund, as well as the level of investment by the Fund's portfolio managers in the Fund. In July 2019, the Trustees, among other things, reviewed the Fund's management fees and total expense ratios, the financial statements of APAM and its parent companies, profitability analyses provided by APAM, and analyses from APAM as to possible economies of scale. The Trustees also reviewed the profitability of the institutional business of APAM and APAM's affiliate, Amundi Pioneer Institutional Asset Management, Inc. ("APIAM" and, together with APAM, "Amundi Pioneer"), as compared to that of APAM's fund management business, and considered the differences between the fees and expenses of the Fund and the fees and expenses of APAM's and APIAM's institutional accounts, as well as the different services provided by APAM to the Fund and by APAM and APIAM to the institutional accounts. The Trustees further considered contract review materials, including additional materials received in response to the Trustees' request, in September 2019. At a meeting held on September 17, 2019, based on their evaluation of the information provided by APAM and third parties, the Trustees of the Fund, including the Independent Trustees voting separately, unanimously approved the renewal of the investment management agreement for another year. In approving the renewal of the investment management agreement, the Trustees considered various factors that they determined were relevant, including the factors described below. The Trustees did not identify any single factor as the controlling factor in determining to approve the renewal of the agreement. Nature, Extent and Quality of Services. The Trustees noted that the Fund had not commenced operations. The Trustees considered the nature, extent and quality of the services that would be provided by APAM to the Fund under the management agreement, taking into account the investment objective and strategy of the Fund. The Trustees also reviewed APAM's investment approach for the Fund and its page 10. Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund | Annual Report | 10/31/19 research process. The Trustees considered the resources of APAM and the personnel of APAM who would provide investment management services to the Fund. The Trustees also considered that, as administrator, APAM would be responsible for the administration of the Fund's business and other affairs. The Trustees considered the quality of such services provided by APAM to the other Pioneer Funds. The Trustees considered the fees to be paid to APAM for the provision of administration services. Based on these considerations, the Trustees concluded that the nature, extent and quality of services that APAM would provide to the Fund were satisfactory and consistent with the terms of the investment management agreement. Performance of the Fund. The Trustees did not consider the Fund's performance in approving the renewal of the investment management agreement because the Fund had not commenced operations and did not have a performance history. Management Fee and Expenses. The Trustees noted that the Fund's management fee and anticipated expense ratio were the same as the management fee and expense ratio charged by a fund managed by APAM that has an investment approach substantially similar to the Fund's investment approach. The Trustees considered information showing the fees and expenses of the similar APAM- managed fund in comparison to the management fees of such fund's peer group of funds as classified by Morningstar and also to the expense ratios of a peer group of funds selected on the basis of criteria determined by the Independent Trustees for this purpose using data provided by Strategic Insight Mutual Fund Research and Consulting, LLC (Strategic Insight), an independent third party. The peer group comparisons referred to below are organized in quintiles. Each quintile represents one-fifth of the peer group. In all peer group comparisons referred to below, first quintile is most favorable to the Fund's shareowners. The Trustees considered that the management fee for the most recent fiscal year charged by the fund managed by APAM that has an investment approach substantially similar to the Fund's investment approach was in the fifth quintile relative to the management fees paid by other funds in such fund's Strategic Insight peer group for the comparable period. The Trustees noted the investment management expertise and resources required to implement the complex investment strategy of the Fund and the similar APAM-managed fund. The Trustees also considered that the Fund and the similar APAM- managed fund did not have a clear cut peer group. The Trustees considered that the expense ratio for the most recent fiscal year charged by the fund managed by APAM that has an investment approach substantially similar to the Fund's investment approach was in the fourth quintile relative to such fund's Strategic Insight peer group for the comparable period. The Trustees reviewed management fees charged by APAM and APIAM to institutional and other clients, including publicly offered European funds sponsored by APAM's affiliates, unaffiliated U.S. registered investment companies (in a sub-advisory capacity), and unaffiliated foreign and domestic separate accounts. The Trustees also considered APAM's costs in providing services to the Fund and APAM's and APIAM's costs in providing services to the other clients and considered the differences in management fees and profit margins for fund and non-fund services. In evaluating the fees associated page 11. Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund | Annual Report | 10/31/19 with APAM's and APIAM's client accounts, the Trustees took into account the respective demands, resources and complexity associated with the Fund and other client accounts. The Trustees noted that, in some instances, the fee rates for those clients were lower than the management fee for the Fund and considered that, under the investment management agreement with the Fund, APAM performs additional services for the Fund that it does not provide to those other clients or services that are broader in scope, including oversight of the Fund's other service providers and activities related to compliance and the extensive regulatory and tax regimes to which the Fund is subject. The Trustees also considered the entrepreneurial risks associated with APAM's management of the Fund. The Trustees concluded that the management fee payable by the Fund to APAM was reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of the services to be provided by APAM. Profitability. The Trustees did not consider APAM's profitability with respect to the management of the Fund in approving the investment management agreement because the Fund had not commenced operations and profitability information was not available. Economies of Scale. The Trustees considered APAM's views relating to economies of scale in connection with the Pioneer Funds as fund assets grow and the extent to which any such economies of scale are shared with the Fund and Fund shareholders. The Trustees recognize that economies of scale are difficult to identify and quantify, and that, among other factors that may be relevant, are the following: fee levels, expense subsidization, investment by APAM in research and analytical capabilities and APAM's commitment and resource allocation to the Fund. The Trustees noted that profitability also may be an indicator of the availability of any economies of scale, although profitability may vary for other reasons including due to reductions in expenses. The Trustees concluded that economies of scale, if any, would be appropriately shared with the Fund. Other Benefits. The Trustees considered the other potential benefits to APAM from its relationship with the Fund, including the character and amount of fees that would be paid by the Fund, other than under the investment management agreement, for services that would be provided by APAM and its affiliates, and the revenues and profitability of APAM's businesses other than the fund business. . The Trustees considered that Amundi Pioneer is the principal U.S. asset management business of Amundi, which is one of the largest asset managers globally. Amundi's worldwide asset management business manages over $1.6 trillion in assets (including the Pioneer Funds). The Trustees considered that APAM's relationship with Amundi creates potential opportunities for APAM, APIAM and Amundi that derive from APAM's relationships with the Fund, including Amundi's ability to market the services of APAM globally. The Trustees noted that APAM has access to additional research and portfolio management capabilities as a result of its relationship with Amundi and Amundi's enhanced global presence that may contribute to an increase in the resources available to APAM. The Trustees considered that APAM and the Fund receive reciprocal intangible benefits from the relationship, including mutual brand recognition and, for the Fund, direct and indirect access to the resources of a large global asset page 12. Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund | Annual Report | 10/31/19 manager. The Trustees concluded that any such benefits received by APAM as a result of its relationship with the Fund were reasonable. Conclusion. After consideration of the factors described above as well as other factors, the Trustees, including the Independent Trustees, concluded that the investment management agreement for the Fund, including the fees payable thereunder, was fair and reasonable and voted to approve the proposed renewal of the investment management agreement. page 13. Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund | Annual Report | 10/31/19 Trustees, Officers and Service Providers Trustees Officers Thomas J. Perna, Chairman Lisa M. Jones, President and David R. Bock Chief Executive Officer Benjamin M. Friedman Mark E. Bradley, Treasurer and Margaret B.W. Graham Chief Financial and Lisa M. Jones Accounting Officer Lorraine H. Monchak Christopher J. Kelley, Secretary and Marguerite A. Piret Chief Legal Officer Fred J. Ricciardi Kenneth J. Taubes Investment Adviser and Administrator Amundi Pioneer Asset Management, Inc. Custodian and Sub-Administrator Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. Principal Underwriter Amundi Pioneer Distributor, Inc. Legal Counsel Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Transfer Agent DST Asset Manager Solutions, Inc. Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures of the Fund are available without charge, upon request, by calling our toll free number (1-800-225-6292). Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is publicly available to shareowners at www.amundipioneer.com/us. This information is also available on the Securities and Exchange Commission's web site at www.sec.gov. page 14. Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund | Annual Report | 10/31/19 ITEM 2. CODE OF ETHICS. (a) Disclose whether, as of the end of the period covered by the report, the registrant has adopted a code of ethics that applies to the registrant's principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these individuals are employed by the registrant or a third party. If the registrant has not adopted such a code of ethics, explain why it has not done so. The registrant has adopted, as of the end of the period covered by this report, a code of ethics that applies to the registrant's principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer and controller. (b) For purposes of this Item, the term "code of ethics" means written standards that are reasonably designed to deter wrongdoing and to promote: (1) Honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; (2) Full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that a registrant files with, or submits to, the Commission and in other public communications made by the registrant; (3) Compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules, and regulations; (4) The prompt internal reporting of violations of the code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the code; and (5) Accountability for adherence to the code. (c) The registrant must briefly describe the nature of any amendment, during the period covered by the report, to a provision of its code of ethics that applies to the registrant's principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these individuals are employed by the registrant or a third party, and that relates to any element of the code of ethics definition enumerated in paragraph (b) of this Item. The registrant must file a copy of any such amendment as an exhibit pursuant to Item 10(a), unless the registrant has elected to satisfy paragraph (f) of this Item by posting its code of ethics on its website pursuant to paragraph (f)(2) of this Item, or by undertaking