N-2/A 1 d386212dn2a.htm FIDELITY PRIVATE CREDIT FUND Fidelity Private Credit Fund

As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on October 28, 2022.

Securities Act

File No. 333-267297

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM N-2

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933  
Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1  
Post-Effective Amendment No.  

 

 

Fidelity Private Credit Fund

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 

 

245 Summer Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02210

617-563-7000

(Address and telephone number, including area code, of principal executive offices)

 

 

Cynthia Lo Bessette, Secretary

245 Summer Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02210

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

 

COPIES TO:

Richard Horowitz, Esq.

Jonathan Gaines, Esq.

Dechert LLP

1095 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10036

 

 

Approximate Date of Commencement of Proposed Public Offering: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

 

 

Check box if the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans.

 

 

Check box if any securities being registered on this Form will be offered on a delayed or continuous basis in reliance on Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”), other than securities offered in connection with a dividend reinvestment plan.

 

 

Check box if this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction A.2 or a post-effective amendment thereto.

 

 

Check box if this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction B or a post-effective amendment thereto that will become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act.

 

 

Check box if this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction B to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act.

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):

 

 

when declared effective pursuant to Section 8(c) of the Securities Act.

If appropriate, check the following box:

 

 

This [post-effective] amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed [post-effective amendment] [registration statement].

 

 

This Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, and the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering is: ______.

 

 

This Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, and the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering is: ______.

 

 

This Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, and the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering is: ______.

Check each box that appropriately characterizes the Registrant:

 

 

Registered Closed-End Fund (closed-end company that is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”)).

 

 

Business Development Company (closed-end company that intends or has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the 1940 Act).

 

 

Interval Fund (Registered Closed-End Fund or a Business Development Company that makes periodic repurchase offers under Rule 23c-3 under the 1940 Act).

 

 

A.2 Qualified (qualified to register securities pursuant to General Instruction A.2 of this Form).

 

 

Well-Known Seasoned Issuer (as defined by Rule 405 under the Securities Act).

 

 

Emerging Growth Company (as defined by Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”)).

 

 

If an Emerging Growth Company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act.

 

 

New Registrant (registered or regulated under the 1940 Act for less than 12 calendar months preceding this filing).

 

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 


The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED OCTOBER 28, 2022

Preliminary Prospectus

 

LOGO

Fidelity Private Credit Fund

Class S, Class D, and Class I

Maximum Offering of $ 1,000,000,000 — Minimum Offering of $100,000,000

 

 

Fidelity Private Credit Fund is a newly organized Delaware statutory trust that intends to invest in loans targeted at private U.S. operating companies whose securities are not listed on a national securities exchange or registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and public U.S. operating companies having a market capitalization of less than $250,000,000. Our investment objectives are to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation. Throughout this prospectus, we refer to Fidelity Private Credit Fund as the “Fund,” “we,” “us” or “our.”

We are a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that intends to elect to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). We are externally managed by our adviser, Fidelity Diversifying Solutions LLC (“FDS” or the “Adviser”). We intend to elect to be treated for federal income tax purposes, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

We are offering on a continuous basis up to $1,000,000,000 of our common shares of beneficial interest (the “Common Shares”). We are offering to sell any combination of three classes of Common Shares, Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares, with a dollar value up to the maximum offering amount. The share classes have different ongoing shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees. Until the release of proceeds from escrow, the per share purchase price for Common Shares in our primary offering will be $25.00 per share. Thereafter, the purchase price per share for each class of Common Shares will equal our net asset value (“NAV”) per share, as of the effective date of the monthly share purchase date. This is a “best efforts” offering, which means that Fidelity Distributors Company LLC, the managing dealer (the “Managing Dealer”) for this offering, will use its best efforts to sell shares, but is not obligated to purchase or sell any specific amount of shares in this offering.

We will accept purchase orders and hold investors’ funds in an interest-bearing escrow account until we receive purchase orders for at least $100,000,000, in any combination of purchases of Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares and our Board has authorized the release to us of funds in the escrow account. We currently expect to hold a first closing during the first quarter of 2023 of approximately $100,000,000 based on preliminary indications of interest received to date; however, there is no assurance when or if such closing will occur or of any amount to be raised. If we do not raise the minimum amount and commence operations by the date that is one year following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, this offering will be terminated and our escrow agent will promptly send you a full refund of your investment with interest and without deduction for escrow expenses.

 

 

Investing in our Common Shares involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 25 of this prospectus. Also consider the following:

 

   

We have no prior operating history and there is no assurance that we will achieve our investment objective.

 

   

An investment in our Common Shares may not be appropriate for all investors and is not designed to be a complete investment program.

 

   

This is a “blind pool” offering and thus you will not have the opportunity to evaluate our investments before we make them.

 

   

You should not expect to be able to sell your shares regardless of how we perform.

 

   

You should consider that you may not have access to the money you invest for an extended period of time.

 

   

We do not intend to list our shares on any securities exchange, and we do not expect a secondary market in our shares to develop.

 

   

Because you may be unable to sell your shares, you will be unable to reduce your exposure in any market downturn.

 

   

We intend to implement a share repurchase program, but only a limited number of shares will be eligible for repurchase and repurchases will be subject to available liquidity and other significant restrictions. See “Share Repurchase Program” and “Risk Factors” – Repurchase Program and Timing of Repurchase May be Disadvantageous.

 

   

An investment in our Common Shares is not suitable for you if you need access to the money you invest. See “Suitability Standards” and “Share Repurchase Program.”

 

   

We cannot guarantee that we will make distributions, and if we do we may fund such distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, or return of capital, and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources.

 

   

Distributions may also be funded in significant part, directly or indirectly, from temporary waivers or expense reimbursements borne by the Adviser or its affiliates, that may be subject to reimbursement to the Adviser or its affiliates. The repayment of any amounts owed to the Adviser or its affiliates will reduce future distributions to which you would otherwise be entitled.

 

   

We expect to use leverage, which will magnify the potential for loss on amounts invested in us. See “Risk Factors” – Leverage Risk.

 

   

We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our Common Shares less attractive to investors.

 

   

We intend to invest primarily in securities that are rated below investment grade by rating agencies or that would be rated below investment grade if they were rated. Below investment grade securities, which are often referred to as “junk,” have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. They may also be illiquid and difficult to value.

 

 

This prospectus contains important information you should know before investing in the Common Shares. Please read this prospectus before investing and keep it for future reference. We also file periodic and current reports, proxy statements and other information about us with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). This information is available free of charge by contacting us at alternatives@fmr.com, calling us at 817-474-1001 or visiting our website located at [ ]. Information on our website is not incorporated into or a part of this prospectus. The SEC also maintains a website at http://www.sec.gov that contains this information.

Neither the SEC nor any state securities regulator has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. Securities regulators have also not passed upon whether this offering can be sold in compliance with existing or future suitability or conduct standards including the ‘Regulation Best Interest’ standard to any or all purchasers.

The use of forecasts in this offering is prohibited. Any oral or written predictions about the amount or certainty of any cash benefits or tax consequences that may result from an investment in our Common Shares is prohibited. No one is authorized to make any statements about this offering different from those that appear in this prospectus.

 

     Price to the
Public(1)
     Proceeds to Us,
Before Expenses(2)
 

Maximum Offering (3)

   $ 1,000,000,000      $ 1,000,000,000  

Class S Shares, per Share

   $ 25.00      $ 333,333,333  

Class D Shares, per Share

   $ 25.00      $ 333,333,333  

Class I Shares, per Share

   $ 25.00      $ 333,333,334  

Minimum Offering

   $ 100,000,000      $ 100,000,000  

 

 

 

(1)

The price per share shown will apply until funds are released to us from the escrow account. Thereafter, shares of each class of our Common Shares will be issued on a monthly basis at a price per share equal to the NAV per share for such class.

(2)

No upfront sales load will be paid with respect to Class S shares, Class D shares or Class I shares; however, if you buy Class S shares or Class D shares through certain financial intermediaries, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in such amount as they may determine, provided that they limit such charges to a 3.50% cap on NAV for Class S shares and a 1.50% cap on NAV for Class D shares. We will also pay the following shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees to the Managing Dealer and/or a participating broker, subject to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) limitations on underwriting compensation: (a) for Class S shares, a shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month for the Class S shares, and (b) for Class D shares, a shareholder servicing fee equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month for the Class D shares, in each case, payable monthly. No shareholder servicing or distribution fees will be paid with respect to the Class I shares. The total amount that will be paid over time for other underwriting compensation depends on the average length of time for which shares remain outstanding, the term over which such amount is measured and the performance of our investments. We and/or our affiliates may also pay or reimburse certain organization and offering expenses, including, subject to FINRA limitations on underwriting compensation, certain wholesaling expenses. See “Plan of Distribution” and “Estimated Use of Proceeds.” The total underwriting compensation and total organization and offering expenses will not exceed 10% and 15%, respectively, of the gross proceeds from this offering. Proceeds are calculated before deducting shareholder servicing or distribution fees or organization and offering expenses payable by us, which are paid over time.

(3)

The table assumes that all shares are sold in the primary offering, with 1/3 of the gross offering proceeds from the sale of Class S shares, 1/3 from the sale of Class D shares, and 1/3 from the sale of Class I shares. The number of shares of each class sold and the relative proportions in which the classes of shares are sold are uncertain and may differ significantly from this assumption.

 

 

The date of this prospectus is [            ], 2022


SUITABILITY STANDARDS

Common Shares offered through this prospectus are suitable only as a long-term investment for persons of adequate financial means such that they do not have a need for liquidity in this investment. We have established financial suitability standards for initial shareholders in this offering which require that a purchaser of shares have either:

 

   

a gross annual income of at least $70,000 and a net worth of at least $70,000, or

 

   

a net worth of at least $250,000.

For purposes of determining the suitability of an investor, net worth in all cases should be calculated excluding the value of an investor’s home, home furnishings and automobiles. In the case of sales to fiduciary accounts, these minimum standards must be met by the beneficiary, the fiduciary account or the donor or grantor who directly or indirectly supplies the funds to purchase the shares if the donor or grantor is the fiduciary.

In addition, we will not sell shares to investors in the states named below unless they meet special suitability standards set forth below:

Alabama—In addition to the suitability standards set forth above, an investment in us will only be sold to Alabama residents that have a liquid net worth of at least 10 times their investment in us and our affiliates.

California—California residents may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in us and must have either (a) a liquid net worth of $350,000 and annual gross income of $65,000 or (b) a liquid net worth of $500,000.

Idaho—Purchasers residing in Idaho must have either (a) a liquid net worth of $85,000 and annual gross income of $85,000 or (b) a liquid net worth of $300,000. Additionally, the total investment in us shall not exceed 10% of their liquid net worth.

Iowa—Iowa investors must (i) have either (a) an annual gross income of at least $100,000 and a net worth of at least $100,000, or (b) a net worth of at least $350,000 (net worth should be determined exclusive of home, auto and home furnishings); and (ii) limit their aggregate investment in this offering and in the securities of other non-traded business development companies (“BDCs”) to 10% of such investor’s liquid net worth (liquid net worth should be determined as that portion of net worth that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities).

Kansas—It is recommended by the Office of the Securities Commissioner that Kansas investors limit their aggregate investment in our securities and other non-traded business development companies to not more than 10% of their liquid net worth. For these purposes, liquid net worth shall be defined as that portion of total net worth (total assets minus total liabilities) that is comprised of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.

Kentucky—A Kentucky investor may not invest more than 10% of its liquid net worth in us or our affiliates. “Liquid net worth” is defined as that portion of net worth that is comprised of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.

Maine—The Maine Office of Securities recommends that an investor’s aggregate investment in this offering and similar direct participation investments not exceed 10% of the investor’s liquid net worth. For this purpose, “liquid net worth” is defined as that portion of net worth that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.

Massachusetts—In addition to the suitability standards set forth above, Massachusetts residents may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in us, non-traded real estate investment trusts and in other illiquid direct participation programs.

Missouri—In addition to the suitability standards set forth above, Missouri residents may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in us.

Nebraska—In addition to the suitability standards set forth above, Nebraska investors must limit their aggregate investment in this offering and the securities of other business development companies to 10% of such investor’s net worth. Investors who are accredited investors as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), are not subject to the foregoing investment concentration limit.

New Jersey—New Jersey investors must have either (a) a minimum liquid net worth of at least $100,000 and a minimum annual gross income of not less than $85,000, or (b) a minimum liquid net worth of $350,000. For these purposes, “liquid net worth” is defined as that portion of net worth (total assets exclusive of home, home furnishings and automobiles, minus total liabilities) that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities. In addition, a New Jersey investor’s investment in us, our affiliates and other non-publicly-traded direct investment programs (including real estate investment trusts, business development companies, oil and gas programs, equipment leasing programs and commodity pools, but excluding unregistered, federally and state exempt private offerings) may not exceed 10% of his or her liquid net worth.

 

i


New Mexico—In addition to the general suitability standards listed above, a New Mexico investor may not invest, and we may not accept from an investor more than ten percent (10%) of that investor’s liquid net worth in shares of us, our affiliates and in other non-traded business development companies. Liquid net worth is defined as that portion of net worth which consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.

North Dakota—Purchasers residing in North Dakota must have a net worth of at least ten times their investment in us.

Ohio—It is unsuitable for Ohio residents to invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in the issuer, affiliates of the issuer and in any other non-traded BDC. “Liquid net worth” is defined as that portion of net worth (total assets exclusive of primary residence, home furnishings and automobiles, minus total liabilities) comprised of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.

Oklahoma—Purchasers residing in Oklahoma may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in us.

Oregon—In addition to the suitability standards set forth above, Oregon investors may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in us and our affiliates. Liquid net worth is defined as net worth excluding the value of the investor’s home, home furnishings and automobile.

Pennsylvania—Purchasers residing in Pennsylvania may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in us.

Puerto Rico—Purchasers residing in Puerto Rico may not invest more than 10% of their liquid net worth in us, our affiliates and other non-traded business development companies. For these purposes, “liquid net worth” is defined as that portion of net worth (total assets exclusive of primary residence, home furnishings and automobiles minus total liabilities) consisting of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.

Tennessee—Purchasers residing in Tennessee must have a liquid net worth of at least ten times their investment in us.

Vermont—Accredited investors in Vermont, as defined in 17 C.F.R. §230.501, may invest freely in this offering. In addition to the suitability standards described above, non-accredited Vermont investors may not purchase an amount in this offering that exceeds 10% of the investor’s liquid net worth. For these purposes, “liquid net worth” is defined as an investor’s total assets (not including home, home furnishings or automobiles) minus total liabilities.

The Adviser, those selling shares on our behalf and participating brokers and registered investment advisers recommending the purchase of shares in this offering are required to make every reasonable effort to determine that the purchase of shares in this offering is a suitable and appropriate investment for each investor based on information provided by the investor regarding the investor’s financial situation and investment objectives and must maintain records for at least six years after the information is used to determine that an investment in our shares is suitable and appropriate for each investor. In making this determination, the participating broker, registered investment adviser, authorized representative or other person selling shares will, based on a review of the information provided by the investor, consider whether the investor:

 

   

meets the minimum income and net worth standards established in the investor’s state;

 

   

can reasonably benefit from an investment in our Common Shares based on the investor’s overall investment objectives and portfolio structure;

 

   

is able to bear the economic risk of the investment based on the investor’s overall financial situation, including the risk that the investor may lose its entire investment; and

 

   

has an apparent understanding of the following:

 

   

the fundamental risks of the investment;

 

   

the risk that the entire investment may be lost;

 

   

the lack of liquidity of our shares;

 

   

the background and qualification of our Adviser; and

 

   

the tax consequences of the investment.

 

ii


In addition to investors who meet the minimum income and net worth requirements set forth above, our shares may be sold to financial institutions that qualify as “institutional investors” under the state securities laws of the state in which they reside. “Institutional investor” is generally defined to include banks, insurance companies, investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act, pension or profit sharing trusts and certain other financial institutions. A financial institution that desires to purchase shares will be required to confirm that it is an “institutional investor” under applicable state securities laws.

In addition to the suitability standards established herein, (i) a participating broker may impose additional suitability requirements and investment concentration limits to which an investor could be subject and (ii) various states may impose additional suitability standards, investment amount limits and alternative investment limitations.

Broker-dealers must comply with Regulation Best Interest, which, among other requirements, enhances the existing standard of conduct for broker-dealers and establishes a “best interest” obligation for broker-dealers and their associated persons when making recommendations of any securities transaction or investment strategy involving securities to a retail customer. The obligations of Regulation Best Interest are in addition to, and may be more restrictive than, the suitability requirements listed above. Certain states, including Massachusetts, have adopted or may adopt state-level standards that seek to further enhance the broker-dealer standard of conduct to a fiduciary standard for all broker-dealer recommendations made to retail customers in their states. In comparison to the standards of Regulation Best Interest, the Massachusetts fiduciary standard, for example, requires broker-dealers to adhere to the duties of utmost care and loyalty to customers. The Massachusetts standard requires a broker-dealer to make recommendations without regard to the financial or any other interest of any party other than the retail customer, and that broker-dealers must make all reasonably practicable efforts to avoid conflicts of interest, eliminate conflicts that cannot reasonably be avoided, and mitigate conflicts that cannot reasonably be avoided or eliminated. When making such a recommendation to a retail customer, a broker-dealer must, among other things, act in the best interest of the retail customer at the time a recommendation is made, without placing its interests ahead of its retail customer’s interests. A broker-dealer may satisfy the best interest standard imposed by Regulation Best Interest by meeting disclosure, care, conflict of interest and compliance obligations. In addition to Regulation Best Interest and state fiduciary standards of care, registered investment advisers and registered broker-dealers must provide a brief summary to retail investors. Regulation Best Interest imposes a duty of care for broker-dealers to evaluate reasonably available alternatives in the best interests of their clients. There are likely alternatives to us that are reasonably available to you, through your broker or otherwise, and those alternatives may be less costly or have a lower investment risk. Among other alternatives, listed BDCs may be reasonable alternatives to an investment in our common stock, and may feature characteristics like lower cost, less complexity, and lesser or different risks. Investments in listed securities also often involve nominal or zero commissions at the time of initial purchase. This relationship summary, referred to as Form CRS, is not a prospectus. Investors should refer to this prospectus for detailed information about this offering before deciding to purchase Common Shares. Currently, there is no administrative or case law interpreting Regulation Best Interest and the full scope of its applicability on brokers participating in our offering cannot be determined at this time.

 

iii


ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

Please carefully read the information in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplements, which we refer to collectively as the “prospectus.” You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. This prospectus may only be used where it is legal to sell these securities. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date later than the date hereof or such other dates as are stated herein or as of the respective dates of any documents or other information incorporated herein by reference.

We will disclose the NAV per share of each class of our Common Shares for each month when available on our website at [    ]. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider that information to be part of this prospectus.

The words “we,” “us,” “our” and the “Fund” refer to Fidelity Private Credit Fund, together with its consolidated subsidiaries.

Unless otherwise noted, numerical information relating to FDS is approximate as of December 31, 2021.

Citations included herein to industry sources are used only to demonstrate third-party support for certain statements made herein to which such citations relate. Information included in such industry sources that do not relate to supporting the related statements made herein are not part of this prospectus and should not be relied upon.

MULTI-CLASS EXEMPTIVE RELIEF

This prospectus relates to our Common Shares of Class S, Class D and Class I. We are currently only offering Class I shares for sale. We have submitted to the SEC an application for an exemptive order to permit us to offer additional classes of Common Shares. Until an exemptive order satisfactory to us is granted, we will only offer Class I shares and will not issue Class S or Class D shares. The exemptive order may require us to supplement or amend the terms set forth in this prospectus, and we will file a prospectus supplement or an amendment to the registration statement to the extent required by the SEC.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements about our business, including, in particular, statements about our plans, strategies and objectives. You can generally identify forward-looking statements by our use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue” or other similar words. These statements include our plans and objectives for future operations, including plans and objectives relating to future growth and availability of funds, and are based on current expectations that involve numerous risks and uncertainties. Assumptions relating to these statements involve judgments with respect to, among other things, future economic, competitive and market conditions and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to accurately predict and many of which are beyond our control. Although we believe the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements, and the forward-looking statements themselves, are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate and, therefore, there can be no assurance that these forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and our actual results, performance and achievements may be materially different from that expressed or implied by these forward- looking statements. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in these forward-looking statements, the inclusion of this information should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that our objectives and plans, which we consider to be reasonable, will be achieved. The safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 do not apply to forward-looking statements made in connection with this offering.

You should carefully review the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus for a discussion of the risks and uncertainties that we believe are material to our business, operating results, prospects and financial condition. Except as otherwise required by federal securities laws, we do not undertake to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

iv


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

SUITABILITY STANDARDS

     i  

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

     iv  

MULTI-CLASS EXEMPTIVE RELIEF

     iv  

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     iv  

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

     1  

FEES AND EXPENSES

     22  

RISK FACTORS

     25  

ESTIMATED USE OF PROCEEDS

     61  

PLAN OF OPERATION

     63  

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND STRATEGIES

     72  

MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

     84  

PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

     95  

ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT

     98  

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

     105  

CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS

     116  

DISTRIBUTIONS

     118  

DESCRIPTION OF OUR COMMON SHARES

     120  

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

     130  

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     132  

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

     136  

SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM

     139  

DISTRIBUTION REINVESTMENT PLAN

     141  

REGULATION

     142  

CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

     146  

CERTAIN ERISA CONSIDERATIONS

     152  

CUSTODIAN, TRANSFER AND DISTRIBUTION PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR

     153  

BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES

     153  

EXPERTS

     153  

LEGAL MATTERS

     154  

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

     154  

PRIVACY NOTICE

     155  

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

     F-1  

APPENDIX A: FORM OF SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENTS

     A-1  

 

v


PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

This prospectus summary highlights certain information contained elsewhere in this prospectus and contains a summary of material information that a prospective investor should know before investing in our common shares. This is only a summary and it may not contain all of the information that is important to you. Before deciding to invest in this offering, you should carefully read this entire prospectus, including the “Risk Factors” section.

 

Q:

What is Fidelity Private Credit Fund?

 

A:

The Fund is a new fund externally managed by Fidelity Diversifying Solutions LLC (“FDS” or the “Adviser”) that intends to invest in loans targeted at private U.S. operating companies whose securities are not listed on a national securities exchange or registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and public U.S. operating companies having a market capitalization of less than $250,000,000. We are a Delaware statutory trust and a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that intends to elect to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). We also intend to elect to be treated as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).

 

Q:

Who is FDS?

 

A:

FDS is a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), and a wholly-owned subsidiary of FMR LLC (“FMR”). As of December 31, 2021, FDS has zero assets under management. FDS is also registered with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) under the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936, as amended (the “CEA”), as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”) and a commodity trading adviser (“CTA”), and is a member of the National Futures Association (the “NFA”). FDS leverages the resources of the entire Fidelity organization (“Fidelity Investments” or “Fidelity”) in managing the Fund.

FMR is the ultimate parent company of FDS. At present, the primary business activities of FMR and its subsidiaries are: (i) the provision of investment advisory, management, shareholder, investment information and assistance and certain fiduciary services for individual and institutional investors; (ii) the provision of securities brokerage services; (iii) the management and development of real estate; and (iv) the investment in and operation of a number of emerging businesses.

 

Q:

What is your investment objective?

 

A:

Our investment objectives are to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation. The Fund will achieve these objectives primarily through directly originated loans to private companies but also with liquid credit investments, like broadly syndicated loans, and other select Private Credit (as defined below) investments.

 

Q:

What is an originated loan?

 

A:

An originated loan is a loan where we, along with other funds and client accounts managed by the Adviser and/or its affiliates, lend directly to the borrower and hold the loan generally on our own or in a small group with other affiliated funds and accounts and/or third-party investors. This is distinct from a syndicated loan, which is generally originated by a bank and then syndicated, or sold, in several pieces to other investors. Originated loans are generally held until maturity or until they are refinanced by the borrower. Syndicated loans often have liquid markets and can be traded by investors.

 

Q:

Why do you intend to invest in liquid credit investments in addition to originated loans?

 

A:

We expect the allocation to liquid credit investments within the Fund’s portfolio (i) to provide the Fund with sufficient liquidity in order to meet the Fund’s quarterly share repurchase targets, and (ii) to seek attractive investment returns prior to investing subscription proceeds into newly originated loans.

 

Q:

What is your investment strategy?

 

A:

The Adviser’s investment strategy is credit driven with a focus on capital preservation. The Adviser seeks to employ a rigorous and consistent due diligence process when assessing each individual issuer. The Adviser intends to evaluate each issuers’ ownership and management team, business model, competitive differentiation, historical and projected financial performance, cost structure, key customers and key suppliers, and position within its industry.

 

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The Adviser will utilize its expertise sourcing and investing in loans to private businesses while leveraging the proprietary industry research of the broader Fidelity platform when constructing the Fund’s portfolio. Quantitative and qualitative factors will drive each investment decision to seek to achieve the Fund’s stated investment objective. The Fund intends to invest across issuers, industries, geographies, and private equity sponsors (each, a “Sponsors” and collectively, “Sponsors”) or ownership groups.

 

Q:

What types of investments do you intend to make?

 

A:

The majority of the Fund’s investments will be loans targeted at private U.S. operating companies whose securities are not listed on a national securities exchange or registered under the Exchange Act, and public U.S. operating companies having a market capitalization of less than $250,000,000. The Adviser may also invest to a lesser degree in non-U.S. companies. Specific private investments may include: (a) directly originated first lien loans, senior secured revolving lines of credit, term loans and delayed draw term loans, (b) directly originated second lien, last out senior, secured or unsecured mezzanine term loans and delayed draw term loans, (c) club deals (investments generally comprised from a small group of lenders), and broadly syndicated leveraged loans (investments generally arranged or underwritten by investment banks or other intermediaries), and (d) other debt (collectively referred to as “Private Credit”). The Adviser may also invest to a lesser degree in equity linked instruments (may include debt with warrants, preferred equity investments, or equity co-investments). The Adviser may lead and structure the transaction as sole-lender, as the agent of a club credit facility (a group of similar direct lenders that invest in the same tranches), or may participate as a non-agent investor in a large club or syndicated transactions.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in Private Credit investments. The Fund will also invest at least 70% of its total assets in investments that meet regulatory requirements of the BDC structure, which will generally include investments in companies that are generally private and may be backed by a Sponsor but may also include investments in small capitalization public companies or companies that are backed by a non-private equity sponsor ownership group (“Non-Sponsored”). The Adviser will directly originate credit opportunities from a large universe of Sponsors, intermediaries and other direct lenders, as well as internal Fidelity resources.

Targeted borrowers will operate within a wide range of industries. Leveraging Fidelity’s proprietary industry research and the Adviser’s expertise, the Fund will primarily invest in industries where the Adviser’s portfolio management team has deep experience with similarly situated companies. The Adviser will target investments structured as first lien senior secured and unitranche credit facilities, while also taking advantage of opportunistic investments in other parts of the capital structure, including last out loans, second lien loans, mezzanine and other junior debt loans, as well as equity investments.

The Fund may enter into hedging transactions, which may utilize instruments such as forward contracts, currency options and interest rate swaps, collars and floors to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the relative values of the Fund’s portfolio positions from changes in currency exchange rates and market interest rates. The Fund may also receive or purchase warrants or rights.

Most of the investments that the Fund intends to invest in are unrated or rated below investment grade (rated lower than “Baa3” by Moody’s Investor Service, Inc. or lower than “BBB-” by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services), which are often referred to as “leveraged loans,” “high yield” or “junk” debt investments and may be considered “high risk” or speculative compared to debt investments that are rated investment grade. Such issuers are considered more likely than investment grade issuers to default on their payments of interest and principal, and such risk of default could reduce the Fund’s net asset value and income distributions to shareholders. They may also be illiquid and difficult to value.

The Adviser will seek collateral packages in connection with the Fund’s secured investments that include liens on the borrower’s assets and a pledge of the borrower’s stock. In addition, the Adviser expects to seek investment structures that include covenant packages that measure the borrower’s key performance metrics but will also be permitted to invest in loans that would not include maintenance covenants. Loans will usually have stated terms of five to seven years, but the expected average life of such securities is usually between three to four years and may contain scheduled amortization payments and/or mandatory excess cash flow payments to reduce exposure and risk over the life of the investment.

The Fund will generally seek to invest in loans that carry variable (i.e., “floating”) interest rates. In addition to the cash yields received on its loans from principal and interest payments, the Fund will seek to invest in loans that generally pay additional fees, including but not limited to, closing fees, arrangement fees, prepayment premiums, or amendment fees.

 

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In certain cases, loan investments will have equity enhancement features, which may be in the form of warrants or other equity-related securities that are designed to provide the opportunity for capital appreciation.

To seek to enhance returns, the Fund intends to employ leverage as market conditions permit and at the discretion of the Adviser, but in no event will leverage employed exceed the limitations set forth in the 1940 Act, which currently allows the Fund to borrow up to a 2x debt to equity ratio.

The Fund will borrow money for investment and cash management purposes. In determining whether to borrow money, the Fund will analyze the financial flexibility, maturity, covenant package and rate structure of the proposed borrowings as well as the risks of such borrowings compared to the Fund’s investment outlook. In addition to borrowing money from third parties, the Fund may borrow on an unsecured basis from the Adviser or its affiliates. The use of borrowed funds to make investments would have its own specific set of benefits and risks, and all of the costs of borrowing funds would be borne by the shareholders indirectly through their interests in the Fund.

Because the Fund is classified as non-diversified fund, the Adviser may invest a significant percentage of the Fund’s assets in a single issuer.

Our investments are subject to a number of risks. See “Investment Objective and Strategies” and “Risk Factors.”

 

Q:

What potential competitive strengths does the Adviser offer?

 

A:

Founded in 1946, Fidelity has been known for its professional money management and comprehensive client services. Fidelity is one of the world’s largest providers of financial services with assets under administration of $11.8 trillion, including managed assets of $4.5 trillion as of December 31, 2021. The portfolio management team has extensive experience in middle market lending and has sourced, underwritten and/or managed diverse credit and lending teams in a variety of market environments from the nascent cash flow lending markets of the early 2000’s, through the great financial crisis of 2007 to 2009 (the “Great Financial Crisis”), during the recovery and growth of the 2010’s, and during the recent pandemic related disruptions. The Adviser emphasizes a consistent and disciplined underwriting process, which is the foundation for its approach to portfolio construction. Leveraging proprietary research insights and performing granular credit and loan to value analysis for each investment are core tenets of the Adviser’s credit philosophy. Focusing on capital preservation and minimizing volatility, the Adviser seeks to employ the same underwriting, due diligence and Direct Lending Investment Committee (as defined below) approval process for every investment. The Adviser believes that Fidelity’s history and scale, combined with the portfolio management team’s experience and strategy enable it to compete across the credit spectrum in the middle market. See “Conflicts of Interest – Relationship among the Fund, the Adviser and the Portfolio Managers” for more information about risks related to investing with an affiliate adviser. The Adviser’s specific areas of differentiation that drive its competitive advantages are below:

 

   

Fidelity’s multi-decade history and substantial scale in the credit markets: Fidelity has operated through the last twelve recessions, numerous crises, expansions and contractions during its 75-year history. Active in the credit markets since 1971, Fidelity has over $750,000,000,000 of credit investments under management as of December 31, 2021. Fidelity also offered its first high yield bond fund in 1977 and was the first mutual fund company to offer an open-ended fund focused on leverage loans in 2000.

 

   

Dedicated team of seasoned middle market credit investors: The portfolio management team is comprised of professionals that have spent their entire careers in middle market lending. The portfolio managers average more than 20 years of experience, and the portfolio management team’s capabilities include sourcing, underwriting and executing on middle market loans, and most importantly, actively managing credit portfolios through multiple cycles. This includes experience managing companies during periods of growth and distress including restructurings and bankruptcies, providing valuable foresight as the Direct Lending Investment Committee evaluates and approves new opportunities. The Adviser maintains in-depth oversight throughout the investment process and instills the culture of intense focus on capital preservation and hands-on portfolio management with a focus on proper risk mitigation throughout the life of an investment.

 

   

Ability to operate at scale across the entire lending landscape: The Adviser seeks to offer compelling financing solutions for creditworthy issuers regardless of company size. This increases the opportunity set for the Fund and promotes the Adviser’s selective investment approach, while providing reliable financing to companies as they scale. The Adviser’s ability to offer attractive financing proposals for small to mid-market businesses as well as upper middle market companies also deepens the relationship with Sponsors, a source of investment opportunities for the Adviser. The Adviser intends to target issuers that the Adviser considers to be high quality, regardless of size, and provide financing structures that afford attractive risk adjusted returns for the Fund.

 

3


   

Access to proprietary credit and equity research platform creates efficient and differentiated diligence: As part of Fidelity, the Adviser has access to FMR’s extensive research platform that allows the Adviser to make more informed and efficient investment decisions. FMR has over 350 research professionals in North America, Europe and Asia that cover equities, fixed income and high yield markets. As part of the due diligence and underwriting process for each potential investment, the Adviser intends to review and analyze relevant FMR industry research and engage directly with the industry analysts. Using the proprietary insights, the Adviser expects to improve portfolio construction and risk mitigation, allowing it to potentially (i) gain conviction on investments or (ii) avoid investments that have subtle industry headwinds or competitive pressures, that might otherwise appear attractive. In addition to the portfolio management team’s independent industry analysis and broad experience lending to middle market businesses, the Adviser’s access to proprietary Fidelity research differentiates the platform and, we believe, translates into more efficient and informed decision making.

 

   

Disciplined, consistent underwriting process with risk adjusted approach: The Adviser employs a consistent and rigorous due diligence and underwriting process to assess each investment. Investments are reviewed in deal team structures where all investment professionals have overlapping responsibilities, which is expected to improve process oversight and risk mitigation. The Adviser’s philosophy and investment approach has been informed by the portfolio management team’s extensive experience lending to middle market companies and utilizes a bottoms-up credit approach, with the primary focus being return of capital. For each potential investment, the Adviser will actively engage with company management and ownership and complete detailed credit and valuation analysis. While the Adviser will independently determine an investment thesis and identify key risks, the Adviser also benefits from significant third-party diligence commissioned for the majority of investments.

The Adviser may independently commission third-party legal, environmental, insurance, industry, background check and financial diligence on investments where necessary. For every investment, the Adviser may engage its own independent legal counsel to perform legal due diligence, review and comment on loan documents and structures on the Adviser’s behalf. The Adviser also will typically engage with Fidelity analysts regarding industry diligence for each investment and utilize consultants for additional industry insights as needed. The Adviser may engage environmental consultants to review any environmental diligence performed to provide insight into the risk exposure and ultimate liability. When acting as agent, the Adviser will typically engage insurance consultants to assess the borrower’s insurance policies and if they are sufficient given the debt being provided and the borrower’s operations, and to confirm the endorsements and insurance certificates properly reflect the liens and position as a lender. The Adviser may engage internal due diligence counterparts to screen and perform background checks on the borrower’s legal entities, and the key management team members. The Adviser may also engage a third party financial due diligence provider to perform a quality of earnings if none is available from a private equity sponsor or the Adviser determines that an outside review is needed. The Adviser will review all available third-party diligence commissioned by the private equity sponsor.

Credit and valuation analysis are synthesized by the Adviser to determine the appropriate leverage and return profile, to ensure there is sufficient downside protection and risk is properly rewarded. Investments will be formally presented to the Adviser’s Direct Lending Investment Committee (“Direct Lending Investment Committee”) twice at a minimum before final approval to invest is granted.

 

Q:

What is the market opportunity?

 

A:

The private credit market has grown tenfold since the Great Financial Crisis and is projected to grow double-digit percentages in the near future. The consolidation of regional U.S. banks following the financial crisis and the enhanced regulations introduced by the U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), resulted in larger banks decreasing their willingness to issue and hold loans to middle-market companies, thus fueling the growth of direct lending. Direct lending is a subset of private credit and is frequently compared to its main credit alternatives including the leverage loans or broadly syndicate loans and high yield market. More recently, demand has been driven by key characteristics of the asset class summarized below.

 

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Large and growing market: The U.S. private credit market is estimated at approximately $1.5 trillion (AUM) and finances mergers and acquisitions, recapitalization and refinance activity for the estimated 200,000 U.S. middle market businesses. Private equity investing activity drives a significant portion of this volume.1

 

   

Attractive historical risk adjusted returns compared to alternative income generating asset classes: Based on the last 5 years, the Cliffwater Direct Lending index (the “Cliffwater Index”)2 generated annualized total returns of 8.48% vs. the ICE BAML US High Yield Index yield of 5.72% while the Cliffwater Direct Lending Senior Index generated annualized total returns of 8.00% vs. the S&P/LSTA Leverage Loan Index annualized total returns of 4.31%.3

 

   

Strong performance through COVID related disruptions: From peak to trough during the COVID-19 pandemic, the direct lending market declined less (-4.84% based on Cliffwater index)4 vs. high yield (-21.55% based on ICE BAML index) and leveraged loans markets (-20.65% based on S&P/LSTA index).5 Direct lending markets also experienced a strong recovery post COVID, increasing 14.4% from the trough vs. high yield recovery of 34.75% and leverage loans of 31.32%.

 

   

Favorable loss rates compared to alternatives: Middle market loans have favorable historical loss rates of 0.6% vs. historical loss rates for broadly syndicated loans of 1.4%, have lower historical default rates of 3.1% vs. historical default rates for broadly syndicated loans of 5.6%, and higher historical recovery rates of 80.7% vs. historical recovery rates for broadly syndicated loans of 74.8%.6

 

   

The private credit market has expanded into areas traditionally served by the leverage loan and high yield markets: According to LCD and ICE BAML, from 2002 to 2021, the share of leverage loans with an issue size below $500,000,000 has declined from 49% to 7%, and similarly from 2002 to 2021, the share of high yield loans with an issue size below $500,000,000 has declined from 72% to 16%, respectively. In both cases, the direct lending loans are now regularly filling this gap for loans up to $500,000,000 and larger.

 

   

Floating rate debt that provides a hedge against rising rates: The majority of direct lending investments are floating rate instruments so over time returns increase as interest rates rise.

 

   

Predominantly senior secured positions that sit at the top of the capital structure: Direct lending investments offer enhanced collateral and covenant protections compared to the leverage loans and high yield market that contribute to lower historical loss rates.

 

   

Direct access to the Sponsors and ownership groups improves information flow: For direct lending investments, the sourcing and due diligence ties directly to the Sponsor or ownership group, so lenders have efficient access to information (frequently monthly financials vs. quarterly), can complete comprehensive and high-quality diligence, and develop bespoke financing solutions that better serve the needs of the middle-market companies.

The foregoing information is with respect to past performance of certain markets and indices, only, and does not reflect the actual or expected performance of the Fund. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve results resembling these metrics or that market circumstances in the future will be comparable. See “Risk Factors.”

 

Q:

How will you identify investments?

 

A:

One of the critical success factors in private credit is access to a deep pipeline of investment opportunities. Based on the portfolio management team’s extensive experience, the Adviser intends to employ a multi-faceted approach to sourcing transactions through a large network of private equity firms, intermediaries, as well as other direct lending firms. The Adviser believes that Fidelity’s scale and track record in the liquid markets, combined with the portfolio management team’s long tenure in direct lending, will provide unique and rich access to high credit quality investment opportunities.

 

 

1 

Source: Pitchbook, Preqin, Cliffwater, Bloomberg, Fidelity Investments.

2 

The Cliffwater Index is an asset-weighted index of over 8,000 directly originated middle market loans totaling $191,000,000,000 as of December 31, 2021. The Cliffwater Index assists investors to better understand asset class characteristics and to benchmark manager performance.

3 

Source: Cliffwater, ICE BAML, LCD.

4 

Source: Cliffwater, 3Q 2020 reported return for the Cliffwater CDLI Index.

5 

Source: ICE BAML and LCD; decline from February 20, 2020 to March 23, 2020; recover from March 23, 2020 to March 31, 2021.

6 

Source: Lincoln International

 

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Private equity acquisition activity drives a substantial amount of private credit volume in the middle-market, and Fidelity has longstanding relationships with a diverse set of Sponsors that invest across a broad set of industries, geographies and business models. The Adviser expects to enhance these relationships and bolster its sourcing efforts with its differentiated and efficient credit review process that is honed by a team of experienced credit professionals.

Lastly, Fidelity’s existing relationships with liquid issuers, some of which are owned by the same mix of Sponsors, and size in the liquid markets, provide the Adviser with differentiated investment opportunities. The Adviser can leverage these relationships to provide value-added capabilities and better execution on loans in the liquid markets, which can translate into a more robust pipeline of private credit investment opportunities for the Fund.

 

Q:

How will you evaluate and manage investments?

 

A:

The Adviser has a strong culture focused on risk management, with significant dedicated resources committed to that effort. The Adviser firmly believes that one of the most powerful risk management tools occurs at the individual investment level. The regular monitoring of a portfolio’s investments seeks to ensure that the risk/return ratio has not become unfavorable to help avoid unnecessary capital losses, and the Adviser believes it is a key component to positive long-term performance. Frequent monitoring and oversight are conducted by the investment professionals to ensure that each position still represents an attractive investment. At the portfolio level, the investment professionals ensure that the overall risk profile, diversification, and positioning is consistent with the Fund’s objectives. There is also considerable executive oversight with regular, systematic portfolio reviews with senior management.

The Adviser seeks to employ a disciplined and rigorous process for all credit investments which includes the following key features:

 

   

Underwriting the borrower: Performing detailed credit and valuation analysis; analyzing historical trends and business drivers; assessing management; and developing a deep understanding of the business operations and cost structure.

 

   

Analyzing the industry: Leveraging Fidelity’s broad research and analysts’ platform and Sponsor provided third party industry studies (when available) to uncover macro and micro industry forces; understanding the competitive dynamics and market forces; validating the growth and outlook; and assessing public and private competitors.

 

   

Underwriting the Sponsor or ownership group: Evaluating investment performance; understanding track record and willingness to invest follow-on capital in times of stress; assessing available dry powder, due diligence quality and relevant sector expertise.

 

   

Confirming investment thesis: Validating the sustainability of competitive advantages, revenues and margins; confirming diversity of products, customers, services, suppliers and institutionalized value.

 

   

Evaluating the credit structure: Analyzing ability to repay debt; performing loan-to-value analysis and downside case scenarios; and evaluating appropriate risk and reward for a proposed investment.

During the credit underwriting process, the deal team will compile and present diligence findings to the Adviser’s Direct Lending Investment Committee at least once before issuing a term sheet and a second time before closing. The Adviser’s focus is on downside protection so the deal team and Direct Lending Investment Committee are expected to spend substantial time understanding and validating various downside scenarios, exit options, and structural protections in each and every investment seeking to ensure adequate cushion.

Following the closing of an investment, one or several members of the deal team that originated the loan on behalf of the Fund are generally expected to manage the portfolio moving forward. As part of the portfolio management process, the investment professional seeks to assess liquidity needs daily or weekly, evaluate financial performance on a monthly basis for the majority of accounts (a minority may only report quarterly), scrutinize financial covenant calculations on a quarterly basis (if applicable) and maintain frequent dialogue with the company management and Sponsor regarding company performance, strategic initiatives, acquisitions or other business items.

Systems and technology play a critical role in portfolio monitoring and risk management. The Adviser’s proprietary systems provide investment professionals access to risk measures and exposures across multiple dimensions, among other things. Compliance modules are also systematically linked to the trading platform as another mechanism to minimize risk.

 

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Risk management efforts are further bolstered by multiple, non-investment professional teams. For example, a dedicated compliance team monitors all portfolios and investment professionals; a dedicated counterparty risk team monitors all trading and business counterparties; and a dedicated legal team is able to support the Adviser across a variety of legal questions.

 

Q:

How will investments be allocated to the Fund?

 

A:

FDS and its affiliates provide investment management services to investment funds and client accounts. FDS will share any investment and sale opportunities with its other clients and the Fund in accordance with applicable law, including the Advisers Act, allocation policies and procedures, and an exemptive order from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) permitting co-investment activities (as further described below), which generally provide for sharing eligible investments pro rata among the eligible participating funds and accounts, subject to certain allocation factors (as discussed further in “Investment Objective and Strategies—Allocation of Investment Opportunities”).

As a BDC regulated under the 1940 Act, the Fund will be subject to certain limitations relating to co-investments and joint transactions with affiliates, which, in certain circumstances, likely may limit the Fund’s ability to make investments or enter into other transactions alongside other clients. The Adviser has applied for an exemptive order from the SEC that will permit us, among other things, to co-invest with certain other persons, including certain affiliates of the Adviser and certain funds managed and controlled by the Adviser and its affiliates, subject to certain terms and conditions. There is no assurance that the co-investment exemptive order will be granted by the SEC. Pursuant to such order, the Fund’s board of trustees (the “Board” and each member of the Board, a “Trustee”) may establish objective criteria (“Board-Established Criteria”) clearly defining co-investment opportunities in which the Fund will have the opportunity to participate with other public or private affiliated funds that target similar assets. If an investment falls within the Board-Established Criteria, FDS must offer an opportunity for the Fund to participate. The Fund may determine to participate or not to participate, depending on whether FDS determines that the investment is appropriate for the Fund (e.g., based on investment strategy). The co-investment would generally be allocated to us and the other affiliated funds that target similar assets pro rata based on internal order size, subject to certain allocation factors under the Adviser’s allocation policies and procedures. If the Adviser determines that such investment is not appropriate for us, the investment will not be allocated to us, but the Adviser will be required to report such investment and the rationale for its determination for us to not participate in the investment to the Board at the next quarterly board meeting.

 

Q:

Will the Fund use leverage?

 

A:

Yes, we intend to use leverage to seek to enhance our returns. Our leverage levels will vary over time in response to general market conditions, the size and compositions of our investment portfolio and the views of our Adviser and Board. Once we have established a scaled investment portfolio, we expect that our debt to equity ratio will generally range between 1.0x and 1.5x. While our leverage employed may be greater or less than these levels from time to time, it will never exceed the limitations set forth in the 1940 Act, which currently allows us to borrow up to a 2x debt to equity ratio.

Our leverage may take the form of revolving or term loans from financial institutions, secured or unsecured bonds, securitization of portions of our investment portfolio via collateralized loan obligations or preferred shares. When determining whether to borrow money and assessing the various borrowing structure alternatives, we analyze the financial flexibility, maturity, rate structure and covenant package of the proposed borrowings in the context of our investment portfolio, pre-existing borrowings and market outlook.

The use of leverage magnifies returns, including losses. See “Risk Factors.”

 

Q:

What is a BDC?

 

A:

Congress created the business development company, or BDC, through the Small Business Investment Incentive Act of 1980 to facilitate capital investment in small and middle market companies. Closed-end investment companies organized in the U.S. that elect to be treated as BDCs under the 1940 Act are subject to specific provisions of the law, most notably that at least 70% of their total assets must be “Qualifying Assets.” Qualifying Assets are generally defined as privately offered debt or equity securities of U.S. private companies or U.S. publicly traded companies with market capitalizations less than $250,000,000.

BDCs may be exchange-traded, public non-traded, or private placements. They can be internally or externally managed. BDCs typically elect to be treated as “regulated investment companies” for U.S. tax purposes, which are generally not subject to entity level taxes on distributed income. See “Investment Objective and Strategies— Regulation as a BDC.”

 

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Q:

What is a non-exchange traded, perpetual-life BDC?

A: A non-exchange traded BDC’s shares are not listed for trading on a stock exchange or other securities market. The term “perpetual-life” is used to differentiate our structure from other BDCs that have a finite offering period and/or have a predefined time period to pursue a liquidity event or to wind down the fund. In contrast, in a perpetual-life BDC structure like ours, we expect to offer common shares continuously at a price equal the monthly net asset value (“NAV”) per share and we have an indefinite duration, with no obligation to effect a liquidity event at any time. We generally intend to offer our common shareholders an opportunity to have their shares repurchased on a quarterly basis, subject to an aggregate cap of 5% of shares outstanding. However, the determination to repurchase shares in any given quarter is fully at the Board’s discretion, so investors may not always have access to liquidity when they desire it. See “Risk Factors.”

 

Q:

How will an investment in the Fund differ from an investment in a listed BDC or private BDC with a finite life?

 

A:

An investment in our common shares of beneficial interest (“Common Shares”) differs from an investment in a listed or exchange traded BDC in several ways, including:

 

   

Pricing. Following our initial public offering, the value at which our new Common Shares may be offered, or our Common Shares may be repurchased, will be equal to our monthly NAV per share. In contrast, shares of listed BDCs are priced by the trading market, which can be influenced by a variety of factors, including many that are not directly related to the underlying value of an entity’s assets and liabilities. The prices of listed BDCs are often higher or lower than the fund’s NAV per share and can be subject to volatility, particularly during periods of market stress. Our shares are valued on at least a monthly basis which may make it difficult to estimate the volatility of our assets. A listed BDC may be a reasonable alternative to the Fund, and could be less costly and less complex with fewer and/or different risks than we have. A listed BDC may have historical performance that investors can evaluate, and transactions involving a listed BDC can involve nominal or no commissions.

 

   

Liquidity. An investment in our Common Shares has limited or no liquidity beyond our quarterly share repurchase program, and our share repurchase program can be modified, suspended or terminated at the Board’s discretion. In contrast, a listed BDC is a liquid investment, as shares can be sold on the exchange at any time the exchange is open.

 

   

Fees. Non-listed BDCs may bear different fees than listed BDCs. See “Fees and Expenses” for more information about fees paid by the Fund to the Adviser.

 

   

Oversight. Both listed BDCs and non-traded BDCs are subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act and the Exchange Act. Unlike the offering of a listed BDC, the Fund’s offering will be registered in every state in which we are offering and selling shares. As a result, we include certain limits in our governing documents that are not typically provided for in the charter of a listed BDC. For example, our charter limits the fees we can pay to the Adviser.

A listed BDC is subject to the governance requirements of the exchange on which its shares are traded, including requirements relating to its board, audit committee, independent trustee oversight of executive compensation and the trustee nomination process, code of conduct, shareholder meetings, related party transactions, shareholder approvals and voting rights. Although we expect to follow many of these same governance guidelines, there is no requirement that we do so.

Some listed BDCs are self-managed, whereas our investment operations are managed by the Adviser, which is a subsidiary of FMR LLC.

An investment in our Common Shares differs from an investment in a BDC offered through private placement in several ways, including:

 

   

Eligible Investors. Our Common Shares may be purchased by any investor who meets the minimum suitability requirements described under “Suitability Standards” in this prospectus. While the standard varies by state, it generally requires that a potential investor has either (i) both net worth and annual net income of $70,000, or (ii) net worth of at least $250,000 (for this purpose, net worth does not include an investor’s home, home furnishings and personal automobiles). In contrast, privately placed BDCs are generally only sold to investors that qualify as either an “accredited investor” as defined under Regulation D under the Securities Act, and/or as a “qualified purchaser” as defined under the 1940 Act.

 

8


   

Investment funding. Purchases of our Common Shares must be fully funded at the time of subscription. In contrast, investors typically make an upfront commitment in the context of a privately placed BDC and their capital is subsequently called over time as investments are made.

 

   

Investment period. We have a perpetual life and may continue to take in new capital on a continuous basis at a value generally equal to our NAV per share. We will be continually originating new investments to the extent we raise additional capital. We will also be regularly recycling capital from our existing investors into new investments. In contrast, privately placed BDCs generally have a finite offering period and an associated designated time period for investment. In addition, many privately placed BDCs have either a finite life or time period by which a liquidity event must occur or fund operations must be wound down, which may limit the ability of the fund to recycle investments.

 

Q:

For whom may an investment in the Fund be appropriate?

 

A:

An investment in our Common Shares may be appropriate for you if you:

 

   

meet the minimum suitability requirements described under “Suitability Standards” above, which generally require that a potential investor has either (i) both net worth and annual net income of $70,000 or (ii) net worth of at least $250,000;

 

   

seek to allocate a portion of your financial assets to a direct investment vehicle with an income-oriented portfolio of primarily U.S. credit investments;

 

   

seek to receive current income through regular distribution payments while obtaining the potential benefit of long-term capital appreciation; and

 

   

can hold your shares as a long-term investment without the need for near-term or rapid liquidity.

We cannot assure you that an investment in our shares will allow you to realize any of these objectives. An investment in our shares is only intended for investors who do not need the ability to sell their shares quickly in the future since we are not obligated to offer to repurchase any of our Common Shares in any particular quarter. See “Share Repurchase Program.”

 

Q:

Will FDS or its affiliates be investing in the Fund?

 

A:

Yes, FDS, its affiliates and/or employees plan to invest in our Common Shares through one or more private placement transactions. In addition, officers and employees of FDS and its affiliates may also purchase our Common Shares.

 

Q:

Is there any minimum investment required?

 

A:

Yes, to purchase Class S or Class D shares in this offering, you must make a minimum initial investment in our Common Shares of $2,500. To purchase Class I shares in this offering, you must make a minimum initial investment of $1,000,000, unless waived or reduced by the Managing Dealer. The Managing Dealer waives or reduces to $25,000 or less Class I investment minimums for certain categories of investors (See “Plan of Distribution”). Financial intermediaries may be permitted to impose higher or lower investment minimums for purchases made through their platforms. Investors should consult their financial intermediary for more information. All subsequent purchases of Class S, Class D or Class I shares, except for those made under our distribution reinvestment plan, are subject to a minimum investment size of $500 per transaction. The Managing Dealer can waive the initial or subsequent minimum investment at its discretion.

 

Q:

How will the Fund’s value be established?

 

A:

Immediately upon the conclusion of the escrow period, the Fund’s NAV will be equal to the net proceeds received by us from purchases of Common Shares during the escrow period, less our liabilities. Thereafter, our NAV will be determined based on the value of our assets less our liabilities, including accrued fees and expenses, as of any date of determination.

 

9


FDS, as our Adviser determines the value of each of our investments, and FDS, as our administrator (the “Administrator”) determines the NAV per share of each of our outstanding classes of shares each month, subject to Board oversight. Investments for which market quotations are readily available will typically be valued at those market quotations. Investments, including debt securities, that are publicly traded but for which no readily available market quotations exist are generally valued on the basis of information furnished by a third-party pricing service that uses a valuation matrix which incorporates both dealer-supplied valuations and electronic data processing techniques. Investments that are not publicly traded or for which market prices are not readily available, in the opinion of the Adviser, will be fair valued based on the input of the Adviser and independent third-party valuation firms engaged to review our investments. The NAV per share of a class of our outstanding Common Shares will be determined by dividing the NAV of that share class by the total number of Common Shares outstanding in that class as of the date of determination. The NAV per share of each share class will vary due to, among other things, differences in the amount of servicing fees carried by each class and the number of Common Shares outstanding in each class. See “Determination of Net Asset Value.”

 

Q:

How can I purchase shares?

 

A:

Subscriptions to purchase our Common Shares may be made on an ongoing basis, but after the time that we break escrow for this offering, investors may only purchase our Common Shares pursuant to accepted subscription orders as of the first business day of each month. “Business day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banks are permitted to be closed in New York, New York. A subscription must be received in good order at least five business days prior to the first business day of the month (unless waived by the Managing Dealer) and include the full subscription funding amount to be accepted.

A shareholder will not know our NAV per share applicable on the effective date of the share purchase. However, the NAV per share applicable to a purchase of shares will generally be available within 20 business days after the effective date of the share purchase. At that time, the actual number of shares purchased based on the shareholder’s subscription amount will be determined, and the shares will be credited to the shareholder’s account as of the effective date of the share purchase. Notice of each share transaction, together with information relevant for personal and tax records, will be furnished to shareholders (or their financial representatives) as soon as practicable, but no later than seven business days after our NAV is determined.

Investors, in determining which class of shares to purchase, should consider any ongoing account-based fees payable to outside financial service providers that may apply to shares held in fee-based accounts, as well as the total length of time that the investor will hold the shares.

See “How to Subscribe” for more details.

 

Q:

When will my subscription be accepted?

 

A:

Completed subscription requests will not be accepted by us any earlier than two business days before the first day of each month.

 

Q:

Can I withdraw a subscription to purchase shares once I have made it?

 

A:

Yes, you may withdraw a subscription after submission at any time before we have accepted the subscription, which we will generally not do any earlier than two business days before the first day of each month. You may withdraw your purchase request by notifying the transfer agent, through your financial intermediary or directly on the toll-free, automated telephone line at 817-474-1001.

 

Q:

What is the per share purchase price?

 

A:

During the escrow period, the per share purchase price for our Common Shares will be $25.00. After the close of the escrow period, shares will be sold at the then-current NAV per share, as described above.

 

Q:

When will the NAV per share be available after the escrow period?

 

A:

We will report our NAV per share as of the last day of each month on our website within 20 business days of the last day of each month. Because subscriptions must be submitted at least five business days prior to the first day of each month, you will not know the NAV per share at which you will be subscribing at the time you subscribe.

For example, if you are subscribing in October, your subscription must be submitted at least five business days prior to November 1. The purchase price for your shares will be the NAV per share determined as of October 31. The NAV per share as of October 31 will generally be available within 20 business days from October 31.

 

10


Q:

Can I invest through my Individual Retirement Account (“IRA”), Simplified Employee Pension Plan (“SEP”) or other after-tax deferred account?

 

A:

Yes, if you meet the suitability standards described under “Suitability Standards” above, you may invest via an IRA, SEP or other after-tax deferred account. If you would like to invest through one of these account types, you should contact your custodian, trustee or other authorized person for the account to subscribe. They will process the subscription and forward it to us, and we will send the confirmation and notice of our acceptance back to them.

Please be aware that in purchasing shares, custodians or directors of, or any other person providing advice to, employee pension benefit plans or IRAs may be subject to the fiduciary duties imposed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), or other applicable laws. These additional fiduciary duties may require the custodian, trustee, director, or any other person providing investment advice to employee pension benefit plans or IRAs to provide information about the services provided and fees received, separate and apart from the disclosures in this prospectus. In addition, prior to purchasing shares, the trustee or custodian of an employee pension benefit plan or an IRA should determine that such an investment would be permissible under the governing instruments of such plan or account and applicable law and would not constitute or otherwise result in a prohibited transaction under Section 4975 of the Code.

 

Q:

How often will the Fund pay distributions?

 

A:

We expect to pay regular monthly distributions commencing with the first full calendar quarter after the escrow period concludes. Any distributions we make will be at the discretion of our Board, who will consider, among other things, our earnings, cash flow, capital needs and general financial condition, as well as our desire to comply with the RIC requirements, which generally require us to make aggregate annual distributions to our shareholders of at least 90% of our ordinary income. As a result, our distribution rates and payment frequency may vary from time to time and there is no assurance we will pay distributions in any particular amount, if at all. See “Description of our Common Shares” and “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”

The per share amount of distributions on Class S, Class D and Class I shares will generally differ because of different class-specific shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees that are deducted from the gross distributions for each share class.

 

Q:

Can I reinvest distributions in the Fund?

 

A:

Yes, we have adopted a distribution reinvestment plan whereby shareholders (other than those located in specific states or who are clients of selected participating brokers, as outlined below) will have their cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of the same class of our Common Shares to which the distribution relates unless they elect to receive their distributions in cash. The purchase price for shares purchased under our distribution reinvestment plan will be equal to the then current NAV per share of the relevant class of Common Shares. Shareholders will not pay transaction related charges when purchasing shares under our distribution reinvestment plan, but all outstanding Class S and Class D shares, including those purchased under our distribution reinvestment plan, will be subject to ongoing servicing fees.

Shareholders located in Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, as well as those who are clients of certain participating brokers that do not permit automatic enrollment in our distribution reinvestment plan, will automatically receive their distributions in cash unless they elect to participate in our distribution reinvestment plan and have their cash distributions reinvested in additional common shares. See “Description of Our Common Shares” and “Distribution Reinvestment Plan.”

 

Q:

How can I change my distribution reinvestment plan election?

 

A:

Participants may terminate their participation in the distribution reinvestment plan or shareholders may elect to participate in our distribution reinvestment plan with five business days’ prior written notice by contacting our Transfer Agent, Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company LLC, at alternatives@fmr.com.

 

11


Q:

How will distributions be taxed?

 

A:

We intend to elect to be treated for federal income tax purposes, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under the Code. A RIC is generally not subject to U.S. federal corporate income taxes on the net taxable income that it currently distributes to its shareholders.

Distributions of ordinary income and of net short-term capital gains, if any, will generally be taxable to U.S. shareholders as ordinary income to the extent such distributions are paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits. Distributions, if any, of net capital gains properly reported as “capital gain dividends” will be taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of the length of time the shareholder has owned our shares. A distribution of an amount in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes) will be treated by a shareholder as a return of capital which will be applied against and reduce the shareholder’s basis in his or her shares. To the extent that the amount of any such distribution exceeds the shareholder’s basis in his or her shares, the excess will be treated by the shareholder as gain from a sale or exchange of the shares. Distributions paid by us will generally not be eligible for the dividends received deduction allowed to corporations or for the reduced rates applicable to certain qualified dividend income received by non-corporate shareholders.

Distributions will be treated in the manner described above regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or invested in additional shares pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan. Shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional shares will generally be treated as receiving a distribution in the amount of the fair market value of the distributed shares. The additional shares received by a shareholder pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan will have a new holding period commencing on the day following the day on which the shares were credited to the shareholder’s account.

Because each investor’s tax position is different, you should consult with your tax adviser on the tax consequences to you of investing in the Fund. In particular, non-U.S. investors should consult their tax advisers regarding potential withholding taxes on distributions that they receive. See “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”

 

Q:

Can I sell, transfer or otherwise liquidate my shares post purchase?

 

A:

The purchase of our Common Shares is intended to be a long-term investment. We do not intend to list our shares on a national securities exchange and do not expect a public market to develop for our shares in the foreseeable future. We also do not intend to complete a liquidity event within any specific period, and there can be no assurance that we will ever complete a liquidity event. We do intend to conduct quarterly share repurchase offers in accordance with the 1940 Act to provide limited liquidity to our shareholders. Our share repurchase program will be the only liquidity initiative that we offer to our shareholders.

Because of the lack of a trading market for our shares, you may not be able to sell your shares promptly or at a desired price. If you are able to sell your shares, you may have to sell them at a discount to the purchase price of your shares.

Our Common Shares are freely transferable, except where a transfer is restricted by federal and state securities laws or by contract. We will generally not charge you to facilitate transfers of your shares, other than for necessary and reasonable costs actually incurred by us.

 

Q:

Can I request that my shares be repurchased?

 

A:

Yes, you can request that your shares be repurchased subject to the following limitations. Beginning no later than the first full calendar quarter from the date on which we break escrow for this offering, and subject to the discretion of the Board, we intend to commence a share repurchase program pursuant to which we intend to conduct quarterly repurchase offers to allow our shareholders to tender their shares at a price equal to the NAV per share for the applicable class of shares on each date of repurchase. Our Board may amend, suspend or terminate the share repurchase program at any time if it deems such action to be in our best interest and the best interest of our shareholders. As a result, share repurchases may not be available each quarter. Upon a suspension of our share repurchase program, our Board will consider at least quarterly whether the continued suspension of our share repurchase program remains in our best interest and the best interest of our shareholders. However, our Board is not required to authorize the recommencement of our share repurchase program within any specified period of time. Our Board may also determine to terminate our share repurchase program if required by applicable law or in connection with a transaction in which our shareholders receive liquidity for their Common Shares, such as a sale or merger of the Fund or listing of our Common Shares on a national securities exchange.

 

12


Under our share repurchase program, to the extent we offer to repurchase shares in any particular quarter, we intend to limit the number of shares to be repurchased to no more than 5% of our outstanding Common Shares as of the last day of the immediately preceding quarter. In the event the number of shares tendered exceeds the repurchase offer amount, shares will be repurchased on a pro rata basis. All unsatisfied repurchase requests must be resubmitted in the next quarterly tender offer, or upon the recommencement of the share repurchase program, as applicable.

We expect to repurchase shares pursuant to tender offers each quarter using a purchase price equal to the NAV per share as of the last calendar day of the applicable quarter, except that shares that have not been outstanding for at least one year will be repurchased at 98% of such NAV (an “Early Repurchase Deduction”). The one-year holding period is measured as of the subscription closing date immediately following the prospective repurchase date. The Early Repurchase Deduction may be waived, at our discretion, in the case of repurchase requests arising from the death, divorce or qualified disability of the holder. The Early Repurchase Deduction will be retained by the Fund for the benefit of remaining shareholders. We intend to conduct the repurchase offers in accordance with the requirements of Rule 13e-4 promulgated under the Exchange Act and the 1940 Act. All shares purchased by us pursuant to the terms of each tender offer will be retired and thereafter will be authorized and unissued shares.

Most of our assets will consist of instruments that cannot generally be readily liquidated without impacting our ability to realize full value upon their disposition. Therefore, we may not always have sufficient liquid resources to make repurchase offers. In order to provide liquidity for share repurchases, we intend to generally maintain under normal circumstances an allocation to syndicated loans and other liquid investments. We may fund repurchase requests from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, return of capital or offering proceeds, and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. Should making repurchase offers, in our judgment, place an undue burden on our liquidity, adversely affect our operations or risk having an adverse impact on the Fund as a whole, or should we otherwise determine that investing our liquid assets in originated loans or other illiquid investments rather than repurchasing our shares is in the best interests of the Fund as a whole, then we may choose to offer to repurchase fewer shares than described above, or none at all. See “Share Repurchase Program.”

 

Q:

What fees do you pay to the Adviser?

 

A:

Pursuant to the advisory agreement between us and the Adviser (the “Advisory Agreement”), the Adviser is responsible for, among other things, identifying investment opportunities, monitoring our investments and determining the composition of our portfolio. We will pay the Adviser a fee for its services under the Advisory Agreement consisting of two components: a management fee and an incentive fee.

 

   

The management fee is payable monthly in arrears at an annual rate of 1.25% of the value of our net assets as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the applicable month. For the first calendar month in which the Fund has operations, net assets will be measured as the beginning net assets as of the date on which the Fund breaks escrow. For purposes of the Advisory Agreement, net assets mean our total assets less the fair value of our liabilities, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In addition, the Adviser has agreed to waive management fees for the first six (6) months following the date the Fund breaks escrow.

 

   

The incentive fee will consist of two components as follows:

 

   

The first part of the incentive fee is based on income, whereby we will pay the Adviser quarterly in arrears 12.5% of its Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns (as defined below), attributable to each class of the Fund’s Common Shares, for each calendar quarter subject to a 5.0% annualized hurdle rate, with a catch-up. The Adviser has agreed to waive income incentive fees for the first six (6) months following the date the Fund breaks escrow.

“Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns” means dividends, cash interest or other distributions or other cash income and any third-party fees received from portfolio companies such as upfront fees, commitment fees, origination fee, amendment fees, ticking fees and break-up fees, as well as prepayments premiums, but excluding fees for providing managerial assistance and fees earned by the Adviser or an affiliate accrued during the month, minus operating expenses for the month (including the management fee, taxes, any expenses payable under the Advisory Agreement and an administration agreement with our administrator, any expense of securitizations, and interest expense or other financing fees and any dividends paid on preferred stock, but excluding incentive fees and shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees). Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns

 

13


includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as original issue discount, debt instruments with payment-in-kind (“PIK”) interest and zero-coupon securities), accrued income that we have not yet received in cash. Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns do not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation. The impact of expense support payments and recoupments are also excluded from Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns.

 

   

The second part of the incentive fee is based on realized capital gains, whereby we will pay the Adviser at the end of each calendar year in arrears 12.5% of cumulative realized capital gains, attributable to each class of the Fund’s Common Shares, from inception through the end of such calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid incentive fee on capital gains.

For purposes of computing the Fund’s incentive fee on income and the incentive fee on capital gains, the calculation methodology will look through derivative financial instruments or swaps as if we owned the reference assets directly.

See “Advisory Agreement and Administrative Agreement.”

 

Q:

How will I be kept up to date about how my investment is doing?

 

A:

We and/or your financial adviser, participating broker or financial intermediary, as applicable, will provide you with periodic updates on the performance of your investment with us, including:

 

   

three quarterly financial reports and an annual report;

 

   

quarterly investor statements;

 

   

in the case of certain U.S. shareholders, an annual Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Form 1099-DIV or IRS Form 1099-B, if required, and, in the case of non-U.S. shareholders, an annual IRS Form 1042-S; and

 

   

confirmation statements (after transactions affecting your balance, except reinvestment of distributions in us and certain transactions through minimum account investment or withdrawal programs).

Depending on legal requirements, we may post this information on our website, [    ], when available, or provide this information to you via U.S. mail or other courier, electronic delivery, or some combination of the foregoing. Information about us will also be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, after the escrow period, our monthly NAV per share will be posted on our website promptly after it has become available (in all cases prior to the twentieth business day of the following month).

 

Q:

What type of tax reporting will I receive on the Fund, and when will I receive it?

 

A:

As promptly as possible after the end of each calendar year, we intend to send to each of our U.S. shareholders an annual IRS Form 1099-DIV or IRS Form 1099-B, if required, and, in the case of non-U.S. shareholders, an annual IRS Form 1042-S.

 

Q:

What are the tax implications for non-U.S. investors in the Fund?

 

A:

Because we are a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a non-U.S. investor in the Fund will generally not be treated as engaged in a trade or business in the U.S. solely as a result of investing in the Fund.

Subject to the exceptions described below, dividends paid to a non-U.S. investor in the Fund will generally be subject to a U.S. tax of 30% (or lower treaty rate), which will generally be withheld from such dividends. However, dividends paid by the Fund that are “interest-related dividends,” “capital gain dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends” will generally be exempt from such withholding tax to the extent we properly report such dividends to shareholders. For these purposes, interest-related dividends, capital gain dividends and short-term capital gain dividends generally represent distributions of certain U.S.-source interest or capital gains that would not have been subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at source if received directly by a non-U.S. investor, and that satisfy certain other requirements. Notwithstanding the above, the Fund or other withholding agent may be required to withhold from distributions that are otherwise exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax (or taxable at a reduced treaty rate) based on the information available at the time of such distribution or if the non-U.S. investor fails to certify its status under penalties of perjury or otherwise establish an exemption. To the extent that the Fund or other withholding agent withholds any tax with respect to distributions that are exempt from withholding or eligible for a reduced treaty rate, a non-U.S. investor may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS.

 

14


A non-U.S. investor is generally exempt from U.S. federal income tax on capital gain dividends and any gains realized upon the sale or exchange of shares in the Fund.

This section assumes that income from the Fund is not “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a non-U.S. investor. Non-U.S. investors, and in particular, non-U.S. investors who are engaged in a U.S. trade or business, should consult with their tax advisers on the consequences to them of investing in the Fund. See “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”

 

Q:

What are the tax implications for non-taxable U.S. investors in the Fund?

 

A:

Because we are a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, U.S. tax-exempt investors in the Fund will generally not derive “unrelated business taxable income” (“UBTI”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes solely as a result of their investment in the Fund. A U.S. tax-exempt investor, however, may derive UBTI from its investment in the Fund if the investor incurs indebtedness in connection with its purchase of shares in the Fund. Tax-exempt investors should consult their tax advisers with respect to the consequences of investing in the Fund.

 

Q:

What is the difference between the three classes of Common Shares being offered?

 

A:

We are offering to the public three classes of Common Shares – Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares. The differences among the share classes relate to ongoing shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees, with Class S shares and Class D shares subject to ongoing and shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee of 0.85% and 0.25%, respectively and Class I shares not subject to a shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee. In addition, although no upfront sales loads will be paid with respect to Class S shares, Class D shares or Class I shares, if you buy Class S shares or Class D shares through certain financial intermediaries, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in such amount as they may determine, provided that they limit such charges to a 3.50% cap on NAV for Class S shares and a 1.50% cap on NAV for Class D shares. See “Description of Our Common Shares” and “Plan of Distribution” in our N-2 registration statement for a discussion of the differences between our Class S, Class D and Class I shares. See “Description of Our Common Shares” and “Plan of Distribution” for a discussion of the differences between our Class S, Class D and Class I shares.

Assuming a constant net asset value per share of $25.00, we expect that a one-time investment in 400 shares of each class of our shares (representing an aggregate net asset value of $10,000 for each class) would be subject to the following shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees:

 

     Annual Shareholder Servicing
and/or Distribution Fees
     Total Over Five Years  

Class S

   $ 85      $ 425  

Class D

   $ 25      $ 125  

Class I

   $ 0      $ 0  

Class S shares are available through brokerage and transaction-based accounts. Class D shares are generally available for purchase in this offering only (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, sponsored by participating brokers or other intermediaries that provide access to Class D shares, (2) through participating brokers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class D shares, (3) through transaction/ brokerage platforms at participating brokers, (4) through certain registered investment advisers, (5) through bank trust departments or any other organization or person authorized to act in a fiduciary capacity for its clients or customers or (6) other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus. Class I shares are generally available for purchase in this offering only (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, sponsored by participating brokers or other intermediaries that provide access to Class I shares, (2) by endowments foundations, pension funds and other institutional investors, (3) through participating brokers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class I shares, (4) through transaction/brokerage platforms at participating brokers, (5) by our executive officers and Trustees and their immediate family members, as well as officers and employees of the Adviser or other affiliates and their immediate family members, and, if approved by our Board, joint venture partners, consultants and other service providers, or (6) by other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus. In certain cases, where a holder of Class S or Class D shares exits a relationship with a participating broker for this offering and does not enter into a new relationship with a participating

 

15


broker for this offering, such holder’s shares may be exchanged into an equivalent NAV amount of Class I shares. We may also offer Class I shares to certain feeder vehicles primarily created to hold our Class I shares, which in turn offer interests in themselves to investors; we expect to conduct such offerings pursuant to exceptions to registration under the Securities Act and not as a part of this offering. Such feeder vehicles may have additional costs and expenses, which would be disclosed in connection with the offering of their interests. We may also offer Class I shares to other investment vehicles. Before making your investment decision, please consult with your investment adviser regarding your account type and the classes of Common Shares you may be eligible to purchase.

If you are eligible to purchase all three classes of shares, you should be aware that Class I shares have no shareholder servicing or distribution fees, which will reduce the NAV or distributions of the other share classes. However, Class I shares will not receive shareholder services. Before making your investment decision, please consult with your investment adviser regarding your account type and the classes of Common Shares you may be eligible to purchase.

 

Q:

Are there ERISA considerations in connection with investing in the Fund?

 

A:

We intend to conduct our affairs so that our assets should not be deemed to constitute “plan assets” under the ERISA, and certain U.S. Department of Labor regulations promulgated thereunder, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA (the “Plan Assets Regulation”). In this regard, until such time as all classes of the Common Shares are considered “publicly-offered securities” within the meaning of the Plan Assets Regulation, the Fund will endeavor to limit investment in our Common Shares by “benefit plan investors” to less than 25% of the total value of each class of our Common Shares, within the meaning of the Plan Assets Regulation and based upon assurance provided by investors.

In addition, each prospective investor that is, or is acting on behalf of any individual retirement account, employee benefit plan, or similar plan or account that is subject to ERISA, Section 4975 of the Code or the provisions of any other federal, state, local, non-U.S. or other laws or regulations that are similar to such provisions of ERISA or the Code (collectively, “Similar Laws”) or any entity whose underlying assets are considered to include the foregoing (each a “Plan”), must independently determine that our Common Shares are an appropriate investment for the Plan, taking into account its obligations under ERISA, the Code and applicable Similar Laws, and the facts and circumstances of each investing Plan.

Prospective investors should carefully review the matters discussed under “Certain ERISA Considerations” and should consult with their own advisers as to the implications under ERISA, Section 4975 of the Code and any applicable Similar Law of making an investment in the Fund.

 

Q:

What is the role of the Fund’s Board of Trustees?

 

A:

We operate under the direction of our Board, the members of which are accountable to us and our shareholders as fiduciaries. We have four Trustees, three of whom have been determined to be independent of us, the Adviser and its affiliates (“Independent Trustees”). Our Independent Trustees are responsible for, among other things, reviewing the performance of the Adviser, approving the compensation paid to the Adviser and its affiliates, oversight of the valuation process used to establish the Fund’s NAV and oversight of the investment allocation process to the Fund. The names and biographical information of our Trustees are provided under “Management of the Fund—Trustees and Executive Officers.”

 

Q:

Are there any risks involved in buying your shares?

 

A:

Investing in our Common Shares involves a high degree of risk. If we are unable to effectively manage the impact of these risks, we may not meet our investment objective and, therefore, you should purchase our shares only if you can afford a complete loss of your investment. An investment in our Common Shares involves significant risks and is intended only for investors with a long-term investment horizon and who do not require immediate liquidity or guaranteed income. Some of the more significant risks relating to an investment in our Common Shares include those listed below:

 

   

We have no prior operating history and there is no assurance that we will achieve our investment objective.

 

   

An investment in our Common Shares may not be appropriate for all investors and is not designed to be a complete investment program.

 

   

This is a “blind pool” offering and thus you will not have the opportunity to evaluate our investments before we make them.

 

16


   

You should not expect to be able to sell your shares regardless of how we perform.

 

   

You should consider that you may not have access to the money you invest for an extended period of time.

 

   

We do not intend to list our shares on any securities exchange, and we do not expect a secondary market in our shares to develop.

 

   

Because you may be unable to sell your shares, you will be unable to reduce your exposure in any market downturn.

 

   

We intend to implement a share repurchase program, but only a limited number of shares will be eligible for repurchase and repurchases will be subject to available liquidity and other significant restrictions.

 

   

An investment in our Common Shares is not suitable for you if you need access to the money you invest. See “Suitability Standards” and “Share Repurchase Program.”

 

   

We cannot guarantee that we will make distributions, and if we do we may fund such distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, or return of capital, and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. A return of capital (1) is a return of the original amount invested, (2) does not constitute earnings or profits and (3) will have the effect of reducing a shareholder’s tax basis such that when a shareholder sells its shares the sale may be subject to taxes even if the shares are sold for less than the original purchase price.

 

   

Distributions may also be funded in significant part, directly or indirectly, from temporary waivers or expense reimbursements borne by the Adviser or its affiliates, that may be subject to reimbursement to the Adviser or its affiliates. The repayment of any amounts owed to the Adviser or its affiliates will reduce future distributions to which you would otherwise be entitled.

 

   

We expect to use leverage, which will magnify the potential for loss on amounts invested in us.

 

   

We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the “JOBS Act”), and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our Common Shares less attractive to investors.

 

   

We intend to invest primarily in securities that are rated below investment grade by rating agencies or that would be rated below investment grade if they were rated. Below investment grade securities, which are often referred to as “junk,” have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. They may also be illiquid and difficult to value.

 

Q:

Do you currently own any investments?

 

A:

No.

 

Q:

At what point will the initial proceeds of this offering be released from escrow?

 

A:

We will take purchase orders and hold investors’ funds in an interest-bearing escrow account until we receive purchase orders for at least $100,000,000, including any shares purchased in any private offerings, and our Board has authorized the release of the escrowed purchase order proceeds to us so that we can commence operations. Even if we receive purchase orders for $100,000,000, our Board may elect to wait a substantial amount of time before authorizing, or may elect not to authorize, the release of the escrowed proceeds. We currently expect to hold a first closing during the first quarter of 2023 of approximately $100,000,000 based on preliminary indications of interest received to date; however, there is no assurance when or if such closing will occur or of any amount to be raised. If we do not raise the minimum amount and commence operations by the date that is one year following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, this offering will be terminated and our escrow agent will promptly send you a full refund of your investment with interest and without deduction for escrow expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may elect to withdraw your purchase order and request a full refund of your investment with interest and without deduction for escrow expenses at any time before the escrowed funds are released to us. If we break escrow for this offering and commence operations, interest earned on funds in escrow will be released to our account and constitute part of our net assets.

 

17


Q:

What is a “best efforts” offering?

 

A:

This is our initial public offering of our Common Shares on a “best efforts” basis. A “best efforts” offering means the Managing Dealer and the participating brokers are only required to use their best efforts to sell the shares. When shares are offered to the public on a “best efforts” basis, no underwriter, broker or other person has a firm commitment or obligation to purchase any of the shares. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that any minimum number of shares will be sold.

 

Q:

What is the expected term of this offering?

 

A:

We have registered $1,000,000,000 in Common Shares. It is our intent, however, to conduct a continuous offering for an extended period of time, by filing for additional offerings of our shares, subject to regulatory approval and continued compliance with the rules and regulations of the SEC and applicable state laws.

We will endeavor to take all reasonable actions to avoid interruptions in the continuous offering of our Common Shares. There can be no assurance, however, that we will not need to suspend our continuous offering while the SEC and, where required, state securities regulators, review such filings for additional offerings of our Common Shares until such filings are declared effective, if at all.

 

Q:

What is a regulated investment company, or RIC?

 

A:

We intend to elect to be treated for federal income tax purposes, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under the Code.

In general, a RIC is a company that:

 

   

is a BDC or registered investment company that combines the capital of many investors to acquire securities;

 

   

offers the benefits of a securities portfolio under professional management;

 

   

satisfies various requirements of the Code, including an asset diversification requirement; and

 

   

is generally not subject to U.S. federal corporate income taxes on its net taxable income that it currently distributes to its shareholders, which substantially eliminates the “double taxation” (i.e., taxation at both the corporate and shareholder levels) that generally results from investments in a C corporation.

 

Q:

Who will administer the Fund?

 

A:

FDS, as our administrator, will provide, or oversee the performance of, administrative and compliance services. In consideration of the administrative services provided by the Administrator to the Fund, the Fund pays the Administrator a monthly fee of 0.02666% (0.32% on an annualized basis) of the Fund’s month-end net asset value (the “Administration Fee”) pursuant to the administration agreement (the “Administration Agreement”). The Administration Fee is an expense paid out of the Fund’s net assets and is computed based on the value of the net assets of the Fund as of the close of business on the last business day of each month (including any assets in respect of Shares that are repurchased as of the end of the quarter). See “Advisory Agreement and Administration Agreement—Administration Agreement.”

 

Q:

What are the offering and servicing costs?

 

A:

No upfront sales load will be paid with respect to Class S shares, Class D shares or Class I shares; however, if you buy Class S shares or Class D shares through certain financial intermediaries, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in such amount as they may determine, provided that they limit such charges to a 3.50% cap on NAV for Class S shares and a 1.50% cap on NAV for Class D shares. Please consult your selling agent for additional information.

Subject to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) limitations on underwriting compensation, we will pay the following shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees to the Managing Dealer and/or a participating broker: (a) for Class S shares, a shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month for the Class S shares, and (b) for Class D shares, a shareholder servicing fee equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month for the Class D shares, in each case, payable monthly. No shareholder servicing or distribution fees will be paid with respect to the Class I shares. The shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees will be payable to the Managing Dealer,

 

18


but the Managing Dealer anticipates that all or a portion of the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees will be retained by, or reallowed (paid) to, participating brokers. The total amount that will be paid over time for other underwriting compensation depends on the average length of time for which shares remain outstanding, the term over which such amount is measured and the performance of our investments. We and/or our affiliates may also pay or reimburse certain organization and offering expenses, including, subject to FINRA limitations on underwriting compensation, certain wholesaling expenses. See “Plan of Distribution” and “Estimated Use of Proceeds.” The total underwriting compensation and total organization and offering expenses will not exceed 10% and 15%, respectively, of the gross proceeds from this offering.

The Adviser and/or its affiliates have agreed to advance all of our organization and offering expenses on our behalf (including legal, accounting, printing, mailing, subscription processing and filing fees and expenses and other offering expenses, including costs associated with technology integration between the Fund’s systems and those of our participating brokers, reasonable bona fide due diligence expenses of participating brokers supported by detailed and itemized invoices, costs in connection with preparing sales materials and other marketing expenses, design and website expenses, fees and expenses of our escrow agent and transfer agent, fees to attend retail seminars sponsored by participating brokers and costs, expenses and reimbursements for travel, meals, accommodations, entertainment and other similar expenses related to meetings or events with prospective investors, brokers, registered investment advisers or financial or other advisers, but excluding the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee) through the date on which we break escrow for this offering. Pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement we have entered into with the Adviser (the “Expense Support Agreement”), for the 12-month period commencing from the date of the Expense Support Agreement the Adviser is obligated to advance all of our Other Operating Expenses (as defined below) to the effect that such expenses do not exceed 0.70% (on an annualized basis) of the Fund’s NAV. We will be obligated to reimburse the Adviser and/or its affiliates, as applicable, for such advanced expenses only if certain conditions are met. See “Plan of Distribution” and “Plan of Operations—Expenses—Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement.” For purposes hereof, “Other Operating Expenses” means the Fund’s organization and offering expenses, professional fees (including accounting, legal, and auditing fees), custodian and transfer agent fees, third-party valuation agent fees, insurance costs, trustee fees, Administration Fees, and other general and administrative expenses.

 

Q:

What are our expected operating expenses?

 

A:

We expect to incur operating expenses in the form of our management and incentive fees, shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees, interest expense on our borrowings and other expenses, including the fees we pay to our Administrator. See “Fees and Expenses.”

 

Q:

What are our policies related to conflicts of interests with FDS and its affiliates?

 

A:

The Adviser and its affiliates will be subject to certain conflicts of interest with respect to the services FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser and Administrator) provide for us. These conflicts will arise primarily from the involvement of FDS, the portfolio management team and FDS affiliates in other activities that may conflict with our activities. You should be aware that individual conflicts will not necessarily be resolved in favor of our interest.

 

   

Conflicts of Interest Generally. In the ordinary course of its business activities, FDS will engage in activities where the interests of certain of its own interests or the interests of its clients will conflict with the interests of the shareholders in the Fund. Other present and future activities of FDS will give rise to additional conflicts of interest. In the event that a conflict of interest arises, the Adviser will attempt to resolve such conflict in a fair and equitable manner. Subject to applicable law, including the 1940 Act, and the Board’s oversight, the Adviser will have the power to resolve, or consent to the resolution of, conflicts of interest on behalf of the Fund. Investors should be aware that conflicts will not necessarily be resolved in favor of the Fund’s interests. In addition, the Adviser may in certain situations choose to consult with or obtain the consent of the Board with respect to any specific conflict of interest, including with respect to the approvals required under the 1940 Act, including Section 57(f), and the Advisers Act. The Fund may enter into joint transactions or cross-trades with clients or affiliates of the Adviser to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the Advisers Act and any applicable co-investment order from the SEC. Subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act, the Fund may invest in loans or other securities, the proceeds of which may refinance or otherwise repay debt or securities of companies whose debt is owned by other FDS funds and accounts.

 

   

Relationship among the Fund, the Adviser and portfolio managers. The Adviser has a conflict of interest between its responsibility to act in the best interests of the Fund, on the one hand, and any benefit, monetary or otherwise, that results to it or its affiliates from the operation of the Fund, on the other hand. For example, the incentive fee creates an incentive for the Adviser to recommend more speculative investments for the Fund than it would otherwise in the absence of such performance-based compensation.

 

19


   

The Adviser, its affiliates and their principals or employees will invest for their own accounts and manage accounts for other individuals or entities, including entities in which the Adviser, its affiliates or their trustees or employees may hold an interest, either directly in managed accounts or indirectly through investments in private investment entities. Any such accounts will pay different fees, invest with leverage or utilize different investment strategies than the Fund. In addition, the Fund may enter into transactions with such accounts, and the Adviser and its affiliates may invest in the same securities and instruments on behalf of such accounts that the Fund invests in, in each case to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. The Adviser, its affiliates or their personnel will have income or other incentives to favor such accounts.

 

   

Co-Investment Transactions. The Fund has applied for an exemptive order from the SEC that permits it to co-invest with certain other persons, including certain affiliated accounts managed and controlled by the Adviser and/or its affiliates. Subject to the 1940 Act and the conditions of any such co-investment order issued by the SEC, the Fund may, under certain circumstances, co-invest with certain affiliated accounts in investments that are suitable for the Fund and one or more of such affiliated accounts. Even though the Fund and any such affiliated account co-invest in the same securities, conflicts of interest may still arise. If the Adviser is presented with co-investment opportunities that generally fall within the Fund’s investment objective and other Board-Established Criteria and those of one or more affiliated accounts advised by the Adviser and/or its affiliates, whether focused on a debt strategy or otherwise, the Adviser and/or its affiliates will allocate such opportunities among the Fund and such affiliated accounts in a manner consistent with the exemptive order and applicable allocation policies and procedures. There is no assurance that the co-investment exemptive order will be granted by the SEC.

See “Conflicts of Interest” for additional information about conflicts of interest that could impact the Fund.

 

Q:

What is the impact of being an “emerging growth company”?

 

A:

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined by the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting and disclosure requirements that are applicable to public companies that are not emerging growth companies. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to:

 

   

have an auditor attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley Act”);

 

   

submit certain executive compensation matters to shareholder advisory votes pursuant to the “say on frequency” and “say on pay” provisions (requiring a non-binding shareholder vote to approve compensation of certain executive officers) and the “say on golden parachute” provisions (requiring a non-binding shareholder vote to approve golden parachute arrangements for certain executive officers in connection with mergers and certain other business combinations) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010; or

 

   

disclose certain executive compensation related items, such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the chief executive officer’s compensation to median employee compensation.

In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company may take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies. This means that an emerging growth company can delay adopting certain accounting standards until such standards are otherwise applicable to private companies.

We will remain an emerging growth company for up to five years, or until the earliest of: (1) the last date of the fiscal year during which we had total annual gross revenues of $1,070,000,000 or more; (2) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1,000,000,000 in non-convertible debt; or (3) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” as defined under Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act.

 

20


We do not believe that being an emerging growth company will have a significant impact on our business or this offering. We have elected to opt in to the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards available to emerging growth companies. Also, because we are not a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer under Section 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, and will not be for so long as our Common Shares are not traded on a securities exchange, we will not be subject to auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act even once we are no longer an emerging growth company. In addition, so long as we are externally managed by the Adviser and we do not directly compensate our executive officers, or reimburse the Adviser or its affiliates for the salaries, bonuses, benefits and severance payments for persons who also serve as one of our executive officers or as an executive officer of the Adviser, we do not expect to include disclosures relating to executive compensation in our periodic reports or proxy statements and, as a result, do not expect to be required to seek shareholder approval of executive compensation and golden parachute compensation arrangements pursuant to Section 14A(a) and (b) of the Exchange Act.

 

Q:

Who can help answer my questions?

 

A:

If you have more questions about this offering or if you would like additional copies of this prospectus, you should contact your financial adviser or our transfer agent, Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company LLC at alternatives@fmr.com.

 

21


FEES AND EXPENSES

The following table is intended to assist you in understanding the costs and expenses that an investor in Common Shares will bear, directly or indirectly. Other expenses are estimated and may vary. Actual expenses may be greater or less than shown.

 

     Class S
Shares
    Class D
Shares
    Class I
Shares
 

Shareholder transaction expense (fees paid directly from your investment)

      

Maximum sales load(1)

     —       —       —  

Maximum Early Repurchase Deduction(2)

     2.0     2.0     2.0

Annual expenses (as a percentage of net assets attributable to our Common Shares)(3)

      

Base management fees(4)

     1.25     1.25     1.25

Incentive fees(5)

     —       —       —  

Shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees(6)

     0.85     0.25     —  

Interest payment on borrowed funds(7)

     2.94     2.94     2.94

Other expenses(8)

     1.36     1.36     1.36

Total annual expenses

     6.40     5.80     5.55

Expense Support(8)

     (0.66 )%      (0.66 )%      (0.66 )% 

Total annual expenses (after expense support) (8)

     5.74     5.14     4.89

 

(1)

No upfront sales load will be paid with respect to Class S shares, Class D shares or Class I shares; however, if you buy Class S shares or Class D shares through certain financial intermediaries, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in such amount as they may determine, provided that they limit such charges to a 3.50% cap on NAV for Class S shares and a 1.50% cap on NAV for Class D shares. Please consult your selling agent for additional information.

(2)

Under our share repurchase program, to the extent we offer to repurchase shares in any particular quarter, we expect to repurchase shares pursuant to tender offers using a purchase price equal to the NAV per share as of the last calendar day of the applicable quarter, except that shares that have not been outstanding for at least one year may be subject to a fee of 2.0% of such NAV. The one-year holding period is measured as of the subscription closing date immediately following the prospective repurchase date. The Early Repurchase Deduction may be waived in the case of repurchase requests arising from the death, divorce or qualified disability of the holder. The Early Repurchase Deduction will be retained by the Fund for the benefit of remaining shareholders.

(3)

Weighted average net assets employed as the denominator for expense ratio computation is $300,000,000. This estimate is based on the assumption that we sell $500,000,000 of our Common Shares in the initial 12-month period of the offering. Actual net assets will depend on the number of shares we actually sell, realized gains/losses, unrealized appreciation/ depreciation and share repurchase activity, if any.

(4)

The base management fee paid to our Adviser is calculated at an annual rate of 1.25% of the value of our net assets as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the applicable month. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its base management fee for the first six (6) months following commencement of the Fund’s operations. This fee waiver is not reflected in the fee table above.

(5)

We may have capital gains and investment income that could result in the payment of an incentive fee in the first year of investment operations. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive incentive fees for the first six (6) months following commencement of the Fund’s operations. This fee waiver is not reflected in the table above. The incentive fees, if any, are divided into two parts:

The first part of the incentive fee is based on income, whereby we will pay the Adviser quarterly in arrears 12.5% of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns (as defined below), attributable to each class of the Fund’s Common Shares, for each calendar quarter subject to a 5.0% annualized hurdle rate, with a catch-up.

The second part of the incentive is based on realized capital gains, whereby we will pay the Adviser at the end of each calendar year in arrears 12.5% of cumulative realized capital gains, attributable to each class of the Fund’s Common Shares, from inception through the end of such calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid incentive fee on capital gains.

As we cannot predict whether we will meet the necessary performance targets, we have assumed no incentive fee for this chart. Once fully invested, we expect the incentive fees we pay to increase to the extent we earn greater income or generate capital gains through our investments in portfolio companies. If we achieved an annualized total return of 5.0% for each quarter made up entirely of net investment income, no incentive fees would be payable to the Adviser because the hurdle

 

22


rate was not exceeded. If instead we achieved a total return of 5.0% in a calendar year made up of entirely realized capital gains net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation, an incentive fee equal to 0.63% of our net assets would be payable. See “Advisory Agreement and Administration Agreement” for more information concerning the incentive fees.

 

(6)

Subject to FINRA limitations on underwriting compensation, we will also pay the following shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees to the Managing Dealer and/or a participating broker: (a) for Class S shares, a shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month for the Class S shares and (b) for Class D shares, a shareholder servicing fee equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month for the Class D shares, in each case, payable monthly. No shareholder servicing fees will be paid with respect to the Class I shares. The total amount that will be paid over time for other underwriting compensation depends on the average length of time for which shares remain outstanding, the term over which such amount is measured and the performance of our investments. We will cease paying the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee on the Class S shares and Class D shares on the earlier to occur of the following: (i) a listing of Class I shares, (ii) our merger or consolidation with or into another entity, or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets or (iii) the date following the completion of the primary portion of this offering on which, in the aggregate, underwriting compensation from all sources in connection with this offering, including the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee and other underwriting compensation, is equal to 10% of the gross proceeds from our primary offering. In addition, as required by exemptive relief for which we have applied to allow us to offer multiple classes of shares, at the end of the month in which the Managing Dealer in conjunction with the transfer agent determines that total transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, and shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees paid with respect to any single share held in a shareholder’s account would exceed, in the aggregate, 10% of the gross proceeds from the sale of such share (or a lower limit as determined by the Managing Dealer or the applicable selling agent), we will cease paying the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee on either (i) each such share that would exceed such limit or (ii) all Class S shares and Class D shares in such shareholder’s account. We may modify this requirement if permitted by applicable exemptive relief. At the end of such month, the applicable Class S shares or Class D shares in such shareholder’s account will convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares), with an equivalent aggregate NAV as such Class S or Class D shares. See “Plan of Distribution” and “Estimated Use of Proceeds.” The total underwriting compensation and total organization and offering expenses will not exceed 10% and 15%, respectively, of the gross proceeds from this offering.

(7)

We may borrow funds to make investments, including before we have fully invested the proceeds of this continuous offering. To the extent that we determine it is appropriate to borrow funds to make investments, the costs associated with such borrowing will be indirectly borne by shareholders. The figure in the table assumes that we borrow for investment purposes an amount equal to 52% of our weighted average net assets in the initial 12-month period of the offering, and that the average annual cost of borrowings, including the amortization of cost associated with obtaining borrowings and unused commitment fees, on the amount borrowed is 5.15%. Our ability to incur leverage during the 12 months following the commencement of this offering depends, in large part, on whether we meet our minimum offering requirement, the amount of money we are able to raise through the sale of shares registered in this offering and the availability of financing in the market.

(8)

“Other expenses” include accounting, legal and auditing fees, custodian and transfer agent fees, organization and offering expenses, valuation fees, FINRA fees, SEC registration fees, insurance costs and fees payable to our Trustees, as discussed in “Plan of Operation.” The amount presented in the table estimates the amounts we expect to pay during the initial 12-month period of the offering prior to any expense support, as described below. “Other expenses” also includes amounts paid under the Administration Agreement between the Fund and the Administrator, pursuant to which the Fund pays the Administrator, on a monthly basis, the Administration Fee of 0.2666% (0.32% on an annualized basis) of the Fund’s monthly net asset value.