to provide its code of ethics to any person without charge, upon request, pursuant to paragraph (f)(3) of this Item. The registrant has made no amendments to the code of ethics during the period covered by this report. (d) If the registrant has, during the period covered by the report, granted a waiver, including an implicit waiver, from a provision of the code of ethics to the registrant's principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these individuals are employed by the registrant or a third party, that relates to one or more of the items set forth in paragraph (b) of this Item, the registrant must briefly describe the nature of the waiver, the name of the person to whom the waiver was granted, and the date of the waiver. Not applicable. (e) If the registrant intends to satisfy the disclosure requirement under paragraph (c) or (d) of this Item regarding an amendment to, or a waiver from, a provision of its code of ethics that applies to the registrant's principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions and that relates to any element of the code of ethics definition enumerated in paragraph (b) of this Item by posting such information on its Internet website, disclose the registrant's Internet address and such intention. Not applicable. (f) The registrant must: (1) File with the Commission, pursuant to Item 12(a)(1), a copy of its code of ethics that applies to the registrant's principal executive officer,principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, as an exhibit to its annual report on this Form N-CSR (see attachment); (2) Post the text of such code of ethics on its Internet website and disclose, in its most recent report on this Form N-CSR, its Internet address and the fact that it has posted such code of ethics on its Internet website; or (3) Undertake in its most recent report on this Form N-CSR to provide to any person without charge, upon request, a copy of such code of ethics and explain the manner in which such request may be made. See Item 10(2) ITEM 3. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT. (a) (1) Disclose that the registrant's board of trustees has determined that the registrant either: (i) Has at least one audit committee financial expert serving on its audit committee; or (ii) Does not have an audit committee financial expert serving on its audit committee. The registrant's Board of Trustees has determined that the registrant has at least one audit committee financial expert. (2) If the registrant provides the disclosure required by paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this Item, it must disclose the name of the audit committee financial expert and whether that person is "independent." In order to be considered "independent" for purposes of this Item, a member of an audit committee may not, other than in his or her capacity as a member of the audit committee, the board of trustees, or any other board committee: (i) Accept directly or indirectly any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the issuer; or (ii) Be an "interested person" of the investment company as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 80a-2(a)(19)). Mr. David R. Bock, an independent trustee, is such an audit committee financial expert. (3) If the registrant provides the disclosure required by paragraph (a)(1) (ii) of this Item, it must explain why it does not have an audit committee financial expert. Not applicable. ITEM 4. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES. (a) Disclose, under the caption AUDIT FEES, the aggregate fees billed for each of the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for the audit of the registrant's annual financial statements or services that are normally provided by the accountant in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for those fiscal years. The audit fees for the Fund were $10,000 payable to Ernst & Young LLP for the year ended October 31, 2019 and $10,000 for the year ended October 31, 2018. (b) Disclose, under the caption AUDIT-RELATED FEES, the aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for assurance and related services by the principal accountant that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit of the registrant's financial statements and are not reported under paragraph (a) of this Item. Registrants shall describe the nature of the services comprising the fees disclosed under this category. Audit-Related Fees There were no audit-related services in 2019 or 2018. (c) Disclose, under the caption TAX FEES, the aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning. Registrants shall describe the nature of the services comprising the fees disclosed under this category. The tax fees for the Fund were $0 payable to Ernst & Young LLP for the year ended October 31, 2019 and $0 for the year ended October 31, 2018. (d) Disclose, under the caption ALL OTHER FEES, the aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for products and services provided by the principal accountant, other than the services reported in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this Item. Registrants shall describe the nature of the services comprising the fees disclosed under this category. Other Fees There were no other fees in 2019 or 2018. (e) (1) Disclose the audit committee's pre-approval policies and procedures described in paragraph (c)(7) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X. PIONEER FUNDS APPROVAL OF AUDIT, AUDIT-RELATED, TAX AND OTHER SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE INDEPENDENT AUDITOR SECTION I - POLICY PURPOSE AND APPLICABILITY The Pioneer Funds recognize the importance of maintaining the independence of their outside auditors. Maintaining independence is a shared responsibility involving Amudi Pioneer Asset Management, Inc, the audit committee and the independent auditors. The Funds recognize that a Fund's independent auditors: 1) possess knowledge of the Funds, 2) are able to incorporate certain services into the scope of the audit, thereby avoiding redundant work, cost and disruption of Fund personnel and processes, and 3) have expertise that has value to the Funds. As a result, there are situations where it is desirable to use the Fund's independent auditors for services in addition to the annual audit and where the potential for conflicts of interests are minimal. Consequently, this policy, which is intended to comply with Rule 210.2-01(C)(7), sets forth guidelines and procedures to be followed by the Funds when retaining the independent audit firm to perform audit, audit-related tax and other services under those circumstances, while also maintaining independence. Approval of a service in accordance with this policy for a Fund shall also constitute approval for any other Fund whose pre-approval is required pursuant to Rule 210.2-01(c)(7)(ii). In addition to the procedures set forth in this policy, any non-audit services that may be provided consistently with Rule 210.2-01 may be approved by the Audit Committee itself and any pre-approval that may be waived in accordance with Rule 210.2-01(c)(7)(i)(C) is hereby waived. Selection of a Fund's independent auditors and their compensation shall be determined by the Audit Committee and shall not be subject to this policy.
SECTION II - POLICY ---------------- -------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- SERVICE SERVICE CATEGORY DESCRIPTION SPECIFIC PRE-APPROVED SERVICE SUBCATEGORIES CATEGORY ---------------- -------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- I. AUDIT Services that are directly o Accounting research assistance SERVICES related to performing the o SEC consultation, registration independent audit of the Funds statements, and reporting o Tax accrual related matters o Implementation of new accounting standards o Compliance letters (e.g. rating agency letters) o Regulatory reviews and assistance regarding financial matters o Semi-annual reviews (if requested) o Comfort letters for closed end offerings ---------------- -------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- II. Services which are not o AICPA attest and agreed-upon procedures AUDIT-RELATED prohibited under Rule o Technology control assessments SERVICES 210.2-01(C)(4) (the "Rule") o Financial reporting control assessments and are related extensions of o Enterprise security architecture the audit services support the assessment audit, or use the knowledge/expertise gained from the audit procedures as a foundation to complete the project. In most cases, if the Audit-Related Services are not performed by the Audit firm, the scope of the Audit Services would likely increase. The Services are typically well-defined and governed by accounting professional standards (AICPA, SEC, etc.) ---------------- -------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------- ------------------------------------ AUDIT COMMITTEE APPROVAL POLICY AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORTING POLICY ------------------------------------- ------------------------------------ o "One-time" pre-approval o A summary of all such for the audit period for all services and related fees pre-approved specific service reported at each regularly subcategories. Approval of the scheduled Audit Committee independent auditors as meeting. auditors for a Fund shall constitute pre approval for these services. ------------------------------------- ------------------------------------ o "One-time" pre-approval o A summary of all such for the fund fiscal year within services and related fees a specified dollar limit (including comparison to for all pre-approved specified dollar limits) specific service subcategories reported quarterly. o Specific approval is needed to exceed the pre-approved dollar limit for these services (see general Audit Committee approval policy below for details on obtaining specific approvals) o Specific approval is needed to use the Fund's auditors for Audit-Related Services not denoted as "pre-approved", or to add a specific service subcategory as "pre-approved" ------------------------------------- ------------------------------------
SECTION III - POLICY DETAIL, CONTINUED ----------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- SERVICE CATEGORY SERVICE CATEGORY SPECIFIC PRE-APPROVED SERVICE SUBCATEGORIES DESCRIPTION ----------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- III. TAX SERVICES Services which are not o Tax planning and support prohibited by the Rule, o Tax controversy assistance if an officer of the Fund o Tax compliance, tax returns, excise determines that using the tax returns and support Fund's auditor to provide o Tax opinions these services creates significant synergy in the form of efficiency, minimized disruption, or the ability to maintain a desired level of confidentiality. ----------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------- ------------------------- AUDIT COMMITTEE APPROVAL POLICY AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORTING POLICY ------------------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------------------- ------------------------- o "One-time" pre-approval o A summary of for the fund fiscal year all such services and within a specified dollar limit related fees (including comparison to specified dollar limits) reported quarterly. o Specific approval is needed to exceed the pre-approved dollar limits for these services (see general Audit Committee approval policy below for details on obtaining specific approvals) o Specific approval is needed to use the Fund's auditors for tax services not denoted as pre-approved, or to add a specific service subcategory as "pre-approved" ------------------------------------- -------------------------
SECTION III - POLICY DETAIL, CONTINUED ----------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- SERVICE CATEGORY SERVICE CATEGORY SPECIFIC PRE-APPROVED SERVICE SUBCATEGORIES DESCRIPTION ----------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- IV. OTHER SERVICES Services which are not o Business Risk Management support prohibited by the Rule, o Other control and regulatory A. SYNERGISTIC, if an officer of the Fund compliance projects UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS determines that using the Fund's auditor to provide these services creates significant synergy in the form of efficiency, minimized disruption, the ability to maintain a desired level of confidentiality, or where the Fund's auditors posses unique or superior qualifications to provide these services, resulting in superior value and results for the Fund. ----------------------- --------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- ------------------------ AUDIT COMMITTEE APPROVAL POLICY AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORTING POLICY ------------------------------------- -------------------------- o "One-time" pre-approval o A summary of for the fund fiscal year within all such services and a specified dollar limit related fees (including comparison to specified dollar limits) reported quarterly. o Specific approval is needed to exceed the pre-approved dollar limits for these services (see general Audit Committee approval policy below for details on obtaining specific approvals) o Specific approval is needed to use the Fund's auditors for "Synergistic" or "Unique Qualifications" Other Services not denoted as pre-approved to the left, or to add a specific service subcategory as "pre-approved" ------------------------------------- --------------------------