We have entered into the Expense Support Agreement with the Adviser. Pursuant to the Expense Support Agreement, the Adviser is obligated to advance all of our Other Operating Expenses (each, a “Required Expense Payment”) for the twelve-month period commencing from the date of the Expense Support Agreement to the effect that such expenses do not exceed 0.70% (on an annualized basis) of the Fund’s NAV. Any Required Expense Payment must be paid by the Adviser to us in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds and/or offset against amounts due from us to the Adviser or its affiliates. The Adviser may elect to pay, at such times as the Adviser determines, certain expenses on our behalf (each, a “Voluntary Expense Payment” and together with a Required Expense Payment, the “Expense Payments”), provided that no portion of the payment will be used to pay any interest expense or distribution and/or shareholder servicing fees of the Fund. Any Voluntary Expense Payment that the Adviser has committed to pay must be paid by the Adviser to us in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds no later than 45 days after such commitment was made in writing, and/or offset against amounts due from us to the Adviser or its affiliates. The Adviser will be entitled to reimbursement of an Expense Payment from us if Available Operating Funds (as defined

 

23


below under “Plan of Operations—Expenses—Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement”) exceed the cumulative distributions accrued to the Fund’s shareholders, among other conditions. See “Plan of Operations—Expenses—Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement” for additional information regarding the Expense Support Agreement. Because the Adviser’s obligation to make Voluntary Expense Payments is voluntary, the table above does not reflect the impact of any Voluntary Expense Payments from the Adviser. The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its base management and incentive fees for the first six (6) months following the commencement of operations.

Example: We have provided an example of the projected dollar amount of total expenses that would be incurred over various periods with respect to a hypothetical $1,000 investment in each class of our Common Shares. In calculating the following expense amounts, we have assumed that: (1) that our annual operating expenses and offering expenses remain at the levels set forth in the table above, after application of the Adviser’s obligation to make Required Expense Payments as described above, except to reduce annual expenses upon completion of organization and offering expenses, (2) that the annual return after management fees and other expenses, but before incentive fees is 5.0%, (3) that the net return after payment of incentive fees is distributed to shareholders net of the shareholder servicing and/or distributions fees and such amount is reinvested at NAV and (4) your financial intermediary does not directly charge you transaction or other fees.

Class S shares

 

     1 Year      3 Years      5 Years      10 Years  

Total cumulative expenses you would pay on a $1,000 investment assuming a reinvested 5.0% net return comprised solely of investment income:

   $ 59      $ 185      $ 325      $ 740  

Total cumulative expenses you would pay on a $1,000 investment assuming a reinvested 5.0% net return comprised solely of capital gains:

   $ 65      $ 206      $ 362      $ 826  

Class D shares

 

     1 Year      3 Years      5 Years      10 Years  

Total cumulative expenses you would pay on a $1,000 investment assuming a reinvested 5.0% net return comprised solely of investment income:

   $ 53      $ 166      $ 291      $ 663  

Total cumulative expenses you would pay on a $1,000 investment assuming a reinvested 5.0% net return comprised solely of capital gains:

   $ 59      $ 187      $ 328      $ 749  

Class I shares

 

     1 Year      3 Years      5 Years      10 Years  

Total cumulative expenses you would pay on a $1,000 investment assuming a reinvested 5.0% net return comprised solely of investment income:

   $ 50      $ 158      $ 277      $ 630  

Total cumulative expenses you would pay on a $1,000 investment assuming a reinvested 5.0% net return comprised solely of capital gains:

   $ 56      $ 179      $ 314      $ 716  

While the examples assume a 5.0% annual return on investment after management fees and expenses, but before incentive fees, our performance will vary and may result in an annual return that is greater or less than this. These examples should not be considered a representation of your future expenses. If we achieve sufficient returns on our investments to trigger a quarterly incentive fee on income and/or if we achieve net realized capital gains in excess of 5.0%, both our returns to our shareholders and our expenses would be higher. See “Advisory Agreement and Administration Agreement” for information concerning incentive fees.

 

24


RISK FACTORS

Investing in our Common Shares involves a number of significant risks. The following information is a discussion of the material risk factors associated with an investment in our Common Shares specifically, as well as those factors generally associated with an investment in a company with investment objectives, investment policies, capital structure or trading markets similar to ours. In addition to the other information contained in this prospectus, you should consider carefully the following information before making an investment in our Common Shares. The risks below are not the only risks we face but do represent the known material risks and uncertainties that we believe are most significant to our business, operating results, financial condition, prospects and forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or not presently deemed material by us may also impair our operations and performance. If any of the following events occur our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In such cases, the NAV of our Common Shares could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Relating to an Investment in the Fund

No Operating History. The Fund is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that will elect to be regulated as a BDC with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors have no track record or history on which to base their investment decision. There can be no assurance that the results achieved by similar strategies managed by FDS or its affiliates will be achieved for the Fund. Past performance should not be relied upon as an indication of future results. Moreover, the Fund is subject to all of the business risks and uncertainties associated with any new business, including the risk that it will not achieve its investment objective and that the value of an investor’s investment could decline substantially or that the investor will suffer a complete loss of its investment in the Fund.

The Adviser and the portfolio managers have no prior experience managing a BDC, and the investment philosophy and techniques used by the Adviser to manage a BDC may differ from the investment philosophy and techniques previously employed by the Adviser, its affiliates, and the portfolio managers in identifying and managing past investments. In addition, the 1940 Act and the Code impose numerous constraints on the operations of BDCs and RICs that do not apply to the other types of investment vehicles. For example, under the 1940 Act, BDCs are required to invest at least 70% of their total assets primarily in securities of qualifying U.S. private companies or thinly traded public companies, cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less from the time of investment. The Adviser’s and the portfolio managers’ limited experience in managing a portfolio of assets under such constraints may hinder their respective ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities and, as a result, achieve the Fund’s investment objective.

Risk of Failure to Achieve Investment Objective. The Adviser cannot provide assurances that it will be able to identify, choose, make or realize investments of the type targeted for the Fund. There is also no guarantee that the Adviser will be able to source attractive investments for the Fund within a reasonable period of time. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to generate returns for the investors or that returns will be commensurate with the risks of the investments. The Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective and investors may lose some or all of their invested capital. The failure by the Fund to obtain indebtedness on favorable terms or in the desired amount will adversely affect the returns realized by the Fund and impair the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

Competition with Other Entities, Including Commercial Banks, Commercial Financing Companies, BDCs, Insurance Companies and Other Private Funds. Other entities compete with the Fund to make the types of investments that the Fund plans to make. Certain of these competitors may be substantially larger, have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than the Fund will have and offer a wider array of financial services. There may be intense competition for investments of the type the Fund intends to make, and such competition may result in less favorable investment terms than might otherwise exist. The competitive pressures the Fund faces may have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Risk of Dependence on Key Personnel of the Adviser. The Fund will depend on the diligence, skill, experience and network of business contacts of the Adviser’s portfolio management team. There can be no assurances that certain members of the team will continue to provide investment services to the Adviser. The loss of key personnel would limit the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective and operate as anticipated. None of the Fund, the Adviser or its Affiliates maintains key person life insurance for any of its personnel.

 

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Illiquid Investments and Restrictions on Withdrawal. An investment in the Fund is suitable only for certain sophisticated investors that have no need for immediate liquidity in respect of their investment and who can accept the risks associated with investing in illiquid investments.

Our Common Shares are illiquid investments for which there is not and will likely not be a secondary market. Liquidity for our Common Shares will be limited to participation in our share repurchase program, which we have no obligation to maintain. When we make quarterly repurchase offers pursuant to the share repurchase program, we will offer to repurchase Common Shares at a price that is estimated by our internal valuation processes to be equal to our net asset value per share on the last day of such quarter, which may be lower than the price that you paid for our Common Shares. As a result, to the extent you paid a price that includes the related sales load or asset prices have declined and to the extent you have the ability to sell your Common Shares pursuant to our share repurchase program, the price at which you may sell Common Shares may be lower than the amount you paid in connection with the purchase of Common Shares in this offering.

Fund Investors have No Right to Control the Fund’s Operations. The Fund is managed exclusively by the Adviser. Fund investors will not make decisions with respect to the management, disposition or other realization of any investment, the day-to-day operations of the Fund, or any other decisions regarding the Fund’s business and affairs, except for limited circumstances. Specifically, Fund investors will not have an opportunity to evaluate for themselves the relevant economic, financial and other information regarding investments by the Fund or receive any financial information issued directly by the portfolio companies that is available to the Adviser. Fund investors should expect to rely solely on the ability of the Adviser with respect to the Fund’s operations.

The Fund’s Assets are Subject to Recourse. The assets of the Fund, including any investments made by and any capital held by the Fund are available to satisfy all liabilities and other obligations of the Fund, as applicable. If the Fund becomes subject to a liability, parties seeking to have the liability satisfied may have recourse to the Fund’s assets generally and may not be limited to any particular asset, such as the investment giving rise to the liability.

No Assurance the Fund Will be Able to Obtain Leverage. The Fund will seek to regularly employ a significant amount of direct or indirect leverage in a variety of forms through borrowings, derivatives and other financial instruments as part of its investment program. However, there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to obtain indebtedness at all or to the desired degree or that indebtedness will be accessible by the Fund at any time or in connection with any particular investment. If indebtedness is available to the Fund, there can be no assurance that such indebtedness will be available in the desired amount or on terms favorable to the Fund and/or terms comparable to terms obtained by competitors. The terms of any indebtedness are expected to vary based on the counterparty, timing, size, market interest rates, other fees and costs, duration, advance rates, eligible investments or collateral, ability to borrow in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and Fund investor creditworthiness and composition. Moreover, market conditions or other factors may cause or permit the amount of leverage employed by the Fund to fluctuate over the Fund’s life. Furthermore, the Fund may seek to obtain indebtedness on an investment-by-investment basis, and leverage may not be available or may be available on less desirable terms in connection with particular investments. The instruments and borrowing utilized by the Fund to leverage its investments may be collateralized by other assets of the Fund.

It is expected that the Fund will directly or indirectly incur indebtedness collateralized by the Fund’s assets. As a BDC, with certain limited exceptions, the Fund will only be permitted to borrow amounts such that the Fund’s asset coverage ratio, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 150% (equivalent to $2 of debt outstanding for each $1 of equity) after such borrowing. If the Fund is unable to obtain and maintain the desired amount of borrowings on favorable terms, the Adviser may seek to realize the Fund’s investments earlier than originally expected.

No Assurance of the Availability of Asset-Based Leverage. The Fund is expected to utilize asset-based leverage in acquiring investments on a deal-by-deal basis. However, there can be no assurance that the Fund will be able to obtain indebtedness with respect to any particular investment. If indebtedness is available in connection with a particular investment, there can be no assurance that such indebtedness will be on terms favorable to the Fund and/or terms comparable to terms obtained by competitors, including with respect to costs, duration, size, advance rates and interest rates. Moreover, market conditions or other factors may cause or permit the amount of leverage employed by the Fund to fluctuate over its life. For example, if leverage is obtained later in the Fund’s life, the Fund may immediately deploy such leverage in order to achieve the desired borrowing ratio, which may involve making distributions of borrowed funds. If the Fund is unable to, or not expected to be able to, obtain indebtedness in connection with a particular investment, the Fund may determine not to make the investment or may invest a different proportion of its available capital in such investment. This may affect the ability of the Fund to make investments, could adversely affect the returns of the Fund and may impair its ability to achieve its investment objective. In addition, the lender may impose certain diversification or other requirements in connection with asset-based leverage, and these restrictions are expected to impact the ability of the Fund to participate in certain investments or the amount of the Fund’s participation in certain investments.

 

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Leverage Risk. The Fund will seek to employ direct or indirect leverage in a variety of forms, including through borrowings, derivatives, and other financial instruments as part of its investment program, which leverage is expected to be secured by the Fund’s assets. The greater the total leverage of the Fund relative to its assets, the greater the risk of loss and possibility of gain due to changes in the values of its investments. The extent to which the Fund uses leverage may have other significant consequences to Fund investors, including, the following: (i) greater fluctuations in the net assets of the Fund; (ii) use of cash flow (including capital contributions) for debt service and related costs and expenses, rather than for additional investments, distributions, or other purposes; (iii) to the extent that the Fund’s cash proceeds are required to meet principal payments, the Fund investors may be allocated income (and therefore incur tax liability) in excess of cash available for distribution; (iv) in certain circumstances the Fund may be required to harvest investments prematurely or in unfavorable market conditions to service its debt obligations, and in such circumstances the recovery the Fund receives from such harvests may be significantly diminished as compared to the Fund’s expected return on such investments; (v) limitation on the Fund’s flexibility to make distributions to Fund investors or result in the sale of assets that are pledged to secure the indebtedness; (vi) increased interest expense if interest rate levels were to increase significantly; (vii) during the term of any borrowing, the Fund’s returns may be materially reduced by increased costs attributable to regulatory changes; and (viii) banks and dealers that provide financing to the Fund may apply discretionary margin, haircut, financing and collateral valuation policies. Changes by banks and dealers in any of the foregoing may result in large margin calls, loss of financing and forced liquidations of positions at disadvantageous prices. The cost associated with the use of leverage may not be recouped through investments or may significantly reduce the profitability of any investment. Certain types of loans require a fee payment irrespective if the credit facility is actually used and may require an annual fee to extend the facility. There can also be no assurance that the Fund will have sufficient cash flow or be able to liquidate sufficient assets to meet its debt service obligations. As a result, the Fund’s exposure to losses, including a potential loss of principal, as a result of which Fund investors could potentially lose all or a portion of their investments in the Fund, may be increased due to the use of leverage and the illiquidity of the investments generally. Similar risks and consequences apply with respect to indebtedness related to a particular asset or portfolio of assets.

To the extent that the Fund enters into multiple financing arrangements, such arrangements may contain cross-default provisions that could magnify the effect of a default. If a cross-default provision were exercised, this could result in a substantial loss for the Fund.

As a BDC, we generally will be required to meet a coverage ratio of total assets to total borrowings and other senior securities, which include all of our borrowings and any preferred shares that we may issue in the future, of at least 150%. As defined in the 1940 Act, asset coverage of 150% means that for every $100 of net assets we hold, we may raise $200 from borrowing and issuing senior securities. In addition, while any senior securities remain outstanding, we will be required to make provisions to prohibit any dividend distribution to our shareholders or the repurchase of such securities or shares unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the dividend distribution or repurchase. If this ratio were to fall below 150%, we could not incur additional debt and could be required to sell a portion of our investments to repay some debt when it is disadvantageous to do so. This could have a material adverse effect on our operations and investment activities. Moreover, our ability to make distributions to you may be significantly restricted or we may not be able to make any such distributions whatsoever. The amount of leverage that we will employ will be subject to oversight by our Board, a majority of whom are Independent Trustees with no material interests in such transactions.

Although borrowings by the Fund have the potential to enhance overall returns that exceed the Fund’s cost of funds, they will further diminish returns (or increase losses on capital) to the extent overall returns are less than the Fund’s cost of funds. In addition, borrowings by the Fund may be secured by the shareholders’ investments as well as by the Fund’s assets and the documentation relating to such borrowing may provide that during the continuance of a default under such borrowing, the interests of the investors may be subordinated to such borrowing.

Obtaining a Rating from a Credit Rating Agency. The Fund may apply to a credit rating agency to rate the Fund and/or its assets in order to provide the Fund access to different sources of indebtedness or capital as well as to help meet the Fund’s risk/return objectives, its overall target indebtedness ratio or other considerations as determined by the Adviser. In connection with such rating, the credit rating agency may review and analyze the Fund’s counterparties, FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser and Administrator), the investments and expected investments of the Fund, the legal structure of the Fund, the historical and current Fund investors and Fund performance data. There can be no assurance that the Fund will apply for such a rating, that a credit rating agency will provide a rating or that such a rating will be beneficial to the Fund. In addition, when making investment decisions for the Fund (including establishing the Fund’s investment portfolio), the Adviser may consider the implications of the investment portfolio on a credit rating agency’s rating of the Fund and tailor the Fund’s investment portfolio taking into account such considerations. There is a risk that a rating agency could incorrectly rate, or downgrade ratings which could have a material effect on the Fund, including its assets and its ability to acquire indebtedness.

 

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Provisions in Our Declaration of Trust Could Make It More Difficult for a Potential Acquirer to Acquire Us. Our Declaration of Trust contains provisions that could make it more difficult for a potential acquirer to acquire us by means of a tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise. Our Board may, without shareholder action, authorize the issuance of shares in one or more classes or series, including preferred shares; our Board may, without shareholder action, amend our Declaration of Trust to increase the number of our Common Shares, of any class or series, that we will have authority to issue; and our Declaration of Trust provides that, if any class of our shares is listed on a national securities exchange, our Board will be divided into three classes of Trustees serving staggered terms of three years each. These provisions may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock and could entrench management. In particular, a classified Board with three-year staggered terms could delay the ability of shareholders to change the membership of a majority of the Board.

Expedited Investment Decisions. Investment analyses and decisions by the Adviser may be required to be undertaken on an expedited basis to take advantage of investment opportunities. In such cases, the information available to the Adviser at the time of making an investment decision may be limited. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the Adviser will have knowledge of all circumstances that may adversely affect an investment. In addition, the Adviser may rely upon independent consultants and other sources in connection with its evaluation of proposed investments, and no assurance can be given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided by such independent consultants or other sources or to the Fund’s right of recourse against them in the event errors or omissions do occur.

Insurance Risk. FDS expects to purchase and maintain an omnibus insurance policy which includes coverage in respect of the Fund, the Adviser and their affiliates, as well as other clients, including certain of their respective indemnified persons (which omnibus insurance policy or policies may provide coverage to the Adviser and its affiliates, as applicable, for events unrelated to the Fund). The premiums for such shared insurance policies generally would be borne by FDS and the clients covered by such policies, and such shared insurance policies are expected to have an overall cap on coverage for all the insured parties thereunder. To the extent an insurable event results in claims in excess of such cap, the Fund may not receive as much in insurance proceeds as it would have received if separate insurance policies had been purchased for each insured party. Similarly, insurable events may occur sequentially in time while subject to a single overall cap. To the extent insurance proceeds for one such event are applied towards a cap and the Fund experiences an insurable loss after such event, the Fund’s receipts from such insurance policy may also be diminished. Insurance policies covering the Fund, the premiums of which are paid in whole or in part by the Fund, may provide insurance coverage to indemnified persons for conduct that would not be covered by indemnification. In addition, the Fund may need to initiate litigation in order to collect from an insurance provider, which may be lengthy and expensive for the Fund and which ultimately may not result in a financial award. In addition, the Adviser may cause the Fund to purchase and maintain insurance coverage that provides coverage to the Fund, certain Indemnified persons, or the Adviser, in which case, the premiums would be borne by the Fund.

While FDS expects to allocate insurance expenses in a manner it determines to be fair and equitable, taking into account any factors it deems relevant to the allocation of such expenses, because of the uncertainty of whether claims will arise in the future and the timing and the amount that may be involved in any such claim, the determination of how to allocate such expenses may require FDS to take into consideration facts and circumstances that are subjective in nature. It is unlikely that FDS will be able to accurately allocate the expenses of any such insurance policies based on the actual claims related to a particular client, including the Fund.

Indemnification Risk. The Fund is required to indemnify the Adviser, the members of the Board and each other person indemnified under the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the Fund (as amended or restated from time to time, the “Declaration of Trust”) and the Bylaws of the Fund (as amended or restated from time to time, the “Bylaws”) for liabilities incurred in connection with the Declaration of Trust, the Bylaws, the Advisory Agreement and the Fund’s activities, except in certain circumstances. Subject to the limits on indemnification under Section 17(h) of the 1940 Act, the Fund’s Declaration of Trust provides that the Fund shall not indemnify such persons to the extent liability and losses are the result of, negligence or misconduct in the case of an Interested Trustee, officer, employee, controlling person or agent of the Fund, or gross negligence or willful misconduct in the case of an Independent Trustee. Subject to the limits on indemnification under Section 17(i) of the 1940 Act, the Advisory Agreement provides that the Adviser shall not be protected against any liability to the Fund or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the Adviser’s part in the performance of its duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of its duties and obligations. The Fund will also indemnify certain service providers, including the Administrator and the Fund’s auditors, as well as consultants and sourcing, operating and joint venture partners. Such liabilities may be material and may have an adverse effect on the returns to the Fund

 

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investors. The indemnification obligation of the Fund would be payable from the assets of the Fund. The application of the indemnification and exculpation standards may result in Fund investors bearing a broader indemnification obligation in certain cases than they would in the absence of such standards. As a result of these considerations, even though such provisions will not act as a waiver on the part of any investor of any of its rights which are not permitted to be waived under applicable law, the Fund may bear significant financial losses even where such losses were caused by the negligence or other conduct of such indemnified persons.

Portfolio Valuation Risk. The Adviser, subject to the oversight of the Board, will determine the valuation of the Fund’s investments. It is expected that most of the Fund’s investments will not have readily available market quotations, which will require the Adviser to estimate, in accordance with the Adviser’s valuation policies, the fair value of such investments on the valuation date. Fair value pricing is based on subjective judgments, and it is possible that the fair value of a security may differ materially from the value that would be realized if the security were sold. Absent bad faith or manifest error, valuation determinations of the Adviser will be conclusive and binding on the Fund investors.

In addition, the Adviser may have an interest in determining higher valuations in order to be able to present better performance to prospective investors. In certain cases, the Fund may hold an investment in an issuer experiencing distress or going through bankruptcy. In such a situation, the Adviser may continue to place a favorable valuation on such investment due to the Adviser’s determination that the investment is sufficiently secured despite the distressed state or bankruptcy of the issuer. However, no assurances can be given that this assumption is justified or that such valuations will be accurate in the long term. In addition, an investment in a portfolio company may not be permanently written-off or permanently written down despite its distressed state or covenant breach until such portfolio company experiences a material corporate event (e.g., bankruptcy or partial sale) which establishes an objective basis for such revised valuation. In these circumstances, the Adviser has an interest in delaying any such write-offs or write-downs to maintain a higher management fee base and thus, management fees paid to the Adviser.

In addition, the Fund may rely on third-party valuation agents to verify the value of certain investments. An investment may not have a readily ascertainable market value and accordingly, could potentially make it difficult to determine a fair value of an investment and may yield an inaccurate valuation. Further, because of the Adviser’s knowledge of the investment, the valuation agent may defer to the Adviser’s valuation even where such valuation may not be accurate or the determination thereof involved a conflict of interest. Additionally, the Fund may also choose to discontinue the use of any third-party valuation agent at any time, which could create a conflict of interest and impair the third-party valuation agent’s independence. An inaccurate valuation of an investment could have a substantial impact on the Fund.

Due Diligence Risk. When conducting due diligence and making an assessment regarding a potential investment, the Adviser will be required to rely on resources available to it, including internal sources of information as well as information provided by existing and potential obligors, any equity sponsor(s), lenders and other independent sources. The due diligence process may at times rely on limited or incomplete information.

The Adviser will select investments for the Fund in part on the basis of publicly available information filed with various government regulators or information made directly available to the Adviser. Although the Adviser will evaluate all such information and data and seek independent corroboration when it considers it appropriate and reasonably available, the Adviser may not be in a position to confirm the completeness, genuineness or accuracy of such information and data. The Adviser is dependent upon the integrity of the management of the entities filing such information and of such companies and third parties providing such information, as well as the financial reporting process in general. The value of an investment made by the Fund may be affected by fraud, misrepresentation or omission on the part of a company or any related parties to such company, or by other parties to the investment (or any related collateral and security arrangements). Such fraud, misrepresentation or omission may adversely affect the value of the investment and/or the value of the collateral underlying the investment in question and may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to enforce its contractual rights relating to that investment or the relevant obligor’s ability to repay the principal or interest on the investment.

In addition, the Adviser may rely upon independent consultants or experts in connection with its evaluation of proposed investments. There can be no assurance that these consultants or experts will accurately evaluate such investments. Investment analyses and decisions by the Adviser may be undertaken on an expedited basis in order to make it possible for the Fund to take advantage of short-lived investment opportunities. In such cases, the available information at the time of an investment decision may be limited, inaccurate and/or incomplete. In addition, the financial information available to the Adviser may not be accurate or provided based upon accepted accounting methods. Accordingly, the Adviser cannot guarantee that the due diligence investigation it carries out with respect to any investment opportunity will reveal or highlight all relevant facts that may be necessary or helpful in evaluating such investment opportunity which may have a material adverse effect on the performance of the Fund.

 

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Non-Specified Investments and Discretion in Determining Use of Proceeds. The Adviser has not yet identified the potential investments that the Fund will acquire with the net proceeds of this offering, and the net proceeds of this offering will be used to finance or invest in companies that will not be meaningfully described to the shareholders prior to such investment. No assurance can be given as to when the Fund will fund any investments. Shareholders will not have an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of any prospective investment. As a result, shareholders will be dependent on the judgment of the Adviser in connection with the investment and management of the proceeds of this offering, including the selection of the investments. The Fund’s reliance on the Adviser is substantially increased in a “blind” investment offering such as this (i.e., specific investments have not been targeted), because the Fund will be totally reliant upon the Adviser to locate, evaluate and negotiate investments suitable for the Fund. The number of investments that the Fund makes, and diversification of its investments may be dependent on the amount of proceeds raised herein and will be reduced if less than the maximum amount of the offering is raised. There can be no guarantee that a sufficient number of investments will be available and that the Fund will therefore be able to invest all funds committed by the shareholders.

Compliance with Applicable Law. Although the Adviser will seek for it and the Fund to comply with all U.S. federal, state and local lending regulations and to obtain all required licenses, there is no assurance that the Adviser or the Fund will be able to obtain all required licenses or always be compliant or that there will not be allegations of non-compliance even if the Adviser and the Fund were or are fully compliant. Any violation of applicable law or failure to comply with regulatory requirements could result in, among other things, revocation of required licenses or registrations, loss of approval status, termination of contracts without compensation, damages, fines, penalties, litigation costs, investigation costs and even restrictions on the ability of the Fund’s ability to conduct business.

Litigation Risk. The Adviser will act in good faith and use reasonable judgment in managing the Fund. It is impossible for the Adviser to foresee what allegations may be brought by a regulatory agency or a third party, and the Adviser will seek to avoid litigation, if, in the Adviser’s judgment, the circumstances warrant an alternative resolution. If an allegation is brought or litigation is commenced against the Fund, the Fund will incur legal fees and costs to respond to the allegations and to defend any resulting litigation, this could have an adverse effect on the Fund’s financial performance.

Possession of Material Non-Public Information, Limiting the Adviser’s Discretion. From time to time, the Adviser (in its capacity as investment manager of investment vehicles, funds or accounts or in connection with investment activities on its own behalf) and its affiliates receive material non-public information with respect to issuers of publicly-traded securities or other securities in connection with, among other examples, acquisitions, refinancings, restructurings of such issuers that the Adviser reviews or participates in, oftentimes unrelated to its management of the Fund. In such circumstances, the Fund may be prohibited, by law, contract or by virtue of the Adviser’s policies and procedures, from (i) selling all or a portion of a position in such issuer, thereby potentially incurring trading losses as a result, (ii) establishing an initial position or taking any greater position in such issuer, and (iii) pursuing other investment opportunities related to such issuer. In order to prevent the portfolio managers of the Fund from receiving material, non-public information that may prevent them from being able to trade in investments in other accounts the portfolio managers manage, portfolio management personnel (including the portfolio managers, research analysts, and traders) may be subject to information barriers and prevented from accessing certain information regarding Fund investments to which investors are otherwise entitled, such as information about a borrower’s business prospects, financial situation and liquidity situation.

Systems and Operational Risks. The Fund depends on the Adviser to develop and implement appropriate systems for the Fund’s activities. The Fund also relies heavily and on a regular basis on financial, accounting and other data processing systems to evaluate investments, to monitor its portfolio and capital, and to generate risk management and other reports that are critical to oversight of the Fund’s activities. In addition, the Fund relies on information systems to store sensitive information about the Fund, the Adviser, their affiliates and the shareholders. Certain of the Fund’s and the Adviser’s activities will be dependent upon systems operated by third parties, including custodians, market counterparties and other service providers, and the Fund and the Adviser may not be in a position to adequately verify the risks or reliability of such third-party systems. These programs or systems may be subject to certain defects, failures or interruptions, including, but not limited to data or securities price data errors, mathematical or statistical errors, or computer system implementation errors or other errors, omissions, imperfections and malfunctions, including those caused by computer “worms,” viruses and power failures. Failures in the systems employed by the Adviser, administrators, custodians, counterparties, exchanges and similar clearance and settlement facilities and other parties could result in mistakes made in the confirmation or settlement of transactions, or in transactions not being properly booked, evaluated or accounted for. Disruptions in the Fund’s operations or breach of the Fund’s information systems may cause the Fund to suffer, among other things, financial loss, the disruption of its business, liability to third parties, regulatory penalties or reputational damage. Any of the foregoing failures or disruptions could have a material adverse effect on the Fund and the shareholders’ investment therein.

 

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Reliance on Data; Data Errors. The Adviser is highly reliant on the gathering, cleaning, culling and analysis of large amounts of data from third-party and other external sources. It is not possible or practicable, however, to factor all relevant, available data into economic forecasts or trading decisions. The Adviser will use its discretion to determine what data to gather with respect to any investment and what subset of that data the research models take into account to produce forecasts that may have an impact on ultimate investment decisions. In addition, it is inevitable that not all desired or relevant data will be available to, or processed by, the Adviser at all times. In these cases, the Adviser may continue to generate forecasts and make investment decisions based on the data available to it. In addition, the Adviser may determine that certain available data, while potentially useful in generating forecasts or making investment decisions, is not cost effective to gather due to either the technology costs or third-party vendor costs and, in these cases, the Adviser will not utilize the subject data. Investors should be aware that there is no guarantee that the data actually utilized in making investment decisions will be the most accurate data available or even free of errors. Investors should assume that the foregoing limitation and risks associated with gathering, cleaning, culling and analysis of large amounts of data from third party and other external sources are an inherent part of investing with an adviser such as the Adviser.

Risk Evaluation Models. The Adviser may develop proprietary risk evaluation models that seek to estimate risk based on numerous factors. These models may, for a variety of reasons, fail to accurately predict risk level, and correlations among, strategies and investments, including because of scarcity of historical data with respect to certain strategies and investments, erroneous underlying assumptions, and estimates for certain data, or other defects in inputs and the models, or because future events may not necessarily follow historical norms. In and of themselves, these risk evaluation models do not manage or reduce risk and, at most, provide certain assistance to the Adviser when determining a course of action.

Public Disclosure Obligations. The Fund, the Adviser or their respective affiliates, service providers, or agents may from time to time be required or may, in their discretion, determine that it is advisable to disclose certain information about the Fund and the Fund investors, including investments held directly or indirectly by the Fund and the names and level of beneficial ownership of certain of the Fund investors, to (i) regulatory or taxing authorities of certain jurisdictions, which have or assert jurisdiction over the disclosing party or in which the Fund directly or indirectly invests, or (ii) any lenders, counterparty of, or service provider to, the Adviser or the Fund (and its subsidiaries). Disclosure of confidential information under such circumstances will not be regarded as a breach of any duty of confidentiality and, in certain circumstances, the Fund, the Adviser or any of their affiliates, Service Providers or agents, may be prohibited from disclosing to any Fund investor that any such disclosure has been made.

Cybersecurity Risk. With the increased use of technologies such as the Internet and cloud computing to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cyber-attacks include, but are not limited to, gaining unauthorized access to digital systems (e.g., through “hacking” or malicious software coding) for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cyber-attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Cyber incidents affecting the Fund’s or the Adviser’s service providers have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, interference with the Fund’s ability to value its investments, impediments to trading, the inability of shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs. Similar adverse consequences could result from cyber incidents affecting counterparties with which the Fund engages in transactions, governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and service providers) and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent any cyber incidents in the future. While the Fund’s service providers have established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent, such cyber incidents, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by its service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect the Fund or its shareholders. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

Technology Systems Risk. The Fund depends on the Adviser to develop and implement appropriate systems for its activities. The Fund may rely on computer programs to evaluate certain securities and other investments, to monitor their portfolios, to trade, clear and settle securities transactions and to generate asset, risk management and other reports that are utilized in the oversight of the Fund’s activities. In addition, certain of the Fund’s and the Adviser’s operations interface with or depend on systems operated by third parties, including loan servicers, custodians and administrators, and the Adviser may not always be in a position to verify the risks or reliability of such third-party systems. For example, the Fund and the Adviser generally expect to provide statements, reports, notices, updates, requests and any other communications in electronic form, such as e-mail or posting on a web-based reporting site or other internet

 

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service, in lieu of or in addition to sending such communications as hard copies via fax or mail. These programs or systems may be subject to certain defects, failures or interruptions, including, but not limited to, those caused by ‘hacking’ or other security breaches, computer ‘worms,’ viruses and power failures. Such failures could cause settlement of trades to fail, lead to inaccurate accounting, recording or processing of trades and cause inaccurate reports, which may affect the Fund’s ability to monitor its investment portfolio and its risks. Any such defect or failure could cause the Fund to suffer financial loss, disruption of its business, liability to clients or third parties, regulatory intervention or reputational damage.

No Registration as an Investment Company. While the Fund is not registered as an investment company under the 1940 Act, it will be subject to regulation as a BDC under the 1940 Act and will be required to adhere to the provisions of the 1940 Act applicable to BDCs. The Common Shares have not been recommended by any U.S. federal or state, or any non-U.S., securities commission or regulatory authority. Furthermore, the foregoing authorities have not confirmed the accuracy or determined the adequacy of this registration statement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Rights Against Third Parties, Including Third-Party Service Providers. The Fund is reliant on the performance of third-party service providers, including FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser and Administrator), auditors, legal advisers, lenders, bankers, brokers, consultants, sourcing, operating and joint venture partners and other service providers (collectively, “Service Providers”). Further information regarding the duties and roles of certain of these Service Providers is provided in this registration statement. The Fund may bear the risk of any errors or omissions by such Service Providers. In addition, misconduct by such Service Providers may result in reputational damage, litigation, business disruption and/or financial losses to the Fund. Each Fund investor’s contractual relationship in respect of its investment in Common Shares of the Fund is with the Fund only and Fund investors are not in contractual privity with the Service Providers. Therefore, generally, no Fund investor will have any contractual claim against any Service Provider with respect to such Service Provider’s default or breach. Accordingly, Fund investors must generally rely upon the Adviser to enforce the Fund’s rights against Service Providers. In certain circumstances, which are generally not expected to prevail, Fund investors may have limited rights to enforce the Fund’s rights on a derivative basis or may have rights against Service Providers if they can establish that such Service Providers owe duties to the Fund investors. In addition, Fund investors will have no right to participate in the day-to-day operation of the Fund and decisions regarding the selection of Service Providers. Rather, the Adviser will select the Fund’s Service Providers and determine the retention and compensation of such providers without the review by or consent of the Fund investors. The Fund investors must therefore rely on the ability of the Adviser to select and compensate Service Providers and to make investments and manage and dispose of investments.

Lack of Diversification Risk. The Fund is classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, which means that the Fund is not limited by the 1940 Act with respect to the proportion of its assets that it may invest in securities of a single issuer. To the extent that the Fund assumes large positions in the securities of a small number of issuers, its net asset value may fluctuate to a greater extent than that of a diversified investment company as a result of changes in the financial condition or the market’s assessment of the issuer. The Fund may also be more susceptible to any single economic or regulatory occurrence than a diversified investment company. Beyond the Fund’s asset diversification requirements as a RIC under the Code, the Fund does not have fixed guidelines for diversification, and its investments could be concentrated in relatively few portfolio companies. Although the Fund is classified as a non-diversified investment company within the meaning of the 1940 Act, it maintains the flexibility to operate as a diversified investment company. To the extent that the Fund operates as a non-diversified investment company, it may be subject to greater risk.

During the period of time in which the Fund is deploying its initial capital, the Fund may make a limited number of investments. In addition, the Fund does not have fixed guidelines for diversification by industry or type of security, and investments may be concentrated in only a few industries or types of securities. Further, if the expected amount of leverage is not obtained or deployed, the Fund may be more concentrated in an investment than originally anticipated. As a result, the Fund’s investments may be concentrated and the poor performance of a single investment may have pronounced negative consequences to the Fund and the aggregate returns realized by the Fund investors.

Consultation with Sourcing and Operating Partners Risk. In certain circumstances, sourcing and operating partners may be aware of and consulted in advance in relation to certain investments made by the Fund. While sourcing and operating partners will be subject to confidentiality obligations, they are not restricted from engaging in any activities or businesses that may be similar to the business of the Fund or competitive with the Fund. In particular, sourcing and operating partners may use information available to them as sourcing and operating partners of the Adviser in a manner that conflicts with the interests of the Fund. Except in limited circumstances, the sourcing and operating partners are generally not obligated to account to the Adviser for any profits or income earned or derived from their activities or businesses or inform the Adviser of any business opportunity that may be appropriate for the Fund.

 

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Timing of Realization of Investments. The Adviser, in its discretion, may seek to realize the Fund’s investments earlier than originally expected, which may be accomplished through one or more transactions, including transactions with another investment fund or account sponsored or managed by FDS or its affiliates, which will be for a price equal to the fair value of such investment. The value of a security in a transaction between the Fund and an account sponsored or managed by FDS or its affiliates, subject to approval by the Board, will be determined by the Adviser and verified by one or more third-party valuation agents. The Adviser may seek such realizations in order to support the Fund’s target risk/return profile with respect to the Fund’s unrealized investments, taking into account factors such as, but not limited to, the Fund’s expense ratio relative to such assets and the availability of, or repayment obligations with respect to, any credit facilities.

Risks Relating to the Use of Proceeds. While the Fund generally intends to make all distributions of net proceeds in accordance with “Use of Proceeds,” the amount and timing of distributions from the Fund to the Fund investors will be at the discretion of the Board, who may also direct that amounts available for distribution be retained in the Fund (i) to be used to satisfy, or establish reserves for, the Fund’s current or anticipated obligations (including management fees, incentive fees and any other expenses) or (ii) for reinvestment of the cost basis of an investment. Accordingly, there can be no assurance as to the timing and amount of distributions from the Fund.

Risk of Electronic Delivery of Certain Documents. Shareholders will be deemed to consent to electronic delivery or posting to the Administrator’s website or other service of: (i) certain closing documents such as the Declaration of Trust, the Bylaws and the Subscription Agreements; (ii) any notices or communications required or contemplated to be delivered to the Fund investors by the Fund, the Adviser, or any of their respective affiliates, pursuant to applicable law or regulation; (iii) certain tax-related information and documents; and (iv) notices, requests, demands, consents or other communications and any financial statements, reports, schedules, certificates or opinions required to be provided to the Fund investors under any agreements. There are certain costs and possible risks associated with electronic delivery. Moreover, the Adviser cannot provide any assurance that these communication methods are secure and will not be responsible for any computer viruses, problems or malfunctions resulting from the use of such communication methods. See “Technology Systems and Cybersecurity” above.

Risks Relating to Handling of Mail. Mail addressed to the Fund and received at its registered office will be forwarded unopened to the forwarding address supplied by the Fund to be processed. None of the Fund, the Adviser or any of their trustees, officers, advisers or Service Providers will bear any responsibility for any delay howsoever caused in mail reaching the forwarding address.

General Credit Risks. The Fund may be exposed to losses resulting from default and foreclosure of any such loans or interests in loans in which it has invested. Therefore, the value of underlying collateral, the creditworthiness of borrowers and the priority of liens are each of great importance in determining the value of the Fund’s investments. In the event of foreclosure, the Fund or an affiliate thereof may assume direct ownership of any assets collateralizing such foreclosed loans. The liquidation proceeds upon the sale of such assets may not satisfy the entire outstanding balance of principal and interest on such foreclosed loans, resulting in a loss to the Fund. Any costs or delays involved in the effectuation of loan foreclosures or liquidation of the assets collateralizing such foreclosed loans will further reduce proceeds associated therewith and, consequently, increase possible losses to the Fund. In addition, no assurances can be made that borrowers or third parties will not assert claims in connection with foreclosure proceedings or otherwise, or that such claims will not interfere with the enforcement of the Fund’s rights.

Volatility of Investment Prices. The prices of the Fund’s investments can be volatile. In addition, price movements may also be influenced by, among other things, changing supply and demand relationships, trade, fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs and national and international political and economic events and policies. In addition, governments from time to time intervene in certain markets. Such intervention often is intended directly to influence prices and may cause or contribute to rapid fluctuations in asset prices, which may adversely affect the Fund’s returns.

Syndication and/or Transfer of Investments Risk. The Fund, directly or through the use of one or more subsidiary investment vehicles, may originate and/or purchase certain debt assets, including ancillary equity assets (“Assets”). The Fund may also purchase certain Assets (including, participation interests or other indirect economic interests) that have been originated by other affiliated or unaffiliated parties and/or trading on the secondary market. The Fund may, in certain circumstances, originate or purchase such Assets with the intent of syndicating and/or otherwise transferring a significant portion thereof, including to one or more offshore funds or accounts managed by the Adviser or any of its affiliates or to other third party investment firms. In such instances, the Fund will bear the risk of any decline in value prior to such syndication and/or other transfer. In addition, the Fund will also bear the risk of any inability to syndicate or otherwise transfer such Assets or such amount thereof as originally intended, which could result in the Fund owning a greater interest therein than anticipated.

 

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Raising Additional Capital. The Fund may need additional capital to fund new investments and grow its portfolio of investments once it has fully invested the net proceeds of this offering. Unfavorable economic conditions could increase the Fund’s funding costs or limit its access to the capital. A reduction in the availability of new capital could limit the Fund’s ability to grow. In addition, the Fund is required to distribute at least 90% of its net ordinary income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, if any, to investors to maintain its qualification as a RIC. As a result, these earnings will not be available to fund new investments. An inability on the Fund’s part to access the capital successfully could limit its ability to grow its business and execute its business strategy fully and could decrease its earnings, if any, which would have an adverse effect on the value of its securities.

Counterparty Risks. To the extent that contracts for investment will be entered into between the Fund and a market counterparty as principal (and not as agent), the Fund is exposed to the risk that the market counterparty may, in an insolvency or similar event, be unable to meet its contractual obligations to the Fund. The Fund may have a limited number of potential counterparties for certain of its investments, which may significantly impair the Fund’s ability to reduce its exposure to counterparty risk. In addition, difficulty reaching an agreement with any single counterparty could limit or eliminate the Fund’s ability to execute such investments altogether. Because certain purchases, sales, hedging, financing arrangements and other instruments in which the Fund will engage are not traded on an exchange but are instead traded between counterparties based on contractual relationships, the Fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty will not perform its obligations under the related contracts. Although the Fund intends to pursue its remedies under any such contracts, there can be no assurance that a counterparty will not default and that the Fund will not sustain a loss on a transaction as a result.

Return of Distributions to Satisfy Unpaid Debts of the Fund. Under Delaware law, the investors could, under certain circumstances, be required to return distributions made by the Fund to satisfy unpaid debts of the Fund that were in existence at the time the distributions were made.

Changes in the Funds Investment Objective, Operating Policies or Strategies Without Prior Notice or Investor Approval. The Fund’s Board has the authority to modify or waive certain of the Fund’s operating policies and strategies without prior notice (except as required by the 1940 Act) and without investor approval. However, absent investor approval, the Fund may not change the nature of its business so as to cease to be, or withdraw its election as, a BDC. Under Delaware law, the Fund also cannot be dissolved without prior investor approval. The Fund cannot predict the effect any changes to its current operating policies and strategies would have on its business, operating results and value of its stock. Nevertheless, the effects may adversely affect the Fund’s business and impact its ability to make distributions.

Changes to the Fund’s Declaration of Trust Without Prior Investor Approval. Our Board may, without shareholder vote, subject to certain exceptions, amend or otherwise supplement the Declaration of Trust by making an amendment, a Declaration of Trust supplemental thereto or an amended and restated Declaration of Trust, including without limitation to classify the Board, to impose advance notice bylaw provisions for Trustee nominations or for shareholder proposals, to require super- majority approval of transactions with significant shareholders or other provisions that may be characterized as anti-takeover in nature.

Allocation of Investment Opportunities and Related Conflicts. The Fund generally is prohibited under the 1940 Act from participating in certain transactions with its affiliates without prior approval of the Independent Trustees and, in some cases, the SEC. Any person that owns, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities is an affiliate of the Fund for purposes of the 1940 Act, and the Fund generally is prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to such affiliate, absent the prior approval of the Independent Trustees. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain “joint” transactions with certain of the Fund’s affiliates, which could include investments in the same issuers (whether at the same or different times), without prior approval of the Independent Trustees and, in some cases, the SEC. If a person acquires more than 25% of the Fund’s voting securities, the Fund will be prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to such person or certain of that person’s affiliates, or entering into prohibited joint transactions with such persons, absent the prior approval of the SEC. Similar restrictions limit the Fund’s ability to transact business with the Fund’s officers or Trustees or their affiliates. These prohibitions will affect the manner in which investment opportunities are allocated between the Fund and other funds managed by the Adviser or its affiliates. Most importantly, the Fund generally is prohibited from co-investing with certain other accounts or affiliates of the Adviser in Fidelity-originated loans and financings unless the Fund co-invests in accordance with the applicable regulatory guidance or has obtained an exemptive order from the SEC permitting such co-investment activities. Accordingly, while the Adviser intends to allocate suitable opportunities among the Fund and other accounts or affiliates of the Adviser based on the principles described above, the prohibition on co-investing with affiliates could significantly limit the scope of investment opportunities available to the Fund. In particular, the decision by the Adviser to allocate an opportunity to one or more other accounts or to an affiliate of the Adviser, or the existence of a prior co-investment structure, might cause the Fund to forgo an investment opportunity that it otherwise would have made. Similarly, the Fund generally may be limited in its ability to invest in an issuer in which another account or affiliate of the Adviser had previously invested. The Fund may in certain circumstances also be required to sell, transfer or otherwise reorganize assets in which the Fund has invested with other accounts or affiliates of the Adviser at times that the Fund may not consider advantageous.

 

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The Fund has applied for an exemptive order from the SEC in order to permit the Fund to co-invest with certain other accounts and other affiliates of the Adviser, but there can be no assurances that such exemptive order will be granted. Accordingly, there can be no assurances that the Fund will be able to co-invest alongside certain other accounts or affiliates of the Adviser, other than in the limited circumstances currently permitted by regulatory guidance. In the event that the Fund is able to obtain an exemptive order from the SEC, the Fund would only be permitted to co-invest alongside certain other accounts or other affiliates of the Adviser in accordance with the terms and conditions of the exemptive order.

Distributions Risk. The Fund intends to pay monthly distributions to shareholders out of assets legally available for distribution. The Fund cannot guarantee that it will achieve investment results that will allow it to make a specified level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. If the Fund is unable to satisfy the asset coverage test applicable to it as a BDC, or if the Fund violates certain debt financing agreements, its ability to pay distributions to shareholders could be limited. All distributions will be paid at the discretion of the Fund’s Board and will depend on the Fund’s earnings, financial condition, maintenance of RIC status, compliance with applicable BDC regulations, compliance with debt financing agreements and such other factors as the Board may deem relevant from time to time. The distributions the Fund pays to investors in a year may exceed the Fund’s taxable income for that year and, accordingly, a portion of such distributions may constitute a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Investors who periodically receive the payment of a distribution from a RIC consisting of a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes may be under the impression that they are receiving a distribution of RIC’s net ordinary income or capital gains when they are not. Accordingly, investors should read carefully any written disclosure accompanying a distribution from the Fund and the information about the specific tax characteristics of the Fund’s distributions provided to investors after the end of each calendar year, and should not assume that the source of any distribution is the Fund’s net ordinary income or capital gains.

Repurchase Program Risk. Our Board may not adopt a share repurchase program, and if such a program is adopted, may amend, suspend or terminate the share repurchase program at any time in its discretion. You may not be able to sell your shares at all in the event our Board amends, suspends or terminates the share repurchase program, absent a liquidity event, and we currently do not intend to undertake a liquidity event, and we are not obligated by our charter or otherwise to effect a liquidity event at any time. We will notify you of such developments in our quarterly reports or other filings. If less than the full amount of Common Shares requested to be repurchased in any given repurchase offer are repurchased, funds will be allocated pro rata based on the total number of Common Shares being repurchased without regard to class. The share repurchase program has many limitations and should not be relied upon as a method to sell shares promptly or at a desired price.

Timing of Repurchase May be Disadvantageous. In the event a shareholder chooses to participate in our share repurchase program, the shareholder will be required to provide us with notice of intent to participate prior to knowing what the NAV per share of the class of shares being repurchased will be on the repurchase date. Although a shareholder will have the ability to withdraw a repurchase request prior to the repurchase date, to the extent a shareholder seeks to sell shares to us as part of our periodic share repurchase program, the shareholder will be required to do so without knowledge of what the repurchase price of our shares will be on the repurchase date.

Pandemics and Natural Disasters Risk. Widespread disease, including the recent outbreak of COVID-19 as well as other pandemics and epidemics, and natural or environmental disasters, such as earthquakes, droughts, fires, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis and climate-related phenomena generally, have been and can be highly disruptive to economies and markets, adversely impacting individual companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of the Fund’s investments. Economies and financial markets throughout the world have become increasingly interconnected, which increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or country will adversely affect markets or issuers in other regions or countries, including the United States. Additionally, market disruptions may result in increased market volatility; regulatory trading halts; closure of domestic or foreign exchanges, markets, or governments; or market participants operating pursuant to business continuity plans for indeterminate periods of time. Further, market disruptions can (i) prevent the Fund from executing advantageous investment decisions in a timely manner, (ii) negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective, as well as the operations of the Fund and the Adviser, and (iii) may exacerbate the risks discussed elsewhere in this prospectus, including political, social, and economic risks.

 

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Risks Relating to the Fund’s Investments

Our investments may be risky and, subject to compliance with our 80% test and the 70% test for Qualifying Assets under the requirements for BDCs, there is no limit on the amount of any such investments in which we may invest.

Risks Associated with Portfolio Companies.

 

 

General Risks. A fundamental risk associated with the Fund’s investment strategy is that the companies in whose debt the Fund invests will be unable to make regular payments (e.g., principal and interest payments) when due, or at all, or otherwise fail to perform. Portfolio companies could deteriorate as a result of, among other factors, an adverse development in their business, poor performance by their management teams, a change in the competitive environment, an economic downturn or legal, tax or regulatory changes. Portfolio companies that the Adviser expects to remain stable may in fact operate at a loss or have significant variations in operating results, may require substantial additional capital to support their operations or to maintain their competitive position, or may otherwise have a weak financial condition or be experiencing financial distress.

 

 

Highly Leveraged Portfolio Companies. Portfolio companies may be highly leveraged, and there is no restriction on the amount of debt a portfolio company can incur. Substantial indebtedness may add additional risk with respect to a portfolio company, and could (i) limit its ability to borrow money for its working capital, capital expenditures, debt service requirements, strategic initiatives or other purposes; (ii) require it to dedicate a substantial portion of its cash flow from operations to the repayment of its indebtedness, thereby reducing funds available to it for other purposes; (iii) make it more highly leveraged than some of its competitors, which may place it at a competitive disadvantage; and/or (iv) subject it to restrictive financial and operating covenants, which may preclude it from favorable business activities or the financing of future operations or other capital needs. In some cases, proceeds of debt incurred by a portfolio company could be paid as a dividend to stockholders rather than retained by the portfolio company for its working capital. Leveraged companies are often more sensitive to declines in revenues, increases in expenses, and adverse business, political, or financial developments or economic factors such as a significant rise in interest rates, a severe downturn in the economy or deterioration in the condition of such companies or their industries. A leveraged company’s income and net assets will tend to increase or decrease at a greater rate than if borrowed money were not used.

If a portfolio company is unable to generate sufficient cash flow to meet principal and interest payments to its lenders, it may be forced to take other actions to satisfy such obligations under its indebtedness. These alternative measures may include reducing or delaying capital expenditures, selling assets, seeking additional capital, or restructuring or refinancing indebtedness. Any of these actions could significantly reduce the value of the Fund’s investment(s) in such portfolio company. If such strategies are not successful and do not permit the portfolio company to meet its scheduled debt service obligations, the portfolio company may also be forced into liquidation, dissolution or insolvency, and the value of the Fund’s investment in such portfolio company could be significantly reduced or even eliminated.

 

 

Issuer/Borrower Fraud. Of paramount concern in originating loans is the possibility of material misrepresentation or omission on the part of borrowers or guarantors. Such inaccuracy or incompleteness may adversely affect the valuation of the collateral underlying the loans or may adversely affect the ability of the Fund or its affiliates to perfect or effectuate a lien on the collateral securing the loan. The Fund or its affiliates will rely upon the accuracy and completeness of representations made by borrowers to the extent reasonable but cannot guarantee such accuracy or completeness.

 

 

Reliance on Company Management. The Adviser generally will seek to monitor the performance of investments in operating companies either through interaction with the board of the applicable company and/or by maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the company’s management team. However, the Fund generally will not be in a position to control any borrower by virtue of investing in its debt and the portfolio company’s management will be primarily responsible for the operations of the company on a day-to-day basis. Although it is the intent of the Fund to invest in companies with strong management teams, there can be no assurance that the existing management team, or any new one, will be able to operate the company successfully. In addition, the Fund is subject to the risk that a borrower in which it invests may make business decisions with which the Fund disagrees and the management of such borrower, as representatives of the common equity holders, may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve the interests of the debt investors, including the Fund. Furthermore, in exercising its investment discretion, the Adviser may in certain circumstances commit funds of the Fund to other entities that will be given a mandate to make certain investments consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and that may earn a performance-based fee on those investments. Once such a commitment is made, such entities will have full control over the investment of such funds, and the Adviser will cease to have such control.

 

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Environmental Matters. Ordinary operation or the occurrence of an accident with respect to the portfolio companies in which the Fund invest could cause major environmental damage, which may result in significant financial distress to the Fund’s investments and any portfolio company holding such assets, even if covered by insurance. Certain environmental laws and regulations may require that an owner or operator of an asset address prior environmental contamination, which could involve substantial cost and other liabilities. The Fund (and the Fund investors) may therefore be exposed to substantial risk of loss from environmental claims arising in respect of its investments. Furthermore, changes in environmental laws or regulations or the environmental condition of an investment may create liabilities that did not exist at the time of its acquisition and that could not have been foreseen. Even in cases where the Fund are indemnified by the seller with respect to an investment against liabilities arising out of violations of environmental laws and regulations, there can be no assurance as to the financial viability of the seller to satisfy such indemnities or the ability of the Fund to achieve enforcement of such indemnities. See also “ – Risk Arising from Provision of Managerial Assistance; Control Person Liability” below.

 

 

No Readily Determinable Valuation. The Fund expects that many of its portfolio investments will take the form of securities that are not publicly traded. The fair value of loans, securities and other investments that are not publicly traded may not be readily determinable and will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser, including to reflect significant events affecting the value of the Fund’s investments. Most, if not all, of the Fund’s investments (other than cash and cash equivalents) will be classified as Level 3 assets under Topic 820 of the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standards Codification, as amended, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures. This means that the Fund’s portfolio valuations will be based on unobservable inputs and the Fund’s assumptions about how market participants would price the asset or liability in question. The Fund expects that inputs into the determination of fair value of portfolio investments will require significant management judgment or estimation. The Fund expects to retain the services of one or more independent service providers to review the valuation of the Fund’s investments in loans. The types of factors that may be taken into account in determining the fair value of investments generally include, as appropriate, comparison to publicly-traded securities including such factors as yield, maturity and measures of credit quality, the enterprise value of a portfolio company, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s ability to make payments and its earnings and discounted cash flow, the markets in which the portfolio company does business and other relevant factors. Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private securities and private companies, are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on estimates, determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these loans and securities existed. The Fund’s net asset value could be adversely affected if determinations regarding the fair value of the Fund’s investments were materially higher than the values that the Fund ultimately realizes upon the disposal of such loans and securities. In addition, the method of calculating the management fee and incentive fee may result in conflicts of interest between the Adviser, on the one hand, and investors on the other hand, with respect to the valuation of investments.

 

 

Follow-On Investments in Portfolio Companies. Following an initial investment in a portfolio company, the Fund may make additional investments in that portfolio company as “follow-on” investments, in order to:

 

   

increase or maintain in whole or in part the Fund’s equity ownership percentage;

 

   

exercise warrants, options or convertible securities that were acquired in the original or subsequent financing;

 

   

attempt to preserve or enhance the value of the Fund’s investment; or

 

   

invest in various growth or merger and acquisition related initiatives.

The Fund may elect not to make follow-on investments or otherwise lack sufficient funds to make those investments.

The Fund has the discretion to make any follow-on investments, subject to the availability of capital resources. The failure to make follow-on investments may, in some circumstances, jeopardize the continued viability of a portfolio company and the Fund’s initial investment, or may result in a missed opportunity for the Fund to increase its participation in a successful operation. Even if the Fund has sufficient capital to make a desired follow-on investment, it may elect not to make a follow-on investment because it may not want to increase its concentration of risk, because it prefers other opportunities or because it is inhibited by compliance with BDC requirements, or compliance with the requirements for maintenance of its RIC status.

 

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Equity Interests in Portfolio Companies. The Fund does not generally intend to take controlling equity positions in the Fund’s portfolio companies. To the extent that the Fund does not hold a controlling equity interest in a portfolio company, it will be subject to the risk that such portfolio company may make business decisions with which the Fund disagrees, and the stockholders and management of such portfolio company may take risks or otherwise act in ways that are adverse to the Fund’s interests. Due to the lack of liquidity for the debt and equity investments that the Fund typically holds in portfolio companies, the Fund may not be able to dispose of its investments in the event it disagrees with the actions of a portfolio company and may therefore suffer a decrease in the value of its investments.

 

 

Defaults by Portfolio Companies. A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by the Fund or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, acceleration of the time when the loans are due and foreclosure on the portfolio company’s assets representing collateral for its obligations. This could trigger cross defaults under other agreements and jeopardize the portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt that the Fund holds and the value of any equity securities the Fund owns. The Fund may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting portfolio company.

 

 

Third Party Litigation. The Fund’s investment activities subject it to the normal risks of becoming involved in litigation initiated by third parties. This risk is somewhat greater where the Fund exercises control or influence over a company’s direction. The expense of defending against claims by third parties and paying any amounts pursuant to settlements or judgments would, absent willful misconduct or gross negligence by the Adviser, be borne by the Fund (to the extent not borne by the portfolio companies) and would reduce net assets or could require Fund investors to return to the Fund distributed capital and earnings. The Adviser and others are indemnified in connection with such litigation, subject to certain conditions.

Nature of Investments Risk. The Adviser will have broad discretion in making investments for the Fund. There can be no assurance that the Adviser will correctly evaluate the nature or magnitude of the various factors that could affect the value of and return on the Fund’s investments. Prices of investments may be volatile, and a variety of factors that are inherently difficult to predict, such as domestic or international economic and political developments, may significantly affect the results of the Fund’s activities and the value of its investments. These factors and others may significantly affect the results of the Fund’s activities and the value of its investments.

An investment in the Fund is suitable only for those investors willing to risk losing some or all of their principal investment and who have the experience and ability to evaluate the risks and merits of an investment in the Fund. Potential investors should consult with their investment advisers, attorneys and accountants prior to investing in the Fund. The following is a description of certain factors which, along with the information discussed in this prospectus and such other matters as may be material to an investment in the Fund, should be considered by prospective investors in the Fund.

Provision of Managerial Assistance and Control Person Liability. The Fund may obtain rights to participate in the governance of certain of the Fund’s portfolio companies. In such instances, the Fund typically will designate board members to serve on the boards of portfolio companies. The designation of representatives and other measures contemplated could expose the assets of the Fund to claims by a portfolio company, its security holders and its creditors, including claims that the Fund is a controlling person and thus is liable for securities laws violations and other liabilities of a portfolio company. The exercise of control over a company may impose additional risks of liability for environmental damage, product defects, failure to supervise management, violation of governmental regulations (including securities laws) or other types of liability in which the limited liability generally characteristic of business ownership may be ignored. If these liabilities were to arise, the Fund might suffer a significant loss. These measures also could result in certain liabilities in the event of the bankruptcy or reorganization of a portfolio company, could result in claims against the Fund if the designated board members violate their fiduciary or other duties to a portfolio company or fail to exercise appropriate levels of care under applicable corporate or securities laws, environmental laws or other legal principles, and could expose the Fund to claims that it has interfered in management to the detriment of a portfolio company. While the Adviser intends to operate the Fund in a way that will minimize the exposure to these risks, the possibility of successful claims cannot be precluded, nor can there be any assurance as to whether laws, rules, regulations and court decisions will be expanded or otherwise applied in a manner that is adverse to portfolio companies and the Fund and the Fund investors.

 

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Adverse Developments in the Debt Capital Markets. Recent market and economic conditions have been unprecedented and challenging. Continued concerns about the systemic impact of inflation, energy costs, the pandemic, geopolitical issues, the availability and cost of credit, sovereign debt levels, the mortgage market and a declining real estate market in the U.S. have contributed to increased market volatility and diminished expectations for the U.S. economy. These conditions, combined with volatile oil prices, declining business and consumer confidence and increased unemployment have contributed to volatility of unprecedented levels. The factors described above have led to an overall reduction in liquidity in the debt capital markets, including sources of liquidity that the Fund may wish to utilize. Such conditions could reduce the availability of leverage to the Fund, its investments, and potential purchasers of the Fund’s investments or make such leverage more expensive to obtain, thereby adversely affecting the performance of the Fund.

Market Risk. The success of the Fund’s activities will be affected by general economic and market conditions, such as interest rates, inflation rates, industry conditions, competition, technological developments, tax laws, availability of credit, economic uncertainty, changes in laws (including laws relating to taxation of the Fund’s investments), trade barriers, currency exchange controls, and national and international political circumstances (including wars, terrorist acts or security operations). These factors may affect, among other things, the level and volatility of securities’ prices, the liquidity of the Fund’s investments and the availability of certain securities and investments. Volatility or illiquidity could impair the Fund’s profitability or result in losses. The Fund may maintain substantial trading positions that can be materially adversely affected by the level of volatility in the financial markets—the larger the positions, the greater the potential for loss. Global markets have recently experienced unprecedented volatility and losses. The effects thereof are continuing and there can be no assurance that the Fund will not be materially adversely affected. Furthermore, none of these conditions is within the control of the Adviser.

Temporary Investments; Use of Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk. Pending investment in other types of Qualifying Assets (including directly originated loans and broadly syndicated loans, as described herein), the Fund’s investments can consist of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment, which are referred to herein, collectively, as temporary investments, so that 70% of the Fund’s assets would be Qualifying Assets. Generally, these securities offer less potential for gains than other types of securities.

Warehouse Investments Risk. The Fund may not be able to consummate or realize the anticipated benefits from the Warehouse Investments (as defined herein). Under the Warehouse Investments, the Fund has agreed to purchase assets from the Financing Provider (as defined herein) at prices based on cost plus adjustments or fees designed to compensate the Financing Providers for holding the assets before the Fund purchases them from the Financing Provider. As a result, the Fund will pay additional costs in connection with acquiring assets through the Warehouse Investments compared to purchasing them directly.

Purchases of assets from the Financing Provider would be at prices determined under the Warehouse Investments regardless of the assets’ market prices at the time of acquisition. As a result, the Fund may pay more or less than the current market value of such assets when it acquires them. The Fund may purchase such assets even if they are in default.

The Fund may not be able to raise sufficient funds to purchase all of the assets in the Warehouse Investments. If the Fund purchases some of the assets in a Warehouse Investment, it will impose on itself a requirement to purchase all of the assets in the Warehouse Investment, and the Fund will treat its forward obligation to purchase the remaining assets as subject to the asset coverage requirements set forth in Sections 18 and 61 of the 1940 Act. Even if the Fund has sufficient funds to purchase the assets under the Warehouse Investments, the Fund may not have sufficient funds to make other investments. The Fund may also borrow to obtain funds necessary to purchase assets under the Investments. See “Investment Objective and Strategies—Warehouse Investments.”

Exposure to Foreign Markets Risk. While the Fund does not expect to invest in securities of issuers located in foreign markets as a principal investment strategy, it may invest in such securities if the Adviser believes it is advantageous to do so. Foreign securities, foreign currencies, and securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments. Investments in securities and instruments in emerging and developing markets could involve substantial risks not typically associated with investing in more established markets, including, without limitation, those set forth above under “— Non-U.S. Securities.”

Foreign investments involve risks relating to local political, economic, regulatory, or social instability, military action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments, and may be affected by actions of foreign governments adverse to the interests of U.S. investors. Such actions may include expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on U.S. investment or on the ability to repatriate assets or convert currency into U.S. dollars, or other government intervention. From time to time, the Adviser and/or its affiliates may determine that, as a result of regulatory requirements that may apply to it and/or its affiliates due to investments in a particular country, investments in the securities of issuers domiciled or listed on trading markets in that country above certain thresholds (which may apply at the account level or in the aggregate across all accounts managed by the Adviser and/or its affiliates) may be

 

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impractical or undesirable. In such instances, the Adviser may limit or exclude investment in a particular issuer, and investment flexibility may be restricted. Additionally, governmental issuers of foreign debt securities may be unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due and may require that the conditions for payment be renegotiated. There is no assurance that the Adviser will be able to anticipate these potential events or counter their effects. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies and of dividends and interest paid with respect to such securities will fluctuate based on the relative strength of the U.S. dollar.

Foreign security trading, settlement and custodial practices (including those involving securities settlement where fund assets may be released prior to receipt of payment) are often less developed than those in U.S. markets and may result in increased investment or valuation risk or substantial delays in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of, or breach of duty by, a foreign broker-dealer, securities depository, or foreign sub-custodian. In addition, the costs associated with foreign investments, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial costs, are generally higher than with U.S. investments.

Foreign markets may offer less protection to investors than U.S. markets and tend to be less regulated. Foreign issuers are generally not bound by uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements and standards of practice comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers. Adequate public information on foreign issuers may not be available, and it may be difficult to secure dividends and information regarding corporate actions on a timely basis. In general, there is less overall governmental supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the United States. Regulatory enforcement may be influenced by economic or political concerns, and investors may have difficulty enforcing their legal rights in foreign countries.

Some foreign securities impose restrictions on transfer within the United States or to U.S. persons. Although securities subject to such transfer restrictions may be marketable abroad, they may be less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions.

The risks of foreign investing may be magnified for investments in emerging markets. Security prices in emerging markets can be significantly more volatile than those in more developed markets, reflecting the greater uncertainties of investing in less established markets and economies. In particular, countries with emerging markets may have relatively unstable governments, may present the risks of nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets, and may have less protection of property rights than more developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates. Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of holdings difficult or impossible at times.

Brexit. The United Kingdom (the “UK”) ceased to be a member of the EU with effect from 11:00 p.m. (GMT) on January 31, 2020 (such departure from the EU, “Brexit”). On December 24, 2020, a trade agreement was concluded between the EU and the United Kingdom (the “TCA”), which has applied provisionally after the end of the transition period ending on December 31, 2020. The TCA formally took effect on May 1, 2021 and now governs the relationship between the UK and EU.

Although the TCA covers many issues such as economic partnership, free trade, law enforcement and judicial co-operation and governance, the TCA itself is silent on items such as financial services equivalence and data protection adequacy. As such, there remains uncertainty as to the scope, nature and terms of the relationship between the UK and the EU and the effect and implications of the TCA. The actual and potential consequences of Brexit, and the associated uncertainty, have adversely affected, and for the foreseeable future are likely to continue to adversely affect, economic and market conditions in the UK, in the EU and its member states and elsewhere, and may also contribute to uncertainty and instability in global financial markets. This uncertainty may, at any stage, adversely affect the Fund and its and/or the Adviser. There may be detrimental implications for the value of the Fund’s investments and/or its ability to implement its investment program.

Credit Risk. Performance may be affected by the default or perceived credit impairment of the Fund’s investments and by general or sector specific credit spread widening. Credit risks associated with the Fund’s investments include (among others): (i) the possibility that earnings of the obligor may be insufficient to meet its debt service obligations; (ii) the obligor’s assets declining in value; and (iii) the declining creditworthiness, default and potential for insolvency of the obligor during periods of rising interest rates and economic downturn. An economic downturn and/or rising interest rates could severely disrupt the market for the investments and adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments and the ability of the obligors thereof to repay principal and interest. In turn, this could have a material adverse effect on the performance of the Fund, and, by extension, the Fund’s business, financial condition, results of operations and the value of the Common Shares. In the event of a default by a borrower, the Fund will bear a risk of loss of principal and accrued interest on that investment. Any such investment may become defaulted for a variety of reasons, including non-payment of principal or interest, as well as breaches of contractual covenants. A defaulted investment may become subject to workout negotiations

 

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or may be restructured by, for example, reducing the interest rate, a write-down of the principal, and/or changes to its terms and conditions. Any such process may be extensive and protracted over time, and therefore may result in substantial uncertainty with respect to the ultimate recovery on the defaulted investments. In addition, significant costs might be imposed on the lender, further affecting the value of the investment. The liquidity in such defaulted investment may also be limited and, where a defaulted investment is sold, it is unlikely that the proceeds from such sale will be equal to the amount of unpaid principal and interest owed on that investment. This would have a material adverse effect on the value of the Fund’s portfolio, and, by extension, the Fund’s business, financial condition, results of operations and the value of the Common Shares. In the case of secured loans, restructuring can be an expensive and lengthy process which could have a material negative effect on the Fund’s anticipated return on the restructured loan. By way of example, it would not be unusual for any costs of enforcement to be paid out in full before the repayment of interest and principal. This would substantially reduce the Fund’s anticipated return on the restructured loan.

Insolvency of Issuers, Counterparties, and Intermediaries. Issuers of securities held by the Fund or counterparties to Fund transactions that become insolvent or declare bankruptcy can pose special investment risks. In each circumstance, risk of loss, valuation uncertainty, increased illiquidity, and other unpredictable occurrences may negatively impact an investment. Each of these risks may be amplified in foreign markets, where security trading, settlement, and custodial practices can be less developed than those in the U.S. markets, and bankruptcy laws differ from those of the U.S.

Forming CLOs Risk. To finance investments, we may securitize certain of our secured loans or other investments, including through the formation of one or more CLOs, while retaining all or most of the exposure to the performance of these investments. This would involve contributing a pool of assets to a special purpose entity and selling debt interests in such entity on a non-recourse or limited-recourse basis to purchasers.

If we create a CLO, we will depend in part on distributions from the CLO’s assets out of its earnings and cash flows to enable us to make distributions to shareholders. The ability of a CLO to make distributions will be subject to various limitations, including the terms and covenants of the debt it issues. Also, a CLO may take actions that delay distributions in order to preserve ratings and to keep the cost of present and future financings lower or the CLO may be obligated to retain cash or other assets to satisfy over-collateralization requirements commonly provided for holders of the CLO’s debt, which could impact our ability to receive distributions from the CLO. If we do not receive cash flow from any such CLO that is necessary to satisfy the annual distribution requirement for maintaining RIC status, and we are unable to obtain cash from other sources necessary to satisfy this requirement, we may not maintain our qualification as a RIC, which would have a material adverse effect on an investment in the shares.

In addition, a decline in the credit quality of loans in a CLO due to poor operating results of the relevant borrower, declines in the value of loan collateral or increases in defaults, among other things, may force a CLO to sell certain assets at a loss, reducing their earnings and, in turn, cash potentially available for distribution to us for distribution to shareholders. To the extent that any losses are incurred by the CLO in respect of any collateral, such losses will be borne first by us as owner of equity interests in the CLO.

The collateral manager for a CLO that we create may be the Fund, the Adviser or an affiliate, and such collateral manager may be entitled to receive compensation for structuring and/or management services. To the extent the Adviser or an affiliate other than the Fund serves as collateral manager and the Fund is obligated to compensate the Adviser or the affiliate for such services, we, the Adviser or the affiliate will implement offsetting arrangements to assure that we, and indirectly, our shareholders, pay no additional fees to the Adviser or the affiliate in connection therewith. To the extent the Fund serves as collateral manager, the Fund will receive no fees for providing such collateral management services.

Non-Recourse Obligations Risk. The Fund may invest in non-recourse obligations of issuers. Such obligations are payable solely from proceeds collected in respect of collateral pledged by an issuer to secure such obligations. None of the owners, officers, directors or incorporators of the issuers, board members, any of their respective affiliates or any other person or entity will be obligated to make payments on the obligations. Consequently, the Fund, as holder of the obligations, must rely solely on distributions of proceeds of collateral debt obligations and other collateral pledged to secure obligations for payments due in respect of principal thereof and interest thereon. If distributions of such proceeds are insufficient to make payments on the obligations, no other assets will be available for such payments and following liquidation of all the collateral, the obligations of the issuers to make such payments will be extinguished.

Covenant-Lite Loans Risk. Although the Fund generally expects the transaction documentation of some portion of the Fund’s investments to include covenants and other structural protections, a portion of the Fund’s investments may be composed of so-called “covenant-lite loans.” Generally, covenant-lite loans either do not have certain maintenance covenants that would require the issuer to

 

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maintain debt service or other financial ratios or do not contain common restrictions on the ability of the issuer to change significantly its operations or to enter into other significant transactions that could affect its ability to repay such loans. Ownership of covenant-lite loans may expose the Fund to different risks, including with respect to liquidity, price volatility and ability to restructure loans, than is the case with loans that have financial maintenance covenants. As a result, the Fund’s exposure to losses may be increased, which could result in an adverse impact on the issuer’s ability to comply with its obligations under the loan.

Debt Guaranteed by a Subsidiary of the Issuer Risk. The Fund may invest in debt that is guaranteed by a subsidiary of the issuer. In some circumstances, guarantees of secured debt issued by subsidiaries of a portfolio company and held by the Fund may be subject to fraudulent conveyance or similar avoidance claims made by other creditors of such subsidiaries under applicable insolvency laws. As a result, such creditors may take priority over the claims of the Fund under such guarantees. Under federal or state fraudulent transfer law, a court may void or otherwise decline to enforce such debt and the Fund would no longer have any claim against such portfolio company or the applicable guarantor. In addition, the court might direct the Fund to disgorge any amounts already received from the portfolio company or a guarantor. In some cases, significant subsidiaries of portfolio companies may not guarantee the obligations of the portfolio company; in other cases, a portfolio company may have the ability to release subsidiaries as guarantors of the portfolio company’s obligations. The repayment of such investments may depend on cash flow from subsidiaries of a portfolio company that are not themselves guarantors of the portfolio company’s obligations.

Loans with Limited Amortization Requirements Risk. The Fund may invest in loans that have limited mandatory amortization requirements. While such a loan may obligate a portfolio company to repay the loan out of asset sale proceeds or with annual excess cash flow, such requirements may be subject to substantial limitations and/or “baskets” that would allow a portfolio company to retain such proceeds or cash flow, thereby extending the expected weighted average life of the investment. In addition, a low level of amortization of any debt over the life of the investment may increase the risk that a portfolio company will not be able to repay or refinance the loans held by the Fund when they come due at their final stated maturity.

Risks Related to Changes in Interest Rates. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors, including governmental monetary and tax policies, domestic and international economic and political considerations and other factors beyond the ability of the Fund to control or to forecast. Debt securities have varying levels of sensitivity to changes in interest rates. When the Fund chooses to borrow money to make investments, the Fund’s net investment income will depend, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which the Fund borrows funds and the rate at which the Fund invest those funds. As a result, the Fund can offer no assurance that a significant change in market interest rates would not have a material adverse effect on its net investment income in the event the Fund uses debt to finance its investments. In periods of rising interest rates, the Fund’s cost of funds would increase, which could reduce its net investment income. The Fund may use interest rate risk management techniques in an effort to limit its exposure to interest rate fluctuations. In addition, a rise in the general level of interest rates typically leads to higher interest rates applicable to the Fund’s debt investments.

Changes in LIBOR Risk. Certain London Interbank Offered Rates (“LIBORs”) were generally phased out by the end of 2021, and some regulated entities have ceased to enter into new LIBOR-based contracts beginning January 1, 2022. However, it is expected that the most widely used tenors of USD LIBOR may continue to be provided on a representative basis until mid-2023. As such, the potential effect of a transition away from LIBOR on the Fund or the LIBOR-based instruments in which the Fund invests cannot yet be determined. The transition process away from LIBOR may involve, among other things, increased volatility or illiquidity in markets for instruments that currently rely on LIBOR. The transition process may also result in a reduction in the value of certain instruments held by the Fund or reduce the effectiveness of related Fund transactions, such as hedges. Any potential effects of the transition away from LIBOR on the Fund or on financial instruments in which the Fund invests, as well as other unforeseen effects, could result in losses to the Fund. Since the usefulness of LIBOR as a benchmark or reference rate could deteriorate during the transition period, these effects could occur prior to and/or subsequent to mid-2023.

Prepayment Risks. The terms of loans in which the Fund invests may permit the borrowers to voluntarily prepay loans at any time, either with no or a nominal prepayment premium. This prepayment right could result in the borrower repaying the principal on an obligation held by the Fund earlier than expected. This may happen when there is a decline in interest rates, an improvement in the credit market conditions, or the borrower’s improved credit or operating or financial performance allows the refinancing of certain classes of debt with lower cost debt. The yield of the Fund’s investments may be affected by the rate of prepayments differing from the Adviser’s expectations. To the extent early prepayments increase, they may have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s investment objective and profits. In addition, if the Fund is unable to reinvest the proceeds of such prepayments received in investments expected to be as profitable, the proceeds generated by the Fund will decline as compared to the Adviser’s expectations.

 

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Credit Markets Risk. Conditions in the credit markets may have a significant impact on the business of the Fund. The credit markets in the United States have experienced a variety of difficulties and changed economic conditions in recent years that have adversely affected the performance and market value of many securities and financial instruments. There can be no assurance that the Fund will not suffer material adverse effects from broad and rapid changes in market conditions in the future. Among other things, the level of investment opportunities may decline from the Adviser’s current expectations. As a result, fewer investment opportunities may be available to the Fund, although if credit markets remain constrained, the Fund may have the opportunity to take larger positions in potential transactions. One possible consequence is that the Fund may take a larger than anticipated period to invest capital, as a result of which, at least for some period of time, the Fund may be relatively concentrated in a limited number of investments. Consequently, during this period, the returns realized by the shareholders may be substantially adversely affected by the unfavorable performance of a small number of these investments.

Furthermore, market conditions may unfavorably impact the Fund’s ability to secure leverage on terms as favorable as more established borrowers in the market, or to obtain any leverage on commercially feasible terms. To the extent the Fund is able to secure financing for investments, increases in interest rates or in the risk spread demanded by financing sources would make the partial financing of investments with indebtedness more expensive and could limit the Fund’s ability to structure and consummate its investments. Although the Adviser believes that the continued unfolding of the credit cycle will result in attractive investment opportunities, it may not be able to time its investments correctly, which could result in further depreciation in values. Furthermore, market conditions could deteriorate further, and the Fund may be limited in its ability to realize investments already made by the Fund due to difficulties in buyers’ ability to obtain financing on favorable terms, or to secure financing at all.

Convertible Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in convertible securities, which are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted into or exchanged for a specified amount of common stock of the same or different issuer within a particular period of time at a specified price or formula. A convertible security entitles its holder to receive interest that is generally paid or accrued on debt or a dividend that is paid or accrued on preferred stock, in each case, until the convertible security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged. Because of their embedded equity component, the value of convertible securities is sensitive to changes in equity volatility and price and a decrease in equity volatility and price could result in a loss for the Fund. The debt characteristic of convertible securities also exposes the Fund to changes in interest rates and credit spreads. The value of the convertible securities may fall when interest rates rise or credit spreads widen. The conversion value of a convertible security is determined by the market price of the underlying common stock. If the conversion value is low relative to the investment value, the price of the convertible security is governed principally by its investment value. To the extent the market price of the underlying common stock approaches or exceeds the conversion price, the price of the convertible security will be increasingly influenced by its conversion value. A convertible security generally will sell at a premium over its conversion value by the extent to which investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying common stock while holding a fixed income security. Generally, the amount of the premium decreases as the convertible security approaches maturity. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the convertible security’s governing instrument. If a convertible security held by the Fund is called for redemption, the Fund will be required to permit the issuer to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party. Any of these actions could have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. The Fund’s exposure to these risks may be unhedged or only partially hedged.

Structured Credit Instruments Risk. The Fund may invest in structured credit instruments. Structured securities are extremely complex and are subject to risks related to, among other things, changes in interest rates, the rate of defaults in the collateral pool, the exercise of redemption rights by more senior tranches and the possibility that a liquid market will not exist in when the Fund seeks to sell its interest in a structured security.

Derivative Investments Risk. The Fund may invest in derivative instruments or “derivatives” that include total return swaps (“TRS”) and other swaps, futures, options, structured securities and other instruments and contracts that are derived from, or the value of which is related to, one or more underlying securities, financial benchmarks, currencies or indices. Derivatives allow an investor to hedge or speculate upon the price movements of a particular security, financial benchmark currency or index at a fraction of the cost of investing in the underlying asset. The value of a derivative depends largely upon price movements in the underlying asset. Therefore, many of the risks applicable to trading the underlying asset are also applicable to derivatives of such asset. However, there are a number of other risks associated with derivatives trading. For example, because many derivatives are leveraged, and thus provide significantly more market exposure than the money paid or deposited when the transaction is entered into, a relatively small adverse market movement may expose the company to the possibility of a loss exceeding the original amount invested. Derivatives may also expose investors to liquidity risk, as there may not be a liquid market within which to close or dispose of outstanding derivatives contracts.

 

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All derivative instruments involve risks that are in addition to, and potentially greater than the risks of investing directly in securities and other more traditional assets, including:

 

 

Management Risks. Derivative products are specialized instruments that require investment techniques and risk analyses different from those associated with equities and fixed income securities. The use of a derivative requires an understanding not only of the underlying instrument but also of the derivative itself. In particular, the use and complexity of derivatives require the maintenance of adequate controls to monitor the transactions entered into and the ability to assess the risk that a derivative adds to the Fund’s portfolio.

 

 

Counterparty Risks. This is the risk that a loss may be sustained by the Fund as a result of the failure of the other party to a derivative (usually referred to as a “counterparty”) to comply with the terms of the derivative contract. The credit risk for exchange-traded derivatives is generally less than for over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivatives, since the clearinghouse, which is the issuer or counterparty to each exchange-traded or cleared derivative transaction is the counterparty to the derivative transaction. The Fund may post or receive collateral related to changes in the market value of a derivative. The Fund also may invest in derivatives that (i) do not require the counterparty to post collateral, (ii) require collateral but that do not provide for the Fund’s security interest in it to be perfected, (iii) require significant upfront deposits unrelated to the derivatives’ intrinsic value, or (iv) do not require that collateral be regularly marked-to-market. When a counterparty’s obligations are not fully secured by collateral, the Fund runs the risk of having limited recourse if the counterparty defaults.

 

 

Documentation Risks. Many derivative instruments also have documentation risk. Because the contract for each OTC derivative transaction is individually negotiated, the counterparty may interpret contractual terms (e.g., the definition of default) differently than the Fund, and if it does, the Fund may decide not to pursue its claims against the counterparty to avoid incurring the cost and unpredictability of legal proceedings. The Fund, therefore, may be unable to obtain payments the Adviser believes are owed to the Fund under derivative instruments or those payments may be delayed or made only after the Fund has incurred the costs of litigation.

 

 

Liquidity Risks. If a derivative transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid (as is the case with many OTC derivatives), it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous price. Less liquid derivative instruments also may fall more in price than other securities during market falls. During periods of market disruptions, the Fund may have a greater need for cash to provide collateral for large swings in the mark-to-market obligations arising under the derivative instruments used by the Fund. These risks may be further exacerbated by requirements under rules issued pursuant to recently enacted financial reform legislation.

 

 

Leverage Risks. Because many derivatives have a leverage component (i.e., a notional value in excess of the assets needed to establish or maintain the derivative position), adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, rate or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment.

 

 

Tax Uncertainties. The taxation of derivatives, including credit default swaps, TRS and other transactions in which the Fund may participate, is subject to uncertainties. Such transactions may become subject to new laws and regulations, possibly with retroactive effect, as well as differing interpretations of existing law and regulations by the relevant taxing authorities. There can be no assurance that such changes in law or interpretation will not have a material adverse effect on the Fund.

 

 

Other Risks. Other risks in using derivatives include the risk of mispricing or incorrect valuation of derivatives. Many derivatives, in particular OTC derivatives, are complex and their valuation often requires modeling and judgment, which increases the risk of mispricing or incorrect valuation. The pricing models used may not produce valuations that are consistent with the values the Fund realizes when it closes or sells an OTC derivative. Valuation risk is more pronounced when the Fund enters into OTC derivatives with specialized terms because the market value of those derivatives in some cases is determined in part by reference to similar derivatives with more standardized terms. Incorrect valuations may result in increased cash payment requirements to counterparties, over- and/or under- collateralization, and/or errors in calculation of the Fund’s net asset value.

 

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The Fund’s use of derivatives may not be effective or have the desired result. Derivatives involve the risk that changes in their value may not move as expected relative to the value of the assets, rates or indices they are designed to track. The risk may be more pronounced when outstanding notional amounts in the market exceed the amounts of the referenced assets. For example, the Fund’s use of reverse repurchase agreements subjects it to interest costs based on the difference between the sale and repurchase price of the securities involved. Derivatives are also subject to currency and other risks. Moreover, suitable derivatives may not be available in all circumstances. For example, the economic costs of taking some derivatives positions may be prohibitive. In addition, the Adviser may decide not to use derivatives to hedge or otherwise reduce the Fund’s risk exposures, potentially resulting in losses for the Fund.

Counterparties to derivatives contracts may have the right to terminate such contracts if the Fund’s net asset value declines below a certain level over a specified period of time. The exercise of such a right by the counterparty could have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s operations.

In late October 2020, the SEC adopted Rule 18f-4 related to the use of derivatives and certain other transactions that rescinded and withdrew the guidance of the SEC and the SEC staff regarding asset segregation and coverage. Under Rule 18f-4, the Fund will need to trade derivatives and other transactions that potentially create senior securities (except reverse repurchase agreements) subject to a value-at-risk (“VaR”) leverage limit, certain other testing and derivatives risk management program requirements and requirements related to board reporting. These requirements apply unless the Fund qualifies as a “limited derivatives user,” as defined in Rule 18f-4. Reverse repurchase agreements are subject to the current asset coverage requirements, and a fund trading reverse repurchase agreements need to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with the reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness when calculating the fund’s asset coverage ratio (unless the fund determines to treat such agreements and transactions as derivatives for all purposes under the rule). Reverse repurchase agreements are not be included in the calculation of whether the Fund is a limited derivatives user (unless the Fund determines to treat such agreements and transactions as derivatives for all purposes under the rule), but if the Fund is subject to the VaR testing, reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions are included for purposes of such testing. These requirements may limit the Fund’s ability to use derivatives and reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions as part of the Fund’s investment strategies. These requirements may increase the cost of the Fund’s investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors.

Illiquidity of Fund Investments Risk. The market value of the Fund’s investments will fluctuate with, among other things, changes in market rates of interest, general economic conditions, economic conditions in particular industries, the condition of financial markets and the financial condition of the issuers of the Fund’s investments. In addition, the lack of an established, liquid secondary market for some investments may have an adverse effect on the market value of those investments and on the Adviser’s ability to dispose of them. Therefore, no assurance can be given that, if the Adviser decides to dispose of a particular investment, it will be able to dispose of such investment at the prevailing market price.

Default Risk. Defaults by the Fund’s investments will harm the Fund’s operating results. An investment’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by the Fund or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, termination of its debt financing and foreclosure on its secured assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize an investment’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt or equity securities that the Fund holds. The Fund may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms, which may include the waiver of certain financial covenants, with a defaulting investment.

Distressed and Highly Leveraged Companies Risk. The Fund may make investments in restructurings that involve, or otherwise invest in the debt securities of, investments that are experiencing, or are expected to experience, severe financial difficulties. These severe financial difficulties may never be overcome and may cause such investments to become subject to bankruptcy proceedings. As such, these investments could subject the Fund to certain additional potential liabilities that may exceed the value of the Fund’s original investment. Under certain circumstances, payments to the Fund may be reclaimed if any such payment or distribution is later determined to have been a fraudulent conveyance, a preferential payment or a similar transaction under the applicable bankruptcy and insolvency laws. In addition, under certain circumstances, a lender that has inappropriately exercised control of the management and policies of a debtor may have its claims subordinated or disallowed or may be found liable for damages suffered by parties as a result of such actions.

 

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The Fund may also invest in highly leveraged companies. Investment in leveraged companies involves a number of significant risks. Leveraged companies in which the Fund invests may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their debt securities that the Fund holds. Such developments may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of the Fund’s realizing any guarantees that the Fund may have obtained in connection with the Fund’s investment. Smaller leveraged companies also may have less predictable operating results and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance their expansion or maintain their competitive position.

Bankruptcy Proceedings Risk. The Fund may hold the debt securities of leveraged companies that may, due to the significant volatility of such companies, enter into bankruptcy proceedings. Leveraged companies may experience bankruptcy or similar financial distress. The bankruptcy process has a number of significant inherent risks. Many events in a bankruptcy proceeding are the product of contested matters and adversary proceedings and are beyond the control of the creditors. A bankruptcy filing by an issuer may adversely and permanently affect the issuer. If the proceeding is converted to a liquidation, the value of the issuer may not equal the liquidation value that was believed to exist at the time of the investment. The duration of a bankruptcy proceeding is also difficult to predict, and a creditor’s return on investment can be adversely affected by delays until the plan of reorganization or liquidation ultimately becomes effective. The administrative costs of a bankruptcy proceeding are frequently high and would be paid out of the debtor’s estate prior to any return to creditors. Because the standards for classification of claims under bankruptcy law are vague, the Fund’s influence with respect to the class of securities or other obligations the Fund owns may be lost by increases in the number and amount of claims in the same class or by different classification and treatment. In the early stages of the bankruptcy process, it is often difficult to estimate the extent of, or even to identify, any contingent claims that might be made. In addition, certain claims that have priority by law (for example, claims for taxes) may be substantial.

Depending on the facts and circumstances of the Fund’s investments and the extent of the Fund’s involvement in the management of an investment, upon the bankruptcy of an investment, a bankruptcy court may recharacterize the Fund’s debt investments as equity interests and subordinate all or a portion of the Fund’s claim to that of other creditors. This could occur even though the Fund may have structured the Fund’s investment as senior debt.

Exit Financing Risk. The Fund may invest in portfolio companies that are in the process of exiting, or that have recently exited, the bankruptcy process. Post-reorganization securities typically entail a higher degree of risk than investments in securities that have not undergone a reorganization or restructuring. Moreover, post-reorganization securities can be subject to heavy selling or downward pricing pressure after the completion of a bankruptcy reorganization or restructuring. If the Adviser’s evaluation of the anticipated outcome of an investment situation should prove incorrect, the Fund could experience a loss.

Bankruptcy Involving Non-U.S. Companies Risk. Investment in the debt of financially distressed companies domiciled outside the United States involves additional risks. Bankruptcy law and process may differ substantially from that in the United States, resulting in greater uncertainty as to the rights of creditors, the enforceability of such rights, reorganization timing and the classification, seniority and treatment of claims. In certain developing countries, although bankruptcy laws have been enacted, the process for reorganization remains highly uncertain, while other developing countries may have no bankruptcy laws enacted, adding further uncertainty to the process for reorganization.

Investments in Special Situations Risk. The Fund’s investments may involve investments in ‘event-driven’ special situations such as recapitalizations, spinoffs, corporate and financial restructurings, litigation or other liability impairments, turnarounds, management changes, consolidating industries and other catalyst-oriented situations. Investments in such securities are often difficult to analyze, have limited trading histories and have limited in-depth research coverage and, therefore, may present an increased risk of loss to the Fund.

Creditors Committee and/or Board Participation Risk. In connection with some of the investments, the Fund may, but is not obligated to, seek representation on official and unofficial creditors’ committees and/or boards (or comparable governing bodies) of the portfolio companies. While such representation may enable the Adviser to enhance the value of the investments, it may also prevent the Fund from disposing of the investments in a timely and profitable manner, because serving on a creditors’ committee increases the possibility that the Fund will be deemed an “insider” or a “fiduciary” of the portfolio company. If the Adviser concludes that its obligations owed to the other parties as a committee or group member conflict with its duties owed to the Fund, it may resign from that committee or group, and the Fund may not realize the benefits, if any, of participation on the committee or group. If representation on a creditors’ committee or board causes the Fund or the Adviser to be deemed affiliates or related parties of the portfolio company, the securities of such portfolio company held by the Fund may become restricted securities, which are not freely tradable. Participation on a creditors’ committee and/or board representation may also subject the Fund to additional liability to which they would not otherwise be subject as an ordinary course, third-party investor. The Fund will indemnify the Adviser or any other person designated by the Adviser for claims arising from such board and/or committee representation, which could adversely affect the return on the investments. The Fund will attempt to balance the advantages and disadvantages of such representation when deciding whether and how to exercise its rights with respect to such portfolio companies, but changes in circumstances could produce adverse consequences in particular situations.

 

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High Yield Securities Risk. The Fund may make investments in “high yield” debt and preferred securities which are rated lower than investment grade by the various credit rating agencies (or in comparable non-rated securities as determined by the Adviser). Securities that are rated lower than investment grade are subject to greater risk of loss of principal and interest than higher-rated securities and are generally considered to be predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. They are also generally considered to be subject to greater risk than securities with higher ratings in the case of deterioration of general economic conditions. Because investors generally perceive that there are greater risks associated with lower-rated securities, the yields and prices of such securities may tend to fluctuate more than those for higher-rated securities. The market for lower-rated securities is thinner and less active than that for higher-rated securities, which can adversely affect the prices at which these securities can be sold. In addition, adverse publicity and investor perceptions about lower-rated securities, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may be a contributing factor in a decrease in the value and liquidity of such lower-rated securities.

The Fund may invest in debt of issuers that have defaulted or are anticipated to default. Issuers in this situation frequently resort to bankruptcy and other litigation to effect debt restructuring on attractive terms. Such actions may require the Fund to spend material amounts on legal and other litigation costs. During such litigation the Fund may not be able to affect the operation and management of the real estate collateral, and its value may suffer as a result of loss of tenants, failure to make capital improvements or undertake required maintenance. Bankruptcy and other insolvency proceedings are highly complex and may result in undesirable outcomes, such as the return of payments characterized as a “preference,” the invalidation of debt as a result of a deemed fraudulent conveyance and the recharacterization or equitable subordination of debt. There can be no assurance that the Fund will obtain favorable results in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings.

Securities that are rated lower than “Baa3” by Moody’s Investor Service, Inc. or lower than “BBB-” by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services are often referred to in the financial press as “junk bonds” and may include securities of issuers in default. “Junk bonds” are considered by the rating agencies to be predominately speculative and may involve major risk exposures such as: (i) vulnerability to economic downturns and changes in interest rates; (ii) sensitivity to adverse economic changes and corporate developments; (iii) redemption or call provisions which may be exercised at inopportune times; and (iv) difficulty in accurately valuing or disposing of such securities.

Investment in Private and Middle-Market Investments Risk. The Fund will make investments in private and middle-market companies, which involve a number of significant risks. Generally, little public information exists about these companies, and the Fund relies on the ability of the Adviser’s investment professionals to obtain adequate information to evaluate the potential returns from investing in these companies. If the Adviser is unable to uncover all material information about these companies, it may not make a fully informed investment decision, and the Fund may lose money on the Fund’s investments. Middle-market companies generally have less predictable operating results and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance expansion or maintain their competitive position. Middle-market companies may have limited financial resources, may have difficulty accessing the capital markets to meet future capital needs and may be unable to meet their obligations under their debt securities that the Fund holds, which may be accompanied by a deterioration in the value of any collateral and a reduction in the likelihood of the Fund’s realizing any guarantees the Fund may have obtained in connection with the Fund’s investment. In addition, such companies typically have shorter operating histories, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions and market conditions, as well as general economic downturns. Additionally, middle-market companies are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons. Therefore, the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on the Fund’s investment and, in turn, on the Fund. Middle-market companies also may be parties to litigation and may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence. In addition, the Fund’s executive officers, directors and the Adviser may, in the ordinary course of business, be named as defendants in litigation arising from the Fund’s investments.

Senior Debt Risk. The Fund’s investments may incur debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, the Fund’s investments in such companies and such investments may not generate sufficient cash flow to service their debt obligations to the Fund. The Fund may invest a portion of the Fund’s capital in second lien and subordinated loans issued by the Fund’s investments. The Fund’s investments may have, or be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, the debt securities in which the Fund invests. Such subordinated investments are subject to greater risk of default than senior obligations as a result of adverse changes in the financial condition of the obligor or in general economic conditions. If the Fund makes a subordinated investment in an investment, the investment

 

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may be highly leveraged, and its relatively high debt-to-equity ratio may create increased risks that its operations might not generate sufficient cash flow to service all of its debt obligations. By their terms, such debt instruments may provide that the holders are entitled to receive payment of interest or principal on or before the dates on which the Fund is entitled to receive payments in respect of the securities in which the Fund invests. These debt instruments would usually prohibit the investments from paying interest on or repaying the Fund’s investments in the event of and during the continuance of a default under such debt. Also, in the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of an investment, holders of securities ranking senior to the Fund’s investment in that investment would typically be entitled to receive payment in full before the Fund receives any distribution in respect of the Fund’s investment. After repaying senior creditors, the investment may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to the Fund where the Fund is a junior creditor. In the case of debt ranking equally with debt securities in which the Fund invests, the Fund would have to share any distributions on an equal and ratable basis with other creditors holding such debt in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant investment.