SECTION III - POLICY DETAIL, CONTINUED ----------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- SERVICE CATEGORY SERVICE CATEGORY SPECIFIC PROHIBITED SERVICE SUBCATEGORIES DESCRIPTION ----------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- PROHIBITED SERVICES Services which result 1. Bookkeeping or other services in the auditors losing related to the accounting records or independence status financial statements of the audit under the Rule. client* 2. Financial information systems design and implementation* 3. Appraisal or valuation services, fairness* opinions, or contribution-in-kind reports 4. Actuarial services (i.e., setting actuarial reserves versus actuarial audit work)* 5. Internal audit outsourcing services* 6. Management functions or human resources 7. Broker or dealer, investment advisor, or investment banking services 8. Legal services and expert services unrelated to the audit 9. Any other service that the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board determines, by regulation, is impermissible ----------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ AUDIT COMMITTEE APPROVAL POLICY AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORTING POLICY ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ o These services are not to be o A summary of all performed with the exception of the(*) services and related services that may be permitted fees reported at each if they would not be subject to audit regularly scheduled procedures at the audit client (as Audit Committee meeting defined in rule 2-01(f)(4)) level will serve as continual the firm providing the service. confirmation that has not provided any restricted services. ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GENERAL AUDIT COMMITTEE APPROVAL POLICY: o For all projects, the officers of the Funds and the Fund's auditors will each make an assessment to determine that any proposed projects will not impair independence. o Potential services will be classified into the four non-restricted service categories and the "Approval of Audit, Audit-Related, Tax and Other Services" Policy above will be applied. Any services outside the specific pre-approved service subcategories set forth above must be specifically approved by the Audit Committee. o At least quarterly, the Audit Committee shall review a report summarizing the services by service category, including fees, provided by the Audit firm as set forth in the above policy. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (2) Disclose the percentage of services described in each of paragraphs (b) through (d) of this Item that were approved by the audit committee pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X. Non-Audit Services Beginning with non-audit service contracts entered into on or after May 6, 2003, the effective date of the new SEC pre-approval rules, the Fund's audit committee is required to pre-approve services to affiliates defined by SEC rules to the extent that the services are determined to have a direct impact on the operations or financial reporting of the Fund. For the years ended October 31 2019 and 2018, there were no services provided to an affiliate that required the Fund's audit committee pre-approval. (f) If greater than 50 percent, disclose the percentage of hours expended on the principal accountants engagement to audit the registrant's financial statements for the most recent fiscal year that were attributed to work performed by persons other than the principal accountant's full-time, permanent employees. N/A (g) Disclose the aggregate non-audit fees billed by the registrants accountant for services rendered to the registrant, and rendered to the registrants investment adviser (not including any sub-adviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant for each of the last two fiscal years of the registrant. The aggregate non-audit fees for the Fund were $0 payable to Ernst & Young LLP for the year ended October 31, 2019 and $0 for the year ended October 31, 2018. (h) Disclose whether the registrants audit committee of the board of trustees has considered whether the provision of non-audit services that were rendered to the registrants investment adviser (not including any subadviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant that were not pre-approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X is compatible with maintaining the principal accountant's independence. The Fund's audit committee of the Board of Trustees has considered whether the provision of non-audit services that were rendered to the Affiliates (as defined) that were not pre- approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X is compatible with maintaining the principal accountant's independence. ITEM 5. AUDIT COMMITTEE OF LISTED REGISTRANTS (a) If the registrant is a listed issuer as defined in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.10A-3), state whether or not the registrant has a separately-designated standing audit committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(58)(A)). If the registrant has such a committee, however designated, identify each committee member. If the entire board of directors is acting as the registrant's audit committee as specified in Section 3(a)(58)(B) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(58)(B)), so state. N/A (b) If applicable, provide the disclosure required by Rule 10A-3(d) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.10A-3(d)) regarding an exemption from the listing standards for audit committees. N/A ITEM 6. SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS. File Schedule of Investments in securities of unaffiliated issuers as of the close of the reporting period as set forth in 210.1212 of Regulation S-X [17 CFR 210.12-12], unless the schedule is included as part of the report to shareholders filed under Item 1 of this Form. Included in Item 1 ITEM 7. DISCLOSURE OF PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES. A closed-end management investment company that is filing an annual report on this Form N-CSR must, unless it invests exclusively in non-voting securities, describe the policies and procedures that it uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities, including the procedures that the company uses when a vote presents a conflict between the interests of its shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the company's investment adviser; principal underwriter; or any affiliated person (as defined in Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-2(a)(3)) and the rules thereunder) of the company, its investment adviser, or its principal underwriter, on the other. Include any policies and procedures of the company's investment adviser, or any other third party, that the company uses, or that are used on the company's behalf, to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities. Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures of Pioneer Investment Management, Inc. VERSION DATED July, 2004 Overview Pioneer Investment Management, Inc. ("Pioneer") is a fiduciary that owes each of its client's duties of care and loyalty with respect to all services undertaken on the client's behalf, including proxy voting. When Pioneer has been delegated proxy-voting authority for a client, the duty of care requires Pioneer to monitor corporate events and to vote the proxies. To satisfy its duty of loyalty, Pioneer must place its client's interests ahead of its own and must cast proxy votes in a manner consistent with the best interest of its clients. Pioneer will vote all proxies presented in a timely manner. The Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures are designed to complement Pioneer's investment policies and procedures regarding its general responsibility to monitor the performance and/or corporate events of companies that are issuers of securities held in accounts managed by Pioneer. Pioneer's Proxy Voting Policies summarize Pioneer's position on a number of issues solicited by companies held by Pioneer's clients. The policies are guidelines that provide a general indication on how Pioneer would vote but do not include all potential voting scenarios. Pioneer's Proxy Voting Procedures detail monitoring of voting, exception votes, and review of conflicts of interest and ensure that case-by-case votes are handled within the context of the overall guidelines (i.e. best interest of client). The overriding goal is that all proxies for US and non-US companies that are received promptly will be voted in accordance with Pioneer's policies or specific client instructions. All shares in a company held by Pioneer-managed accounts will be voted alike, unless a client has given us specific voting instructions on an issue or has not delegated authority to us or the Proxy Voting Oversight Group determines that the circumstances justify a different approach. Pioneer does not delegate the authority to vote proxies relating to its clients to any of its affiliates, which include other subsidiaries of UniCredito. Any questions about these policies and procedures should be directed to the Proxy Coordinator. 1 Proxy Voting Procedures Proxy Voting Service Pioneer has engaged an independent proxy voting service to assist in the voting of proxies. The proxy voting service works with custodians to ensure that all proxy materials are received by the custodians and are processed in a timely fashion. To the extent applicable, the proxy voting service votes all proxies in accordance with the proxy voting policies established by Pioneer. The proxy voting service will refer proxy questions to the Proxy Coordinator (described below) for instructions under circumstances where: (1) the application of the proxy voting guidelines is unclear; (2) a particular proxy question is not covered by the guidelines; or (3) the guidelines call for specific instructions on a case-by-case basis. The proxy voting service is also requested to call to the Proxy Coordinator's attention specific proxy questions that, while governed by a guideline, appear to involve unusual or controversial issues. Pioneer reserves the right to attend a meeting in person and may do so when it determines that the company or the matters to be voted on at the meeting are strategically important to its clients. Proxy Coordinator Pioneer's Director of Investment Operations (the "Proxy Coordinator") coordinates the voting, procedures and reporting of proxies on behalf of Pioneer's clients. The Proxy Coordinator will deal directly with the proxy voting service and, in the case of proxy questions referred by the proxy voting service, will solicit voting recommendations and instructions from the Director of Portfolio Management US or, to the extent applicable, investment sub-advisers. The Proxy Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that these questions and referrals are responded to in a timely fashion and for transmitting appropriate voting instructions to the proxy voting service. The Proxy Coordinator is responsible for verifying with the Compliance Department whether Pioneer's voting power is subject to any limitations or guidelines issued by the client (or in the case of an employee benefit plan, the plan's trustee or other fiduciaries). Referral Items From time to time, the proxy voting service will refer proxy questions to the Proxy Coordinator that are described by Pioneer's policy as to be voted on a case-by-case basis, that are not covered by Pioneer's guidelines or where Pioneer's guidelines may be unclear with respect to the matter to be voted on. Under such certain circumstances, the Proxy Coordinator will seek a written voting recommendation from the Director of Portfolio Management US. Any such recommendation will include: (i) the manner in which the proxies should be voted; (ii) the rationale underlying any such decision; and (iii) the disclosure of any contacts or communications made between Pioneer and any outside parties concerning the proxy proposal prior to the time that the voting instructions are provided. In addition, the Proxy Coordinator will ask the Compliance Department to review the question for any actual or apparent conflicts of interest as described below under "Conflicts of 