Additionally, certain loans that the Fund makes to investments may be secured on a second priority basis by the same collateral securing senior secured debt of such companies. The first priority liens on the collateral will secure the investment’s obligations under any outstanding senior debt and may secure certain other future debt that may be permitted to be incurred by the investment under the agreements governing the loans. The holders of obligations secured by first priority liens on the collateral will generally control the liquidation of, and be entitled to receive proceeds from, any realization of the collateral to repay their obligations in full before the Fund. In addition, the value of the collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. Similarly, investments in “last out” pieces of tranched first lien loans will be similar to second lien loans in that such investments will be junior in priority to the “first out” piece of the same tranched first lien loan with respect to payment of principal, interest and other amounts. The Fund can offer no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from sales of all of the collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens or the “last out” pieces of the tranched first lien loans after payment in full of all obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral. If such proceeds were not sufficient to repay amounts outstanding under the loan obligations secured by the second priority liens or the “last out” pieces of unitranche loans, then we, to the extent not repaid from the proceeds of the sale of the collateral, will only have an unsecured claim against the investment’s remaining assets, if any.

The Fund may make unsecured loans, meaning that such loans will not benefit from any interest in collateral of such companies. Liens on an investment’s collateral, if any, will secure the investment’s obligations under its outstanding secured debt and may secure certain future debt that is permitted to be incurred by the investment under its secured loan agreements. The holders of obligations secured by such liens will generally control the liquidation of, and be entitled to receive proceeds from, any realization of such collateral to repay their obligations in full before the Fund. In addition, the value of such collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. The Fund can offer no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from sales of such collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the Fund’s unsecured loan obligations after payment in full of all loans secured by collateral. If such proceeds were not sufficient to repay the outstanding secured loan obligations, then the Fund’s unsecured claims would rank equally with the unpaid portion of such secured creditors’ claims against the investment’s remaining assets, if any.

The rights the Fund may have with respect to the collateral securing any junior priority loans, including any “last out” pieces of tranched first lien loans, the Fund makes to the Fund’s investments may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more intercreditor agreements that the Fund enters into (or the absence of an intercreditor agreement) with the holders of senior debt. Under a typical intercreditor agreement, at any time that obligations that have the benefit of the first priority liens are outstanding, any of the following actions that may be taken in respect of the collateral will be at the direction of the holders of the obligations secured by the first priority liens:

 

 

the ability to cause the commencement of enforcement proceedings against the collateral;

 

 

the ability to control the conduct of such proceedings;

 

 

the approval of amendments to collateral documents;

 

 

releases of liens on the collateral; and

 

 

waivers of past defaults under collateral documents.

The Fund may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if the Fund’s rights as junior lenders are adversely affected.

 

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Revolver, Delayed-Draw and Line of Credit Investments Risk. The Fund is expected to, from time to time, incur contingent liabilities in connection with an investment. For example, the Fund expects to participate in one or more investments that are structured as “revolvers,” “delayed-draws” or “lines of credit.” These types of investments generally have funding obligations that extend over a period of time, and if the portfolio company subsequently draws down on the revolver or delayed-draw facility or on the line of credit, the Fund would be obligated to fund the amounts due. However, there can be no assurance that a borrower will ultimately draw down on any such loan, in which case the Fund may never fund the investment (in full or in part), which may result in the Fund not fully deploying its capital. There can be no assurance that the Fund will adequately reserve for its contingent liabilities and that such liabilities will not have an adverse effect on the Fund.

It is possible that a revolver, delayed-draw or line of credit investment would be bifurcated by the Adviser into separate investments, with certain investors (which may or may not include the Fund) participating in the initial drawdowns and other investors (which may or may not include the Fund) participating in the later drawdowns. In this situation, it is possible that investors that participate in the initial funding of an investment may receive certain economic benefits in connection with such initial funding, such as original issue discount, closing payments, or commitment fees and these benefits are expected to be allocated based on participation in the initial funding, regardless of participation in future funding obligations. Conversely, the investors participating only in the later funding obligations will have the benefit of the most recent portfolio company performance information in evaluating their investment whereas the investors that participated in the initial drawdowns (which may or may not include the Fund) will be obligated in any event to fund such later funding obligations. In certain cases, the Fund may participate in the initial funding of an investment, but may not participate in later-arising funding obligations (i.e., the revolver, delayed-draw or line of credit portions) related to such investment, including because of capacity limitations that an investment vehicle may have for making new revolver, delayed-draw investments or lines of credit. As a result, the Fund may be allocated a smaller or larger portion of revolver, delayed-draw investments or lines of credit than other investors participating in the loan. Where the Fund and any other participating investors have not participated in each funding of an investment on a pro rata basis, conflicts of interest may arise between the Fund and the other investors as the interests of the Fund and the other investors may not be completely aligned with respect to such investment. In addition, a revolver, delayed draw investment or line of credit may be senior to the rest of the loan or to the initial funding, and as a result, the interests of the Fund may not be aligned with other participating investors. There can be no assurance that the Fund will adequately reserve for its contingent liabilities and that such liabilities will not have an adverse effect on the Fund.

Investments in Portfolio Companies in Regulated Industries Risk. Certain industries are heavily regulated. The Fund may make loans to borrowers operating in industries that are subject to greater amounts of regulation than other industries generally. These more highly regulated industries may include, among others, energy and power, gaming and healthcare. Investments in borrowers that are subject to a high level of governmental regulation pose additional risks relative to loans to other companies generally. Changes in applicable laws or regulations, or in the interpretations of these laws and regulations, could result in increased compliance costs or the need for additional capital expenditures. If a portfolio company fails to comply with these requirements, it could also be subject to civil or criminal liability and the imposition of fines. A portfolio company also could be materially and adversely affected as a result of statutory or regulatory changes or judicial or administrative interpretations of existing laws and regulations that impose more comprehensive or stringent requirements on such company. Governments have considerable discretion in implementing regulations that could impact a portfolio company’s business, and governments may be influenced by political considerations and may make decisions that adversely affect a portfolio company’s business. Additionally, certain portfolio companies may have a unionized workforce or employees who are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, which could subject any such portfolio company’s activities and labor relations matters to complex laws and regulations relating thereto. Moreover, a portfolio company’s operations and profitability could suffer if it experiences labor relations problems. A work stoppage at one or more of any such portfolio company’s facilities could have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations and financial condition. Any such problems additionally may bring scrutiny and attention to the Fund, which could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to implement its investment objective.

Investments in Original Issue Discount and PIK Instruments Risk. To the extent that the Fund invests in original issue discount or PIK instruments and the accretion of original issue discount or PIK interest income constitutes a portion of the Fund’s income, the Fund will be exposed to risks associated with the requirement to include such non-cash income in taxable and accounting income prior to receipt of cash, including the following:

 

 

the higher interest rates on PIK instruments reflect the payment deferral and increased credit risk associated with these instruments, and PIK instruments generally represent a significantly higher credit risk than coupon loans;

 

 

original issue discount and PIK instruments may have unreliable valuations because the accruals require judgments about collectability of the deferred payments and the value of any associated collateral;

 

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an election to defer PIK interest payments by adding them to the principal on such instruments increases our future investment income which increases our net assets and, as such, increases the Adviser’s future base management fees which, thus, increases the Adviser’s future income incentive fees at a compounding rate;

 

 

market prices of PIK instruments and other zero-coupon instruments are affected to a greater extent by interest rate changes and may be more volatile than instruments that pay interest periodically in cash. While PIK instruments are usually less volatile than zero coupon debt instruments, PIK instruments are generally more volatile than cash pay securities;

 

 

the deferral of PIK interest on an instrument increases the loan-to-value ratio, which is a measure of the riskiness of a loan, with respect to such instrument;

 

 

even if the conditions for income accrual under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) are satisfied, a borrower could still default when actual payment is due upon the maturity of such loan;

 

 

for accounting purposes, cash distributions to investors representing original issue discount income do not come from paid-in capital, although they may be paid from the offering proceeds. Thus, although a distribution of original issue discount income may come from the cash invested by investors, the 1940 Act does not require that investors be given notice of this fact;

 

 

the required recognition of original issue discount or PIK interest for U.S. federal income tax purposes may have a negative impact on liquidity, as it represents a non-cash component of our investment company taxable income that may require cash distributions to shareholders in order to maintain our ability to maintain tax treatment as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes; and

 

 

original issue discount may create a risk of non-refundable cash payments to the Adviser based on non-cash accruals that may never be realized.

In addition, the part of the incentive fee payable by us that relates to our net investment income is computed and paid on income that may include interest that accrues prior to being received in cash, such as original issue discount, market discount, and income arising from debt instruments with PIK interest or zero-coupon securities. If a portfolio company defaults on a loan that provides for such accrued interest, it is possible that accrued interest previously used in the calculation of the incentive fee will become uncollectible, and the Adviser will have no obligation to refund any fees it received in respect of such accrued income.

Lack of Liquidity Risk. The lack of liquidity in the Fund’s investments may adversely affect the Fund’s business. The Fund may invest in companies that are experiencing financial difficulties, which difficulties may never be overcome. The Fund’s investments will be illiquid in most cases, and the Fund can offer no assurance that the Fund will be able to realize on such investments in a timely manner. A substantial portion of the Fund’s investments in leveraged companies are and will be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or will otherwise be less liquid than more broadly traded public securities. The illiquidity of these investments may make it difficult for the Fund to sell such investments if the need arises. In addition, if the Fund is required to liquidate all or a portion of the Fund’s portfolio quickly, the Fund may realize significantly less than the value at which the Fund has previously recorded the Fund’s investments. The Fund may also face other restrictions on the Fund’s ability to liquidate an investment in an investment to the extent that the Adviser or any of its affiliates have material nonpublic information regarding such investment.

In addition, the Fund generally expects to invest in securities, instruments and assets that are not, and are not expected to become, publicly traded. The Fund will generally not be able to sell securities publicly unless the sale is registered under applicable securities laws, or unless an exemption from such registration requirements is available.

Investments may be illiquid and long-term. Illiquidity may result from the absence of an established or liquid market for investments as well as legal and contractual restrictions on their resale by the Fund. It is generally expected that the Fund will hold assets to maturity, and the amount of “discretionary sales” of investments generally will be limited. The Fund’s investment in illiquid

investments may restrict its ability to dispose of investments in a timely fashion and for a fair price. Furthermore, the Fund likely will be limited in the Fund’s ability to sell investments because the Adviser may have material, non-public information regarding the issuers of such loans or investments or as a result of other policies of the Adviser. This limited ability to sell investments could materially adversely affect the Fund’s investment results. As a result, the Fund’s exposure to losses, including a potential loss of principal, as a result of which the shareholder could potentially lose all or a portion of the shareholder’s investment in the Fund, may be increased due to the illiquidity of the Fund’s investments generally.

 

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In certain cases, the Fund may also be prohibited by contract from selling its investments for a period of time or otherwise be restricted from disposing of the Fund’s investments. Furthermore, certain types of investments expected to be made may require a substantial length of time to realize a return or fully liquidate. The Fund may exit some investments through distributions in kind to the shareholders, after which the shareholder will still bear the risks associated with holding the securities and must make the shareholder’s own disposition decisions.

Given the nature of the investments contemplated by the Fund, there is a material risk that the Fund will be unable to realize the Fund’s investment objectives by sale or other disposition at attractive prices or will otherwise be unable to complete any exit strategy. In particular, this risk could arise from changes in the financial condition or prospects of the investment, changes in national or international economic conditions, changes in debt and equity capital markets and changes in laws, regulations, fiscal policies or political conditions of countries in which investments are made.

In connection with the disposition of an investment, the Fund may be required to make representations about the business and financial affairs of the investment or may be responsible for the contents of disclosure documents under applicable securities laws. The Fund may also be required to indemnify the purchasers of such investment or underwriters to the extent that any such representations or disclosure documents turn out to be incorrect, inaccurate or misleading. These arrangements may result in contingent liabilities, for which the Fund may establish reserves or escrows. However, the Fund can offer no assurance that the Fund will adequately reserve for the Fund’s contingent liabilities and that such liabilities will not have an adverse effect on the Fund. Such contingent liabilities might ultimately have to be funded by proceeds, including the return of capital, from the Fund’s other investments.

Inability of Investments to Repay or Refinance Outstanding Principal. The Fund’s prospective portfolio companies may be unable to repay or refinance outstanding principal on their loans at or prior to maturity, and rising interest rates may make it more difficult for the portfolio companies to make periodic payments on their loans. The portfolio companies in which the Fund expects to invest may be unable to repay or refinance outstanding principal on their loans at or prior to maturity. This risk and the risk of default is increased to the extent that the loan documents do not require the investments to pay down the outstanding principal of such debt prior to maturity. In addition, if general interest rates rise, there is a risk that the Fund’s portfolio companies will be unable to pay escalating interest amounts, which could result in a default under their loan documents with the Fund. Rising interest rates could also cause portfolio companies to shift cash from other productive uses to the payment of interest, which may have a material adverse effect on their business and operations and could, over time, lead to increased defaults. Any failure of one or more portfolio companies to repay or refinance its debt at or prior to maturity or the inability of one or more portfolio companies to make ongoing payments following an increase in contractual interest rates could have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Publicly Traded Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in publicly traded equity and debt securities. These investments are subject to certain risks, including the risk of loss from counterparty defaults, the risks arising from the volatility of the global fixed-income and equity markets, movements in the stock market and trends in the overall economy, increased obligations to disclose information regarding such companies, increased likelihood of shareholder litigation against such companies’ board members, which may include FDS personnel, regulatory action by the SEC and increased costs associated with each of the aforementioned risks. When buying a publicly traded security or other publicly traded instruments, the Fund may be unable to obtain financial covenants or other contractual rights that the Fund might otherwise be able to obtain in making privately-negotiated investments. Moreover, the Fund may not have the same access to information in connection with investments in publicly traded securities or other publicly traded instruments, either when investigating a potential investment or after making an investment, as compared to a privately-negotiated investment. Publicly traded securities that are rated by rating agencies are often reviewed and may be subject to downgrade, which generally results in a decline in the market value of such security. Furthermore, the Fund may be limited in its ability to make investments and to sell existing investments in public securities or other publicly traded instruments because FDS may have material, non-public information regarding the issuers of those securities or as a result of other FDS policies. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the Fund will make investments in public securities or other publicly traded instruments or, if it does, as to the amount it will invest. The inability to sell such securities or instruments in these circumstances could materially adversely affect the investment results of the Fund.

Equity Investments Risk. When the Fund invests in senior, unitranche, second lien and subordinated loans, the Fund may acquire warrants or other equity securities of investments as well. The Fund may also invest in equity securities directly. To the extent the Fund holds equity investments, the Fund will seek to dispose of them and realize gains upon the Fund’s disposition of them. However, the equity interests the Fund receives may not appreciate in value and may decline in value. As a result, the Fund may not be able to realize gains from its equity interests, and any gains that the Fund does realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses the Fund experiences.

 

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Risk of No Controlling Equity Interests. Because the Fund generally does not hold controlling equity interests in the Fund’s investments, the Fund may not be able to exercise control over the Fund’s investments or to prevent decisions by management of the Fund’s investments that could decrease the value of the Fund’s investments. To the extent that the Fund does not hold controlling equity interests, the Fund will have a limited ability to protect the Fund’s position in such investments.

Minority Investments and Joint Ventures Risk. The Fund may make minority equity investments in entities in which the Fund does not control the business or affairs of such entities. In addition, the Fund intends to co-invest with other parties through partnerships, joint ventures or other entities and the Adviser may share management fees, incentive fees and/or other forms of compensation with such parties. The Adviser expects that in some cases the Fund will have control over, or significant influence on, the decision making of joint ventures. However, in other cases, in particular with respect to certain terms, amendments and waivers related to the underlying loans, the joint venture partner may have controlling or blocking rights (including because certain decisions require unanimous approval of the joint venture partners) or a tie vote among joint venture partners may be resolved by an appointed third party. Where a joint venture partner or third party has controlling or blocking rights or decision-making power with respect to a joint venture matter, there can be no assurance that the matter will be resolved in the manner desired by the Fund. In addition, these types of voting arrangements may slow the decision-making process and hinder the joint venture’s ability to act quickly.

Cooperation among joint venture partners or co-investors on existing and future business decisions will be an important factor for the sound operation and financial success of any joint venture or other business in which the Fund is involved. In particular, a joint venture partner or co-investor may have economic or business interests or goals that are inconsistent with those of the Fund, and the Fund may not be in a position to limit or otherwise protect the value of one or more of the Fund’s investments. Disputes among joint venture partners or co-investors over obligations, expenses or other matters could have an adverse effect on the financial conditions or results of operations of the relevant businesses. In addition, the Fund may in certain circumstances be liable for actions of its joint venture partners.

In certain cases, conflicts of interest may arise between the Fund and a joint venture partner, for example, because the joint venture partner has invested in a different level of the issuer’s capital structure or because the joint venture partner has different investment goals or timelines. There can be no assurance that a joint venture partner with divergent interests from the Fund will cause the joint venture to be managed in a manner that is favorable to the Fund. In addition, it is anticipated that the Fund could be invested in debt instruments issued by a joint venture entity while one or more other clients managed by the Adviser will be invested in equity interests in such entity or vice versa, which presents certain potential conflicts of interest with respect to the capital structure of such entity.

Non-U.S. Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in securities and instruments of non-U.S. issuers. See “—Exposure to Foreign Markets” above. The Fund’s investments in securities and instruments in non-U.S. markets involve substantial risks often not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities. Investments in non-U.S. securities may be adversely affected by changes in currency rates or exchange control regulations, changes in governmental administration or economic or monetary policy (in the United States and abroad) or changed circumstances in dealings between nations. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar will affect the U.S. dollar value of the Fund’s assets denominated in that currency and thereby will have an impact upon the Fund’s total return on such assets. The Fund may utilize options and forward contracts to hedge against currency fluctuations, but there can be no assurance that such hedging transactions will be effective.

Investments in non-U.S. securities will also be subject to risks relating to political and economic developments abroad, including the possibility of expropriations or confiscatory taxation, limitations on the use or transfer of the Fund’s assets and the effects of foreign social, economic or political instability. Non-U.S. companies are not subject to the regulatory requirements of U.S. companies and, as such, there may be less publicly available information about such companies. Moreover, non-U.S. companies are not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies.

Securities of non-U.S. issuers may be less liquid than comparable securities of U.S. issuers and, as such, their price changes may be more volatile. Furthermore, foreign exchanges and broker-dealers are generally subject to less government and exchange scrutiny and regulation than their American counterparts. Brokerage commissions, dealer concessions and other transaction costs may be higher on foreign markets than in the U.S. In addition, differences in clearance and settlement procedures on foreign markets may occasionally lead to delays in settlements of the Fund’s trades effected in such markets.

 

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Repatriation of investment income, capital and the proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval. The Fund could be adversely affected by delays in or a refusal to grant any required governmental registration or approval for such repatriation or by withholding taxes imposed by the government of an emerging country.

Taxation of dividends, interest and capital gains received by non-residents varies among foreign countries and, in some cases, is comparatively high. In addition, some countries have tax laws and procedures that may permit retroactive taxation so that the Fund could in the future become subject to local tax liability that it had not reasonably anticipated in conducting its investment activities or valuing its assets.

Hedging Risk. The Fund may be subject to risks under hedging transactions. The Fund may engage in hedging transactions to the extent permitted under applicable commodities laws and the 1940 Act. Engaging in hedging transactions would entail additional risks to the shareholders. The Fund could, for example, use instruments such as interest rate swaps, caps, collars and floors and, if the Fund were to invest in foreign securities, the Fund could use instruments such as forward contracts or currency options and borrow under a credit facility in currencies selected to minimize the Fund’s foreign currency exposure. In each such case, the Fund generally would seek to hedge against fluctuations of the relative values of the Fund’s portfolio positions from changes in market interest rates or currency exchange rates. Hedging against a decline in the values of the Fund’s portfolio positions would not eliminate the possibility of fluctuations in the values of such positions or prevent losses if the values of the positions declined. However, such hedging could establish other positions designed to gain from those same developments, thereby offsetting the decline in the value of such portfolio positions. Such hedging transactions could also limit the opportunity for gain if the values of the underlying portfolio positions increased. Moreover, it might not be possible to hedge against an exchange rate or interest rate fluctuation that was so generally anticipated that the Fund would not be able to enter into a hedging transaction at an acceptable price. Use of a hedging transaction could involve counterparty credit risk.

The success of any hedging transactions the Fund may enter into will depend on the Fund’s ability to correctly predict movements in currencies and interest rates. Therefore, while the Fund may enter into hedging transactions to seek to reduce currency exchange rate and interest rate risks, unanticipated changes in currency exchange rates or interest rates could result in poorer overall investment performance than if the Fund had not engaged in any such hedging transactions. In addition, the degree of correlation between price movements of the instruments used in a hedging strategy and price movements in the portfolio positions being hedged could vary. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, the Fund might not seek to (or be able to) establish a perfect correlation between the hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Any such imperfect correlation could prevent the Fund from achieving the intended hedge and expose the Fund to risk of loss. In addition, it might not be possible to hedge fully or perfectly against currency fluctuations affecting the value of securities denominated in non-U.S. currencies because the value of those securities is likely to fluctuate as a result of factors not related to currency fluctuations. The Fund’s ability to engage in hedging transactions may also be adversely affected by rules adopted by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”).

Force Majeure Risk. The Fund’s investments may be affected by force majeure events (i.e., events beyond the control of the party claiming that the event has occurred, including, without limitation, acts of God, fire, flood, earthquakes, outbreaks of an infectious disease, pandemic or any other serious public health concern, war, terrorism and labor strikes). Some force majeure events may adversely affect the ability of a party (including a company or a counterparty to the Fund or a company) to perform its obligations until it is able to remedy the force majeure event. In addition, the cost to a company of repairing or replacing damaged assets resulting from such force majeure event could be considerable. Additionally, a major governmental intervention into industry, including the nationalization of an industry or the assertion of control over one or more companies or its assets, could result in a loss to the Fund, including if its investment in such company is cancelled, unwound or acquired (which could be without what the Fund considers to be adequate compensation). To the extent the Fund is exposed to investments in companies that as a group are exposed to such force majeure events, the risks and potential losses to the Fund are enhanced.

Repurchase Agreements Risk. Subject to our investment objective and policies, the Fund may invest in repurchase agreements as a buyer for investment purposes. Repurchase agreements typically involve the acquisition by the Fund of debt securities from a selling financial institution such as a bank, savings and loan association or broker-dealer. The agreement provides that the Fund will sell the securities back to the institution at a fixed time in the future for the purchase price plus premium (which often reflects the interests). The Fund does not bear the risk of a decline in the value of the underlying security unless the seller defaults under its repurchase obligation. In the event of the bankruptcy or other default of a seller of a repurchase agreement, the Fund could experience both delays in liquidating the underlying securities and losses, including (1) possible decline in the value of the underlying security during the period in which the Fund seeks to enforce its rights thereto; (2) possible lack of access to income on the underlying security during this period; and (3) expenses of enforcing its rights. In addition, as described above, the value of the collateral underlying the repurchase agreement will be

 

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at least equal to the repurchase price, including any accrued interest earned on the repurchase agreement. In the event of a default or bankruptcy by a selling financial institution, the Fund generally will seek to liquidate such collateral. However, the exercise of the Fund’s right to liquidate such collateral could involve certain costs or delays and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale upon a default of the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price, the Fund could suffer a loss.

Risk of Assignments and Participations. The Fund may acquire investments directly, by way of assignment or indirectly by way of participation. The purchaser of an assignment of a loan obligation typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the selling institution and becomes a lender under the loan or credit agreement with respect to the loan obligation. In contrast, participations acquired in a portion of a loan obligation held by a selling institution typically result in a contractual relationship only with such selling institution, not with the obligor. Therefore, holders of indirect participation interests are subject to additional risks not applicable to a holder of a direct assignment interest in a loan. In purchasing a participation, the Fund generally would have no right to enforce compliance by the obligor with the terms of the loan or credit agreement or other instrument evidencing such loan obligation, nor any rights of set-off against the obligor, and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the loan obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund would assume the credit risk of both the obligor and the selling institution, which would remain the legal owner of record of the applicable loan. In the event of the insolvency of the selling institution, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of the selling institution in respect of the participation, may not benefit from any set-off exercised by the selling institution against the obligor and may be subject to any set-off exercised by the obligor against the selling institution. Assignments and participations are typically sold strictly without recourse to the selling institution, and the selling institution generally will make no representations or warranties about the underlying loan, the portfolio companies, the terms of the loans or any collateral securing the loans. Certain loans have restrictions on assignments and participations which may negatively impact the Fund’s ability to exit from all or part of its investment in a loan. In addition, if a participation interest is purchased from a selling institution that does not itself retain any portion of the applicable loan, such selling institution may have limited interests in monitoring the terms of the loan agreement and the continuing creditworthiness of the borrower.

Fraudulent Conveyances and Voidable Preferences by Issuers. Under U.S. legal principles, in a lawsuit brought by an unpaid creditor or representative of creditors of an issuer of indebtedness (including a bankruptcy trustee), if a court were to find that the issuer did not receive fair consideration or reasonably equivalent value for incurring the indebtedness or for granting security, and that after giving effect to such indebtedness or such security, the issuer (a) was insolvent, (b) was engaged in a business for which the remaining assets of such issuer constituted unreasonably small capital or (c) intended to incur, or believed that it would incur, debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature, such court could determine to invalidate and avoid, in whole or in part, the obligation underlying an investment of the Fund as a constructive fraudulent conveyance. The measure of insolvency for purposes of the foregoing will vary. Generally, an issuer would be considered insolvent at a particular time if the sum of its debts was then greater than all of its property at a fair valuation, or if the present fair saleable value of its assets was then less than the amount that would be required to pay its probable liabilities on its existing debts as they became absolute and matured. There can be no assurance as to what standard a court would apply to determine whether the issuer was “insolvent” after giving effect to the incurrence of the indebtedness in which the Fund invested or that, regardless of the method of valuation, a court would not determine that the issuer was “insolvent” upon giving effect to such incurrence.

In addition, it is possible a court may invalidate, in whole or in part, the indebtedness underlying an investment of the Fund as a fraudulent conveyance, subordinate such indebtedness to existing or future creditors of the obligor or recover amounts previously paid by the obligor in satisfaction of such indebtedness. Moreover, in the event of the insolvency of an issuer of a portfolio company, payments made on its indebtedness could be subject to avoidance as a “preference” if made within a certain period of time (which may be as long as one year) before the portfolio company becomes a debtor in a bankruptcy case.

Even if the Fund does not engage in conduct that would form the basis for a successful cause of action based upon fraudulent conveyance or preference law, there can be no assurance as to whether any lending institution or other party from which the Fund may acquire such indebtedness, or any prior holder of such indebtedness, has not engaged in any such conduct (or any other conduct that would subject such indebtedness to disallowance or subordination under insolvency laws) and, if it did engage in such conduct, as to whether such creditor claims could be asserted in a U.S. court (or in the courts of any other country) against the Fund so that the Fund’s claim against the issuer would be disallowed or subordinated.

Risk of Default Under a Credit Facility. In the event the Fund defaults under a credit facility, the Fund’s business could be adversely affected as the Fund may be forced to sell a portion of its investments quickly and prematurely at prices that may be disadvantageous to the Fund in order to meet its outstanding payment obligations and/or support working capital requirements under the credit facility or such future borrowing facility, any of which would have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, following any such default, the agent for the lenders under a credit facility could assume control of the disposition of any or all of the Fund’s assets, including the selection of such assets to be disposed and the timing of such disposition, which would have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

 

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Risks Relating to Certain Regulatory and Tax Matters

Regulations Governing the Funds Operation as a BDC. The Fund will not generally be able to issue and sell its Common Shares at a price below net asset value per share. The Fund may, however, sell Common Shares, or warrants, options or rights to acquire the Fund’s Common Shares, at a price below the then-current net asset value per share of the Fund’s Common Shares if the Fund’s Board determines that such sale is in the Fund’s best interests, and if investors approve such sale. In any such case, the price at which the Fund’s securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price that, in the determination of the Adviser, closely approximates the market value of such securities (less any distributing commission or discount). If the Fund raises additional funds by issuing common shares or senior securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, its common shares, then the percentage ownership of investors at that time will decrease, and investors may experience dilution.

Investing a Sufficient Portion of Assets in Qualifying Assets. The Fund may not acquire any assets other than “Qualifying Assets” unless, at the time of and after giving effect to such acquisition, at least 70% of the Fund’s total assets are Qualifying Assets.

The Fund believes that most of the investments that it may acquire in the future will constitute Qualifying Assets. However, the Fund may be precluded from investing in what it believes to be attractive investments if such investments are not Qualifying Assets for purposes of the 1940 Act. If the Fund does not invest a sufficient portion of its assets in Qualifying Assets, it could violate the 1940 Act provisions applicable to BDCs. As a result of such violation, specific rules under the 1940 Act could prevent the Fund, for example, from making follow-on investments in existing portfolio companies (which could result in the dilution of its position) or could require the Fund to dispose of investments at inappropriate times in order to come into compliance with the 1940 Act. If the Fund needs to dispose of such investments quickly, it could be difficult to dispose of such investments on favorable terms. The Fund may not be able to find a buyer for such investments and, even if a buyer is found, the Fund may have to sell the investments at a substantial loss. Any such outcomes would have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

If the Fund does not maintain its status as a BDC, it would be subject to regulation as a registered closed-end management investment company under the 1940 Act. As a registered closed-end management investment company, the Fund would be subject to substantially more regulatory restrictions under the 1940 Act which would significantly decrease its operating flexibility.

Costs as a Result of Being an Exchange Act Reporting Company. If the Fund conducts a public offering and list its shares on a national securities exchange, it will be subject to the reporting requirements under the Exchange Act. As an Exchange Act reporting company, the Fund would incur legal, accounting and other expenses, including costs associated with the periodic reporting requirements applicable to a company whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act, as well as additional corporate governance requirements, including requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and other rules implemented by the SEC.

The Fund is not currently required to comply with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, including the internal control evaluation and certification requirements of Section 404 of that statute (“Section 404”), and the Fund will not be required to comply with certain of those requirements until it has been subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act for a specified period of time. However, under current SEC rules, after listing the Fund will be required to report on its internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404. The Fund will be required to review on an annual basis its internal control over financial reporting, and on a quarterly and annual basis to evaluate and disclose changes in internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, the Fund’s internal controls over financial reporting do not currently meet all of the standards contemplated by Section 404 that the Fund will eventually be required to meet. In the event of a listing, the Fund will address its internal controls over financial reporting and establish formal procedures, policies, processes and practices related to financial reporting and to the identification of key financial reporting risks, assessment of their potential impact and linkage of those risks to specific areas and activities within the Fund’s organization.

Prior to a listing, the Fund will begin the process of documenting its internal control procedures to satisfy the requirements of Section 404, which requires annual management assessments of the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting. The Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to formally attest to the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting until the later of the year following its first annual report required to be filed with the SEC, or the date the Fund is no longer an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act. Because the Fund does not currently have comprehensive documentation of its internal controls and has not yet tested any internal controls in accordance with Section 404, the Fund cannot conclude in

 

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accordance with Section 404 that it does not have a material weakness in internal controls or a combination of significant deficiencies that could result in the conclusion that the Fund has a material weakness in internal controls. After a listing, the Fund will, as a public entity, be required to complete its initial assessment in a timely manner. If the Fund is not able to implement the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner or with adequate compliance following a listing, the Fund’s operations, financial reporting or financial results could be adversely affected. Matters impacting internal controls may cause the Fund to be unable to report its financial information on a timely basis and thereby subject the Fund to adverse regulatory consequences, including sanctions by the SEC or violations of applicable stock exchange listing rules, and result in a breach of the covenants under the agreements governing any of the Fund’s financing arrangements. There could also be a negative reaction in the financial markets due to a loss of investor confidence in the Fund and the reliability of the Fund’s financial statements. Confidence in the reliability of the Fund’s financial statements could also suffer if the Fund or its independent registered public accounting firm were to report a material weakness in the Fund’s internal controls over financial reporting.

New or Modified Laws or Regulations Governing Our Operations. The Fund’s portfolio companies and the Fund are subject to regulation by laws at the U.S. federal, state, and local levels. These laws and regulations, as well as their interpretation, may change from time to time, including as the result of interpretive guidance or other directives from the U.S. President and others in the executive branch, and new laws, regulations, and interpretations may also come into effect. Any such new or changed laws or regulations could have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s business. The effects of such laws and regulations on the financial services industry will depend, in large part, upon the extent to which regulators exercise the authority granted to them and the approaches taken in implementing regulations. President Biden may support an enhanced regulatory agenda that imposes greater costs on all sectors and on financial services companies in particular.

Future legislative and regulatory proposals directed at the financial services industry that are proposed or pending in the U.S. Congress may negatively impact the operations, cash flows or financial condition of the Fund or its portfolio companies, impose additional costs on portfolio companies or the Fund intensify the regulatory supervision of the Fund or its portfolio companies or otherwise adversely affect the Fund’s business or the business of its portfolio companies. Laws that apply to the Fund, either now or in the future, are often highly complex and may include licensing requirements. The licensing process can be lengthy and can be expected to subject the Fund to increased regulatory oversight. Failure, even if unintentional, to comply fully with applicable laws may result in sanctions, fines, or limitations on the ability of the Fund or the Adviser to do business in the relevant jurisdiction or to procure required licenses in other jurisdictions, all of which could have a material adverse effect on the Fund. In addition, if the Fund does not comply with applicable laws and regulations, it could lose any licenses that it then holds for the conduct of its business and may be subject to civil fines and criminal penalties.

Additionally, changes to the laws and regulations governing Fund operations, including those associated with RICs, may cause the Fund to alter its investment strategy in order to avail itself of new or different opportunities or result in the imposition of corporate-level taxes on us. Such changes could result in material differences to the Fund’s strategies and plans and may shift the Fund’s investment focus from the areas of expertise of the Adviser to other types of investments in which the Adviser may have little or no expertise or experience. Any such changes, if they occur, could have a material adverse effect on the Fund’s results of operations and the value of an investor’s investment. If the Fund invests in commodity interests in the future, the Adviser may determine not to use investment strategies that trigger additional regulation by the CFTC or may determine to operate subject to CFTC regulation, if applicable. If the Adviser or the Fund were to operate subject to CFTC regulation, the Fund may incur additional expenses and would be subject to additional regulation.

In addition, certain regulations applicable to debt securitizations implementing credit risk retention requirements that have taken effect in both the U.S. and in Europe may adversely affect or prevent the Fund from entering into securitization transactions. These risk retention rules will increase the Fund’s cost of funds under, or may prevent the Fund from completing, future securitization transactions. In particular, the U.S. Risk Retention Rules require the sponsor (directly or through a majority-owned affiliate) of a debt securitization, such as CLOs, in the absence of an exemption, to retain an economic interest in the credit risk of the assets being securitized in the form of an eligible horizontal residual interest, an eligible vertical interest, or a combination thereof, in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Risk Retention Rules. Given the more attractive financing costs associated with these types of debt securitizations as opposed to other types of financing available (such as traditional senior secured facilities), this increases our financing costs, which increases the financing costs ultimately be borne by the Fund’s investors.

 

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Over the last several years, there also has been an increase in regulatory attention to the extension of credit outside of the traditional banking sector, raising the possibility that some portion of the non-bank financial sector will be subject to new regulation. While it cannot be known at this time whether any regulation will be implemented or what form it will take, increased regulation of non-bank credit extension by the Biden Administration could negatively impact our operations, cash flows or financial condition, impose additional costs on us, intensify the regulatory supervision of the Fund or otherwise adversely affect the Fund’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

Licensing Requirements. Certain banking and regulatory bodies or agencies in or outside the United States may require the Fund, its subsidiaries, the Adviser and/or certain employees of the Adviser to obtain licenses or authorizations to engage in many types of lending activities including the origination of loans. It may take a significant amount of time and expense to obtain such licenses or authorizations and the Fund may be required to bear the cost of obtaining such licenses and authorizations. There can be no assurance that any such licenses or authorizations would be granted or, if granted, whether any such licenses or authorizations would impose restrictions on the Fund. Such licenses or authorizations may require the disclosure of confidential information about the Fund, Fund investors or their respective affiliates, including the identity, financial information and/or information regarding the Fund investors and their officers and trustees. The Fund may not be willing or able to comply with these requirements. Alternatively, the Adviser may be compelled to structure certain potential investments in a manner that would not require such licenses and authorizations, although such transactions may be inefficient or otherwise disadvantageous for the Fund and/or any relevant portfolio company, including because of the risk that licensing authorities would not accept such structuring alternatives in lieu of obtaining a license or authorization. The inability of the Fund or the Adviser to obtain necessary licenses or authorizations, the structuring of an investment in an inefficient or otherwise disadvantageous manner, or changes in licensing regulations, could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to implement its investment program and achieve its intended results.

Dodd-Frank Act. The enactment of the U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) and other financial regulations curtailed certain investment activities of U.S. banks. As a result, alternative providers of capital (such as the Fund) were able to access certain investment opportunities on a larger scale. If the restrictions under the Dodd-Frank Act are curtailed or repealed, banks may be subject to fewer restrictions on their investment activities, thereby increasing competition with the Fund for potential investment opportunities. As a result, any changes to the Dodd-Frank Act may adversely impact the Fund.

The Fund is Subject to Risks Relating to Pay-to-Play Laws, Regulations and Policies. Many states, their subdivisions and associated pension plans have adopted so-called “pay-to-play” laws, rules, regulations or policies which prohibit, restrict or require disclosure of payments to, and/or certain contacts with, certain politicians or officials associated with public entities by individuals and entities seeking to do business with related entities, including seeking investments by public retirement funds in collective investment funds such as the Fund. The SEC also has adopted rules that, among other things, prohibit an investment adviser from providing advisory services for compensation with respect to a government plan investor for two years after the adviser or certain of its executives or employees makes a contribution to certain elected officials or candidates for certain elected offices. If the Adviser or the Adviser’s respective employees or affiliates violate such pay-to-play laws, rules, regulations or policies, such non-compliance could have an adverse effect on the Fund by, for example, providing the basis for the ability of such government-affiliated pension plan investor to cease funding its obligations to the Fund or to withdraw from the Fund.

Government Policies, Changes in Laws, and International Trade. Governmental regulatory activity, especially that of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve System, may have a significant effect on interest rates and on the economy generally, which in turn may affect the price of the securities in which the Fund plans to invest. High interest rates, the imposition of credit controls or other restraints on the financing of takeovers or other acquisitions could diminish the number of merger tender offers, exchange offers or other acquisitions, and as a consequence have a materially adverse effect on the activities of the Fund. Moreover, changes in U.S. federal, state, and local tax laws, U.S. federal or state securities and bankruptcy laws or in accounting standards may make corporate acquisitions or restructurings less desirable or make risk arbitrage less profitable. Amendments to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or other relevant laws could also alter an expected outcome or introduce greater uncertainty regarding the likely outcome of an investment situation.

In addition, governmental policies could create uncertainty for the global financial system and such uncertainty may increase the risks inherent to the Fund and its activities. For example, in March 2018, the United States imposed an additional 25% tariff under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, on steel products imported into the United States. Furthermore, in May 2019, the United States imposed a 25% tariff on certain imports from China, and China reacted with tariffs on certain imports from the United States. These tariffs and restrictions, as well as other changes in U.S. trade policy, have resulted in, and may continue to trigger, retaliatory actions by affected countries, including imposing trade sanctions on certain U.S. products. A “trade war” of this nature has the potential to increase costs, decrease margins, reduce the competitiveness of products and services offered by current and future portfolio companies and adversely affect the revenues and profitability of companies whose businesses rely on imports and exports. Prospective Fund investors should realize that any significant changes in governmental policies (including tariffs and other policies involving international trade) could have a material adverse impact on the Fund and its investments.

 

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EU General Data Protection Regulation. In Europe, the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) was made effective on May 25, 2018, introducing substantial changes to current European privacy laws. It has superseded the existing Data Protection Directive, which is the key European legislation governing the use of personal data relating to living individuals. The GDPR provides enhanced rights to individuals with respect to the privacy of their personal data and applies not only to organizations with a presence in the European Union which use or hold data relating to living individuals, but also to those organizations that offer services to individual European Union investors. In addition, although regulatory behavior and penalties under the GDPR remain an area of considerable scrutiny, it does increase the sanctions for serious breaches to the greater of €20,000,000 or 4% of worldwide revenue, the impact of which could be significant. Compliance with the GDPR may require additional measures, including updating policies and procedures and reviewing relevant IT systems, which may create additional costs and expenses for the Fund and therefore the Fund investors. The Fund may have indemnification obligations in respect of, or be required to pay the expenses relating to, any litigation or action as a result of any purported breach of the GDPR. Fund investors other than individuals in the European Union may not be afforded the protections of the GDPR.

Potential Controlled Group Liability. Under certain circumstances it would be possible for the Fund, along with its affiliates, to obtain a controlling interest (i.e., 80% or more) in certain portfolio companies. This could occur, for example, in connection with a work out of the portfolio company’s debt obligations or a restructuring of the portfolio company’s capital structure. Thus, there is a risk that the Fund could be treated as a single employer with one or more of its portfolio companies for purposes of ERISA’s controlled group rules. In such an event, the Fund could be jointly and severally liable for a portfolio company’s liabilities with respect to the underfunding of any pension plans which such portfolio company sponsors or to which it contributes. If the portfolio company were not able to satisfy those liabilities, they could become the responsibility of the Fund, causing it to incur potentially significant, unexpected liabilities for which reserves were not established.

Being an “Emerging Growth Company”. We will be and we will remain an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act until the earlier of (a) the last day of the fiscal year (i) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1,070,000,000, or (ii) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700,000,000 as of the date of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, and (b) the date on which we have issued more than $1,000,000,000 in non-convertible debt during the prior three- year period. For so long as we remain an “emerging growth company,” we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404. We cannot predict if investors will find our shares less attractive because we will rely on some or all of these exemptions. If some investors find our shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our shares and our share price may be more volatile.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the 1933 Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We will take advantage of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards, which may make it more difficult for investors and securities analysts to evaluate us since our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates and may result in less investor confidence.

Compliance with the SEC’s Regulation Best Interest. Broker-dealers must comply with Regulation Best Interest, which, among other requirements, enhances the existing standard of conduct for broker-dealers and natural persons who are associated persons of a broker-dealer when recommending to a retail customer any securities transaction or investment strategy involving securities to a retail customer. Regulation Best Interest imposes a duty of care for broker-dealers to evaluate reasonably available alternatives in the best interests of their clients. There are likely alternatives to us that are reasonably available to you, through your broker or otherwise, and those alternatives may be less costly or have a lower investment risk. Among other alternatives, listed BDCs may be reasonable alternatives to an investment in our Common Stock, and may feature characteristics like lower cost, less complexity, and lesser or different risks. Investments in listed securities also often involve nominal or zero commissions at the time of initial purchase. The impact of Regulation Best Interest on broker-dealers participating in our offering cannot be determined at this time, but it may negatively impact whether broker-dealers and their associated persons recommend this offering to retail customers. If Regulation Best Interest reduces our ability to raise capital in this offering, it would harm our ability to create a diversified portfolio of investments and achieve our investment objective and would result in our fixed operating costs representing a larger percentage of our gross income.

 

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Federal Income Tax Risks

RIC Qualification Risks. To obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment under Subchapter M of the Code, we must, among other things, meet annual distribution, income source and asset diversification requirements. If we do not qualify for or maintain RIC tax treatment for any reason and are subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of our distributions.

Paying Required Distributions. For federal income tax purposes, we may be required to recognize taxable income in circumstances in which we do not receive a corresponding payment in cash. For example, if we hold debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as having original issue discount (such as zero coupon securities, debt instruments with PIK interest or, in certain cases, increasing interest rates or debt instruments that were issued with warrants), we must include in income each year a portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the life of the obligation, regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by us in the same taxable year. We may also have to include in income other amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as deferred loan origination fees that are paid after origination of the loan or are paid in non-cash compensation such as warrants or stock. We anticipate that a portion of our income may constitute original issue discount or other income required to be included in taxable income prior to receipt of cash. Further, we may elect to amortize market discount and include such amounts in our taxable income in the current year, instead of upon disposition, as an election not to do so would limit our ability to deduct interest expenses for tax purposes.

Because any original issue discount or other amounts accrued will be included in our investment company taxable income for the year of the accrual, we may be required to make a distribution to our shareholders in order to satisfy the annual distribution requirement, even though we will not have received any corresponding cash amount. As a result, we may have difficulty meeting the annual distribution requirement necessary to qualify for and maintain RIC tax treatment under Subchapter M of the Code. We may have to sell some of our investments at times and/or at prices we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or forgo new investment opportunities for this purpose. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, we may not qualify for or maintain RIC tax treatment and thus may become subject to corporate-level income tax. The resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of our distributions.

Corporate-Level Income Tax. The Fund may invest in certain debt and equity investments through taxable subsidiaries and the taxable income of these taxable subsidiaries will be subject to federal and state corporate income taxes. The Fund may invest in certain foreign debt and equity investments which could be subject to foreign taxes (such as income tax, withholding and value added taxes).

Special Tax Issues. The Fund expects to invest in debt securities that are rated below investment grade by rating agencies or that would be rated below investment grade if they were rated. Investments in these types of instruments may present special tax issues. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about certain issues related to such investments such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless instruments, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable. These and other issues will be addressed by us, to the extent necessary, to distribute sufficient income to preserve our tax status as a RIC and minimize the extent to which we are subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.

“Publicly offered regulated investment company” Tax Issue. A “publicly offered regulated investment company” is a RIC whose shares are either (i) continuously offered pursuant to a public offering within the meaning of Section 4 of the Securities Act, (ii) regularly traded on an established securities market or (iii) held by at least 500 persons at all times during the taxable year. We expect to qualify as a publicly offered RIC, but no certainty can be provided in this regard. If we are not a publicly offered RIC for any taxable year, a non-corporate shareholder’s allocable portion of our affected expenses, including our management fees, will be treated as an additional distribution to the shareholder and will be deductible by such shareholder only to the extent permitted under the limitations described below. The ability of non-corporate taxpayers to deduct such expenses, referred to as miscellaneous itemized deductions, will be subject to significant limitations. In particular, for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2026, non-corporate shareholders, including individuals, trusts, and estates generally will not be entitled to a deduction for such expenses, and for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, these expenses will be deductible to non-corporate taxpayers only to the extent they exceed 2% of such a shareholder’s adjusted gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes and not deductible for purposes of the alternative minimum tax.

 

59


Legislative or Regulatory Tax Changes. At any time, the federal income tax laws governing RICs or the administrative interpretations of those laws or regulations may be amended. The Biden Administration has announced a number of tax law proposals, which include increases in the corporate and individual tax rates, and impose a minimum tax on book income and profits of certain multinational corporations. Any new laws, regulations or interpretations may take effect retroactively and could adversely affect the taxation of us or our shareholders. Therefore, changes in tax laws, regulations or administrative interpretations or any amendments thereto could diminish the value of an investment in our shares or the value or the resale potential of our investments.

The foregoing list of risk factors does not purport to be a complete enumeration or explanation of the risks involved in an investment in the Fund. Each prospective Fund investor should read this entire prospectus, the Declaration of Trust of the Fund and consult with its advisers before deciding whether to invest in the Fund. In addition, as the Fund’s investment program develops and changes over time, an investment in the Fund may be subject to additional and different risk factors.

 

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ESTIMATED USE OF PROCEEDS

We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering to (1) make investments in accordance with our investment strategy and policies, (2) pay our operating expenses, (3) fund repurchases under our share repurchase program, and (4) for general corporate purposes. Generally, our policy will be to pay distributions and operating expenses from cash flow from operations, however, we are not restricted from funding these items from proceeds from this offering or other sources and may choose to do so, particularly in the earlier part of this offering.

We will seek to invest the net proceeds received in this offering as promptly as practicable after receipt thereof, and in any event generally within 90 days of each subscription closing. However, depending on market conditions and other factors, including the availability of investments that meet our investment objective, we may be unable to invest such proceeds within the time period we anticipate. Pending such investment, we may have a greater allocation to syndicated loans or other liquid investments than we otherwise would or we may make investments in cash or cash equivalents (such as U.S. government securities or certain high quality debt instruments).

We estimate that we will incur approximately $5.2 million of organizational and offering expenses (excluding the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee) in connection with this offering, or approximately 0.52% of the gross proceeds, assuming maximum gross proceeds of $1,000,000,000. The Adviser and/or its affiliates have agreed to advance all of our organization and offering expenses on our behalf through the date on which we break escrow for this offering. Pursuant to the Expense Support Agreement, the Adviser is obligated to advance all of our Other Operating Expenses (including organizational and offering expenses) for the twelve-month period commencing from the date of the Expense Support Agreement to the effect that such expenses do not exceed 0.70% (on an annualized basis) of the Fund’s NAV. We will be obligated to reimburse the Adviser for such advanced expenses only if certain conditions are met. See “Plan of Operations—Expenses—Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement.” Any reimbursements will not exceed actual expenses incurred by the Adviser and its affiliates.