2 Interest." The Compliance Department will provide a "Conflicts of Interest Report," applying the criteria set forth below under "Conflicts of Interest," to the Proxy Coordinator summarizing the results of its review. In the absence of a conflict of interest, the Proxy Coordinator will vote in accordance with the recommendation of the Director of Portfolio Management US. If the matter presents a conflict of interest for Pioneer, then the Proxy Coordinator will refer the matter to the Proxy Voting Oversight Group for a decision. In general, when a conflict of interest is present, Pioneer will vote according to the recommendation of the Director of Portfolio Management US where such recommendation would go against Pioneer's interest or where the conflict is deemed to be immaterial. Pioneer will vote according to the recommendation of its proxy voting service when the conflict is deemed to be material and the Pioneer's internal vote recommendation would favor Pioneer's interest, unless a client specifically requests Pioneer to do otherwise. When making the final determination as to how to vote a proxy, the Proxy Voting Oversight Group will review the report from the Director of Portfolio Management US and the Conflicts of Interest Report issued by the Compliance Department. Conflicts of Interest A conflict of interest occurs when Pioneer's interests interfere, or appear to interfere with the interests of Pioneer's clients. Occasionally, Pioneer may have a conflict that can affect how its votes proxies. The conflict may be actual or perceived and may exist when the matter to be voted on concerns: o An affiliate of Pioneer, such as another company belonging to the UniCredito Italiano S.p.A. banking group (a "UniCredito Affiliate"); o An issuer of a security for which Pioneer acts as a sponsor, advisor, manager, custodian, distributor, underwriter, broker, or other similar capacity (including those securities specifically declared by PGAM to present a conflict of interest for Pioneer); o An issuer of a security for which UniCredito has informed Pioneer that a UniCredito Affiliate acts as a sponsor, advisor, manager, custodian, distributor, underwriter, broker, or other similar capacity; or o A person with whom Pioneer (or any of its affiliates) has an existing, material contract or business relationship that was not entered into in the ordinary course of Pioneer's business. o Pioneer will abstain from voting with respect to companies directly or indirectly owned by UniCredito Italiano Group, unless otherwise directed by a client. In addition, Pioneer will inform PGAM Global Compliance and the PGAM Independent Directors before exercising such rights. Any associate involved in the proxy voting process with knowledge of any apparent or actual conflict of interest must disclose such conflict to the Proxy Coordinator and the Compliance Department. The Compliance Department will review each item referred to Pioneer to determine whether an actual or potential conflict of interest with Pioneer exists in connection with the proposal(s) to be voted upon. The review will be conducted by comparing the apparent parties affected by the proxy proposal being 3 voted upon against the Compliance Department's internal list of interested persons and, for any matches found, evaluating the anticipated magnitude and possible probability of any conflict of interest being present. For each referral item, the determination regarding the presence or absence of any actual or potential conflict of interest will be documented in a Conflicts of Interest Report to the Proxy Coordinator. Securities Lending In conjunction with industry standards Proxies are not available to be voted when the shares are out on loan through either Pioneer's lending program or a client's managed security lending program. However, Pioneer will reserve the right to recall lent securities so that they may be voted according to the Pioneer's instructions. If a portfolio manager would like to vote a block of previously lent shares, the Proxy Coordinator will work with the portfolio manager and Investment Operations to recall the security, to the extent possible, to facilitate the vote on the entire block of shares. Share-Blocking "Share-blocking" is a market practice whereby shares are sent to a custodian (which may be different than the account custodian) for record keeping and voting at the general meeting. The shares are unavailable for sale or delivery until the end of the blocking period (typically the day after general meeting date). Pioneer will vote in those countries with "share-blocking." In the event a manager would like to sell a security with "share-blocking", the Proxy Coordinator will work with the Portfolio Manager and Investment Operations Department to recall the shares (as allowable within the market time-frame and practices) and/or communicate with executing brokerage firm. A list of countries with "share-blocking" is available from the Investment Operations Department upon request. Record Keeping The Proxy Coordinator shall ensure that Pioneer's proxy voting service: o Retains a copy of the proxy statement received (unless the proxy statement is available from the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) system); o Retains a record of the vote cast; o Prepares Form N-PX for filing on behalf of each client that is a registered investment company; and o Is able to promptly provide Pioneer with a copy of the voting record upon its request. 4 The Proxy Coordinator shall ensure that for those votes that may require additional documentation (i.e. conflicts of interest, exception votes and case-by-case votes) the following records are maintained: o A record memorializing the basis for each referral vote cast; o A copy of any document created by Pioneer that was material in making the decision on how to vote the subject proxy; and o A copy of any conflict notice, conflict consent or any other written communication (including emails or other electronic communications) to or from the client (or in the case of an employee benefit plan, the plan's trustee or other fiduciaries) regarding the subject proxy vote cast by, or the vote recommendation of, Pioneer. o Pioneer shall maintain the above records in the client's file for a period not less than ten (10) years. Disclosure Pioneer shall take reasonable measures to inform its clients of the process or procedures clients must follow to obtain information regarding how Pioneer voted with respect to assets held in their accounts. In addition, Pioneer shall describe to clients its proxy voting policies and procedures and will furnish a copy of its proxy voting policies and procedures upon request. This information may be provided to clients through Pioneer's Form ADV (Part II) disclosure, by separate notice to the client, or through Pioneer's website. Proxy Voting Oversight Group The members of the Proxy Voting Oversight Group are Pioneer's: Director of Portfolio Management US, Head of Investment Operations, and Director of Compliance. Other members of Pioneer will be invited to attend meetings and otherwise participate as necessary. The Head of Investment Operations will chair the Proxy Voting Oversight Group. The Proxy Voting Oversight Group is responsible for developing, evaluating, and changing (when necessary) Pioneer's Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures. The group meets at least annually to evaluate and review these policies and procedures and the services of its third-party proxy voting service. In addition, the Proxy Voting Oversight Group will meet as necessary to vote on referral items and address other business as necessary. Amendments Pioneer may not amend its Proxy Voting Policies And Procedures without the prior approval of the Proxy Voting Oversight Group and its corporate parent, Pioneer Global Asset Management S.p.A 5 Proxy Voting Policies Pioneer's sole concern in voting proxies is the economic effect of the proposal on the value of portfolio holdings, considering both the short- and long-term impact. In many instances, Pioneer believes that supporting the company's strategy and voting "for" management's proposals builds portfolio value. In other cases, however, proposals set forth by management may have a negative effect on that value, while some shareholder proposals may hold the best prospects for enhancing it. Pioneer monitors developments in the proxy-voting arena and will revise this policy as needed. All proxies that are received promptly will be voted in accordance with the specific policies listed below. All shares in a company held by Pioneer-managed accounts will be voted alike, unless a client has given us specific voting instructions on an issue or has not delegated authority to us. Proxy voting issues will be reviewed by Pioneer's Proxy Voting Oversight Group, which consists of the Director of Portfolio Management US, the Director of Investment Operations (the Proxy Coordinator), and the Director of Compliance. Pioneer has established Proxy Voting Procedures for identifying and reviewing conflicts of interest that may arise in the voting of proxies. Clients may request, at any time, a report on proxy votes for securities held in their portfolios and Pioneer is happy to discuss our proxy votes with company management. Pioneer retains a proxy voting service to provide research on proxy issues and to process proxy votes. Administrative While administrative items appear infrequently in U.S. issuer proxies, they are quite common in non-U.S. proxies. We will generally support these and similar management proposals: o Corporate name change. o A change of corporate headquarters. o Stock exchange listing. o Establishment of time and place of annual meeting. o Adjournment or postponement of annual meeting. o Acceptance/approval of financial statements. o Approval of dividend payments, dividend reinvestment plans and other dividend-related proposals. o Approval of minutes and other formalities. 6 o Authorization of the transferring of reserves and allocation of income. o Amendments to authorized signatories. o Approval of accounting method changes or change in fiscal year-end. o Acceptance of labor agreements. o Appointment of internal auditors. Pioneer will vote on a case-by-case basis on other routine business; however, Pioneer will oppose any routine business proposal if insufficient information is presented in advance to allow Pioneer to judge the merit of the proposal. Pioneer has also instructed its proxy voting service to inform Pioneer of its analysis of any administrative items inconsistent, in its view, with supporting the value of Pioneer portfolio holdings so that Pioneer may consider and vote on those items on a case-by-case basis. Auditors We normally vote for proposals to: o Ratify the auditors. We will consider a vote against if we are concerned about the auditors' independence or their past work for the company. Specifically, we will oppose the ratification of auditors and withhold votes from audit committee members if non-audit fees paid by the company to the auditing firm exceed the sum of audit fees plus audit-related fees plus permissible tax fees according to the disclosure categories proposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. o Restore shareholder rights to ratify the auditors. We will normally oppose proposals that require companies to: o Seek bids from other auditors. o Rotate auditing firms, except where the rotation is statutorily required or where rotation would demonstrably strengthen financial disclosure. o Indemnify auditors. o Prohibit auditors from engaging in non-audit services for the company. Board of Directors On issues related to the board of directors, Pioneer normally supports management. We will, however, consider a vote against management in instances where corporate performance has been very poor or where the board appears to lack independence. 7 General Board Issues Pioneer will vote for: o Audit, compensation and nominating committees composed of independent directors exclusively. o Indemnification for directors for actions taken in good faith in accordance with the business judgment rule. We will vote against proposals for broader indemnification. o Changes in board size that appear to have a legitimate business purpose and are not primarily for anti-takeover reasons. o Election of an honorary director. We will vote against: o Minimum stock ownership by directors. o Term limits for directors. Companies benefit from experienced directors, and shareholder control is better achieved through annual votes. o Requirements for union or special interest representation on the board. o Requirements to provide two candidates for each board seat. We will vote on a case-by case basis on these issues: o Separate chairman and CEO positions. We will consider voting with shareholders on these issues in cases of poor corporate performance. Elections of Directors In uncontested elections of directors we will vote against: o Individual directors with absenteeism above 25% without valid reason. We support proposals that require disclosure of director attendance. o Insider directors and affiliated outsiders who sit on the audit, compensation, stock option or nominating committees. For the purposes of our policy, we accept the definition of affiliated directors provided by our proxy voting service. We will also vote against: o Directors who have failed to act on a takeover offer where the majority of shareholders have tendered their shares. o Directors who appear to lack independence or are associated with very poor corporate performance. 