The following tables sets forth our estimate of how we intend to use the gross proceeds from this offering. Information is provided assuming that the Fund sells the maximum number of shares registered in this offering, or 40,000,000 shares. The amount of net proceeds may be more or less than the amount depicted in the table below depending on the public offering price of our shares and the actual number of shares we sell in this offering. The table below assumes that shares are sold at the current offering price of $25.00 per share. Such amount is subject to increase or decrease based upon our NAV per share.

The following tables present information about the net proceeds raised in this offering for each class, assuming that we sell the minimum offering amount of $100,000,000 and the maximum primary offering amount of $1,000,000,000. The tables assume that 1/3 of our gross offering proceeds are from the sale of Class S shares, 1/3 of our gross offering proceeds are from the sale of Class D shares and 1/3 of our gross offering proceeds are from the sale of Class I shares. The number of shares of each class sold and the relative proportions in which the classes of shares are sold are uncertain and may differ significantly from what is shown in the tables below. Because amounts in the following tables are estimates, they may not accurately reflect the actual receipt or use of the gross proceeds from this offering. Amounts expressed as a percentage of net proceeds or gross proceeds may be higher or lower due to rounding.

The following table presents information regarding the use of proceeds raised in this offering with respect to Class S shares.

 

     Minimum Offering of
$33,333,333 in
Class S Shares
    Maximum Offering of
$333,333,333 in
Class S Shares
 

Gross Proceeds(1)

   $ 33,333,333        100   $ 333,333,333        100

Upfront Sales Load(2)

   $ —          —     $ —          —  

Organization and Offering Expenses(3)

   $ 1,731,811        5.20   $ 1,731,811        0.52

Net Proceeds Available for Investment

   $ 31,601,522        94.80   $ 331,601,522        99.48
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

The following table presents information regarding the use of proceeds raised in this offering with respect to Class D shares.

 

     Minimum Offering of
$33,333,333 in
Class D Shares
    Maximum Offering of
$333,333,333 in
Class D Shares
 

Gross Proceeds(1)

   $ 33,333,333        100   $ 333,333,333        100

Upfront Sales Load(2)

   $ —          —     $ —          —  

Organization and Offering Expenses(3)

   $ 1,731,811        5.20   $ 1,731,811        0.52

Net Proceeds Available for Investment

   $ 31,601,522        94.80   $ 331,601,522        99.48
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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The following table presents information regarding the use of proceeds raised in this offering with respect to Class I shares.

 

     Minimum Offering of
$33,333,334 in
Class I Shares
    Maximum Offering of
$333,333,334 in
Class I Shares
 

Gross Proceeds(1)

   $ 33,333,334        100   $ 333,333,334        100

Upfront Sales Load(2)

   $          $       

Organization and Offering Expenses(3)

   $ 1,731,811        5.20   $ 1,731,811        0.52

Net Proceeds Available for Investment

   $ 31,601,523        94.80   $ 331,601,523        99.48
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)

We intend to conduct a continuous offering of an unlimited number of Common Shares over an unlimited time period by filing a new registration statement prior to the end of the three-year period described in Rule 415 under the Securities Act; however, in certain states this offering is subject to annual extensions.

(2)

No upfront sales load will be paid with respect to Class S shares, Class D shares or Class I shares; however, if you buy Class S shares or Class D shares through certain financial intermediaries, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in such amount as they may determine, provided that they limit such charges to a 3.50% cap on NAV for Class S shares and a 1.50% cap on NAV for Class D shares. We will also pay the following shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees to the Managing Dealer and/or a participating broker, subject to FINRA limitations on underwriting compensation: (a) for Class S shares, a shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV for the Class S shares, and (b) for Class D shares, a shareholder servicing fee equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV for the Class D shares, in each case, payable monthly. No shareholder servicing or distribution fees will be paid with respect to the Class I shares. The total amount that will be paid over time for other underwriting compensation depends on the average length of time for which shares remain outstanding, the term over which such amount is measured and the performance of our investments, and is not expected to be paid from sources other than cash flow from operating activities. We will cease paying the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee on the Class S shares and Class D shares on the earlier to occur of the following: (i) a listing of Class I shares, (ii) our merger or consolidation with or into another entity, or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets or (iii) the date following the completion of the primary portion of this offering on which, in the aggregate, underwriting compensation from all sources in connection with this offering, including the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee and other underwriting compensation, is equal to 10% of the gross proceeds from our primary offering. In addition, as required by exemptive relief for which we have applied to allow us to offer multiple classes of shares, at the end of the month in which the Managing Dealer in conjunction with the transfer agent determines that total transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, and shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees paid with respect to any single share held in a shareholder’s account would exceed, in the aggregate, 10% of the gross proceeds from the sale of such share (or a lower limit as determined by the Managing Dealer or the applicable selling agent), we will cease paying the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee on either (i) each such share that would exceed such limit or (ii) all Class S shares and Class D shares in such shareholder’s account. We may modify this requirement if permitted by applicable exemptive relief. At the end of such month, the applicable Class S shares or Class D shares in such shareholder’s account will convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares), with an equivalent aggregate NAV as such Class S or Class D shares. See “Plan of Distribution.”

(3)

The organization and offering expense numbers shown above represent our estimates of expenses to be incurred by us in connection with this offering and include estimated wholesaling expenses reimbursable by us. See “Plan of Distribution” for examples of the types of organization and offering expenses we may incur.

 

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PLAN OF OPERATION

The information in this section contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Please see “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements. You should read the following discussion in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes and other financial information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.

Overview

We are a newly organized, externally managed, non-diversified closed-end management investment company that intends to elect to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. Formed as a Delaware statutory trust on March 23, 2022, we are externally managed by the Adviser, which is responsible for sourcing potential investments, conducting due diligence on prospective investments, analyzing investment opportunities, determining the value of Fund investments, structuring investments and monitoring our portfolio on an ongoing basis. Our Adviser is registered as investment adviser with the SEC. We also intend to elect to be treated, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under the Code.

Under our Advisory Agreement, we have agreed to pay the Adviser a management fee as well as an incentive fee based on our investment performance. Also, under the Administration Agreement, we have agreed to pay the Administrator the Administration Fee.

Our investment objectives are to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation. The Fund will achieve these objectives primarily through directly originated loans to private companies but also liquid credit investments, like broadly syndicated loans, and other select Private Credit investments.

The Adviser’s investment strategy is credit driven with a focus on capital preservation. The Adviser seeks to employ a rigorous and consistent due diligence process when assessing each individual issuer. The Adviser intends to evaluate each issuers’ ownership and management team, business model, competitive differentiation, historical and projected financial performance, cost structure, key customers and key suppliers, and position within its industry.

The Adviser will utilize its expertise sourcing and investing in loans to private businesses while leveraging the proprietary industry research of the broader Fidelity platform when constructing the Fund’s portfolio. Quantitative and qualitative factors will drive each investment decision to seek to achieve the Fund’s stated investment objective. The Fund intends to invest across issuers, industries, geographies, and Sponsors or ownership groups.

The majority of the Fund’s investments will be loans targeted at private U.S. operating companies whose securities are not listed on a national securities exchange or registered under the Exchange Act, and public U.S. operating companies having a market capitalization of less than $250,000,000. The Adviser may also invest to a lesser degree in non-U.S. companies. Specific private investments may include: (a) directly originated first lien loans, senior secured revolving lines of credit, term loans and delayed draw term loans, (b) directly originated second lien, last out senior, secured or unsecured mezzanine term loans and delayed draw term loans, (c) club deals (investments generally comprised from a small group of lenders), and broadly syndicated leveraged loans (investments generally arranged or underwritten by investment banks or other intermediaries), and (d) other debt (collectively referred to as “Private Credit”). The Adviser may also invest to a lesser degree in equity linked instruments (may include debt with warrants, preferred equity investments, or equity co-investments). The Adviser may lead and structure the transaction as sole-lender, as the agent of a club credit facility (a group of similar direct lenders that invest in the same tranches), or may participate as a non-agent investor in a large club or syndicated transactions.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in Private Credit investments. If the Fund changes its 80% test, the Fund will provide shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior notice of such change. The Fund will also invest at least 70% of its total assets in investments that meet regulatory requirements of the BDC structure, which will generally include investments in companies that are generally private and may be backed by a Sponsor but may also include investments in small capitalization public companies or companies that are Non-Sponsored. The Adviser will directly originate credit opportunities from a large universe of Sponsors, intermediaries and other direct lenders, as well as internal Fidelity resources.

Targeted borrowers will operate within a wide range of industries. Leveraging Fidelity’s proprietary industry research and the Adviser’s expertise, the Fund will primarily invest in industries where the Adviser’s portfolio management team has deep experience with similarly situated companies. The Adviser will target investments structured as first lien senior secured and unitranche credit facilities, while also taking advantage of opportunistic investments in other parts of the capital structure, including last out loans, second lien loans, mezzanine and other junior debt loans, as well as equity investments.

 

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The Fund may enter into hedging transactions, which may utilize instruments such as forward contracts, currency options and interest rate swaps, collars and floors to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the relative values of the Fund’s portfolio positions from changes in currency exchange rates and market interest rates. The Fund may also receive or purchase warrants or rights.

Most of the investments that the Fund intends to invest in are unrated or rated below investment grade (rated lower than “Baa3” by Moody’s Investor Service, Inc. or lower than “BBB-” by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services), which are often referred to as “leveraged loans,” “high yield” or “junk” debt investments and may be considered “high risk” or speculative compared to debt investments that are rated investment grade. Such issuers are considered more likely than investment grade issuers to default on their payments of interest and principal, and such risk of default could reduce the Fund’s net asset value and income distributions to shareholders. They may also be illiquid and difficult to value.

The Adviser will seek collateral packages in connection with the Fund’s secured investments that include liens on the borrower’s assets and a pledge of the borrower’s stock. In addition, the Adviser expects to seek investment structures that include covenant packages that measure the borrower’s key performance metrics but will also be permitted to invest in loans that would not include maintenance covenants. Loans will usually have stated terms of five to seven years, but the expected average life of such securities is usually between three to four years and may contain scheduled amortization payments and/or mandatory excess cash flow payments to reduce exposure and risk over the life of the investment.

The Fund will generally seek to invest in loans that carry variable (i.e., “floating”) interest rates. In addition to the cash yields received on its loans from principal and interest payments, the Fund will seek to invest in loans that generally pay additional fees, including but not limited to, closing fees, arrangement fees, prepayment premiums, or amendment fees. In certain cases, loan investments will have equity enhancement features, which may be in the form of warrants or other equity-related securities that are designed to provide the opportunity for capital appreciation.

To seek to enhance returns, the Fund intends to employ leverage as market conditions permit and at the discretion of the Adviser, but in no event will leverage employed exceed the limitations set forth in the 1940 Act, which currently allows the Fund to borrow up to a 2x debt to equity ratio.

The Fund will borrow money for investment and cash management purposes. In determining whether to borrow money, the Fund will analyze the financial flexibility, maturity, covenant package and rate structure of the proposed borrowings as well as the risks of such borrowings compared to the Fund’s investment outlook. The use of borrowed funds to make investments would have its own specific set of benefits and risks, and all of the costs of borrowing funds would be borne by the shareholders indirectly through their interests in the Fund.

Because the Fund is classified as non-diversified, the Adviser may invest a significant percentage of the Fund’s assets in a single issuer.

See “Investment Objective and Strategies” for more information about our investment strategies. Our investments are subject to a number of risks. See “Risk Factors.”

Revenues

We plan to generate revenue in the form of interest and fee income on debt investments, capital gains, and dividend income from our equity investments in our portfolio companies. Our senior and subordinated debt investments are expected to bear interest at a fixed or floating rate. Interest on debt securities is generally payable quarterly or semiannually. In some cases, some of our investments may provide for deferred interest payments or PIK interest. The principal amount of the debt securities and any accrued but unpaid PIK interest generally will become due at the maturity date. In addition, we may generate revenue in the form of commitment and other fees in connection with transactions. Original issue discounts and market discounts or premiums will be capitalized, and we will accrete or amortize such amounts as interest income. We will record prepayment premiums on loans and debt securities as interest income. Dividend income, if any, will be recognized on an accrual basis to the extent that we expect to collect such amounts.

 

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Expenses

Except as specifically provided below, all investment professionals and staff of the Adviser, when and to the extent engaged in providing investment advisory services to us, and the base compensation, bonus and benefits, and the routine overhead expenses, of such personnel allocable to such services, will be provided and paid for by the Adviser. The Administrator or its affiliates will bear all fees, costs, and expenses incurred that are not assumed by the Fund.

The Fund will bear the following costs and expenses of the Fund’s operations, administration, and transactions:

 

  (i)

investment advisory fees, including management and incentive fees, to the Adviser, pursuant to the Advisory Agreement;

 

  (ii)

the Administration Fee;

 

  (iii)

organization and offering expenses associated with this offering (including legal, accounting, printing, mailing, subscription processing and filing fees and expenses and other offering expenses, including reasonable bona fide due diligence expenses of participating intermediaries supported by detailed and itemized invoices, fees and expenses of the Fund’s escrow agent and transfer agent, but excluding the shareholder servicing fee);

 

  (iv)

all taxes, fees, costs, and expenses, retainers and/or other payments of accountants, legal counsel, advisers (including tax advisers), administrators, auditors (including with respect to any additional auditing required under The Directive 2011/61/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on Alternative Investment Fund Managers and any applicable legislation implemented by an EEA Member state in connection with such Directive (the “AIFMD”)), investment bankers, administrative agents, paying agents, depositaries, custodians, trustees, sub-custodians, consultants (including individuals consulted through expert network consulting firms), engineers, senior advisers, industry experts, operating partners, deal sourcers (including personnel dedicated to but not employed by the Administrator, or its affiliates), and other professionals (except to the extent such taxes, fees, costs, and expenses are borne by the Administrator or its affiliates under the Administration Agreement or under the terms of the Advisory Agreement);

 

  (v)

the cost of effecting any sales and repurchases of the common shares of the Fund and other securities;

 

  (vi)

fees and expenses payable under any managing dealer and selected intermediary agreements, if any;

 

  (vii)

interest and fees and expenses arising out of all borrowings, guarantees and other financings or derivative transactions (including interest, fees and related legal expenses) made or entered into by the Fund, including, but not limited to, the arranging thereof and related legal expenses;

 

  (viii)

fees and expenses of any third-party valuation services or valuation agent;

 

  (ix)

all fees, costs and expenses of any loan servicers and other service providers and of any custodians, lenders, investment banks and other financing sources;

 

  (x)

costs incurred in connection with the formation or maintenance of entities or vehicles to hold the Fund’s assets for tax or other purposes;

 

  (xi)

costs of derivatives and hedging;

 

  (xii)

all fees, costs and expenses, if any, incurred by or on behalf of the Fund in developing, negotiating and structuring prospective or potential investments that are not ultimately made, including, without limitation any broken deal expenses, legal, research tax, administrative, accounting, travel, meals, accommodations and entertainment, advisory, consulting and printing expenses or other expenses associated with advisers in connection with conducting due diligence or otherwise pursuing a particular non-consummated transaction, reverse termination fees and any liquidated damages, commitment fees that become payable in connection with any proposed investment that is not ultimately made, forfeited deposits or similar payments;

 

  (xiii)

the allocated costs incurred by the Adviser and the Administrator in providing (or arranging for the provision of) managerial assistance to those portfolio companies that request it;

 

  (xiv)

all brokerage costs, hedging costs, prime brokerage fees, custodial expenses, agent bank and other bank service fees; private placement fees, commissions, appraisal fees, commitment fees and underwriting costs; costs and expenses of any lenders, investment banks and other financing sources, and other investment costs, fees and expenses actually incurred in connection with evaluating, making, holding, settling, clearing, monitoring or disposing of actual investments (including, without limitation, travel, meals, accommodations and entertainment

 

65


  expenses and any expenses related to attending trade association and/or industry meetings, conferences or similar meetings, any costs or expenses relating to currency conversion in the case of investments denominated in a currency other than U.S. dollars) and expenses arising out of trade settlements (including any delayed compensation expenses);

 

  (xv)

investment costs, including all fees, costs and expenses incurred in sourcing, evaluating, developing, negotiating, structuring, trading (including trading errors), settling, monitoring and holding prospective or actual investments or investment strategies including, without limitation, any financing, legal, filing, auditing, tax, accounting, compliance, loan administration, travel, meals, accommodations and entertainment, advisory, consulting, engineering, data-related and other professional fees, costs and expenses in connection therewith (to the extent the Adviser is not reimbursed by a prospective or actual issuer of the applicable investment or other third parties or capitalized as part of the acquisition price of the transaction), or any fees, costs and expenses related to the organization or maintenance of any vehicle through which the Fund directly or indirectly participates in the acquisition, holding and/or disposition of investments or which otherwise facilitate the Fund’s investment activities;

 

  (xvi)

transfer agent, dividend agent and custodial fees;

 

  (xvii)

federal and state registration fees, franchise fees, any stock exchange listing fees and fees payable to rating agencies;

 

  (xviii)

fees and expenses including reasonable travel, entertainment, lodging and meal expenses of, and any legal counsel or other advisers retained by, or at the discretion or for the benefit of, the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund (“Independent Trustees”);

 

  (xix)

costs of preparing financial statements, costs of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 compliance and attestation and costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents with the SEC, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and other regulatory bodies and other reporting and compliance costs, including registration and exchange listing and the costs associated with reporting and compliance obligations under the 1940 Act and any other applicable federal and state securities laws, and the compensation of professionals responsible for the foregoing (except to the extent such costs and expenses are borne by the Administrator or its affiliates under the Administration Agreement or under the Advisory Agreement);

 

  (xx)

all fees, costs and expenses associated with the preparation and issuance of the Fund’s periodic reports and related statements (e.g., financial statements and tax returns) and other internal and third-party printing (including a flat service fee), publishing (including time spent performing such printing and publishing services) and reporting-related expenses (including other notices and communications) in respect of the Fund and its activities (including internal expenses, charges and/or related costs incurred, charged or specifically attributed or allocated by the Fund or the Adviser or its affiliates in connection with such provision of services thereby) (except to the extent such costs and expenses are borne by the Administrator or its affiliates under the Administration Agreement or the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement);

 

  (xxi)

the costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to shareholders (including printing and mailing costs) and the costs of any shareholder or Trustee meetings;

 

  (xxii)

proxy voting expenses;

 

  (xxiii)

costs associated with an exchange listing;

 

  (xxiv)

costs of registration rights granted to certain investors;

 

  (xxv)

any taxes and/or tax-related interest, fees or other governmental charges (including any penalties incurred where the Adviser lacks sufficient information from third parties to file a timely and complete tax return) levied against the Fund and all expenses incurred in connection with any tax audit, investigation, litigation, settlement or review of the Fund and the amount of any judgments, fines, remediation or settlements paid in connection therewith;

 

  (xxvi)

all fees, costs and expenses of any litigation, arbitration or audit involving the Fund any vehicle or its portfolio companies and the amount of any judgments, assessments fines, remediations or settlements paid in connection therewith, Trustees and officers, liability or other insurance (including costs of title insurance) and

 

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  indemnification (including advancement of any fees, costs or expenses to persons entitled to indemnification) or extraordinary expense or liability relating to the affairs of the Fund;

 

  (xxvii)

fidelity bond, trustees and officers errors and omissions liability insurance and other insurance premiums;

 

  (xxviii)

all fees, costs and expenses of winding up and liquidating the Fund’s assets; and

 

  (xxix)

extraordinary expenses (such as litigation or indemnification).

The Adviser and/or its affiliates have agreed to advance all of our organization and offering expenses on our behalf through the date on which we break escrow for this offering. Pursuant to the Expense Support Agreement, the Adviser is obligated to advance all of our Other Operating Expenses (including organizational and offering expenses) to the effect that such expenses do not exceed 0.70% (on an annualized basis) of the Fund’s NAV. We will be obligated to reimburse the Adviser for such advanced expenses only if certain conditions are met. See “—Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement.” Any reimbursements will not exceed actual expenses incurred by the Adviser and its affiliates.

From time to time, FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser and Administrator) or its affiliates may pay third-party providers of goods or services. We will reimburse FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser or Administrator) or such affiliates thereof for any such amounts paid on our behalf. From time to time, FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser and Administrator) may defer or waive fees and/or rights to be reimbursed for expenses. All of the foregoing expenses will ultimately be borne by our shareholders, subject to the cap on organization and offering expenses described above.

Administration Agreement

Under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator is obligated to perform or cause to be performed certain services in exchange for the Administration Fee, and the Administrator pays all fees, costs, and expenses incurred by it in connection with its obligations under the Administration Agreement with respect to the Fund, with the exception of certain expenses that are assumed by the Fund, as described above.

As compensation for the services of and expenses borne by the Administrator or its affiliates under the Administration Agreement, the Fund pays to the Administrator a monthly Administration Fee equal to 0.02666% (0.32% on an annualized basis) of the Fund’s month-end net asset value. The Administration Fee is calculated and payable monthly in arrears.

The Administrator or its affiliates will bear all fees, costs, and expenses incurred that are not specifically assumed by the Fund under the Administration Agreement.

For the avoidance of doubt, the costs, fees and expenses borne by the Administrator or its affiliates include but are not limited to the following: (i) the costs and expenses of certain administrative services related to pricing, bookkeeping, and recordkeeping set forth in the Administration Agreement, (ii) fees, costs and expenses of technology and technology development including, but not limited to, computer systems and applications, web servicing, and website development and maintenance; (iii) costs and expense of all in-house administrative professional staff provided by the Administrator or its affiliates, including internal legal, compliance, tax, finance, accounting, audit, technology, or other services and professionals related thereto, as deemed appropriate by the Administrator, and the base compensation, bonus and benefits, and the routine overhead expenses, of such personnel; and (iv) costs and expenses of in-house registered representatives provided by the managing dealer or its affiliates, as deemed appropriate by the Administrator, including base compensation, bonus, and benefits and routine overhead expenses, due diligence expense, and training and promotional expenses. The Administrator or its affiliates (and not the Fund) will pay for the cost of the chief financial officer (“CFO”) and principal accounting officer and their respective staffs.

Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement

We have entered into an Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement with the Adviser. Pursuant to the Expense Support Agreement for the first 12 months commencing on the date of the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement, the Adviser is obligated to advance all of our Other Operating Expenses to the effect that such expenses do not exceed 0.70% (on an annualized basis) of the Fund’s NAV. Any Required Expense Payment must be paid by the Adviser to us in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds and/or offset against amounts due from us to the Adviser or its affiliates.

 

 

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The Adviser may elect to pay, at such times as the Adviser determines, certain expenses on our behalf, provided that no portion of the payment will be used to pay any interest expense or distribution and/or shareholder servicing fees of the Fund. Any Voluntary Expense Payment that the Adviser has committed to pay must be paid by the Adviser to us in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds no later than 45 days after such commitment was made in writing, and/or offset against amounts due from us to the Adviser or its affiliates.

Following any calendar month in which Available Operating Funds (as defined below) exceed the cumulative distributions accrued to the Fund’s shareholders based on distributions declared with respect to record dates occurring in such calendar month (the amount of such excess being hereinafter referred to as “Excess Operating Funds”), we shall pay such Excess Operating Funds, or a portion thereof, to the Adviser until such time as all Expense Payments made by the Adviser to the Fund within 3 years prior to the last business day of such calendar month have been reimbursed. Any payments required to be made by the Fund shall be referred to herein as a “Reimbursement Payment.” “Available Operating Funds” means the sum of (i) our net investment company taxable income (including net short-term capital gains reduced by net long-term capital losses), (ii) our net capital gains (including the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) and (iii) dividends and other distributions paid to us on account of investments in portfolio companies (to the extent such amounts listed in clause (iii) are not included under clauses (i) and (ii) above).

No Reimbursement Payment for any month shall be made if: (1) the Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share declared by the Fund at the time of such Reimbursement Payment is less than the Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share at the time the Expense Payment was made to which such Reimbursement Payment relates, (2) the Fund’s Operating Expense Ratio at the time of such Reimbursement Payment is greater than the Operating Expense Ratio at the time the Expense Payment was made to which such Reimbursement Payment relate, or (3) the Fund’s Other Operating Expenses at the time of such Reimbursement Payment exceeds 0.70% of the Fund’s net asset value. “Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share” means the annualized rate (based on a 365-day year) of regular cash distributions per share exclusive of returns of capital, distribution rate reductions due to distribution and shareholder servicing fees, and declared special dividends or special distributions, if any. The “Operating Expense Ratio” is calculated by dividing Operating Expenses, less organizational and offering expenses, base management and incentive fees owed to the Adviser, shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees, and interest expense, by the Fund’s net assets. “Operating Expenses” means all of the Fund’s operating costs and expenses incurred, as determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for investment companies.

The Fund’s obligation to make a Reimbursement Payment shall automatically become a liability of the Fund on the last business day of the applicable calendar month, except to the extent the Adviser has waived its right to receive such payment for the applicable month.

Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources

We expect to generate cash primarily from (i) the net proceeds of the offering, (ii) cash flows from our operations, (iii) any financing arrangements we may enter into in the future and (iv) any future offerings of our equity or debt securities. Immediately after we meet our minimum offering requirement, gross subscription funds will total at least $100,000,000, which will be available to us immediately upon commencing operations. Once our minimum offering requirement has been met, we intend to sell our shares on a continuous monthly basis at a per share price equal to the then-current NAV per share.

Our primary uses of cash will be for (i) investments in portfolio companies and other investments, (ii) the cost of operations (including paying FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser and Administrator)), (iii) cost of any borrowings or other financing arrangements and (iv) cash distributions to the holders of our shares.

Net Worth of Sponsors

The NASAA, in its Omnibus Guidelines Statement of Policy adopted on March 29, 1992 and as amended on May 7, 2007 and from time to time (the “Omnibus Guidelines”), requires that our affiliates and Adviser, or our Sponsor as defined under the Omnibus Guidelines, have an aggregate financial net worth, exclusive of home, automobiles and home furnishings, of the greater of either $100,000, or 5.0% of the first $20,000,000 of both the gross amount of securities currently being offered in this offering and the gross amount of any originally issued direct participation program securities sold by our affiliates and sponsors within the past 12 months, plus 1.0% of all amounts in excess of the first $20,000,000. Based on these requirements, our Adviser and its affiliates, while not liable directly or indirectly for any indebtedness we may incur, have an aggregate financial net worth in excess of those amounts required by the Omnibus Guidelines Statement of Policy.

 

68


Critical Accounting Policies

This discussion of our expected operating plans is based upon our expected financial statements, which will be prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements will require our management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Changes in the economic environment, financial markets and any other parameters used in determining such estimates could cause actual results to differ. In addition to the discussion below, we will describe our critical accounting policies in the notes to our future financial statements.

Fair Value Measurements

The Fund is required to report its investments for which current market values are not readily available at fair value. The Fund values its investments in accordance with Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act and FASB ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements (“ASC 820”), which defines fair value as the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the applicable measurement date. ASC 820 prioritizes the use of observable market prices derived from such prices over entity-specific inputs. Due to the inherent uncertainties of valuation, certain estimated fair values may differ significantly from the values that would have been realized had a ready market for these investments existed, and these differences could be material. See “Determination of Net Asset Value” for more information on how we value our investments.

Revenue Recognition

Interest Income

Interest income is recorded on an accrual basis and includes the accretion of discounts and amortizations of premiums. Discounts from and premiums to par value on debt investments purchased are accreted/amortized into interest income over the life of the respective security using the effective interest method. The amortized cost of debt investments represents the original cost, including loan origination fees and upfront fees received that are deemed to be an adjustment to yield, adjusted for the accretion of discounts and amortization of premiums, if any. Upon prepayment of a loan or debt security, any prepayment premiums, unamortized upfront loan origination fees and unamortized discounts are recorded as interest income in the current period.

PIK Income

The Fund may have loans in its portfolio that contain PIK provisions. PIK represents interest that is accrued and recorded as interest income at the contractual rates, increases the loan principal on the respective capitalization dates, and is generally due at maturity. Such income is included in interest income in the Fund’s statement of operations. If at any point the Fund believes PIK is not expected to be realized, the investment generating PIK will be placed on non-accrual status. When a PIK investment is placed on non-accrual status, the accrued, uncapitalized interest is generally reversed through interest income. To maintain the Fund’s status as a RIC, this non-cash source of income must be paid out to shareholders in the form of dividends, even though the Fund has not yet collected cash.

Dividend Income

Dividend income on preferred equity securities is recorded on the accrual basis to the extent that such amounts are payable by the portfolio company and are expected to be collected. Dividend income on common equity securities is recorded on the record date for private portfolio companies or on the ex-dividend date for publicly-traded portfolio companies.

Fee Income

The Fund may receive various fees in the ordinary course of business such as structuring, consent, waiver, amendment, syndication fees as well as fees for managerial assistance rendered by the Fund to the portfolio companies. Such fees are recognized as income when earned or the services are rendered.

Non-Accrual Income

Loans are generally placed on non-accrual status when, in management’s judgement, there is sufficient doubt that all or a portion of principal or interest will be collected. Accrued interest is generally reversed when a loan is placed on non-accrual status. Additionally, any original issue discount and market discount are no longer accreted to interest income as of the date the loan is placed

 

69


on non-accrual status. Interest payments received on non-accrual loans may be recognized as income or applied to principal depending upon management’s judgment regarding collectability. Non-accrual loans are restored to accrual status when past due principal and interest is paid current and, in management’s judgment, are likely to remain current. Management may make exceptions to this treatment and determine to not place a loan on non-accrual status if the loan has sufficient collateral value and is in the process of collection.

Distributions

To the extent that the Fund has taxable income available, the Fund intends to make monthly distributions to its shareholders. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the record date. All distributions will be paid at the discretion of our Board and will depend on our earnings, financial condition, maintenance of our tax treatment as a RIC, compliance with applicable BDC regulations and such other factors as our Board may deem relevant from time to time.

Income Taxes

The Fund intends to elect to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. The Fund intends to elect to be treated as a RIC under the Code. So long as the Fund maintains its status as a RIC, it generally will not pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes at least annually to its shareholders as dividends. Rather, any tax liability related to income earned and distributed by the Fund would represent obligations of the Fund’s investors and would not be reflected in the financial statements of the Fund.

The Fund evaluates tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing its financial statements to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions not deemed to meet the “more-likely-than-not” threshold are reserved and recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current year. All penalties and interest associated with income taxes are included in income tax expense. Conclusions regarding tax positions are subject to review and may be adjusted at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, on-going analyses of tax laws, regulations and interpretations thereof.

To qualify for and maintain qualification as a RIC, the Fund must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements. In addition, to qualify for RIC tax treatment, the Fund must distribute to its shareholders, for each taxable year, at least 90% of the sum of (i) its “investment company taxable income” for that year (without regard to the deduction for dividends paid), which is generally its ordinary income plus the excess, if any, of its realized net short-term capital gains over its realized net long-term capital losses and (ii) its net tax-exempt income.

In addition, pursuant to the excise tax distribution requirements, the Fund is subject to a 4% nondeductible federal excise tax on undistributed income unless the Fund distributes in a timely manner in each taxable year an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of capital gain net income (both long-term and short-term) for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year and (3) any income realized, but not distributed, in prior years. For this purpose, however, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by the Fund that is subject to corporate income tax is considered to have been distributed.

Contractual Obligations

We have entered into the Advisory Agreement with FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser) to provide us with investment advisory services and the Administration Agreement with FDS (in its capacity as the Administrator) to provide us with administrative services. Payments for investment advisory services under the Advisory Agreements and payment for administration services under the Administration Agreement are described in “Advisory Agreement and Administration Agreement.”

We intend to establish one or more credit facilities or enter into other financing arrangements to facilitate investments and the timely payment of our expenses. It is anticipated that any such credit facilities will bear interest at floating rates at to-be-determined spreads over SOFR (or other applicable reference rate). We cannot assure shareholders that we will be able to enter into a credit facility on favorable terms or at all. In connection with a credit facility or other borrowings, lenders may require us to pledge assets, commitments and/or drawdowns (and the ability to enforce the payment thereof) and may ask to comply with positive or negative covenants that could have an effect on our operations.

 

70


Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

Other than contractual commitments and other legal contingencies incurred in the normal course of our business, we do not expect to have any off-balance sheet financings or liabilities.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

We will be subject to financial market risks, including changes in interest rates. A rise in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to higher interest rates applicable to the variable rate investments we may hold and to declines in the value of any fixed rate investments we may hold. A rise in interest rates would also be expected to lead to higher cost on our floating rate borrowings. If deemed prudent, we may use interest rate risk management techniques in an effort to minimize our exposure to interest rate fluctuations.

We plan to invest primarily in illiquid debt securities of private companies. Most of our investments will not have a readily available market price, and we will value these investments at fair value as determined by the Adviser in good faith pursuant to policies approved by the Board and subject to Board oversight. There is no single standard for determining fair value in good faith. As a result, determining fair value requires that judgment be applied to the specific facts and circumstances of each portfolio investment while employing a consistently applied valuation process for the types of investments we make. See “Determination of Net Asset Value.”

 

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INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE AND STRATEGIES

We were formed on March 23, 2022, as a Delaware statutory trust. We were organized to invest in loans targeted at private U.S. operating companies and public U.S. operating companies having a market capitalization of less than $250,000,000.

After filing this Registration Statement, we will file an election to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. We also intend to elect to be treated as soon as reasonably practical, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a BDC and a RIC, we will be required to comply with certain regulatory requirements.

Our investment objectives are to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation. The Fund will achieve these objectives primarily through directly originated loans to private companies but also with liquid credit investments, like broadly syndicated loans, and other select Private Credit (as defined below) investments.

The Adviser’s investment strategy is credit driven with a focus on capital preservation. The Adviser seeks to employ a rigorous and consistent due diligence process when assessing each individual issuer. The Adviser intends to evaluate each issuers’ ownership and management team, business model, competitive differentiation, historical and projected financial performance, cost structure, key customers and key suppliers, and position within its industry.

The Adviser will utilize its expertise sourcing and investing in loans to private businesses while leveraging the proprietary industry research of the broader Fidelity platform when constructing the Fund’s portfolio. Quantitative and qualitative factors will drive each investment decision to seek to achieve the Fund’s stated investment objective. The Fund intends to invest across issuers, industries, geographies, and Sponsors or ownership groups.

The majority of the Fund’s investments will be loans targeted at private U.S. operating companies whose securities are not listed on a national securities exchange or registered under the Exchange Act, and public U.S. operating companies having a market capitalization of less than $250,000,000. The Adviser may also invest to a lesser degree in non-U.S. companies. Specific investments may include: (a) directly originated first lien loans, senior secured revolving lines of credit, term loans and delayed draw term loans, (b) directly originated second lien, last out senior, secured or unsecured mezzanine term loans and delayed draw term loans, (c) club deals (investments generally comprised from a small group of lenders), and broadly syndicated leveraged loans (investments generally arranged or underwritten by investment banks or other intermediaries), and (d) other debt (collectively referred to as “Private Credit”). The Adviser may also invest to a lesser degree in equity linked instruments (may include debt with warrants, preferred equity investments, or equity co-investments). The Adviser may lead and structure the transaction as sole-lender, as the agent of a club credit facility (a group of similar direct lenders that invest in the same tranches), or may participate as a non-agent investor in a large club or syndicated transactions.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in Private Credit investments. If the Fund changes its 80% test, the Fund will provide shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior notice of such change. The Fund will also invest at least 70% of its total assets in investments that meet regulatory requirements of the BDC structure, which will generally include investments in companies that are generally private and may be backed by a Sponsor but may also include investments in small capitalization public companies or companies that are Non-Sponsored. The Adviser will directly originate credit opportunities from a large universe of Sponsors, intermediaries and other direct lenders, as well as internal Fidelity resources.

Targeted borrowers will operate within a wide range of industries. Leveraging Fidelity’s proprietary industry research and the Adviser’s expertise, the Fund will primarily invest in industries where the Adviser’s portfolio management team has deep experience with similarly situated companies. The Adviser will target investments structured as first lien senior secured and unitranche credit facilities, while also taking advantage of opportunistic investments in other parts of the capital structure, including last out loans, second lien loans, mezzanine and other junior debt loans, as well as equity investments.

The Fund may enter into hedging transactions, which may utilize instruments such as forward contracts, currency options and interest rate swaps, collars and floors to seek to hedge against fluctuations in the relative values of the Fund’s portfolio positions from changes in currency exchange rates and market interest rates. The Fund may also receive or purchase warrants or rights.

Most of the investments that the Fund intends to invest in are unrated or rated below investment grade (rated lower than “Baa3” by Moody’s Investor Service, Inc. or lower than “BBB-” by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services), which are often referred to as “leveraged loans,” “high yield” or “junk” debt investments and may be considered “high risk” or speculative compared to debt investments that are rated investment grade. Such issuers are considered more likely than investment grade issuers to default on their payments of interest and principal, and such risk of default could reduce the Fund’s net asset value and income distributions to shareholders. They may also be illiquid and difficult to value.

 

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The Adviser will seek collateral packages in connection with the Fund’s secured investments that include liens on the borrower’s assets and a pledge of the borrower’s stock. In addition, the Adviser expects to seek investment structures that include covenant packages that measure the borrower’s key performance metrics but will also be permitted to invest in loans that would not include maintenance covenants. Loans will usually have stated terms of five to seven years, but the expected average life of such securities is usually between three to four years and may contain scheduled amortization payments and/or mandatory excess cash flow payments to reduce exposure and risk over the life of the investment.

The Fund will generally seek to invest in loans that carry variable (i.e., “floating”) interest rates. In addition to the cash yields received on its loans from principal and interest payments, the Fund will seek to invest in loans that generally pay additional fees, including but not limited to, closing fees, arrangement fees, prepayment premiums, or amendment fees. In certain cases, loan investments will have equity enhancement features, which may be in the form of warrants or other equity-related securities that are designed to provide the opportunity for capital appreciation.

To seek to enhance returns, the Fund intends to employ leverage as market conditions permit and at the discretion of the Adviser, but in no event will leverage employed exceed the limitations set forth in the 1940 Act, which currently allows the Fund to borrow up to a 2x debt to equity ratio.

The Fund will borrow money for investment and cash management purposes. In determining whether to borrow money, the Fund will analyze the financial flexibility, maturity, covenant package and rate structure of the proposed borrowings as well as the risks of such borrowings compared to the Fund’s investment outlook. The use of borrowed funds to make investments would have its own specific set of benefits and risks, and all of the costs of borrowing funds would be borne by the shareholders indirectly through their interests in the Fund.

Because the Fund is classified as non-diversified, the Adviser may invest a significant percentage of the Fund’s assets in a single issuer.

Our investments are subject to a number of risks. See “Investment Objective and Strategies” and “Risk Factors.”

The Adviser and the Administrator

The Fund’s investment activities will be managed by FDS, an investment adviser registered with the SEC under the Advisers Act. Our Adviser will be responsible for sourcing potential investments, conducting due diligence on prospective investments, analyzing investment opportunities, determining value of Fund investments, structuring investments and monitoring our portfolio on an ongoing basis.

FDS, in its capacity as our Administrator, will provide, or oversee the performance of, administrative and compliance services.

FDS is a registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of FMR. FDS is also registered with the CFTC under the CEA, as a CPO and a CTA, and is a member of the NFA. FDS leverages the resources of the entire Fidelity organization in managing the Fund.

FMR, as successor by merger to FMR Corp., is the ultimate parent company of FDS. The voting common shares of FMR are divided into two series. Series B is held predominantly by members of the Johnson family, including Abigail P. Johnson, directly or through trusts, and is entitled to 49% of the vote on any matter acted upon by the voting common shares. Series A is held predominantly by non-Johnson family member employees of FMR and its affiliates and is entitled to 51% of the vote on any such matter. The Johnson family group and all other Series B shareholders have entered into a shareholders’ voting agreement under which all Series B shares will be voted in accordance with the majority vote of Series B shares. Under the 1940 Act, control of a company is presumed where one individual or group of individuals owns more than 25% of the voting securities of that company. Therefore, through their ownership of voting common shares and the execution of the shareholders’ voting agreement, members of the Johnson family may be deemed, under the 1940 Act, to form a controlling group with respect to FMR.

At present, the primary business activities of FMR and its subsidiaries are: (i) the provision of investment advisory, management, shareholder, investment information and assistance and certain fiduciary services for individual and institutional investors; (ii) the provision of securities brokerage services; (iii) the management and development of real estate; and (iv) the investment in and operation of a number of emerging businesses.

 

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Market Opportunity

The private credit market has grown tenfold since the Great Financial Crisis and is projected to grow double-digit percentages in the near future. The consolidation of regional U.S. banks following the financial crisis and the enhanced regulations introduced by the U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), resulted in larger banks decreasing their willingness to issue and hold loans to middle-market companies, thus fueling the growth of direct lending. Direct lending is a subset of private credit and is frequently compared to its main credit alternatives including the leverage loans or broadly syndicate loans and high yield market. More recently, demand has been driven by key characteristics of the asset class summarized below.

 

 

Large and growing market: The U.S. private credit market is estimated at approximately $1.5 trillion (AUM) and finances mergers and acquisitions, recapitalization and refinance activity for the estimated 200,000 U.S. middle market businesses. Private equity investing activity drives a significant portion of this volume.7

 

 

Attractive historical risk adjusted returns compared to alternative income generating asset classes: Based on the last 5 years, the Cliffwater Index8 generated annualized total returns of 8.48% vs. the ICE BAML US High Yield Index yield of 5.72% while the Cliffwater Direct Lending Senior Index generated annualized total returns of 8.00% vs. the S&P/LSTA Leverage Loan Index annualized total returns of 4.31%.9

 

 

Strong performance through COVID related disruptions: From peak to trough during the COVID-19 pandemic, the direct lending market declined less (-4.84% based on Cliffwater index)10 vs. high yield (-21.55% based on ICE BAML index) and leveraged loans markets (-20.65% based on S&P/LSTA index)11. Direct lending markets also experienced a strong recovery post COVID, increasing 14.4% from the trough vs. high yield recovery of 34.75% and leverage loans of 31.32%.

 

 

Favorable loss rates compared to alternatives: Middle market loans have favorable historical loss rates of 0.6% vs. historical loss rates for broadly syndicated loans of 1.4%, have lower historical default rates of 3.1% vs. historical default rates for broadly syndicated loans of 5.6%, and higher historical recovery rates of 80.7% vs. historical recovery rates for broadly syndicated loans of 74.8%.12

 

 

The private credit market has expanded into areas traditionally served by the leverage loan and high yield markets: According to LCD and ICE BAML, from 2002 to 2021, the share of leverage loans with an issue size below $500,000,000 has declined from 49% to 7%, and similarly from 2002 to 2021, the share of high yield loans with an issue size below $500,000,000 has declined from 72% to 16%, respectively. In both cases, the direct lending loans are now regularly filling this gap for loans up to $500,000,000 and larger.

 

 

Floating rate debt that provides a hedge against rising rates: The majority of direct lending investments are floating rate instruments so over time returns increase as interest rates rise.

 

 

Predominantly senior secured positions that sit at the top of the capital structure: Direct lending investments offer enhanced collateral and covenant protections compared to the leverage loans and high yield market that contribute to lower historical loss rates.

 

 

Direct access to the Sponsors and ownership groups improves information flow: For direct lending investments, the sourcing and due diligence ties directly to the Sponsor or ownership group, so lenders have efficient access to information (frequently monthly financials vs. quarterly), can complete comprehensive and high-quality diligence, and develop bespoke financing solutions that better serve the needs of the middle-market companies.

The foregoing information is with respect to past performance of certain markets and indices, only, and does not reflect the actual or expected performance of the Fund. There can be no guarantee that the Fund will achieve results resembling these metrics or that market circumstances in the future will be comparable.

 

7 

Source: Pitchbook, Preqin, Cliffwater, Bloomberg, Fidelity Investments.

8 

The Cliffwater Index is an asset-weighted index of over 8,000 directly originated middle market loans totaling $191,000,000,000 as of December 31, 2021. The Cliffwater Index assists investors to better understand asset class characteristics and to benchmark manager performance.

9 

Source: Cliffwater, ICE BAML, LCD.

10 

Source: Cliffwater, 3Q 2020 reported return for the Cliffwater CDLI Index.

11 

Source: ICE BAML and LCD; decline from February 20, 2020 to March 23, 2020; recover from March 23, 2020 to March 31, 2021.

12 

Source: Lincoln International

 

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Potential Competitive Strengths

Founded in 1946, Fidelity has been known for its professional money management and comprehensive client services. Fidelity is one of the world’s largest providers of financial services with assets under administration of $11.8 trillion, including managed assets of $4.5 trillion as of December 31, 2021. The portfolio management team has extensive experience in middle market lending and has sourced, underwritten and/or managed diverse credit and lending teams in a variety of market environments from the nascent cash flow lending markets of the early 2000’s, through the great financial crisis of 2007 to 2009 (the “Great Financial Crisis”), during the recovery and growth of the 2010’s, and during the recent pandemic related disruptions. The Adviser emphasizes a consistent and disciplined underwriting process which is the foundation for its approach to portfolio construction. Leveraging proprietary research insights and performing granular credit and loan to value analysis for each investment are core tenets of the Adviser’s credit philosophy. Focusing on capital preservation and minimizing volatility, the Adviser seeks to employ the same underwriting, due diligence and Direct Lending Investment Committee (as defined below) approval process for every investment. The Adviser believes that Fidelity’s history and scale, combined with the portfolio management team’s experience and strategy enable it to compete across the credit spectrum in the middle market. The Adviser’s specific areas of differentiation that drive its competitive advantages are below:

 

 

Fidelity’s multi-decade history and substantial scale in the credit markets: Fidelity has operated through the last twelve recessions, numerous crises, expansions and contractions during its 75-year history. Active in the credit markets since 1971, Fidelity has over $750,000,000,000 of credit investments under management as of December 31, 2021. Fidelity also offered its first high yield bond fund in 1977 and was the first mutual fund company to offer an open-ended fund focused on leverage loans in 2000.

 

 

Dedicated team of seasoned middle market credit investors: The portfolio management team is comprised of professionals that have spent their entire careers in middle market lending. The portfolio managers average more than 20 years of experience, and the portfolio management team’s capabilities include sourcing, underwriting and executing on middle market loans, and most importantly, actively managing credit portfolios through multiple cycles. This includes experience managing companies during periods of growth and distress including restructurings and bankruptcies, providing valuable foresight as the Direct Lending Investment Committee evaluates and approves new opportunities. The Adviser maintains in-depth oversight throughout the investment process and instills the culture of intense focus on capital preservation and hands-on portfolio management with a focus on proper risk mitigation throughout the life of an investment.

 

 

Ability to operate at scale across the entire lending landscape: The Adviser seeks to offer compelling financing solutions for creditworthy issuers regardless of company size. This increases the opportunity set for the Fund and promotes the Adviser’s selective investment approach, while providing reliable financing to companies as they scale. The Adviser’s ability to offer attractive financing proposals for small to mid-market businesses as well as upper middle market companies also deepens the relationship with Sponsors, a source of investment opportunities for the Adviser. The Adviser intends to target issuers that the Adviser considers to be high quality regardless of size and provide financing structures that afford attractive risk adjusted returns for the Fund.

 

 

Access to proprietary credit and equity research platform creates efficient and differentiated diligence: As part of Fidelity, the Adviser has access to FMR’s extensive research platform that allows the Adviser to make more informed and efficient investment decisions. FMR has over 350 research professionals in North America, Europe and Asia that cover equities, fixed income and high yield markets. As part of the due diligence and underwriting process for each potential investment, the Adviser intends to review and analyze relevant FMR industry research and engage directly with the industry analysts. Using the proprietary insights, the Adviser expects to improve portfolio construction and risk mitigation, allowing it to potentially (i) gain conviction on investments or (ii) avoid investments that have subtle industry headwinds or competitive pressures, that might otherwise appear attractive. In addition to the portfolio management team’s independent industry analysis and broad experience lending to middle market businesses, the Adviser’s access to proprietary Fidelity research differentiates the platform and, we believe, translates into more efficient and informed decision making.

 

 

Disciplined, consistent underwriting process with risk adjusted approach: The Adviser employs a consistent and rigorous due diligence and underwriting process to assess each investment. Investments are reviewed in deal team structures where all investment professionals have overlapping responsibilities which is expected to improve process oversight and risk mitigation. The Adviser’s philosophy and investment approach has been informed by the portfolio management team’s extensive experience lending to middle market companies and utilizes a bottoms-up credit approach, with the primary focus being return of capital. For each potential investment, the Adviser will actively engage with company management and ownership and complete detailed credit and valuation analysis. While the Adviser will independently determine an investment thesis and identify key risks, the Adviser also benefits from significant third-party diligence commissioned for the majority of investments. Credit and valuation analysis are synthesized by the Adviser to determine the appropriate leverage and return profile, to ensure there is sufficient downside protection and risk is properly rewarded. Investments will be formally presented to the Adviser’s Direct Lending Investment Committee twice at a minimum before final approval to invest is granted.