8 We will vote on a case-by case basis on these issues: o Re-election of directors who have implemented or renewed a dead-hand or modified dead-hand poison pill (a "dead-hand poison pill" is a shareholder rights plan that may be altered only by incumbent or "dead " directors. These plans prevent a potential acquirer from disabling a poison pill by obtaining control of the board through a proxy vote). o Contested election of directors. o Prior to phase-in required by SEC, we would consider supporting election of a majority of independent directors in cases of poor performance. o Mandatory retirement policies. o Directors who have ignored a shareholder proposal that has been approved by shareholders for two consecutive years. Takeover-Related Measures Pioneer is generally opposed to proposals that may discourage takeover attempts. We believe that the potential for a takeover helps ensure that corporate performance remains high. Pioneer will vote for: o Cumulative voting. o Increase ability for shareholders to call special meetings. o Increase ability for shareholders to act by written consent. o Restrictions on the ability to make greenmail payments. o Submitting rights plans to shareholder vote. o Rescinding shareholder rights plans ("poison pills"). o Opting out of the following state takeover statutes: o Control share acquisition statutes, which deny large holders voting rights on holdings over a specified threshold. o Control share cash-out provisions, which require large holders to acquire shares from other holders. o Freeze-out provisions, which impose a waiting period on large holders before they can attempt to gain control. o Stakeholder laws, which permit directors to consider interests of non-shareholder constituencies. 9 o Disgorgement provisions, which require acquirers to disgorge profits on purchases made before gaining control. o Fair price provisions. o Authorization of shareholder rights plans. o Labor protection provisions. o Mandatory classified boards. We will vote on a case-by-case basis on the following issues: o Fair price provisions. We will vote against provisions requiring supermajority votes to approve takeovers. We will also consider voting against proposals that require a supermajority vote to repeal or amend the provision. Finally, we will consider the mechanism used to determine the fair price; we are generally opposed to complicated formulas or requirements to pay a premium. o Opting out of state takeover statutes regarding fair price provisions. We will use the criteria used for fair price provisions in general to determine our vote on this issue. o Proposals that allow shareholders to nominate directors. We will vote against: o Classified boards, except in the case of closed-end mutual funds. o Limiting shareholder ability to remove or appoint directors. We will support proposals to restore shareholder authority in this area. We will review on a case-by-case basis proposals that authorize the board to make interim appointments. o Classes of shares with unequal voting rights. o Supermajority vote requirements. o Severance packages ("golden" and "tin" parachutes). We will support proposals to put these packages to shareholder vote. o Reimbursement of dissident proxy solicitation expenses. While we ordinarily support measures that encourage takeover bids, we believe that management should have full control over corporate funds. o Extension of advance notice requirements for shareholder proposals. o Granting board authority normally retained by shareholders (e.g., amend charter, set board size). o Shareholder rights plans ("poison pills"). These plans generally allow shareholders to buy additional shares at a below-market price in the event of a change in control and may deter some bids. 10 Capital Structure Managements need considerable flexibility in determining the company's financial structure, and Pioneer normally supports managements' proposals in this area. We will, however, reject proposals that impose high barriers to potential takeovers. Pioneer will vote for: o Changes in par value. o Reverse splits, if accompanied by a reduction in number of shares. o Share repurchase programs, if all shareholders may participate on equal terms. o Bond issuance. o Increases in "ordinary" preferred stock. o Proposals to have blank-check common stock placements (other than shares issued in the normal course of business) submitted for shareholder approval. o Cancellation of company treasury shares. We will vote on a case-by-case basis on the following issues: o Reverse splits not accompanied by a reduction in number of shares, considering the risk of delisting. o Increase in authorized common stock. We will make a determination considering, among other factors: o Number of shares currently available for issuance; o Size of requested increase (we would normally approve increases of up to 100% of current authorization); o Proposed use of the additional shares; and o Potential consequences of a failure to increase the number of shares outstanding (e.g., delisting or bankruptcy). o Blank-check preferred. We will normally oppose issuance of a new class of blank-check preferred, but may approve an increase in a class already outstanding if the company has demonstrated that it uses this flexibility appropriately. o Proposals to submit private placements to shareholder vote. o Other financing plans. We will vote against preemptive rights that we believe limit a company's financing flexibility. 11 Compensation Pioneer supports compensation plans that link pay to shareholder returns and believes that management has the best understanding of the level of compensation needed to attract and retain qualified people. At the same time, stock-related compensation plans have a significant economic impact and a direct effect on the balance sheet. Therefore, while we do not want to micromanage a company's compensation programs, we will place limits on the potential dilution these plans may impose. Pioneer will vote for: o 401(k) benefit plans. o Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), as long as shares allocated to ESOPs are less than 5% of outstanding shares. Larger blocks of stock in ESOPs can serve as a takeover defense. We will support proposals to submit ESOPs to shareholder vote. o Various issues related to the Omnibus Budget and Reconciliation Act of 1993 (OBRA), including: o Amendments to performance plans to conform with OBRA; o Caps on annual grants or amendments of administrative features; o Adding performance goals; and o Cash or cash-and-stock bonus plans. o Establish a process to link pay, including stock-option grants, to performance, leaving specifics of implementation to the company. o Require that option repricings be submitted to shareholders. o Require the expensing of stock-option awards. o Require reporting of executive retirement benefits (deferred compensation, split-dollar life insurance, SERPs, and pension benefits). o Employee stock purchase plans where the purchase price is equal to at least 85% of the market price, where the offering period is no greater than 27 months and where potential dilution (as defined below) is no greater than 10%. 12 We will vote on a case-by-case basis on the following issues: o Executive and director stock-related compensation plans. We will consider the following factors when reviewing these plans: o The program must be of a reasonable size. We will approve plans where the combined employee and director plans together would generate less than 15% dilution. We will reject plans with 15% or more potential dilution. Dilution = (A + B + C) / (A + B + C + D), where A = Shares reserved for plan/amendment, B = Shares available under continuing plans, C = Shares granted but unexercised and D = Shares outstanding. o The plan must not: o Explicitly permit unlimited option repricing authority or that have repriced in the past without shareholder approval. o Be a self-replenishing "evergreen" plan, plans that grant discount options and tax offset payments. o We are generally in favor of proposals that increase participation beyond executives. o We generally support proposals asking companies to adopt rigorous vesting provisions for stock option plans such as those that vest incrementally over, at least, a three- or four-year period with a pro rata portion of the shares becoming exercisable on an annual basis following grant date. o We generally support proposals asking companies to disclose their window period policies for stock transactions. Window period policies ensure that employees do not exercise options based on insider information contemporaneous with quarterly earnings releases and other material corporate announcements. o We generally support proposals asking companies to adopt stock holding periods for their executives. o All other employee stock purchase plans. o All other compensation-related proposals, including deferred compensation plans, employment agreements, loan guarantee programs and retirement plans. o All other proposals regarding stock compensation plans, including extending the life of a plan, changing vesting restrictions, repricing options, lengthening exercise periods or accelerating distribution of awards and pyramiding and cashless exercise programs. 13 We will vote against: o Pensions for non-employee directors. We believe these retirement plans reduce director objectivity. o Elimination of stock option plans. We will vote on a case-by case basis on these issues: o Limits on executive and director pay. o Stock in lieu of cash compensation for directors. Corporate Governance Pioneer will vote for: o Confidential Voting. o Equal access provisions, which allow shareholders to contribute their opinion to proxy materials. o Proposals requiring directors to disclose their ownership of shares in the company. We will vote on a case-by-case basis on the following issues: o Change in the state of incorporation. We will support reincorporations supported by valid business reasons. We will oppose those that appear to be solely for the purpose of strengthening takeover defenses. o Bundled proposals. We will evaluate the overall impact of the proposal. o Adopting or amending the charter, bylaws or articles of association. o Shareholder appraisal rights, which allow shareholders to demand judicial review of an acquisition price. We will vote against: o Shareholder advisory committees. While management should solicit shareholder input, we prefer to leave the method of doing so to management's discretion. o Limitations on stock ownership or voting rights. o Reduction in share ownership disclosure guidelines. 14 Mergers and Restructurings Pioneer will vote on the following and similar issues on a case-by-case basis: o Mergers and acquisitions. o Corporate restructurings, including spin-offs, liquidations, asset sales, joint ventures, conversions to holding company and conversions to self-managed REIT structure. o Debt restructurings. o Conversion of securities. o Issuance of shares to facilitate a merger. o Private placements, warrants, convertible debentures. o Proposals requiring management to inform shareholders of merger opportunities. We will normally vote against shareholder proposals requiring that the company be put up for sale. Mutual Funds Many of our portfolios may invest in shares of closed-end mutual funds or exchange-traded funds. The non-corporate structure of these investments raises several unique proxy voting issues. Pioneer will vote for: o Establishment of new classes or series of shares. o Establishment of a master-feeder structure. Pioneer will vote on a case-by-case on: o Changes in investment policy. We will normally support changes that do not affect the investment objective or overall risk level of the fund. We will examine more fundamental changes on a case-by-case basis. o Approval of new or amended advisory contracts. o Changes from closed-end to open-end format. o Authorization for, or increase in, preferred shares. o Disposition of assets, termination, liquidation, or mergers. o Classified boards of closed-end mutual funds, but will typically support such proposals. 