 

75


The Board

Overall responsibility for the Fund’s oversight rests with the Board. We have entered into the Advisory Agreement with the Adviser, pursuant to which the Adviser will manage the Fund on a day-to-day basis. The Board is responsible for overseeing the Adviser and other service providers in our operations in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act, the Fund’s bylaws and applicable provisions of state and other laws. The Adviser will keep the Board well informed as to the Adviser’s activities on our behalf and our investment operations and provide the Board information with additional information as the Board may, from time to time, request. The Board is currently composed of four members, three of whom are Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the Fund or the Adviser as defined in the 1940 Act.

Investment Selection

One of the critical success factors in private credit is access to a deep pipeline of investment opportunities. Based on the portfolio management team’s extensive experience, the Adviser intends to employ a multi-faceted approach to sourcing transactions through a large network of private equity firms, intermediaries, as well as other direct lending firms. The Adviser believes that Fidelity’s scale and track record in the liquid markets, combined with the portfolio management team’s long tenure in direct lending, will provide unique and rich access to high credit quality investment opportunities.

Private equity acquisition activity drives a substantial amount of private credit volume in the middle-market, and Fidelity has longstanding relationships with a diverse set of Sponsors that invest across a broad set of industries, geographies and business models. The Adviser expects to enhance these relationships and bolster its sourcing efforts with its differentiated and efficient credit review process that is honed by a team of experienced credit professionals.

Lastly, Fidelity’s existing relationships with liquid issuers, some of which are owned by the same mix of Sponsors, and size in the liquid markets, provide the Adviser with differentiated investment opportunities. The Adviser can leverage these relationships to provide value-added capabilities and better execution on loans in the liquid markets, which can translate into a more robust pipeline of private credit investment opportunities for the Fund.

The Adviser seeks to employ a disciplined and rigorous process for all credit investments, which includes the following key features:

 

 

Underwriting the borrower: Performing detailed credit and valuation analysis; analyzing historical trends and business drivers; assessing management; and developing a deep understanding of the business operations and cost structure.

 

 

Analyzing the industry: Leveraging Fidelity’s broad research and analysts’ platform and Sponsor provided third party industry studies (when available) to uncover macro and micro industry forces; understanding the competitive dynamics and market forces; validating the growth and outlook; and assessing public and private competitors.

 

 

Underwriting the Sponsor or ownership group: Evaluating investment performance; understanding track record and willingness to invest follow-on capital in times of stress; assessing available dry powder, due diligence quality and relevant sector expertise.

 

 

Confirming investment thesis: Validating the sustainability of competitive advantages, revenues and margins; confirming diversity of products, customers, services, suppliers and institutionalized value.

 

 

Evaluating the credit structure: Analyzing ability to repay debt; performing loan-to-value analysis and downside case scenarios; and evaluating appropriate risk and reward for a proposed investment.

During the credit underwriting process, the deal team will compile and present diligence findings to the Adviser’s Direct Lending Investment Committee at least once before issuing a term sheet and a second time before closing. The Adviser’s focus is on downside protection so the deal team and Direct Lending Investment Committee are expected to spend substantial time understanding and validating various downside scenarios, exit options, and structural protections in each and every investment seeking to ensure adequate cushion.

Following the closing of an investment, one or several members of the deal team that originated the loan on behalf of the Fund are expected to manage the portfolio moving forward. As part of the portfolio management process, the investment professional seeks to assess liquidity needs daily or weekly, evaluate financial performance on a monthly basis for the majority of accounts (a minority may only report quarterly), scrutinize financial covenant calculations on a quarterly basis (if applicable) and maintain frequent dialogue with the company management and Sponsor regarding company performance, strategic initiatives, acquisitions or other business items.

 

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Portfolio Monitoring and Risk Management

The Adviser has a strong culture focused on risk management, with significant dedicated resources committed to that effort. The Adviser firmly believes that one of the most powerful risk management tools occurs at the individual investment level. The regular monitoring of a portfolio’s investments seeks to ensure that the risk/return ratio has not become unfavorable to help avoid unnecessary capital losses, and the Adviser believes it is a key component to positive long-term performance. Frequent monitoring and oversight are conducted by the portfolio managers to ensure that each position is still an attractive investment. At the portfolio level, the portfolio managers ensure that the overall risk profile, diversification, and positioning is consistent with the Fund’s objectives. There is also considerable executive oversight with regular, systematic portfolio reviews with senior management.

Systems and technology play a critical role in portfolio monitoring and risk management. The Adviser’s proprietary systems enable research professionals to get real-time access to risk measures and exposures across multiple dimensions, among other things. Compliance modules are also systematically linked to the trading platform as another mechanism to minimize risk.

Risk management efforts are further bolstered by various additional teams of resources. For example, a dedicated compliance team monitors all portfolios and investment professionals; a dedicated counterparty risk team monitors all trading and business counterparties; and a dedicated legal team is able to support the Adviser across a variety of legal questions.

Warehouse Investments

The Fund has entered into multiple Purchase Agreements with Macquarie Bank Limited and certain of its affiliates (the “Financing Provider”). Under the Purchase Agreements, the Fund has forward obligations to settle the purchase of certain investments set forth below (the “Warehouse Investments”) from the Financing Provider, who is obligated to settle the sell of such investments subject to the following conditions: (a) that the Fund has received subscriptions of at least $100,000,000; and (b) that the Board has approved the launch of the Fund and the purchase of the Warehouse Investments (collectively, the “Warehousing Conditions”). The Warehouse Investments primarily consist of newly originated, privately negotiated senior secured term loans to middle market companies consistent with the Fund’s investment strategy.

After we meet the Warehousing Conditions, we will be obligated to purchase the Warehouse Investments from the Financing Provider at the prices determined under the Purchase Agreements. As a general matter, the price we pay to purchase any Warehouse Investments will be the cash amount paid by the Financing Provider, subject to a reduction for income actually received by such Financing Provider during the warehousing period and an increase for a financing fee to be paid by the Fund to the Financing Provider.

Each of the Warehouse Investments that the Financing Provider has purchased to date was purchased pursuant to a request that we made prior to our election to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. After we elect to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act, (i) we will not enter into any additional Warehouse Investments pursuant to the Purchase Agreements; (ii) we will purchase already-existing Warehouse Investments from the Financing Provider only to the extent that we have sufficient assets to purchase all of the Warehouse Investments whole (i.e., not on a pro rata basis); (iii) we will impose on ourselves a requirement – not an option – to purchase already-existing Warehouse Investments from the Financing Provider at such time as we raise sufficient assets to purchase all of the Warehouse Investments whole; and (iv) we will treat our forward obligation to purchase Warehouse Investments from the Financing Provider once the requirement to purchase already-existing Warehouse Investments is triggered as subject to the asset coverage requirements set forth in Sections 18 and 61 of the 1940 Act. Additionally, we note that we may not rely on the exemptive order from the SEC that we have applied for which will permit us to co-invest with certain affiliates of the Adviser and certain funds managed and controlled by the Adviser and its affiliates with respect to Warehouse Investments that we purchase from the Financing Provider under the Purchase Agreements. The Fund’s obligations to the Financing Provider under the Purchase Agreements are expected to be guaranteed by an affiliate of the Adviser in the event the Warehouse Conditions are not met.

As of October 21, 2022 there were 2 Warehouse Investments that the Financing Provider purchased having aggregate commitments/par amounts of $10,207,184, an aggregate cost of $9,952,949, and an aggregate fair value of $9,952,949.

Below is a list of each Warehouse Investment as of October 21, 2022. The Fund does not currently own any of the Warehouse Investments and, as discussed above, intends to purchase them upon satisfaction of the Warehousing Conditions.

 

77


Company
Name

 

Industry

 

Security
Type

 

Facility
Type

 

Rate and
Spread

 

Interest
Rate

 

Maturity

 

Commitments
/Par Amounts
/ Units

 

Cost

 

Fair Value

 

Percentage
of Total
Cost of
Warehouse
Investments

AB Centers

Acquisition

Corporation

 

Health

Care

Providers

 

First

Lien

 

Term

Loan

 

SOFR

+

6.00%

  9.17%   9/6/2028   $5,009,040   $4,858,768   $4,858,768   48.8%

Prism

Parent Co.

Inc.

 

Software

and

Computer Services

 

First

Lien

 

Term

Loan

 

SOFR

+

6.00%

  9.47%   9/9/2028   $5,198,144   $5,094,181   $5,094,181   51.2%

Direct Lending Investment Committee

The investment activities of the Fund are under the direction of the Direct Lending Investment Committee and the Board. The Direct Lending Investment Committee is currently comprised of the Fund’s three portfolio managers, David Gaito, Therese Icuss and Jeffrey Scott. Additionally, the President of Fidelity Investments’ High Income and Alternatives Group (the “High Income and Alternatives Group”), and the Chief Investment Officer of the High Income and Alternatives Group meet with the Direct Lending team frequently to discuss the pipeline of opportunities and they have the authority to decline any opportunity at any point at their discretion. The day-to-day activities of the Fund are overseen by the Fund’s portfolio managers, each of which is an officer or employee of the Adviser or its affiliate.

Allocation of Investment Opportunities

General

The Adviser and its affiliates provide investment management services to registered investment companies, investment funds, client accounts and proprietary accounts that may be established from time to time.

The Adviser will share any investment and sale opportunities with its other clients and the Fund in accordance with the Advisers Act and firm-wide allocation policies. Subject to the Advisers Act and as further set forth in this prospectus, certain other clients may receive certain priority or other allocation rights with respect to certain investments, subject to various conditions set forth in such other clients’ respective governing agreements.

The Adviser’s policies will seek to ensure the equitable allocation of such investment opportunities among us and other clients over time. In cases where an investment may potentially be appropriate for several clients, the Adviser makes a determination of the appropriateness of the investment opportunity for a particular client and allocates an investment opportunity among eligible clients based on a variety of factors related to each such client the Adviser deems relevant (including, without limitation, the client’s investment objectives and focus, available capital, the client’s existing portfolio, portfolio company restrictions, targeted rate of return, minimum and maximum investment size requirements, transaction structure, cash flow considerations, risk considerations, tax implications, Board-Established Criteria (if any), legal and regulatory requirements, whether a related investment opportunity has already been made available to the client, investment limitations and other factors). In cases where an investment opportunity is being evaluated on behalf of, and may be appropriate for, both us and another client and falls outside of the allocation methodology, the Adviser will generally consult with an allocation, conflicts or similar internal committee or sub-committee to decide on an appropriate allocation of a particular investment opportunity as between us and such other client, which may take into account, among other things, the factors discussed above.

In addition, as a BDC regulated under the 1940 Act, the Fund will be subject to certain limitations relating to co-investments and joint transactions with affiliates, which are likely in certain circumstances to limit the Fund’s ability to make investments or enter into other transactions alongside other clients.

Trade Aggregation and Allocation

Allocation of investment instruments that are traded by FMR’s High Income, Fixed Income or Equity trading desks are governed by the respective trade allocation policies reasonably designed to seek to ensure that clients are not disadvantaged in the aggregation and allocation of securities over time. To the extent a particular investment in a liquid credit instrument (e.g., broadly syndicated loan), is suitable for both us and other clients, it is the practice of the Adviser, when appropriate, to bunch orders of various accounts, including those of us and the other clients and, in certain instances, proprietary accounts of the Adviser or its affiliates, for order entry and execution. Bunched orders may be executed through one or more broker-dealers. The allotment of trades among brokers is based on a variety of factors, which may include price, order size, the time of order, the security and market activity. A bunched trade executed with a particular broker is generally allocated pro rata among the accounts that are participating in the bunched trade until any account has been filled, after which the trade is allocated pro rata among the remaining accounts. Each broker’s execution of a bunched order may be at a price different from another broker’s bunched order execution price for the same security. Simultaneous portfolio transactions for us and one or more other clients may decrease the prices received and increase the prices required to be paid by us for sales and purchases.

 

78


The Adviser and its affiliates that execute trades on behalf of us and other clients have established allocation policies for their various accounts (including proprietary accounts) and securities types (e.g., equity, fixed income, and high income) to ensure allocations are appropriate given the clients’ differing investment objectives and other considerations. These policies also apply to initial and secondary offerings. When, in the opinion of the executing party, the supply or demand is insufficient under the circumstances to satisfy all outstanding trade orders, across all securities types the amount executed generally is distributed among participating accounts based on account asset size (for purchases), and security position size (for sales), or otherwise according to the allocation policies. With limited exceptions, the trading systems contain rules that allocate trades on an automated basis in accordance with these policies. Generally, any exceptions to these policies (i.e., special allocations) must be approved by senior trading and compliance personnel and documented.

Co-Investment Relief

We and the Adviser have applied for an exemptive order from the SEC that permits us, among other things, to co-invest with certain other persons in negotiated transactions, including certain affiliates of the Adviser and certain funds managed and controlled by the Adviser and its affiliates, subject to certain terms and conditions. Pursuant to such order, the Fund’s Board may establish Board-Established Criteria clearly defining co-investment opportunities in which the Fund will have the opportunity to participate with other public or private affiliated funds that target similar assets. If an investment falls within the Board-Established Criteria, the Adviser must offer an opportunity for the Fund to participate. We may determine to participate or not to participate, depending on whether the Adviser determines that the investment is appropriate for the Fund (e.g., based on investment strategy). The co-investment would generally be allocated to us and the other affiliated funds that target similar assets in accordance with allocation polices and procedures described above. If the Adviser determines that such investment is not appropriate for us, the investment will not be allocated to us, but the Adviser will be required to report such investment and the rationale for its determination for us to not participate in the investment to the Board at the next quarterly board meeting. There is no assurance that the co-investment exemptive order will be granted by the SEC.

Competition

The business of investing in debt investments is highly competitive and involves a high degree of uncertainty. Market competition for investment opportunities includes traditional lending institutions, including commercial and investment banks, as well as a growing number of non-traditional participants, such as hedge funds, private equity funds, mezzanine funds, and other private investors, as well as BDCs, and debt-focused competitors, such as issuers of collateralized loan obligations, or CLOs, and other structured loan funds. In addition, given the Fund’s target investment size and investment type, the Adviser expects a large number of competitors for investment opportunities. Some of these competitors may have access to greater amounts of capital and to capital that may be committed for longer periods of time or may have different return thresholds than the Fund, and thus these competitors may have advantages not shared by the Fund. In addition, competitors may have incurred, or may in the future incur, leverage to finance their debt investments at levels or on terms more favorable than those available to the Fund. Furthermore, competitors may offer loan terms that are more favorable to borrowers, such as less onerous borrower financial and other covenants, borrower rights to cure defaults, and other terms more favorable to borrowers than current or historical norms. Strong competition for investments could result in fewer investment opportunities for the Fund, as certain of these competitors have established or are establishing investment vehicles that target the same or similar investments that the Fund intends to purchase.

Over the past several years, many investment funds have been formed with investment objectives similar to those of the Fund, and many such existing funds have grown in size and have added larger successor funds to their platform. These and other investors may make competing offers for investment opportunities identified by the Adviser which may affect the Fund’s ability to participate in attractive investment opportunities and/or cause the Fund to incur additional risks when competing for investment opportunities. Moreover, identifying attractive investment opportunities is difficult and involves a high degree of uncertainty. The Adviser may identify an investment that presents an attractive investment opportunity but may not be able to complete such investment in a manner that meets the objectives of the Fund. The Fund may incur significant expenses in connection with the identification of investment opportunities and investigating other potential investments that are ultimately not consummated, including expenses related to due diligence, transportation and legal, accounting and other professional services as well as the fees of other third-party advisers.

Non-Exchange Traded, Perpetual-Life BDC

The Fund is non-exchange traded, meaning its shares are not listed for trading on a stock exchange or other securities market and a perpetual-life BDC, meaning it is an investment vehicle of indefinite duration, whose Common Shares are intended to be sold by the BDC monthly on a continuous basis at a price generally equal to the BDC’s monthly NAV per share. In our perpetual-life structure, we may, at our discretion, offer investors an opportunity to repurchase their shares on a quarterly basis, but we are not obligated to offer to repurchase any in any particular quarter. We believe that our perpetual nature enables us to execute a patient and opportunistic strategy and be able to invest across different market environments. This may reduce the risk of the Fund being a forced seller of assets in market downturns compared to non-perpetual funds. While we may consider a liquidity event at any time in the future, we currently do not intend to undertake a liquidity event, and we are not obligated by our charter or otherwise to effect a liquidity event at any time.

 

79


FINRA Rule 2310(b)(3)(D) requires that we disclose the liquidity of prior public programs sponsored by the Adviser, in which disclosed in the offering materials was a date or time period at which the program might be liquidated, and whether the prior program(s) in fact liquidated on or around that date or during the time period. As of the date of this prospectus, the Adviser has not sponsored any prior public programs responsive to FINRA Rule 2310(b)(3)(D).

Emerging Growth Company

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the “JOBS Act.” As an emerging growth company, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting and disclosure requirements that are applicable to public companies that are not emerging growth companies. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to:

 

   

have an auditor attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;

 

   

submit certain executive compensation matters to shareholder advisory votes pursuant to the “say on frequency” and “say on pay” provisions (requiring a non-binding shareholder vote to approve compensation of certain executive officers) and the “say on golden parachute” provisions (requiring a non-binding shareholder vote to approve golden parachute arrangements for certain executive officers in connection with mergers and certain other business combinations) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010; or

 

   

disclose certain executive compensation related items, such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the chief executive officer’s compensation to median employee compensation.

In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company may take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies. This means that an emerging growth company can delay adopting certain accounting standards until such standards are otherwise applicable to private companies.

We will remain an emerging growth company for up to five years, or until the earliest of: (1) the last date of the fiscal year during which we had total annual gross revenues of $1,070,000,000 or more; (2) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1,000,000,000 in non-convertible debt; or (3) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” as defined under Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act.

We do not believe that being an emerging growth company will have a significant impact on our business or this offering. As stated above, we have elected to opt in to the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards available to emerging growth companies. Also, because we are not a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer under Section 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, and will not be for so long as our Common Shares are not traded on a securities exchange, we will not be subject to auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act even once we are no longer an emerging growth company. In addition, so long as we are externally managed by the Adviser and we do not directly compensate our executive officers, or reimburse the Adviser or its affiliates for the salaries, bonuses, benefits and severance payments for persons who also serve as one of our executive officers or as an executive officer of the Adviser, we do not expect to include disclosures relating to executive compensation in our periodic reports or proxy statements and, as a result, do not expect to be required to seek shareholder approval of executive compensation and golden parachute compensation arrangements pursuant to Section 14A(a) and (b) of the Exchange Act.

Employees

We do not currently have any employees and do not expect to have any employees. Services necessary for our business are provided by individuals who are employees of the Adviser or its affiliates pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement and the Administrator or its affiliates pursuant to the Administration Agreement. Each of our executive officers described under “Management of the Fund” is employed by the Adviser or its affiliates. Our day-to-day investment operations will be managed by the Adviser. The services necessary for the sourcing and administration of our investment portfolio will be provided by investment professionals employed by the Adviser or its affiliates. The portfolio management team will focus on origination, non-originated investments and transaction development and the ongoing monitoring of our investments.

 

80


Regulation as a BDC

The following discussion is a general summary of the material prohibitions and descriptions governing BDCs generally. It does not purport to be a complete description of all of the laws and regulations affecting BDCs.

Qualifying Assets. Under the 1940 Act, a BDC may not acquire any asset other than Qualifying Assets, unless, at the time the acquisition is made, Qualifying Assets represent at least 70% of the company’s total assets. The principal categories of Qualifying Assets relevant to our business are any of the following:

(1) Securities purchased in transactions not involving any public offering from the issuer of such securities, which issuer (subject to certain limited exceptions) is an Eligible Portfolio Company (as defined below), or from any person who is, or has been during the preceding 13 months, an affiliated person of an Eligible Portfolio Company, or from any other person, subject to such rules as may be prescribed by the SEC. An “Eligible Portfolio Company” is defined in the 1940 Act as any issuer which:

(a) is organized under the laws of, and has its principal place of business in, the United States;

(b) is not an investment company (other than a small business investment company wholly owned by the BDC) or a company that would be an investment company but for certain exclusions under the 1940 Act; and

(c) satisfies any of the following:

(i) does not have any class of securities that is traded on a national securities exchange;

(ii) has a class of securities listed on a national securities exchange, but has an aggregate market value of outstanding voting and non-voting common equity of less than $250,000,000;

(iii) is controlled by a BDC or a group of companies, including a BDC and the BDC has an affiliated person who is a director of the Eligible Portfolio Company; or

(iv) is a small and solvent company having total assets of not more than $4,000,000 and capital and surplus of not less than $2,000,000.

(2) Securities of any Eligible Portfolio Company controlled by the Fund.

(3) Securities purchased in a private transaction from a U.S. issuer that is not an investment company or from an affiliated person of the issuer, or in transactions incident thereto, if the issuer is in bankruptcy and subject to reorganization or if the issuer, immediately prior to the purchase of its securities was unable to meet its obligations as they came due without material assistance other than conventional lending or financing arrangements.

(4) Securities of an Eligible Portfolio Company purchased from any person in a private transaction if there is no ready market for such securities and the Fund already owns 60% of the outstanding equity of the Eligible Portfolio Company.

(5) Securities received in exchange for or distributed on or with respect to securities described in (1) through (4) above, or pursuant to the exercise of warrants or rights relating to such securities.

(6) Cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment.

In addition, a BDC must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described in (1), (2) or (3) above.

Significant Managerial Assistance. A BDC must have been organized and have its principal place of business in the United States and must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described above. However, in order to count portfolio securities as Qualifying Assets for the purpose of the 70% test, the BDC must either control the issuer of the securities or must offer to make available to the issuer of the securities (other than small and solvent companies described above) significant managerial assistance; except that, where the BDC purchases such securities in conjunction with one or more other persons acting together, one of the other persons in the group makes available such managerial assistance. Making available significant managerial assistance means, among other things, any arrangement whereby the BDC, through its trustees, officers, service providers (e.g., the Adviser) or employees, offers to provide and, if accepted, does so provide, significant guidance and counsel concerning the management, operations or business objectives and policies of a portfolio company through monitoring of portfolio company operations, selective participation in board and management meetings, consulting with and advising a portfolio company’s officers or other organizational or financial guidance.

Temporary Investments. Pending investment in other types of Qualifying Assets (including directly originated loans and broadly syndicated loans, as described above), our investments can consist of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment, which are referred to herein, collectively, as temporary investments, so that 70% of our assets would be Qualifying Assets.

 

81


Warrants. Under the 1940 Act, a BDC is subject to restrictions on the issuance, terms and amount of warrants, options or rights to purchase shares that it may have outstanding at any time. In particular, the amount of shares that would result from the conversion or exercise of all outstanding warrants, options or rights to purchase shares cannot exceed 25% of the BDC’s total outstanding shares.

Leverage and Senior Securities; Coverage Ratio. We are permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of shares senior to our Common Shares if our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, would at least equal 150% immediately after each such issuance. On September 16, 2022, our sole shareholder approved the adoption of this 150% threshold pursuant to Section 61(a)(2) of the 1940 Act and such election became effective the following day. As defined in the 1940 Act, asset coverage of 150% means that for every $100 of net assets we hold, we may raise $200 from borrowing and issuing senior securities. In addition, while any senior securities remain outstanding, we will be required to make provisions to prohibit any dividend distribution to our shareholders or the repurchase of such securities or shares unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the dividend distribution or repurchase. We will also be permitted to borrow amounts up to 5% of the value of our total assets for temporary or emergency purposes, which borrowings would not be considered senior securities.

We intend to establish one or more credit facilities and/or subscription facilities or enter into other financing arrangements to facilitate investments and the timely payment of our expenses. It is anticipated that any such credit facilities will bear interest at floating rates at to be determined spreads over an applicable reference rate. We cannot assure shareholders that we will be able to enter into a credit facility. Shareholders will indirectly bear the costs associated with any borrowings under a credit facility or otherwise. In connection with a credit facility or other borrowings, lenders may require us to pledge assets, commitments and/or drawdowns (and the ability to enforce the payment thereof) and may ask to comply with positive or negative covenants that could have an effect on our operations. In addition, from time to time, our losses on leveraged investments may result in the liquidation of other investments held by us and may result in additional drawdowns to repay such amounts.

We may enter into TRS agreements. A TRS is a contract in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in the market value of the assets underlying the TRS, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices during a specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate. A TRS effectively adds leverage to a portfolio by providing investment exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or investing directly in such market. Because of the unique structure of a TRS, a TRS often offers lower financing costs than are offered through more traditional borrowing arrangements. The Fund would typically have to post collateral to cover this potential obligation. To the extent the Fund segregates liquid assets with a value equal (on a daily mark-to-market basis) to its obligations under TRS transactions, enters into offsetting transactions or otherwise covers such TRS transactions in accordance with applicable SEC guidance, the leverage incurred through TRS will not be considered a borrowing for purposes of the Fund’s overall leverage limitation.

We may also create leverage by securitizing our assets (including in CLOs) and retaining the equity portion of the securitized vehicle. See “Risk Factors—Forming CLOs Risk.” We may also from time to time make secured loans of our marginable securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions.

Code of Ethics. We and the Adviser have adopted a code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act, respectively, that establishes procedures for personal investments and restricts certain personal securities transactions. Personnel subject to the code are permitted to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by us, so long as such investments are made in accordance with the code’s requirements. This code of ethics is available on the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also obtain copies of the codes of ethics, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following email address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

Affiliated Transactions. We may be prohibited under the 1940 Act from conducting certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our Trustees who are not interested persons and, in some cases, the prior approval of the SEC. We have applied for an exemptive order from the SEC that would permit us, among other things, to co-invest with certain other persons, including certain affiliates of the Adviser and certain funds managed and controlled by the Adviser and its affiliates, subject to certain terms and conditions. There is no assurance that the co-investment exemptive order will be granted by the SEC.

Other. We will be periodically examined by the SEC for compliance with the 1940 Act and be subject to the periodic reporting and related requirements of the Exchange Act.

We are also required to provide and maintain a bond issued by a reputable fidelity insurance company to protect against larceny and embezzlement. Furthermore, as a BDC, we will be prohibited from protecting any Trustee or officer against any liability to our shareholders arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office.

 

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We are also required to designate a CCO and to adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of the federal securities laws and to review these policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their implementation.

We are not permitted to change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or to withdraw our election as, a BDC unless approved by a majority of our outstanding voting securities. A majority of the outstanding voting securities of a company is defined under the 1940 Act as the lesser of: (i) 67% or more of such company’s shares present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding shares of such company are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of such company.

 

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MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND

Board

Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of our Board of Trustees. The Trustees are experienced executives who meet periodically throughout the year to oversee the Fund’s activities, including, among other things, the oversight of our investment activities, the quarterly valuation of our assets, review of contractual arrangements with companies that provide services to the Fund, oversight of our financing arrangements and corporate governance activities. Our Board consists of four members, three of whom are not “interested persons” of the Fund or of the Adviser as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act and are “independent,” as determined by our Board. We refer to these individuals as “Independent Trustees”. Our Board elects our executive officers, who serve at the discretion of the Board.

Trustees

Information regarding the Board is as follows:

 

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Name

   Year
of
Birth
  

Position

   Length
of

Time
Served
  

Principal Occupation
During Past 5 Years

   Number of
Companies in
Fund Complex13
overseen by
Director
  

Other Trusteeships

Held by Trustee

Interested Trustees                  
David B. Jones    1962    Chairman of the Board of Trustees    Since
2022
   Served in a variety of positions at Fidelity Investments (1982-2008), retiring as a Senior Vice President.    2    Trustee, Fidelity Greenwood Street Trust
Independent Trustees                  
Jennifer M. Birmingham    1971    Trustee    Since
2022
   Managing Director of Princeton University Investment Company (PRINCO) (2010-present); variety of positions at Deutsche Bank Asset Management (2002-2010), including Managing Director, Global CFO of DB Advisors and Deutsche Insurance Asset Management, Americas CFO of DWS Americas and various legal entities (2005-2010); Investors Bank and Trust Company (1997-2002) and Deloitte & Touche LLP (1993-1997).    2    Trustee, Fidelity Greenwood Street Trust
Matthew J. Conti    1966    Trustee    Since
2022
   Variety of positions at Fidelity Investments, including as a portfolio manager to certain Fidelity® funds (2000-2018) and research analyst (1995-2003). Serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy (2021-present).    2    Trustee, Fidelity Greenwood Street Trust

 

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Tara C. Kenney    1960    Trustee    Since
2022
   Senior Vice President of Boston Common Asset Management (2017-2020). Managing Director in a variety of roles for Deutsche Asset Management (2003-2016) as well as Scudder Investments where she was a Portfolio Manager (1995-2003). Serves as a Board member for a number of non-profit organizations and academic institutions, including Catholic Charities USA (2017-present) and the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame (2002-present). Adjunct professor of finance at the University of Notre Dame.    2   

Trustee, Fidelity

Greenwood Street Trust

The address for each trustee is c/o Fidelity Investments, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. While we do not intend to list our shares on any securities exchange, if any class of our shares is listed on a national securities exchange, our Board will be divided into three classes of trustees serving staggered terms of three years each.

Executive Officers Who are Not Trustees

Information regarding our executive officers who are not Trustees is as follows:

 

Name

   Year of
Birth
  

Position

  

Length of Time
Served

  

Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years

Stephanie Brown    1969    President and Treasurer    Since 2022    Senior Vice President (2013-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2008-present). Assistant Treasurer of FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present) and has previously served in other fund officer roles, including President and Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2013-2018). Treasurer (2004-2008) of the JPMorgan Mutual Funds and Vice President (2004-2008) of JPMorgan Chase Bank.
John J. Burke III    1964    Chief Financial Officer    Since 2022    Head of Fidelity Fund and Investment Operations (2018-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (1998-present). Head of Asset Management Investment Operations (2012-2018).

 

13 The “Fund Complex” consists of the Fund and Fidelity Greenwood Street Trust, organized as a series trust that has multiple funds that are each a series of the trust registered open–end mutual fund, managed by FDS.

 

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Name

   Year of
Birth
  

Position

  

Length of Time
Served

  

Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years

David Gaito    1976    Vice President    Since 2022    Head of Direct Lending in the High Income and Alternatives division (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2021-present). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Mr. Gaito held several senior roles at PNC Corporate and Institutional Banking (1999-2021). He was most recently an executive vice president and division executive for PNC’s middle market senior secured lending platform.
Therese Icuss    1983    Vice President    Since 2022    Managing Director of underwriting and credit in the High Income and Alternatives division (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2021-present). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Icuss was co-head of underwriting at Twin Brook Capital Partners from 2019-2021, Director (2018-2019) and VP (2016-2017).
Cynthia Lo Bessette    1969    Secretary and Chief Legal Officer    Since 2022    Secretary, and Senior Vice President of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (investment adviser firm, 2019-present); Secretary of Fidelity Diversifying Solutions LLC (investment adviser firm, 2022-present); CLO of Fidelity Management & Research (Hong Kong) Limited, FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited, and Fidelity Management & Research (Japan) Limited (investment adviser firms, 2019-present); Secretary of FD Funds GP LLC (2021-present), FD Funds Holding LLC (2021-present), and FD Funds Management LLC (2021-present); and Assistant Secretary of FIMM, LLC (2019-present). She is a Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2019-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Previously, Ms. Lo Bessette served as CLO, Secretary, and Senior Vice President of FMR Co., Inc. (investment adviser firm, 2019); Secretary of Fidelity SelectCo, LLC and Fidelity Investments Money Management, Inc. (investment adviser firms, 2019). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Lo Bessette was Executive Vice President, General Counsel (2016-2019) and Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel (2015-2016) of OppenheimerFunds (investment management company) and Deputy Chief Legal Officer (2013-2015) of Jennison Associates LLC (investment adviser firm).
Ksenia Portnoy    1980    Chief Compliance Officer    Since 2022    Senior Vice President of Asset Management Compliance for Fidelity Investments and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2021-present). Worked in the asset management divisions of Morgan Stanley Investment Management (investment adviser firm, 2020-2021), Mizuho (investment adviser firm, 2015-2020), Guggenheim Partners (investment adviser firm, 2012-2015) and Neuberger Berman (formerly, Lehman Brothers (investment adviser firm, 2008-2012)).

 

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Name

   Year of
Birth
  

Position

  

Length of Time
Served

  

Principal Occupation During Past 5 Years

Jeffrey Scott    1975    Vice President    Since 2022    Managing Director of originations in the High Income and Alternatives division (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2021-present). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Mr. Scott was a Managing Director at Madison Capital Funding (now Apogem Capital) (2013-2021).
Vishal Sheth    1982    Vice President    Since 2022    Head of Alternatives Finance for the Asset Management division at Fidelity and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2022-present). Prior to joining Fidelity, Mr. Sheth was Chief Financial Officer at Twin Brook Capital Partners (2017-2022) and Director of Accounting at Angelo Gordon (2014-2017). He has been in the financial industry since 2004.
Vadim Zlotnikov    1962    Vice President    Since 2022    President and Director of Fidelity Diversifying Solutions LLC (investment adviser firm, 2021-present), President and Director of FIAM LLC (investment adviser firm, 2020-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2018-present). Previously, Mr. Zlotnikov served as President and Chief Investment Officer of Global Asset Allocation (2018-2020). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Mr. Zlotnikov served as Co-Head of Multi-Asset Solutions, Chief Market Strategist, and CIO of Systematic Strategies with AllianceBernstein (investment adviser firm, 2002-2018).

The address for each executive officer is c/o Fidelity Investments, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.

Biographical Information

The following is information concerning the business experience of our Board and executive officers. Our Trustees have been divided into two groups—Interested Trustees and Independent Trustees. Interested Trustees are “interested persons” as defined in the 1940 Act.

Interested Trustees

David B. Jones. Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Jones also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Jones served in a variety of positions at Fidelity Investments (1982-2008), retiring as a Senior Vice President. His duties included new product development, serving as a liaison to the board of trustees of various Fidelity funds, and development of policies and procedures for fund investments in derivatives and complex securities. He also served on the FMR Fair Value Committee, which is responsible for day-to-day valuation activities for various Fidelity funds.

Independent Trustees

Jennifer M. Birmingham. Trustee. Ms. Birmingham also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Ms. Birmingham serves as Managing Director of Princeton University Investment Company (PRINCO) (2010-present). Previously, Ms. Birmingham served in a variety of positions at Deutsche Bank Asset Management (2002-2010), including Managing Director, Global CFO of DB Advisors and Deutsche Insurance Asset Management, Americas CFO of DWS Americas and various legal entities (2005-2010). Prior to Deutsche Bank, Ms. Birmingham was an employee of Investors Bank and Trust Company (1997-2002) and Deloitte & Touche LLP (1993-1997).

 

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Matthew J. Conti. Trustee. Mr. Conti also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Conti served in a variety of positions at Fidelity Investments, including as a portfolio manager to certain Fidelity® funds (2000-2018) and research analyst (1995-2003). Mr. Conti serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy (2021-present).

Tara C. Kenney. Trustee. Ms. Kenney also serves as Trustee of other Fidelity® funds. Prior to her retirement, Ms. Kenney served as Senior Vice President of Boston Common Asset Management (2017-2020). Previously, Ms. Kenney served as Managing Director in a variety of roles for Deutsche Asset Management (2003-2016) as well as Scudder Investments where she was a Portfolio Manager (1995-2003). Currently, Ms. Kenney serves as a Board member for a number of non-profit organizations and academic institutions, including Catholic Charities USA (2017-present) and the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame (2002-present). Ms. Kenney is also an adjunct professor of finance at the University of Notre Dame.

Executive Officers Who are not Trustees

Stephanie Brown. President and Treasurer. Ms. Brown also serves as President and Treasurer of other funds. Ms. Brown serves as Senior Vice President (2013-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2008-present). Ms. Brown serves as Assistant Treasurer of FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present) and has previously served in other fund officer roles, including President and Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2013-2018). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Brown served as Treasurer (2004-2008) of the JPMorgan Mutual Funds and Vice President (2004-2008) of JPMorgan Chase Bank.

John J. Burke III. Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Burke also serves as Chief Financial Officer of other funds. Mr. Burke serves as Head of Fidelity Fund and Investment Operations (2018-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (1998-present). Previously Mr. Burke served as head of Asset Management Investment Operations (2012-2018).

David Gaito. Vice President. Mr. Gaito serves as Head of Direct Lending in the High Income and Alternatives division (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2021-present). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Mr. Gaito held several senior roles at PNC Corporate and Institutional Banking (1999-2021). He was most recently an executive vice president and division executive for PNC’s middle market senior secured lending platform.

Therese Icuss. Vice President. Ms. Icuss serves as Managing Director of underwriting and credit in the High Income and Alternatives division (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2021-present). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Icuss was co-head of underwriting at Twin Brook Capital Partners from 2019-2021, Director (2018-2019) and VP (2016-2017).

Cynthia Lo Bessette. Secretary and Chief Legal Officer. Ms. Lo Bessette also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Lo Bessette serves as CLO, Secretary, and Senior Vice President of Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC (investment adviser firm, 2019-present); Secretary of Fidelity Diversifying Solutions LLC (investment adviser firm, 2022-present); CLO of Fidelity Management & Research (Hong Kong) Limited, FMR Investment Management (UK) Limited, and Fidelity Management & Research (Japan) Limited (investment adviser firms, 2019-present); Secretary of FD Funds GP LLC (2021-present), FD Funds Holding LLC (2021-present), and FD Funds Management LLC (2021-present); and Assistant Secretary of FIMM, LLC (2019-present). She is a Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2019-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Previously, Ms. Lo Bessette served as CLO, Secretary, and Senior Vice President of FMR Co., Inc. (investment adviser firm, 2019); Secretary of Fidelity SelectCo, LLC and Fidelity Investments Money Management, Inc. (investment adviser firms, 2019). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Lo Bessette was Executive Vice President, General Counsel (2016-2019) and Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel (2015-2016) of OppenheimerFunds (investment management company) and Deputy Chief Legal Officer (2013-2015) of Jennison Associates LLC (investment adviser firm).

Ksenia Portnoy. Chief Compliance Officer. Ms. Portnoy also serves as Chief Compliance Officer of other funds. Ms. Portnoy is a Senior Vice President of Asset Management Compliance for Fidelity Investments and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2021-present). Prior to joining Fidelity, Ms. Portnoy worked in the asset management divisions of Morgan Stanley Investment Management (investment adviser firm, 2020-2021), Mizuho (investment adviser firm, 2015-2020), Guggenheim Partners (investment adviser firm, 2012-2015) and Lehman Brothers (investment adviser firm, 2008-2012).

 

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Jeffrey Scott. Vice President. Mr. Scott serves as Managing Director of originations in the High Income and Alternatives division (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2021-present). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Mr. Scott was a Managing Director at Madison Capital Funding (now Apogem Capital) (2013-2021).

Vishal Sheth. Vice President. Mr. Sheth serves as Head of Alternatives Finance for the Asset Management division at Fidelity and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2022-present). Prior to joining Fidelity, Mr. Sheth was Chief Financial Officer at Twin Brook Capital Partners (2017-2022) and Director of Accounting at Angelo Gordon (2014-2017). He has been in the financial industry since 2004.

Vadim Zlotnikov. Vice President. Mr. Zlotnikov also serves as Vice President of other funds. Mr. Zlotnikov serves as President and Director of Fidelity Diversifying Solutions LLC (investment adviser firm, 2021-present), President and Director of FIAM LLC (investment adviser firm, 2020-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2018-present). Previously, Mr. Zlotnikov served as President and Chief Investment Officer of Global Asset Allocation (2018-2020). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Mr. Zlotnikov served as Co-Head of Multi-Asset Solutions, Chief Market Strategist, and CIO of Systematic Strategies with AllianceBernstein (investment adviser firm, 2002-2018).

Non-Executive Officers Who are not Trustees

Joseph Benedetti. Assistant Secretary. Mr. Benedetti also serves as Assistant Secretary of other funds. Mr. Benedetti is Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2020-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Mr. Benedetti serves as Assistant Secretary of Fidelity Diversifying Solutions LLC (investment adviser firm, 2021-present) and Secretary of FIAM LLC (investment adviser firm, 2021-present). Prior to joining Fidelity, Mr. Benedetti was Assistant General Counsel at Invesco (investment adviser firm, 2019-2020); Senior Vice President and Managing Counsel at OppenheimerFunds Inc. (investment adviser firm, 2017-2019); and a Managing Director in the Legal Department of Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. (investment adviser firm, 2004-2017).

Craig S. Brown. Assistant Treasurer. Mr. Brown also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Brown serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2013-present).

Nati Davidi. Assistant Secretary. Ms. Davidi also serves as Assistant Secretary of other funds. Ms. Davidi serves as Vice President and Associate General Counsel (2013-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (1999-present).

Jonathan Davis. Assistant Treasurer. Mr. Davis also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Davis serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present), FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present), FD Funds GP LLC (2021-present), FD Funds Holding LLC (2021-present), and FD Funds Management LLC (2021-present); and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Previously, Mr. Davis served as Vice President and Associate General Counsel of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2003-2010).

Laura M. Del Prato. Assistant Treasurer. Ms. Del Prato also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Del Prato serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2017-present). Previously, Ms. Del Prato served as President and Treasurer of The North Carolina Capital Management Trust: Cash Portfolio and Term Portfolio (2018-2020). Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Del Prato served as a Managing Director and Treasurer of the JPMorgan Mutual Funds (2014-2017). Prior to JPMorgan, Ms. Del Prato served as a partner at Cohen Fund Audit Services (accounting firm, 2012-2013) and KPMG LLP (accounting firm, 2004-2012).

Colm A. Hogan. Assistant Treasurer. Mr. Hogan also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Hogan serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2005-present). Previously, Mr. Hogan served as Deputy Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2016-2020) and Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2016-2018).

Chris Maher. Assistant Treasurer. Mr. Maher also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Maher serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present), and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2008-present). Previously, Mr. Maher served as Assistant Treasurer of certain funds (2013-2020); Vice President of Asset Management Compliance (2013), Vice President of the Program Management Group of FMR (investment adviser firm, 2010-2013), and Vice President of Valuation Oversight (2008-2010).

 

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Brett Segaloff. Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Officer. Mr. Segaloff also serves as an AML Officer of other funds and other related entities. He is Director, Anti-Money Laundering (2007-present) of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (1996-present).

Stacie M. Smith. Assistant Treasurer. Ms. Smith also serves as an officer of other funds. Ms. Smith serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and FMR Capital, Inc. (2017-present), is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2009-present), and has served in other fund officer roles. Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Ms. Smith served as Senior Audit Manager of Ernst & Young LLP (accounting firm, 1996-2009). Previously, Ms. Smith served as Assistant Treasurer (2013-2019) and Deputy Treasurer (2013-2016) of certain Fidelity® funds.

Jim Wegmann. Assistant Treasurer. Mr. Wegmann also serves as an officer of other funds. Mr. Wegmann serves as Assistant Treasurer of FIMM, LLC (2021-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments (2011-present). Previously, Mr. Wegmann served as Assistant Treasurer of certain Fidelity® funds (2019-2021).

Christina Zervoudakis. Assistant Secretary. Ms. Zervoudakis is a Vice President and Assistant General Counsel of FMR LLC (diversified financial services company, 2020-present) and is an employee of Fidelity Investments. Prior to joining Fidelity, Ms. Zervoudakis was Assistant General Counsel at Invesco (investment adviser firm, 2019-2020); Vice President and Assistant Counsel at OppenheimerFunds Inc. (investment adviser firm, 2017-2019); and an Executive Director in the Legal Department of Morgan Stanley Investment Management Inc. (investment adviser firm, 2013-2017).

Communications with Trustees

Shareholders and other interested parties may contact any member (or all members) of the Board by mail. To communicate with the Board, any individual Trustees or any group or committee of Trustees, correspondence should be addressed to the Board or any such individual Trustees or group or committee of Trustees by either name or title. All such correspondence should be sent to Fidelity Private Credit Fund, c/o Fidelity Investments, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.

Committee of the Board

Our Board currently has one committee: an audit committee. We do not have a compensation committee because our executive officers do not receive any direct compensation from us. We also do not have a nominating committee; such matters are considered by the full Board, including the Independent Trustees, or, when applicable, by only the Independent Trustees. The Board will consider nominees for Trustees recommended by shareholders. Recommendations should be submitted to the Independent Trustees in care of the Secretary of the Fund. Under the Declaration of Trust, the Fund is not required to hold annual meetings.

Audit Committee.

The Audit Committee is composed of Jennifer Birmingham, Matthew Conti and Tara Kenney, all of whom are considered independent for purposes of the 1940 Act. Ms. Birmingham serves as the chair of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee operates pursuant to a charter approved by our Board, which sets forth the responsibilities of the Audit Committee. All committee members must be able to read and understand fundamental financial statements, including a company’s balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. At least one Audit Committee member will be an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in Item 407 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act. Each of the members of the Audit Committee meet the independence requirements of Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act and, in addition, is not an “interested person” of the Fund or of the Adviser as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. The Audit Committee meets separately at least annually with the Fund’s Treasurer, with the Fund’s CFO, with personnel responsible for the internal audit function of FMR, and with the Fund’s outside auditors. The Audit Committee has direct responsibility for the appointment, compensation, and oversight of the work of the outside auditor employed by the Fund. The Audit Committee assists the Trustees in fulfilling their responsibility to oversee: (i) the systems of internal accounting and financial controls of the Fund and the Fund’s service providers, (to the extent such controls impact the Fund’s financial statements); (ii) the Fund’s auditors and the annual audits of the Fund’s financial statements; (iii) the financial reporting processes of the Fund; (iv) whistleblower reports; and (v) the accounting policies and disclosures of the Fund. The Audit Committee considers and acts upon (i) the provision by any outside auditor of any non-audit services for the Fund, and (ii) the provision by any outside auditor of certain non-audit services to Fund service providers and their affiliates to the extent that such approval (in the case of this clause (ii)) is required under applicable regulations of the SEC. In furtherance of the foregoing, the Audit Committee has adopted (and may from time to time amend or supplement) and provides oversight of policies and procedures for non-audit engagements by outside auditors of the Fund. The Audit Committee is responsible for approving all audit engagement fees and terms for the Fund and for resolving disagreements between the Fund and any outside auditor regarding the Fund’s financial reporting. Auditors of the Fund report directly to the Audit Committee. The Audit

 

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Committee will obtain assurance of independence and objectivity from the outside auditors, including a formal written statement delineating all relationships between the auditor and the Fund and any service providers consistent with the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. It will discuss regularly and oversee the review of internal controls of and the management of risks by the Fund and its service providers with respect to accounting and financial matters (including financial reporting relating to the Fund, including a review of: (i) any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting that are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Fund’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial data; (ii) any change in the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting; and (iii) any fraud, whether material or not, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Fund’s or service providers’ internal controls over financial reporting). The Audit Committee will also review periodically the Fund’s major exposures relating to internal controls over accounting and financial matters and the steps that have been taken to monitor and control such exposures. In connection to such reviews, the Audit Committee will receive periodic reports on the Fund’s service providers’ internal controls over accounting and financial matters. It will also review any correspondence with regulators or governmental agencies or published reports that raise material issues regarding the Fund’s financial statements or accounting policies. The Audit Committee reviews at least annually a report from the outside auditor describing any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality control, peer review, or Public Company Accounting Oversight Board examination of the auditing firm and any material issues raised by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities of the auditing firm and in each case any steps taken to deal with such issues. The Audit Committee will oversee and receive reports on the Fund’s financial reporting process, will discuss with FDS, the Fund’s Treasurer, outside auditors and, if appropriate, internal audit personnel of FMR, their qualitative judgments about the appropriateness and acceptability of accounting principles and financial disclosure practices used or proposed for adoption by the Fund. The Audit Committee will review with FDS, the Fund’s Treasurer, outside auditor, and internal audit personnel of FMR and, as appropriate, legal counsel the results of audits of the Fund’s financial statements.

A copy of the charter of the Audit Committee is available in print to any shareholder who requests it, and it will also be available on the Fund’s website at [    ].

Compensation of Trustees

Our Trustees who do not also serve in an executive officer capacity for us or the Adviser are entitled to receive annual cash retainer fees, annual fees for serving on committees and annual fees for serving as a committee chairperson. These Trustees are Jennifer Birmingham, Matthew Conti and Tara Kenney. Amounts payable under the arrangement are determined and paid quarterly as follows:

 

            Annual Committee Chair
Cash Retainer
 

Annual Cash Retainer

   Committee
Retainer
Fee
     Audit  

$85,000

   $ 5,000      $ 4,000  

We also reimburse each of the Trustees for all reasonable and authorized business expenses in accordance with our policies as in effect from time to time, including reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attending each board meeting and each committee meeting not held concurrently with a board meeting.

We will not pay compensation to our Trustees who also serve in an executive officer capacity for us or the Adviser.

Staffing

We do not currently have any employees and do not expect to have any employees. Services necessary for our business are provided by individuals who are employees of the Adviser, pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement. Our day-to-day investment operations are managed by our Adviser.

Compensation of Executive Officers

None of our officers will receive direct compensation from us.