15 Social Issues Pioneer will abstain on stockholder proposals calling for greater disclosure of corporate activities with regard to social issues. "Social Issues" may generally be described as shareholder proposals for a company to: o Conduct studies regarding certain issues of public concern and interest; o Study the feasibility of the company taking certain actions with regard to such issues; or o Take specific action, including ceasing certain behavior and adopting company standards and principles, in relation to issues of public concern and interest. We believe these issues are important and should receive management attention. Pioneer will vote against proposals calling for substantial changes in the company's business or activities. We will also normally vote against proposals with regard to contributions, believing that management should control the routine disbursement of funds. 16 ITEM 8. PORTFOLIO MANAGERS OF CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES. (a) If the registrant is a closed-end management investment company that is filing an annual report on this Form N-CSR,provide the following information: (1) State the name, title, and length of service of the person or persons employed by or associated with the registrant or an investment adviser of the registrant who are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the registrant's portfolio ("Portfolio Manager"). Also state each Portfolio Manager's business experience during the past 5 years. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PORTFOLIO MANAGER OTHER ACCOUNTS MANAGED BY THE PORTFOLIO MANAGER The table below indicates, for the portfolio manager of the fund, information about the accounts other than the fund over which the portfolio manager has day-to-day investment responsibility. All information on the number of accounts and total assets in the table is as of October 31, 2019. For purposes of the table, "Other Pooled Investment Vehicles" may include investment partnerships, undertakings for collective investments in transferable securities ("UCITS") and other non-U.S. investment funds and group trusts, and "Other Accounts" may include separate accounts for institutions or individuals, insurance company general or separate accounts, pension funds and other similar institutional accounts but generally do not include the portfolio manager's personal investment accounts or those which the manager may be deemed to own beneficially under the code of ethics. Certain funds and other accounts managed by the portfolio manager may have substantially similar investment strategies.
NUMBER OF ASSETS ACCOUNTS MANAGED MANAGED FOR FOR WHICH WHICH ADVISORY ADVISORY NUMBER OF FEE IS FEE IS NAME OF ACCOUNTS TOTAL ASSETS PERFORMANCE- PERFORMANCE- PORTFOLIO MANAGER TYPE OF ACCOUNT MANAGED MANAGED (000'S) BASED BASED (000'S) ------------------- ---------------------------------- ----------- ----------------- ---------------- -------------- Chin Liu Other Registered Investment Companies 2 $1,027,987 N/A N/A Other Pooled Investment Vehicles 1 $ 74,073 N/A N/A Other Accounts 0 $ 0 N/A N/A ------------------- ---------------------------------- ----------- ---------- ---------------- --------------
POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST When a portfolio manager is responsible for the management of more than one account, the potential arises for the portfolio manager to favor one account over another. The principal types of potential conflicts of interest that may arise are discussed below. For the reasons outlined below, Amundi Pioneer does not believe that any material conflicts are likely to arise out of a portfolio manager's responsibility for the management of the fund as well as one or more other accounts. Although Amundi Pioneer has adopted procedures that it believes are reasonably designed to detect and prevent violations of the federal securities laws and to mitigate the potential for conflicts of interest to affect its portfolio management decisions, there can be no assurance that all conflicts will be identified or that all procedures will be effective in mitigating the potential for such risks. Generally, the risks of such conflicts of interest are increased to the extent that a portfolio manager has a financial incentive to favor one account over another. Amundi Pioneer has structured its compensation arrangements in a manner that is intended to limit such potential for conflicts of interest. See "Compensation of Portfolio Manager" below. o A portfolio manager could favor one account over another in allocating new investment opportunities that have limited supply, such as initial public offerings and private placements. If, for example, an initial public offering that was expected to appreciate in value significantly shortly after the offering was allocated to a single account, that account may be expected to have better investment performance than other accounts that did not receive an allocation of the initial public offering. Generally, investments for which there is limited availability are allocated based upon a range of factors including available cash and consistency with the accounts' investment objectives and policies. This allocation methodology necessarily involves some subjective elements but is intended over time to treat each client in an equitable and fair manner. Generally, the investment opportunity is allocated among participating accounts on a pro rata 1 basis. Although Amundi Pioneer believes that its practices are reasonably designed to treat each client in an equitable and fair manner, there may be instances where a fund may not participate, or may participate to a lesser degree than other clients, in the allocation of an investment opportunity. o A portfolio manager could favor one account over another in the order in which trades for the accounts are placed. If a portfolio manager determines to purchase a security for more than one account in an aggregate amount that may influence the market price of the security, accounts that purchased or sold the security first may receive a more favorable price than accounts that made subsequent transactions. The less liquid the market for the security or the greater the percentage that the proposed aggregate purchases or sales represent of average daily trading volume, the greater the potential for accounts that make subsequent purchases or sales to receive a less favorable price. When a portfolio manager intends to trade the same security on the same day for more than one account, the trades typically are "bunched," which means that the trades for the individual accounts are aggregated and each account receives the same price. There are some types of accounts as to which bunching may not be possible for contractual reasons (such as directed brokerage arrangements). Circumstances may also arise where the trader believes that bunching the orders may not result in the best possible price. Where those accounts or circumstances are involved, Amundi Pioneer will place the order in a manner intended to result in as favorable a price as possible for such client. o A portfolio manager could favor an account if the portfolio manager's compensation is tied to the performance of that account to a greater degree than other accounts managed by the portfolio manager. If, for example, the portfolio manager receives a bonus based upon the performance of certain accounts relative to a benchmark while other accounts are disregarded for this purpose, the portfolio manager will have a financial incentive to seek to have the accounts that determine the portfolio manager's bonus achieve the best possible performance to the possible detriment of other accounts. Similarly, if Amundi Pioneer receives a performance-based advisory fee, the portfolio manager may favor that account, whether or not the performance of that account directly determines the portfolio manager's compensation. o A portfolio manager could favor an account if the portfolio manager has a beneficial interest in the account, in order to benefit a large client or to compensate a client that had poor returns. For example, if the portfolio manager held an interest in an investment partnership that was one of the accounts managed by the portfolio manager, the portfolio manager would have an economic incentive to favor the account in which the portfolio manager held an interest. o If the different accounts have materially and potentially conflicting investment objectives or strategies, a conflict of interest could arise. For example, if a portfolio manager purchases a security for one account and sells the same security for another account, such trading pattern may disadvantage either the account that is long or short. In making portfolio manager assignments, Amundi Pioneer seeks to avoid such potentially conflicting situations. However, where a portfolio manager is responsible for accounts with differing investment objectives and policies, it is possible that the portfolio manager will conclude that it is in the best interest of one account to sell a portfolio security while another account continues to hold or increase the holding in such security. COMPENSATION OF PORTFOLIO MANAGER Amundi Pioneer has adopted a system of compensation for portfolio managers that seeks to align the financial interests of the portfolio managers with those of shareholders of the accounts (including Pioneer funds) the portfolio managers manage, as well as with the financial performance of Amundi Pioneer. The compensation program for all Amundi Pioneer portfolio managers includes a base salary (determined by the rank and tenure of the employee) and an annual bonus program, as well as customary benefits that are offered generally to all full-time employees. Base compensation is fixed and normally reevaluated on an annual basis. Amundi Pioneer seeks to set base compensation at market rates, taking into account the experience and responsibilities of the portfolio manager. The bonus plan is intended to provide a competitive level of annual bonus compensation that is tied to the portfolio manager achieving superior investment performance and align the interests of the investment professional with those of shareholders, as well as 2 with the financial performance of Amundi Pioneer. Any bonus under the plan is completely discretionary, with a maximum annual bonus that may be in excess of base salary. The annual bonus is based upon a combination of the following factors: o QUANTITATIVE INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE. The quantitative investment performance calculation is based on pre-tax investment performance of all of the accounts managed by the portfolio manager (which includes the fund and any other accounts managed by the portfolio manager) over a one-year period (20% weighting) and four-year period (80% weighting), measured for periods ending on December 31. The accounts, which include the fund, are ranked against a group of mutual funds with similar investment objectives and investment focus (60%) and a broad-based securities market index measuring the performance of the same type of securities in which the accounts invest (40%), which, in the case of the fund, is the Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA ML) 3-month U.S. Treasury Bill Index . As a result of these two benchmarks, the performance of the portfolio manager for compensation purposes is measured against the criteria that are relevant to the portfolio manager's competitive universe. o QUALITATIVE PERFORMANCE. The qualitative performance component with respect to all of the accounts managed by the portfolio manager includes objectives, such as effectiveness in the areas of teamwork, leadership, communications and marketing, that are mutually established and evaluated by each portfolio manager and management. o AMUNDI PIONEER RESULTS AND BUSINESS LINE RESULTS. Amundi Pioneer's financial performance, as well as the investment performance of its investment management group, affect a portfolio manager's actual bonus by a leverage factor of plus or minus (+/-) a predetermined percentage. The quantitative and qualitative performance components comprise 80% and 20%, respectively, of the overall bonus calculation (on a pre-adjustment basis). A portion of the annual bonus is deferred for a specified period and may be invested in one or more Pioneer funds. Certain portfolio managers participate in other programs designed to reward and retain key contributors. Portfolio managers also may participate in a deferred compensation program, whereby deferred amounts are invested in one or more Pioneer funds or collective investment trusts or other unregistered funds with similar investment objectives, strategies and policies. SHARE OWNERSHIP BY PORTFOLIO MANAGER The following table indicates as of October 31, 2019 the value, within the indicated range, of shares beneficially owned by the portfolio manager of the fund.
BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP NAME OF PORTFOLIO MANAGER OF THE FUND* --------------------------- --------------------- Chin Liu A --------------------------- ---------------------
* Key to Dollar Ranges A. None B. $1 - $10,000 C. $10,001 - $50,000 D. $50,001 - $100,000 E. $100,001 - $500,000 F. $500,001 - $1,000,000 G. Over $1,000,000
3 ITEM 9. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS. (a) If the registrant is a closed-end management investment company, in the following tabular format, provide the information specified in paragraph (b) of this Item with respect to any purchase made by or on behalf of the registrant or any affiliated purchaser, as defined in Rule 10b-18(a)(3) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.10b-18(a)(3)), of shares or other units of any class of the registrant's equity securities that is registered by the registrant pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 781). During the period covered by this report, there were no purchases made by or on behalf of the registrant or any affiliated purchaser as defined in Rule 10b-18(a)(3) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act), of shares of the registrants equity securities that are registered by the registrant pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act. ITEM 10. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS. Describe any material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the registrant's board of directors, where those changes were implemented after the registrant last provided disclosure in response to the requirements of Item 407(c)(2)(iv) of Regulation S-R(17 CFR 229.407)(as required by Item 22(b)(15)) of Schedule 14A (17 CFR 240.14a-101), or this Item. There have been no material changes to the procedures by which the shareholders may recommend nominees to the registrant's board of directors since the registrant last provided disclosure in response to the requirements of Item 407(c)(2)(iv) of Regulation S-R of Schedule 14(A) in its definitive proxy statement, or this item. ITEM 11. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES. (a) Disclose the conclusions of the registrant's principal executive and principal financials officers, or persons performing similar functions, regarding the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Act (17 CFR 270.30a-3(c))) as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of the report that includes the disclosure required by this paragraph, based on the evaluation of these controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the Act (17 CFR 270.30(a)-3(b) and Rules 13a-15(b) or 15d-15(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13a-15(b) or 240.15d-15(b)). The registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures are effective based on the evaluation of these controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this report. (b) Disclose any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Act (17CFR 270.30a-3(d)) that occured during the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting. There were no significant changes in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the second fiscal quarter of the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting. Item 12. Disclosure of Securities Lending Activities for Closed-End Management Investment Companies. (a) If the registrant is a closed-end management investment company, provide the following dollar amounts of income and compensation related to the securities lending activities of the registrant during its most recent fiscal year: N/A (1) Gross income from securities lending activities; N/A (2) All fees and/or compensation for each of the following securities lending activities and related services: any share of revenue generated by the securities lending program paid to the securities lending agent(s) (revenue split); fees paid for cash collateral management services (including fees deducted from a pooled cash collateral reinvestment vehicle) that are not included in the revenue split; administrative fees that are not included in the revenue split; fees for indemnification that are not included in the revenue split; rebates paid to borrowers; and any other fees relating to the securities lending program that are not included in the revenue split, including a description of those other fees; N/A (3) The aggregate fees/compensation disclosed pursuant to paragraph (2); and N/A (4) Net income from securities lending activities (i.e., the dollar amount in paragraph (1) minus the dollar amount in paragraph (3)). If a fee for a service is included in the revenue split, state that the fee is included in the revenue split. N/A (b) If the registrant is a closed-end management investment company, describe the services provided to the registrant by the securities lending agent in the registrants most recent fiscal year. N/A ITEM 13. EXHIBITS. (a) File the exhibits listed below as part of this Form. Letter or number the exhibits in the sequence indicated. (1) Any code of ethics, or amendment thereto, that is the subject of the disclosure required by Item 2, to the extent that the registrant intends to satisfy the Item 2 requirements through filing of an exhibit. (2) A separate certification for each principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the registrant as required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the Act (17 CFR 270.30a-2(a)) , exactly as set forth below: Filed herewith. SIGNATURES [See General Instruction F] Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. (Registrant) Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund By (Signature and Title)* /s/ Lisa M. Jones Lisa M. Jones, President & Chief Executive Officer Date January 3, 2020 Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated. By (Signature and Title)* /s/ Lisa M. Jones Lisa M. Jones, President & Chief Executive Officer Date January 3, 2020 By (Signature and Title)* /s/ Mark E. Bradley Mark E. Bradley, Treasurer & Chief Accounting & Financial Officer Date January 3, 2020 * Print the name and title of each signing officer under his or her signature. EX-99 2 CodeofEthics.txt CODE OF ETHICS FOR SENIOR OFFICERS POLICY This Code of Ethics for Senior Officers (this "Code") sets forth the policies, practices and values expected to be exhibited by Senior Officers of the Pioneer Funds (collectively, the "Funds" and each, a "Fund"). This Code does not apply generally to officers and employees of service providers to the Funds, including Pioneer Investment Management, Inc. ("Pioneer"), unless such officers and employees are also Senior Officers. The term "Senior Officers" shall mean the principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer and controller of the Funds, although one person may occupy more than one such office. Each Senior Officer is identified by title in Exhibit A to this Code. The Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO") of the Pioneer Funds is primarily responsible for implementing and monitoring compliance with this Code, subject to the overall supervision of the Board of Trustees of the Funds (the "Board"). The CCO has the authority to interpret this Code and its applicability to particular situations. Any questions about this Code should be directed to the CCO or his or her designee. PURPOSE The purposes of this Code are to: . Promote honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships; . Promote full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the Fund files with, or submits to, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and in other public communications made by the Fund; ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Last revised January 17, 2014 . Promote compliance with applicable laws and governmental rules and regulations; . Promote the prompt internal reporting of violations of the Code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the Code; and . Establish accountability for adherence to the Code. Each Senior Officer should adhere to a high standard of business ethics and should be sensitive to situations that may give rise to actual as well as apparent conflicts of interest. RESPONSIBILITIES OF SENIOR OFFICERS Conflicts of Interest A "conflict of interest" occurs when a Senior Officer's private interests interfere in any way - or even appear to interfere - with the interests of or his/her service to a Fund. A conflict can arise when a Senior Officer takes actions or has interests that may make it difficult to perform his or her Fund work objectively and effectively. Conflicts of interest also arise when a Senior Officer or a member of his/her family receives improper personal benefits as a result of the Senior Officer's position with the Fund. Certain conflicts of interest arise out of the relationships between Senior Officers and the Fund and already are subject to conflict of interest provisions in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "ICA"), and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "IAA"). For example, Senior Officers may not individually engage in certain transactions (such as the purchase or sale of securities or other property) with the Funds because of their status as "affiliated persons" of the Funds. The Fund's and Pioneer's compliance programs and procedures are designed to prevent, or identify and correct, violations of these provisions. This Code does not, and is not intended to, repeat or replace such policies and procedures, and such conflicts fall outside of the parameters of this Code. Although typically not presenting an opportunity for improper personal benefit, conflicts arise as a result of the contractual relationship between the Fund and Pioneer because the Senior Officers are officers or employees of both. As a result, this Code recognizes that Senior Officers will, in the normal course of their duties (whether formally for a Fund or for Pioneer, or for both), be involved in establishing policies and implementing decisions that will have different effects on Pioneer and the Fund. The participation of Senior Officers in such activities is inherent in the contractual relationship between a Fund and Pioneer and is consistent with the performance by the Senior Officers of their duties as officers of the Fund and, if addressed in conformity with the provisions of the ICA and the IAA, will be deemed to have been handled ethically. In addition, it is recognized by the Board that Senior Officers may also be officers of investment companies other than the Pioneer Funds. Other conflicts of interest are covered by this Code, even if such conflicts of interest are not subject to provisions of the ICA or the IAA. In reading the following examples of conflicts of interest under this Code, Senior Officers should keep in mind that such a list cannot ever be exhaustive or cover every possible ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 Last revised January 17, 2014 scenario. It follows that the overarching principle is that the personal interest of a Senior Officer should not be placed improperly before the interest of a Fund. Each Senior Officer must: . Not use his or her personal influence or personal relationships improperly to influence investment decisions or financial reporting by a Fund whereby the Senior Officer would benefit personally to the detriment of the Fund; . Not cause a Fund to take action, or fail to take action, for the individual personal benefit of the Senior Officer rather than the benefit of the Fund; and . Report at least annually any affiliations or other relationships that give rise to conflicts of interest. Any material conflict of interest situation should be approved by the CCO, his or her designee or the Board. Examples of these include: . Service as a director on the board of any public or private company; . The receipt of any gift with a value in excess of an amount established from time to time by Pioneer's Business Gift and Entertainment Policy from any single non-relative person or entity. Customary business lunches, dinners and entertainment at which both the Senior Officer and the giver are present, and promotional items of insignificant value are exempt from this prohibition; . The receipt of any entertainment from any company with which a Fund has current or prospective business dealings unless such entertainment is business-related, reasonable in cost, appropriate as to time and place, and not so frequent as to raise any question of impropriety; . Any ownership interest in, or any consulting or employment relationship with, any of a Fund's service providers other than its investment adviser, principal underwriter, administrator or any affiliated person thereof; and . A direct or indirect financial interest in commissions, transaction charges or spreads paid by a Fund for effecting portfolio transactions or for selling or redeeming shares other than an interest arising from the Senior Officer's employment, such as compensation or equity ownership. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Last revised January 17, 2014 Corporate Opportunities Senior Officers may not (a) take for themselves personally opportunities that are discovered through the use of a Fund's property, information or position; (b) use a Fund's property, information, or position for personal gain; or (c) compete with a Fund. Senior Officers owe a duty to the Funds to advance their legitimate interests when the opportunity to do so arises. Confidentiality Senior Officers should maintain the confidentiality of information entrusted to them by the Funds, except when disclosure is authorized or legally mandated. Confidential information includes all non-public information that might be of use to competitors, or harmful to the Funds, if disclosed. Fair dealing with Fund shareholders, suppliers, and competitors Senior Officers should endeavor to deal fairly with the Funds' shareholders, suppliers, and competitors. Senior Officers should not take unfair advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of material facts, or any other unfair-dealing practice. Senior Officers should not knowingly misrepresent or cause others to misrepresent facts about a Fund to others, whether within or outside the Fund, including to the Board, the Funds' auditors or to governmental regulators and self-regulatory organizations. Compliance with Law Each Senior Officer must not knowingly violate any law, rule and regulation applicable to his or her activities as an officer of the Funds. In addition, Senior Officers are responsible for understanding and promoting compliance with the laws, rules and regulations applicable to his or her particular position and by persons under the Senior Officer's supervision. Senior Officers should endeavor to comply not only with the letter of the law, but also with the spirit of the law. Disclosure Each Senior Officer should familiarize himself or herself with the disclosure requirements generally applicable to the Funds. Each Senior Officer should, to the extent appropriate within his or her area of responsibility, consult with other officers of the Funds and Pioneer with the goal of promoting full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in the reports and documents a Fund files with, or submits to, the SEC and in other public communications made by the Funds. INITIAL AND ANNUAL CERTIFICATIONS Upon becoming a Senior Officer the Senior Officer is required to certify that he or she has received, read, and understands this Code. On an annual basis, each Senior Officer must certify that he or she has complied with all of the applicable requirements of this Code. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Last revised January 17, 2014 ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE CODE Report of Violations Pioneer relies on each Senior Officer to report promptly if he or she knows of any conduct by a Senior Officer in violation of this Code. All violations or suspected violations of this Code must be reported to the CCO or a member of Pioneer's Legal and Compliance Department. Failure to do so is itself a violation of this Code. Investigation of Violations Upon notification of a violation or suspected violation, the CCO or other members of Pioneer's Compliance Department will take all appropriate action to investigate the potential violation reported. If, after such investigation, the CCO believes that no violation has occurred, the CCO and Compliance Department is not required to take no further action. Any matter the CCO believes is a violation will be reported to the Independent Trustees. If the Independent Trustees concur that a violation has occurred, they will inform and make a recommendation to the full Board. The Board shall be responsible for determining appropriate action. The Funds, their officers and employees, will not retaliate against any Senior Officer for reports of potential violations that are made in good faith and without malicious intent. The CCO or his or her designee is responsible for applying this Code to specific situations in which questions are presented under it and has the authority to interpret this Code in any particular situation. The CCO or his or her designee shall make inquiries regarding any potential conflict of interest. Violations and Sanctions Compliance with this Code is expected and violations of its provisions will be taken seriously and could result in disciplinary action. In response to violations of the Code, the Board may impose such sanctions as it deems appropriate within the scope of its authority over Senior Officers, including termination as an officer of the Funds. Waivers from the Code The Independent Trustees will consider any approval or waiver sought by any Senior Officer. The Independent Trustees will be responsible for granting waivers, as appropriate. Any change to or waiver of this Code will, to the extent required, be disclosed as provided by SEC rules. OTHER POLICIES AND PROCEDURES This Code shall be the sole Code of Ethics adopted by the Funds for purposes of Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and forms applicable to registered investment companies thereunder. The Funds', Pioneer's, and Pioneer Funds Distributor, Inc.'s Codes of Ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the ICA and Rule 204A-1 of the IAA are separate requirements applying to the Senior Officers and others, and are not a part of this Code. To the extent any other policies and procedures of the Funds, Pioneer or Pioneer ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 Last revised January 17, 2014 Fund Distributor, Inc. overlap or conflict with the provisions of the this Code, they are superseded by this Code. SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITIES A Senior Officer's responsibilities under this Code are limited to Fund matters over which the Senior Officer has direct responsibility or control, matters in which the Senior Officer routinely participates, and matters with which the Senior Officer is otherwise involved. In addition, a Senior Officer is responsible for matters of which the Senior Officer has actual knowledge. AMENDMENTS This Code other than Exhibit A may not be amended except in a writing that is specifically approved or ratified by a majority vote of the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees. CONFIDENTIALITY All reports and records prepared or maintained pursuant to this Code will be considered confidential and shall be maintained and protected accordingly. Except as otherwise required by law or this Code, such matters shall not be disclosed to anyone other than the Board and their counsel or to Pioneer's Legal and Compliance Department. INTERNAL USE This Code is intended solely for the internal use by the Funds and does not constitute an admission, by or on behalf of any Fund, as to any fact, circumstance, or legal conclusion. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 Last revised January 17, 2014 EXHIBIT A - SENIOR OFFICERS OF THE PIONEER FUNDS President (Principal Executive Officer) Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer) Code of Ethics for Senior Officers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EX-99 3 SOX-302.txt CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 30a- 2(a) UNDER THE 1940 ACT AND SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002 I, Lisa M. Jones, certify that: 1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund; 2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; 3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; 4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have: a. Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; b. Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; c. Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation; and d. Disclosed in this report any change in the registrants internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial reporting; and 5. The registrants other certifying officer and I have disclosed to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): a. All significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and b. Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting. Date: January 3, 2020 /s/ Lisa M. Jones Lisa M. Jones Trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 30a- 2(a) UNDER THE 1940 ACT AND SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002 I, Mark E. Bradley, certify that: 1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund; 2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; 3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; 4. The registrants other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have: a. Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; b. Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; c. Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation; and d. Disclosed in this report any change in the registrants internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial reporting; and 5. The registrants other certifying officer and I have disclosed to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): a. All significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and b. Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting. Date: January 3, 2020 /s/ Mark E. Bradley Mark E. Bradley Treasurer and Chief Financial and Accounting Officer EX-99 4 SOX-906.txt CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002 I, Lisa M. Jones, certify that, to the best of my knowledge: 1. The Form N-CSR (the Report) of Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund (the Fund) fully complies for the period covered by the Report with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15 (d), as applicable, of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and 2. The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of the operations of the Fund. Date: January 3, 2020 /s/ Lisa M. Jones Lisa M. Jones Trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer This certification is being furnished pursuant to Rule 30a-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and 18 U.S.C. section 1350 and is not being filed as part of the Report with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A signed original of this written statement required by section 906 has been provided to the Fund and will be retained by the Fund and furnished to the Securities Exchange Commission or its staff upon request. CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002 I, Mark E. Bradley, certify that, to the best of my knowledge: 1. The Form N-CSR (the Report) of Pioneer ILS Bridge Fund (the Fund) fully complies for the period covered by the Report with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15 (d), as applicable, of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and 2. The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of the operations of the Fund. Date: January 3, 2020 /s/ Mark E. Bradley Mark E. Bradley Treasurer and Chief Financial & Accounting Officer This certification is being furnished pursuant to Rule 30a-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and 18 U.S.C. section 1350 and is not being filed as part of the Report with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A signed original of this written statement required by section 906 has been provided to the Fund and will be retained by the Fund and furnished to the Securities Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.