 

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Board Leadership Structure

Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of our Board. Among other things, our Board sets broad policies for us, approves the appointment of our investment adviser, administrator and officers, and has oversight of the valuation process used to establish the Fund’s NAV. The role of our Board, and of any individual Trustees, is one of oversight and not of management of our day-to-day affairs.

Under our bylaws, our Board may designate one of our Trustees as chair to preside over meetings of our Board and meetings of shareholders, and to perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by our Board. David B. Jones is an interested person and currently serves as Chairman. The Trustees have determined that an interested Chairman is appropriate and benefits shareholders because an interested Chairman has a personal and professional stake in the quality and continuity of services provided to the Fund. Independent Trustees exercise their informed business judgment to appoint an individual of their choosing to serve as Chairman, regardless of whether the Trustee happens to be independent or a member of management. The Independent Trustees have determined that they can act independently and effectively without having an Independent Trustee serve as Chairman and that a key structural component for assuring that they are in a position to do so is for the Independent Trustees to constitute a substantial majority for the Board. The Independent Trustees also regularly meet in executive session.

Fidelity® funds are overseen by different Boards of Trustees. Our Board oversees the Fund and certain Fidelity’s alternative investment funds. Other Boards oversee Fidelity’s investment-grade bond, money market, asset allocation, high income and equity funds. The use of separate Boards, each with its own committee structure, allows the Trustees of each group of Fidelity® funds to focus on the unique issues of the funds they oversee, including common research, investment, and operational issues. On occasion, the separate Boards establish joint committees to address issues of overlapping consequences for the Fidelity® funds overseen by each Board.

The Trustees primarily operate as a full Board, but have also established one standing committee, the Audit Committee, to facilitate the timely and efficient consideration of all matters of importance to the Trustees, the Fund, and shareholders and to facilitate compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and oversight of the Fund’s activities and associated risks. The Board has charged FDS and its affiliates with (i) identifying events or circumstances the occurrence of which could have demonstrably adverse effects on the Fund’s business and/or reputation; (ii) implementing processes and controls to lessen the possibility that such events or circumstances occur or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur; and (iii) creating and maintaining a system designed to evaluate continuously business and market conditions in order to facilitate the identification and implementation processes described in (i) and (ii) above. Because the day-to-day operations and activities of the Fund is carried out by or through FDS, its affiliates, and other service providers, the Fund’s exposure to risks is mitigated but not eliminated by the processes overseen by the Trustees. Board oversight of different aspects of the Fund’s activities is exercised primarily through the full Board, but also through the Audit Committee. Appropriate personnel, including but not limited to the Fund’s CCO, FDS’s internal auditor, the independent accountants, the Fund’s Treasurer and portfolio management personnel, make periodic reports to the Board and Audit Committee, as appropriate, including an annual review of Fidelity’s risk management program for the Fidelity® funds. The responsibilities of the Audit Committee, including its oversight responsibilities, are described further under “Committee of the Board.”

Experience, Skills, Attributes, and Qualifications of the Trustees.

The Board has adopted a statement of policy that describes the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills that are necessary and desirable for potential Independent Trustee candidates (“Statement of Policy”). The Board believes that each Trustee satisfied at the time he or she was initially elected or appointed a Trustee, and continues to satisfy, the standards contemplated by the Statement of Policy. The Board also engages professional search firms to help identify potential Independent Trustee candidates who have the experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills consistent with the Statement of Policy. From time to time, additional criteria based on the composition and skills of the current Independent Trustees, as well as experience or skills that may be appropriate in light of future changes to board composition, business conditions, and regulatory or other developments, have also been considered by the professional search firms and the Board. In addition, the Board takes into account the Trustees’ commitment and participation in Board and committee meetings, as well as their leadership of standing and ad hoc committees throughout their tenure.

In determining that a particular Trustee was and continues to be qualified to serve as a Trustee, the Board has considered a variety of criteria, none of which, in isolation, was controlling. The Board believes that, collectively, the Trustees have balanced and diverse experience, qualifications, attributes, and skills, which allow the Board to operate effectively in governing the Fund and protecting the interests of shareholders. Information about the specific experience, skills, attributes, and qualifications of each Trustee, which in each case led to the Board’s conclusion that the Trustee should serve (or continue to serve) as a trustee of the Fund, is provided above.

 

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Board Role in Risk Oversight

Our Board performs its risk oversight function primarily through (i) its standing committee, which reports to the entire Board and is comprised solely of Independent Trustees, and (ii) active monitoring by our CCO and our compliance policies and procedures.

Oversight of our investment activities extends to oversight of the risk management processes employed by the Adviser as part of its day-to-day management of our investment activities. The Board anticipates reviewing risk management processes at both regular and special board meetings throughout the year, consulting with appropriate representatives of the Adviser as necessary and periodically requesting the production of risk management reports or presentations. The goal of the Board’s risk oversight function is to ensure that the risks associated with our investment activities are accurately identified, thoroughly investigated and responsibly addressed. Investors should note, however, that the Board’s oversight function cannot eliminate all risks or ensure that particular events do not adversely affect the value of investments.

We believe that the role of our Board in risk oversight is generally effective and appropriate given the extensive regulation to which we will be subject as a BDC. As a BDC, we will be required to comply with certain regulatory requirements that control the levels of risk in our business and operations. For example, we are limited in our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates, including investing in any portfolio company in which one of our affiliates currently has an investment.

 

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PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

FDS will serve as our investment adviser. The Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act. Subject to the overall supervision of our Board, the Adviser will manage the day-to-day operations of, and provide investment advisory and management services to, us.

Investment Personnel

The day-to-day management of our investment portfolio will be the responsibility of the Adviser and the Direct Lending Investment Committee. The Direct Lending Investment Committee is currently comprised of the Fund’s three portfolio managers, David Gaito, Therese Icuss and Jeffrey Scott. A majority of the Investment Committee members must approve each transaction. Messrs. Gaito and Scott and Ms. Icuss shall be referred to, collectively, as the portfolio managers for the purposes of the information included below.

The table below shows the dollar range of Common Shares owned by the portfolio managers as of October 21, 2022:

 

Name of Portfolio Manager

   Dollar
Range of
Equity
Securities(1)
 

David Gaito

     None  

Therese Icuss

     None  

Jeffrey Scott

     None  

 

(1)

Dollar ranges are as follows: None, $1 – $10,000, $10,001 – $50,000, $50,001 – $100,000, $100,001 – $500,000, $500,001 – $1,000,000, or over $1,000,000.

Other Accounts Managed by Portfolio Managers

The portfolio managers primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund also manage other registered investment companies, other pooled investment vehicles and other accounts, as indicated below. The following table identifies, as of August 31, 2022: (i) the number of other registered investment companies, other pooled investment vehicles and other accounts managed by each portfolio manager; (ii) the total assets of such companies, vehicles and accounts; and (iii) the number and total assets of such companies, vehicles and accounts that are subject to an advisory fee based on performance.

David Gaito.

 

Type of Account

   Number
of
Accounts
     Assets of
Accounts
($ millions)
     Number of
Accounts
Subject to a
performance
Fee
     Assets
Subject to a
performance
Fee

($ millions)
 

Registered Investment companies

     0        0        0        —    

Other pooled investment vehicles:

     1      $ 239        0        —    

Other accounts

     0        0        0        0  

Therese Icuss.

 

Type of Account

   Number
of
Accounts
     Assets of
Accounts
($ millions)
     Number of
Accounts
Subject to a
performance
Fee
     Assets
Subject to a
performance
Fee

($ millions)
 

Registered Investment companies

     0        0        0        —    

Other pooled investment vehicles:

     1      $ 239        0        —    

Other accounts

     0        0        0        0  

 

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Jeffrey Scott.

 

Type of Account

   Number of
Accounts
     Assets of
Accounts

($ millions)
     Number of
Accounts
Subject to a
performance
Fee
     Assets
Subject to a
performance
Fee

($ millions)
 

Registered Investment companies

     0        0        0        —    

Other pooled investment vehicles:

     1      $ 239        0        —    

Other accounts

     0        0        0        0  

The Adviser

Direct Lending Investment Committee

Investment decisions generally require consensus approval of the Direct Lending Investment Committee, currently comprised of the Fund’s three portfolio managers, David Gaito, Therese Icuss and Jeffrey Scott. The Direct Lending Investment Committee will meet regularly to vet new investment opportunities, and evaluate strategic initiatives and actions taken by the Adviser on our behalf. The day-to-day management of investments approved by the Direct Lending Investment Committee will be overseen by the portfolio managers.

None of the Direct Lending Investment Committee members receive any direct compensation from us. See “Control Persons and Principal Shareholders” for additional information about equity interests held by certain of these individuals.

David Gaito, Head of Direct Lending. David Gaito is head of direct lending in the High Income and Alternatives division at Fidelity Investments. Mr. Gaito leads Fidelity’s direct lending business, which is focused on making credit investments to middle market companies predominantly owned by private equity firms. Mr. Gaito is a member of the Direct Lending Investment Committee. Prior to joining Fidelity in April 2021, Mr. Gaito held several senior roles during a distinguished career at PNC Corporate and Institutional Banking. He was most recently an executive vice president and division executive for PNC’s middle market senior secured lending platform, with responsibility for managing the daily operations of a division that included the Boston, Chicago, New York, and Toronto hubs. In this capacity, he was responsible for all aspects of the division’s credit management and new business origination. David has an extensive track record in leading divisions, acquiring talent, and mentoring employees to grow assets under management. He brings over 20 years of expertise to the role and has been in the financial industry since 1999.

Mr. Gaito earned his Bachelor of Science degree in economics from St. Vincent’s College. He is also a CFA® charterholder.

Therese Icuss, Managing Director, Underwriting and Credit. Therese Icuss is a managing director of underwriting and credit in the High Income and Alternatives division at Fidelity Investments. Ms. Icuss is a member of the Direct Lending Investment Committee and oversees the credit, underwriting, and portfolio management functions for Fidelity’s direct lending business.

Prior to joining Fidelity in September 2021, Ms. Icuss was co-head of underwriting at Twin Brook Capital Partners responsible for oversight of a portfolio of nearly 180 borrowers and $10B+ AUM, including distressed and workout management and oversight of all new direct origination and management of a team of 40+ underwriters. Prior to that, she worked as a director at Chase Capital responsible for middle market credit and deal execution for senior, 2nd lien, mezzanine and equity investments and ongoing portfolio management including workout responsibilities. She also worked as an analyst at JP Morgan Bank, NA where she held various roles in commercial banking credit, including portfolio management responsibility for a middle market credit portfolio. She has been in the financial industry since 2005.

Ms. Icuss earned her Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Jeffrey Scott, Managing Director. Jeffrey Scott is a managing director in the High Income and Alternatives division at Fidelity Investments. Mr. Scott is a member of the Direct Lending Investment Committee and is focused on marketing strategy, relationship management, sourcing and investment selection.

Prior to joining Fidelity in July 2021, Mr. Scott was managing director at Madison Capital Funding where he sourced and structured senior, unitranche, mezzanine and equity co-investments with a focus on high-quality sponsor-backed companies. Prior to that, he worked as a managing director at Cerberus Capital responsible for running the Chicago office and focused on sourcing, underwriting, and structuring higher-yielding senior, 2nd lien and unitranche loans for more storied middle-market companies. He also worked as an associate at Antares Capital and underwrote senior cash flow loans and equity co-investments for private equity backed middle market companies. He has been in the financial industry since 1997.

 

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Mr. Scott earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Wheaton College, as well as his Master of Business Administration degree in finance and entrepreneurship from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Additionally, Harley Lank, the President of the High Income and Alternatives Group, and Paul Quistberg, the Chief Investment Officer of the High Income and Alternatives Group meet with the Direct Lending team frequently to discuss the pipeline of opportunities and they have the authority to decline any opportunity at any point at their discretion.

Harley Lank, President, High Income and Alternatives Group. Harley Lank is president of Fidelity Investments’ High Income and Alternatives division, where he has strategic oversight of portfolio management, research, trading, investment services, and special situations teams that support the current high income, leveraged loan, emerging market debt, real estate debt businesses, and credit-oriented products in the alternatives space. Mr. Lank is also the portfolio manager of the Fidelity High Income Central Fund and various institutional portfolios for U.S. and non-U.S. investors.

Previously, Mr. Lank managed various Fidelity funds, including Fidelity Advisor High Income Advantage Fund, Fidelity Advisor Leveraged Company Stock Fund, Fidelity Floating Rate Central Investment Portfolio, the U.S. high-yield sub-portfolios of Fidelity Puritan® Fund and Fidelity Advisor Balanced Fund, the preferred stock portion of Fidelity Advisor Strategic Dividend & Income Fund, and Fidelity CLOs. Additionally, he co-managed Fidelity Advisor World U.S. High Income Fund and the U.S. high-yield sub-portfolios of Fidelity and Fidelity Advisor Global High Income Funds. He also worked as a research analyst.

Before joining Fidelity in 1996, Mr. Lank was a corporate finance analyst at Bank of Boston. He has been in the financial industry since 1992.

Mr. Lank earned his bachelor of science degree in business from Syracuse University and his master of business administration degree from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Paul Quistberg, Chief Investment Officer. Paul Quistberg is the chief investment officer in Fidelity Investments’ High Income and Alternatives division, which includes high income, leverage loan, emerging markets debt, real estate debt, and credit-oriented products in the alternatives space. In this role, Mr. Quistberg is responsible for the management of High Income and Alternatives division portfolio managers, oversight of investment strategies, and coordination of activities to ensure consistency and stability in the investment process. Additionally, he is responsible for working to develop and grow investment management capabilities, investment products, and assets under management.

Prior to assuming his current role, Mr. Quistberg was a chief investment officer at Strategic Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser and a Fidelity Investments company. In this role, Mr. Quistberg was responsible for overseeing the investment teams for Portfolio Advisory Services Accounts, Portfolio Advisory Services Accounts – Tax-Sensitive Accounts, Workplace Managed Accounts, Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund® (CGF) Charitable Legacy Pool, and the Strategic Advisers Funds. Previously, he was head of research for the Strategic Advisers research organization, which includes the quantitative and fundamental teams. He also had oversight of certain Strategic Advisers portfolio management teams.

Prior to joining Fidelity in 2015, Mr. Quistberg was the chief investment officer at BofA Global Capital Management, Bank of America’s proprietary cash and fixed income management investment advisor, from 2010 to 2015. Previously, he was the head of cash investments and liquidity strategies for Columbia Management from 2008 to 2010, and the chief operating officer of the fixed income division and director of credit research at Putnam Investments from 1995 to 2008. He worked earlier in his career at the Travelers Insurance Company as an investment officer and at KPMG Peat Marwick as an audit manager. Mr. Quistberg has over 30 years of investment and financial services experience.

Mr. Quistberg earned his bachelor of science degree in accounting from the University of Connecticut and his master of business administration degree in finance from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a CFA® charterholder.

 

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ADVISORY AGREEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT

FDS is located at 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. The Adviser is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act. Subject to the overall supervision of our Board and in accordance with the 1940 Act, the Adviser manages our day-to-day investment operations and provides investment advisory services to us.

Advisory Agreement

The Adviser will provide management services to us pursuant to the Advisory Agreement. Under the terms of the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is responsible for the following:

 

 

determining the composition of our portfolio, the nature and timing of the changes to our portfolio and the manner of implementing such changes in accordance with our investment objective, policies and restrictions;

 

 

identifying investment opportunities and making investment decisions for us, including negotiating the terms of investments in, and dispositions of, portfolio securities and other instruments on our behalf;

 

 

monitoring our investments;

 

 

performing due diligence on prospective portfolio companies;

 

 

exercising voting rights in respect of portfolio securities and other investments for us;

 

 

serving on, and exercising observer rights for, boards of directors and similar committees of our portfolio companies;

 

 

negotiating, obtaining and managing financing facilities and other forms of leverage; and

 

 

providing us with such other investment advisory and related services as we may, from time to time, reasonably require for the investment of capital.

The Adviser’s services under the Advisory Agreement are not exclusive, and it is free to furnish similar services to other entities, and it intends to do so, so long as its services to us are not impaired.

Compensation of Adviser

We will pay the Adviser a fee for its services under the Advisory Agreement consisting of two components: a management fee and an incentive fee. The cost of both the management fee and the incentive fee will ultimately be borne by the shareholders.

Management Fee

The management fee is payable monthly in arrears at an annual rate of 1.25% of the value of our net assets as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the applicable month. For purposes of the Advisory Agreement, net assets mean our total assets less the fair value of our liabilities, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP. For the first calendar month in which we have operations, net assets will be measured as the beginning net assets as of the date on which the Fund breaks escrow.

The Advisor has agreed to waive all management fees for the first six (6) months following the date on which we break escrow.

Incentive Fee

The incentive fee will consist of two components that are independent of each other, with the result that one component may be payable even if the other is not. A portion of the incentive fee is based on a percentage of our income and a portion is based on a percentage of our capital gains, each as described below.

The Advisor has agreed to waive the incentive fee based on income for the first six (6) months following the date on which we break escrow.

 

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Incentive Fee Based on Income

The portion based on our income is based on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns attributable to each class of the Fund’s Common Shares. “Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns” means dividends, cash interest or other distributions or other cash income and any third-party fees received from portfolio companies such as upfront fees, commitment fees, origination fee, amendment fees, ticking fees and break-up fees, as well as prepayments premiums, but excluding fees for providing managerial assistance and fees earned by the Adviser or an affiliate accrued during the month, minus operating expenses for the month (including the management fee, taxes, any expenses payable under the Advisory Agreement and an administration agreement with our administrator, any expense of securitizations, and interest expense or other financing fees and any dividends paid on preferred stock, but excluding the incentive fee and shareholder servicing and /or distribution fees). Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as original issue discount, debt instruments with PIK interest and zero-coupon securities), accrued income that we have not yet received in cash. Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns do not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation.

Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns, expressed as a rate of return on the value of our net assets at the end of the immediate preceding quarter, is compared to a “hurdle rate” of return of 1.25% per quarter (5.00% annualized).

We will pay the Adviser an incentive fee quarterly in arrears with respect to our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns in each calendar quarter as follows:

 

 

No incentive fee based on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns in any calendar quarter in which our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns attributable to the applicable share class do not exceed the hurdle rate of 1.25% per quarter (5.0% annualized);

 

 

100% of the dollar amount of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns with respect to that portion of such Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns attributable to the applicable share class, if any, that exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than a rate of return of 1.43% (5.72% annualized). We refer to this portion of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns (which exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than 1.43%) as the “catch-up.” The “catch-up” is meant to provide the Adviser with approximately 12.5% of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns as if a hurdle rate did not apply if this net investment income exceeds 1.43% in any calendar quarter; and

 

 

12.5% of the dollar amount of our Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns attributable to the applicable share class, if any, that exceed a rate of return of 1.43% (5.72% annualized). This reflects that once the hurdle rate is reached and the catch-up is achieved, 12.5% of all Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns thereafter are allocated to the Adviser.

 

LOGO

Percentage of each Class’s Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Allocated to Quarterly Incentive Fee

These calculations are pro-rated for any period of less than three months and adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the relevant quarter. You should be aware that a rise in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments. Accordingly, an increase in interest rates would make it easier for us to meet or exceed the incentive fee hurdle rate and may result in a substantial increase of the amount of incentive fees payable to the Adviser with respect to Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns. Because of the structure of the incentive fee, it is possible that we may pay an incentive fee in a calendar quarter in which we incur an overall loss taking into account capital account losses. For example, if we receive Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns in excess of the quarterly hurdle rate, we will pay the applicable incentive fee even if we have incurred a loss in that calendar quarter due to realized and unrealized capital losses.

The Adviser has agreed to waive the incentive fee based on income for the first six (6) months following the date on which we break escrow for this offering.

 

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Incentive Fee Based on Capital Gains

The second component of the incentive fee, the capital gains incentive fee, is payable at the end of each calendar year in arrears. The amount payable equals:

 

   

12.5% of cumulative realized capital gains attributable to the applicable share class from inception through the end of such calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid incentive fee on capital gains as calculated in accordance with GAAP.

Each year, the fee paid for the capital gains incentive fee is net of the aggregate amount of any previously paid capital gains incentive fee by the applicable share class for all prior periods. We will accrue, but will not pay, a capital gains incentive fee with respect to unrealized appreciation because a capital gains incentive fee would be owed to the Adviser if we were to sell the relevant investment and realize a capital gain. In no event will the capital gains incentive fee payable pursuant to the Advisory Agreement be in excess of the amount permitted by the Advisers Act, including Section 205 thereof.

For purposes of computing the Fund’s incentive fee on income and the incentive fee on capital gains, the calculation methodology will look through derivative financial instruments or swaps as if we owned the reference assets directly. The fees that are payable under the Advisory Agreement for any partial period will be appropriately prorated.

Examples of Quarterly Incentive Fee Calculation

Example 1 — Incentive Fee on pre-incentive fee net investment income for each quarter

 

Scenarios expressed as a percentage of net asset value at the beginning of the quarter    Scenario 1   Scenario 2   Scenario 3

Pre-incentive fee net investment income for the quarter

   1.00%   1.35%   2.00%

Catch up incentive fee (maximum of 0.18%)

   0.00%   (0.10)%   (0.18)%

Split incentive fee (12.5% above 1.43%)

   0.00%   0.00%   (0.07)%

Net Investment income

   1.00%   1.25%   1.75%

Scenario 1 — Incentive Fee on Income

Pre-incentive fee net investment income does not exceed the 12.5% quarterly preferred return rate, therefore there is no catch up or split incentive fee on pre-incentive fee net investment income.

Scenario 2 — Incentive Fee on Income

Pre-incentive fee net investment income falls between the 1.25% quarterly preferred return rate and the upper level breakpoint of 1.43%, therefore the incentive fee on pre-incentive fee net investment income is 100% of the pre-incentive fee above the 1.25% quarterly preferred return.

Scenario 3 — Incentive Fee on Income

Pre-incentive fee net investment income exceeds the 1.25% quarterly preferred return and the 1.43% upper level breakpoint provision. Therefore the upper level breakpoint provision is fully satisfied by the 0.18% of pre-incentive fee net investment income above the 1.25% preferred return rate and there is a 12.5% incentive fee on pre-incentive fee net investment income above the 1.43% upper level breakpoint. This ultimately provides an incentive fee which represents 12.5% of pre-incentive fee net investment income.

 

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Example 2 — Incentive Fee on Capital Gains

Assumptions

 

Year 1:

No net realized capital gains or losses

 

Year 2:

6.00% realized capital gains and 1.00% realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation; capital gain incentive fee = 12.5% × (realized capital gains for year computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation at year end)

 

Year 1 Incentive Fee on Capital Gains    = 12.50% × (0)
   = 0
   = No Incentive Fee on Capital Gains

Year 2 Incentive Fee on Capital Gains

   = 12.5% × (6.00% -1.00)%
  

= 12.5% × 5.00%

   = 0.63%

Administration Agreement

Under the terms of the Administration Agreement, the Administrator provides, or oversees the performance of, administrative and compliance services necessary for the fund operations, including, but not limited to, maintaining financial records, overseeing the calculation of NAV, compliance monitoring (including diligence and oversight of our other service providers), preparing reports to shareholders and reports filed with the SEC and other regulators, preparing materials and coordinating meetings of our Board, managing the payment of expenses, the payment and receipt of funds for investments and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered by others and providing office space, equipment and office services. In consideration of the administrative services provided by the Administrator to the Fund, the Fund pays the Administrator a monthly fee of 0.02666% (0.32% on an annualized basis) of the Fund’s month-end net asset value and reimburses the Administrator for the costs and expenses of the Fund incurred by the Administrator. The Administration Fee is an expense paid out of the Fund’s net assets and is computed based on the value of the net assets of the Fund as of the close of business on the last business day of each month (including any assets in respect of Shares that are repurchased as of the end of the quarter).

From time to time, FDS, in its capacity as both the Adviser and the Administrator or its affiliates may pay third-party providers of goods or services. Unless such expenses are specifically assumed by the Adviser, Administrator or its affiliates under the Advisory Agreement or Administration Agreement, the Fund will reimburse the Adviser, the Administrator or such affiliates thereof for any such amounts paid on the Fund’s behalf. From time to time, the Adviser or the Administrator may defer or waive fees and/or rights to be reimbursed for expenses.

Costs and expenses of FDS in its capacity as both the Administrator and the Adviser that are eligible for reimbursement by the Fund will be reasonably allocated to the Fund on the basis of time spent, assets under management, usage rates, proportionate holdings, a combination thereof or other reasonable methods determined by the Administrator.

Certain Terms of the Advisory Agreement and Administration Agreement

Each of the Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement has been approved by the Board. Unless earlier terminated as described below, each of the Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement will remain in effect for a period of two years from the date it first becomes effective and will remain in effect from year-to-year thereafter if approved annually by a majority of the Board or by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities and, in each case, a majority of the Independent Trustees. We may terminate the Advisory Agreement upon 60 days’ written notice, and the Administration Agreement upon 120 days’ written notice, without payment of any penalty. The decision to terminate either agreement may be made by a majority of the Board or the shareholders holding a majority of our outstanding voting securities, which means the lesser of (1) 67% or more of the voting securities present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities. In addition, without payment of any penalty, the Adviser may terminate the Advisory Agreement upon 120 days’ written notice and the Administrator may terminate the Administration Agreement upon 120 days’ written notice. The Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate within the meaning of the 1940 Act and related SEC guidance and interpretations in the event of its assignment.

 

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FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser and the Administrator) shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any act or omission or any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which the Advisory Agreement and Administration Agreement, respectively, relate, provided that FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser and the Administrator) shall not be protected against any liability to the Fund or its shareholders to which it would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on its part in the performance of its duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of its duties and obligations (“disabling conduct”). Each of the Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement provide that, absent disabling conduct, FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser and as the Administrator) and their officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with either of them (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) will be entitled to indemnification from us for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of FDS’s services under the Advisory Agreement and FDS’s services under the Administration Agreement or otherwise as adviser or administrator for us. FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser and the Administrator) shall not be liable under their respective agreements with us or otherwise for any loss due to the mistake, action, inaction, negligence, dishonesty, fraud or bad faith of any broker or other agent; provided, that such broker or other agent shall have been selected, engaged or retained and monitored by FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser and the Administrator) in good faith, unless such action or inaction was made by reason of disabling conduct, or in the case of a criminal action or proceeding, where FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser and the Administrator) had reasonable cause to believe its conduct was unlawful. In addition, we will not provide for indemnification of an Indemnified Party for any liability or loss suffered by such Indemnified Party, nor will we provide that an Indemnified Party be held harmless for any loss or liability suffered by us, unless: (1) we have determined, in good faith, that the course of conduct that caused the loss or liability was in our best interest; (2) the Indemnified Party was acting on our behalf or performing services for us; (3) such liability or loss was not the result of negligence or misconduct, in the case that the Indemnified Party is FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser and the Administrator), an affiliate of FDS or one of our officers; and (4) the indemnification or agreement to hold harmless is recoverable only out of our net assets and not from our shareholders.

Payment of Our Expenses Under the Investment Advisory and Administration Agreements

Except as specifically provided below, all investment professionals and staff of the Adviser, when and to the extent engaged in providing investment advisory services to us, and the base compensation, bonus and benefits, and the routine overhead expenses, of such personnel allocable to such services, will be provided and paid for by the Adviser. We will bear the following costs and expenses of our operations, administration and transactions:

1. investment advisory fees, including management fees and incentive fees, to the Adviser, pursuant to the Advisory Agreement;

2. the Administration Fee to the Administrator pursuant to the Administration Agreement; and

3. other expenses of the Fund’s operations and transactions listed in “Plan of Operation—Expenses.”

From time to time, FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser and the Administrator) or its affiliates may pay third-party providers of goods or services. We will reimburse FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser and as the Administrator) or such affiliates thereof for any such amounts paid on our behalf that are Fund expenses. From time to time, FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser and the Administrator) may defer or waive fees and/or rights to be reimbursed for expenses. All of the foregoing expenses will ultimately be borne by our shareholders.

Costs and expenses of FDS (in its capacity as the Adviser and the Administrator) that are eligible for reimbursement by the Fund will be reasonably allocated to the Fund on the basis of time spent, assets under management, usage rates, proportionate holdings, a combination thereof or other reasonable methods determined by the Administrator.

 

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Board Approval of the Advisory Agreement

Our Board, including our Independent Trustees, approved the initial Advisory Agreement at a meeting held on August 8, 2022. The basis for the Board approving the Advisory Agreement for the Fund will be included in the Fund’s annual report for the fiscal period ending December 31, 2022.

Prohibited Activities

Our activities are subject to compliance with the 1940 Act. In addition, our Declaration of Trust prohibits the following activities among us, the Adviser and its affiliates:

 

 

We may not purchase or lease assets in which the Adviser or its affiliates has an interest unless (i) we disclose the terms of the transaction to our shareholders, the terms are reasonable to us and the price does not exceed the lesser of cost or fair market value, as determined by an independent expert or (ii) such purchase or lease of assets is consistent with the 1940 Act or an exemptive order under the 1940 Act issued to us by the SEC;

 

 

We may not invest in general partnerships or joint ventures with affiliates and non-affiliates unless certain conditions are met;

 

 

The Adviser and its affiliates may not acquire assets from us unless (i) approved by our shareholders entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter or (ii) such acquisition is consistent with the 1940 Act or an exemptive order under the 1940 Act issued to us by the SEC;

 

 

We may not lease assets to the Adviser or its affiliates unless we disclose the terms of the transaction to our shareholders and such terms are fair and reasonable to us;

 

 

We may not make any loans, credit facilities, credit agreements or otherwise to the Adviser or its affiliates except for the advancement of funds as permitted by our Declaration of Trust or unless otherwise permitted by the 1940 Act or applicable guidance or exemptive relief of the SEC;

 

 

We may not acquire assets in exchange for our Common Shares;

 

 

We may not pay a commission or fee, either directly or indirectly to the Adviser or its affiliates, except as otherwise permitted by our Declaration of Trust, in connection with the reinvestment of cash flows from operations and available reserves or of the proceeds of the resale, exchange or refinancing of our assets;

 

 

The Adviser may not charge duplicate fees to us; and

 

 

The Adviser may not provide financing to us with a term in excess of 12 months.

In addition, in the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser agrees that its activities will at all times be in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal and state securities laws governing its operations and investments.

Compliance with the Omnibus Guidelines Published by NASAA

Our activities are subject to compliance with the 1940 Act. In addition, we are subject to certain other requirements for purposes of the Omnibus Guidelines as summarized below:

Rebates, Kickbacks and Reciprocal Arrangements

Our Declaration of Trust prohibits our Adviser from: (i) receiving or accepting any rebate, give-ups or similar arrangement that is prohibited under applicable federal or state securities laws, (ii) participating in any reciprocal business arrangement that would circumvent provisions of applicable federal or state securities laws governing conflicts of interest or investment restrictions or (iii) entering into any agreement, arrangement or understanding that would circumvent the restrictions against dealing with affiliates or promoters under applicable federal or state securities laws. In addition, our Adviser may not directly or indirectly pay or award any fees or commissions or other compensation to any person or entity engaged to sell our shares or give investment advice to a potential shareholder; provided, however, that our Adviser may pay a registered broker or other properly licensed agent sales commissions or other compensation (including cash compensation and non-cash compensation (as such terms are defined under FINRA Rule 2310)) for

 

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selling or distributing our Common Shares, including out of the Adviser’s own assets, including those amounts paid to the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement.

Commingling

The Adviser may not permit our funds to be commingled with the funds of any other entity.

 

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CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The following inherent or potential conflicts of interest should be considered by prospective investors before subscribing for the Common Shares.

Relationship among the Fund, the Adviser and the Portfolio Managers. The Adviser has a conflict of interest between its responsibility to act in the best interests of the Fund, on the one hand, and any benefit, monetary or otherwise, that results to it or its affiliates from the operation of the Fund, on the other hand. For example, the Adviser’s incentive fee creates an incentive for the Adviser to recommend more speculative investments for the Fund than it would otherwise in the absence of such performance-based compensation. The Adviser may also be incentivized not to permanently write down, write off, revalue or dispose of an investment that has poor prospects for improvement to receive ongoing management fees in respect of such investment and to avoid reductions in potential incentive fees if such asset appreciates in the future. In addition, the method of calculating the incentive fee payments may result in conflicts of interest between the Adviser, on the one hand, and the Fund investors, on the other hand, with respect to the management and disposition of investments.

The functions performed by the Adviser are not exclusive. The Adviser, its affiliates and their principals and employees serve as investment adviser, managing member or general partner to other investment funds, pooled investment vehicles and client accounts (the “Other Clients”) and conduct investment activities for their own accounts. Other Clients may have investment objectives and investment strategies that are substantially identical to that of the Fund. Due to a difference in fees attributable to the Other Clients, which may be higher than those attributable to the Fund either on percentage terms or in total dollar amounts received by the Adviser and/or its affiliates, it is possible that the Adviser could allocate investment opportunities among the Other Clients and the Fund in a manner that favors the performance of Other Clients and adversely impacts the performance of the Fund. In addition, the principals and employees of the Adviser and its affiliates may and do also make investments of their own personal assets in the Fund and in Other Clients of the Adviser and its affiliates.

Investment decisions for the Fund and for such Other Clients are made with a view to achieving their respective investment objectives and after consideration of certain factors which may include their current holdings, availability of cash for investment, and the size of their positions generally. The Adviser, its affiliates and their principals and employees may give advice or take action with respect to the Other Clients that differs from the advice given with respect to the Fund.

The Fund could be disadvantaged because of activities conducted by the Adviser and its affiliates for the Other Clients as a result of, among other things: (i) legal restrictions on the combined size of positions which may be taken for the Fund and Other Clients, thereby limiting the size of the Fund’s position; and (ii) the difficulty of liquidating an investment for more than one account where the market cannot absorb the sale of the combined positions.

Frequently, a particular investment may be bought or sold for only the Fund or only one Other Client, or in different amounts and at different times for more than one but less than all Other Clients, and the Fund may or may not be included in such purchase or sale. Likewise, a particular investment may be bought for the Fund or one or more Other Clients when one or more Other Clients are selling the same security. In addition, purchases or sales of the same investment may be made for two or more Other Clients (and possibly for the Fund) on the same date. Certain of the Other Clients have different terms, fees (including incentive fees) and investment objectives from the Fund. In such events, such transactions will be allocated among the Fund and Other Clients in a manner believed by the Adviser and its affiliates to be equitable to each in accordance with its policies. In effecting transactions, it may not always be possible, or consistent with the possibly differing investment objectives of the various Other Clients and of the Fund, to take or liquidate the same investment positions at the same time or at the same prices.

As a result of the foregoing, the Adviser, its affiliates and their principals and employees may have conflicts of interest in allocating their time and activity between the Fund and Other Clients, in allocating investments among the Fund and Other Clients and in effecting transactions between the Fund and Other Clients, including ones in which the Adviser, its affiliates and their principals and employees may have a greater financial interest.

In addition, the Adviser, its affiliates and their principals and employees, including employees of the Adviser, may make personal investments in third-party entities (directly or through investment funds managed by third-party managers). Such entities may enter into transactions with the Fund, presenting a conflict of interest for the Adviser between acting in the best interests of the Fund and enhancing the returns of such personal investments.

 

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Co-Investment Transactions. The Fund has applied for an exemptive order from the SEC that permits it to co-invest with certain other persons, including certain affiliated accounts managed and controlled by the Adviser and/or its affiliates. Subject to the 1940 Act and the conditions of any such co-investment order issued by the SEC, the Fund may, under certain circumstances, co-invest with certain affiliated accounts in investments that are suitable for the Fund and one or more of such affiliated accounts. Even though the Fund and any such affiliated account co-invest in the same securities, conflicts of interest may still arise. If the Adviser is presented with co-investment opportunities that generally fall within the Fund’s investment objective and other board-established criteria and those of one or more affiliated accounts advised by the Adviser and/or its affiliates, whether focused on a debt strategy or otherwise, the Adviser and/or its affiliates will allocate such opportunities among the Fund and such affiliated accounts in a manner consistent with the exemptive order and the applicable allocation policies and procedures, as discussed in this prospectus. There is no assurance that the co-investment exemptive order will be granted by the SEC.

With respect to co-investment transactions conducted under the contemplated exemptive order, initial internal allocations among the Fund and other investment funds affiliated with the Adviser will generally be made, taking into account the allocation considerations set forth in the Adviser’s allocation policies and procedures as described above. If the Fund invests in a transaction under a co-investment exemptive order and, immediately before the submission of the order for the Fund and all other funds, accounts, or other similar arrangements advised by the Adviser and its affiliates, the opportunity is oversubscribed, it will generally be allocated on a pro-rata basis based on internal order size. To the extent the Fund does not obtain a co-investment exemptive order, or if the granting of such order is delayed, the Fund may only be able to participate in certain negotiated investment opportunities on a rotational basis.

To the extent consistent with applicable law and/or exemptive relief issued to the Fund, in addition to such co-investments, the Fund and the Adviser or an affiliated account may, as part of unrelated transactions, invest in either the same or different tiers of a portfolio company’s capital structure or in an affiliate of such portfolio company. To the extent the Fund holds investments in the same portfolio company or in an affiliate thereof that are different (including with respect to their relative seniority) than those held by the Adviser or an affiliated account, the Adviser may be presented with decisions when the interests of the two co-investors are in conflict. If the portfolio company in which the Fund has an equity or debt investment and in which an affiliated account has an equity or debt investment elsewhere in the portfolio company’s capital structure, becomes distressed or defaults on its obligations under the private credit investment, the Adviser may have conflicting loyalties between its duties to the affiliated account, the Fund, certain of its other affiliates and the portfolio company. In that regard, actions may be taken for such affiliated account that are adverse to the Fund, or actions may or may not be taken by the Fund due to such affiliated account’s investment, which action or failure to act may be adverse to the Fund. In addition, it is possible that in a bankruptcy proceeding, the Fund’s interest may be adversely affected by virtue of such affiliated account’s involvement and actions relating to its investment. Decisions about what action should be taken in a troubled situation, including whether to enforce claims, whether to advocate or initiate restructuring or liquidation inside or outside of bankruptcy and the terms of any work-out or restructuring, raise conflicts of interest. In those circumstances where the Fund and such affiliated accounts hold investments in different classes of a company’s debt or equity, the Adviser may also, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, take steps to reduce the potential for adversity between the Fund and such affiliated accounts, including causing the Fund to take certain actions that, in the absence of such conflict, it would not take, such as (A) remaining passive in a restructuring or similar situations (including electing not to vote or voting pro rata with other security-holders), (B) divesting investments or (C) otherwise taking action designed to reduce adversity.

Performance Based Compensation and Management Fees. The existence of the incentive fees payable to the Adviser may create a greater incentive for the Adviser to make more speculative investments on behalf of the Fund, or to time the purchase or sale of investments in a manner motivated by the personal interests of the Adviser, its affiliates and/or their personnel. The manner in which the Adviser’s entitlement to incentive fees is determined may result in a conflict between its interests and the interests of shareholders with respect to the sequence and timing of disposals of investments, as the Adviser may want to dispose of lower yielding investments in favor of higher yielding ones.

Transaction Fees and Other Fees. In connection with investments made by us, the Adviser and its affiliates may negotiate and receive origination, commitment, documentation, structuring, facility, monitoring, amendment, refinancing, and/or other fees from portfolio investments in which we invest or propose to invest. The Adviser and its affiliates will only retain transaction and other fees if permissible under the 1940 Act, SEC exemptive relief, and other applicable law. Under the terms of our co-investment relief, transaction fees (except for fees contemplated by Section 17(e) or 57(k) of the 1940 Act) received in connection with a co-investment transaction are distributed pro rata to funds that participate in such transaction. The potential for the Adviser and its affiliates to receive economic benefits creates conflicts of interest as the Adviser and its affiliates would have an incentive to invest in portfolio investments that provide such benefits. Similarly, the Adviser and its affiliates could be incentivized to waive certain fees in connection with a refinancing in order to receive certain fees in the new transaction, including when we and/or other accounts advised by the Adviser and its affiliates can participate in the original or refinanced investment, or both.

 

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Broken Deal Expenses. Any expenses that may be incurred by the Fund for actual investments as described herein may also be incurred by the Fund with respect to broken deals (i.e., investments that are not consummated). The Adviser is not required to and in most circumstances will not seek reimbursement of broken deal expenses (i.e., expenses incurred in pursuit of an investment that is not consummated) from third parties, including counterparties to the potential transaction or potential co-investors. Examples of such broken deal expenses include, but are not limited to, reverse termination fees, extraordinary expenses such as litigation costs and judgments, travel and entertainment expenses incurred, costs of negotiating co-investment documentation, and legal, accounting, tax and other due diligence and pursuit costs and expenses. Any such broken deal expenses could, in the sole discretion of the Adviser, be allocated solely to the Fund and not to Other Clients or co-investment vehicles that could have made the investment, even when the Other Client or co-investment vehicle commonly invests alongside the Fund in its investments or the Adviser or Other Clients in their investments. In such cases, the Fund’s shares of expenses would increase. In the event broken deal expenses are allocated to an Other Client or a co-investment vehicle, the Adviser may advance such fees and expenses without charging interest until paid by the Other Client or co-investment vehicle, as applicable.

Policies and Procedures of the Adviser and its Affiliates. Because the Adviser and its affiliates have many different asset management and advisory businesses, the Adviser may be subject to a number of actual and potential conflicts of interest, greater regulatory oversight and more legal and contractual restrictions than that to which it would be subject if it had just one line of business. Certain policies and procedures implemented by the Adviser and its affiliates to mitigate potential conflicts of interest and address certain regulatory requirements and contractual restrictions will from time to time impact the Fund. For example, the Adviser will come into possession of material non-public information with respect to companies, including companies in which the Fund has investments or is considering making investments. The information, which could be of benefit to the Fund, is likely to be restricted to those other businesses and otherwise be unavailable to the Fund. It is also possible that the Fund could be restricted from trading despite the fact that the Fund did not receive such information. The inability to buy or sell securities in such circumstances could materially adversely affect the investment results of the Fund, including but not limited to a material loss with respect to an individual investment or differing results than those obtained by Other Clients with respect to the same investment. Additionally, the Adviser may restrict or otherwise limit the Fund and/or its portfolio companies from entering into agreements with, or related to, companies that either are advisory clients of the Adviser and its affiliates or in which any fund of the Adviser or its affiliates have invested or has considered making an investment. The Adviser will from time to time restrict or otherwise limit the ability of the Fund and/or its portfolio companies from making investments in or otherwise engaging in businesses or activities competitive with companies of other advisory clients of the Adviser or its affiliates, either as a result of contractual restrictions or otherwise. Furthermore, there will be circumstances in which affiliates of the Adviser and its affiliates (including Other Clients) may refrain from taking certain confidential information in order to avoid trading restrictions. There can be no assurance that additional restrictions will not be imposed that would further limit the ability of the Adviser and its affiliates to share information internally.

Declining an Investment. The Adviser may decline an investment opportunity on behalf of the Fund based on various factors including its investment allocation policies and procedures and to the extent the Adviser determines, in its discretion, that such investment may (a) have reputational considerations for the Fund investors, the Adviser or the Fund, (b) to the Adviser’s knowledge, have been the subject of concern or controversy among financial institutions, institutional investors or the public or (c) give rise to other similar considerations. In certain cases, such an investment may be allocated to other Affiliated Group Accounts (defined below) that have consented to the investment or do not, in the Adviser’s discretion, have such considerations, in lieu of the investment being allocated to the Fund. Finally, although Fidelity believes its positive reputation in the marketplace provides benefit to the Fund and Other Clients, the Adviser could decline to undertake investment activity or transact with a counterparty on behalf of the Fund for reputational reasons, and this decision could result in the Fund foregoing a profit or suffering a loss.

Conflicts of Interest Generally. If any matter arises that the Adviser, as applicable, determines in its good faith judgment constitutes an actual conflict of interest, the Adviser, as applicable, will take such actions as it determines in good faith may be necessary or appropriate to ameliorate the conflict. (These actions include, by way of example and without limitation, (i) disposing of the investment or refraining from making the investment giving rise to the conflict of interest; (ii) appointing an independent fiduciary to act with respect to the matter giving rise to the conflict of interest; (iii) in connection with a matter giving rise to a conflict of interest with respect to an investment, consulting with the Board regarding the conflict of interest and/or obtaining a waiver or consent from the Board of the conflict of interest or acting in a manner, or pursuant to standards or procedures, approved by or disclosed to the Board with respect to such conflict of interest; (iv) disclosing the conflict to the Fund investors; (v) implementing certain policies and procedures designed to ameliorate such conflict of interest or (vi) remaining passive and/or electing not to be the lead investor of a tranche of securities (even though the Fund may hold the largest stake in the applicable tranche of securities).) There can be no assurance that the Adviser will identify or resolve all conflicts of interest in a manner that is favorable to the Fund. By acquiring Common Shares in the Fund, each Fund investor will be deemed to have acknowledged and consented to the existence or resolution of any such actual, apparent or potential conflicts of interest and to have waived any claim with respect to any liability arising from the existence of any such conflict of interest. For the avoidance of doubt, in some cases after evaluating such conflict or potential conflict, the Adviser may determine that no action is required or that taking action may be adverse to the interests of the Fund, the Adviser or its affiliates.

 

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Diverse Membership; Relationships with Fund Investors. The Fund and investors are generally expected to have conflicting investment, tax and other interests with respect to the investments made by the Fund. The Fund investors are expected to include various types of persons or entities organized in various jurisdictions, and different Fund investors may have conflicting investment, tax and other interests in respect of their investment in the Fund. The conflicting interests of the Fund and of individual Fund investors may relate to or arise from, among other things, the nature of investments made by the Fund, the structuring of the acquisition of the Fund’s investments, and the timing of disposition of investments, which may be more beneficial for the Fund or Fund investors than for one or more of the other Fund investors. Such structuring of the Fund’s investments and other factors may result in different returns being realized by different Fund investors. Furthermore, under the U.S. tax audit rules applicable to the Fund, decisions or elections made in connection with certain laws and regulations by the Adviser (or such other person designated by the Adviser) in connection with tax audits (including whether or not to make an election under those rules) may be more beneficial for one type of Fund investor than for another type of Fund investor. As a consequence, conflicts of interest among different Fund investors may arise in connection with decisions made by the Adviser, including in respect of the nature or structuring of investments and the use of leverage that may be more beneficial for one Fund investor than for another Fund investor, especially in respect of individual tax situations. In addition, the Fund may face certain tax risks based on positions taken by the Fund, the Adviser on behalf of the Fund, the Fund’s subsidiaries and/or a withholding agent.

Allocation of Personnel. The Adviser and its members, officers and employees will devote as much of their time to the activities of the Fund as they deem necessary to conduct its business affairs in an appropriate manner. By the terms of the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser is not restricted from forming additional investment funds, from entering into other investment advisory relationships or from engaging in other business activities, even though such activities may be in competition with the Fund and/or may involve substantial time and resources of the Adviser. Personnel of the Adviser and its affiliates, including members of the Direct Lending Investment Committee, will work on other projects, serve on other committees and source potential investments for and otherwise assist the investment programs of Other Clients and their portfolio companies, including other investment programs to be developed in the future. These activities could be viewed as creating a conflict of interest in that the time and effort of the members of the Adviser and its officers and employees will not be devoted exclusively to the business of the Fund but will be allocated between the business of the Fund and the management of the monies of such other advisees of the Adviser. Time spent on these other initiatives diverts attention from the activities of the Fund, which could negatively impact the Fund and its shareholders. Furthermore, personnel of the Adviser and its affiliates derive financial benefit from these other activities, including fees and performance-based compensation. Fidelity personnel outside of the Adviser may share in the fees and performance-based compensation from the Fund; similarly, personnel of the Adviser and its affiliates may share in the fees and performance-based compensation generated by Other Clients. These and other factors create conflicts of interest in the allocation of time by personnel of the Adviser and its affiliates. The determination of the Adviser and its affiliates of the amount of time necessary to conduct the Fund’s activities will be conclusive, and shareholders rely on the Adviser’s judgment in this regard. The officers and trustees will devote such portion of their time to our affairs as is required for the performance of their duties, but they are not required to devote all of their time to us.

Outside Activities of Principals and Other Personnel and their Related Parties. Certain of the principals and employees of the Adviser may be subject to a variety of conflicts of interest relating to their responsibilities to the Fund, Other Clients and their respective portfolio companies, and their outside business activities as members of investment or advisory committees or boards of directors of or advisors to investment funds, corporations, foundations or other organizations. Such positions create a conflict if such other entities have interests that are adverse to those of the Fund, including if such other entities compete with the Fund for investment opportunities or other resources. The other managed accounts and/or investment funds in which such individuals may become involved may have investment objectives that overlap with the Fund. Furthermore, certain principals and employees of the Adviser may have a greater financial interest in the performance of such other funds or accounts than the performance of the Fund. Such involvement may create conflicts of interest in making investments on behalf of the Fund and such other funds and accounts. Although such principals and employees will seek to limit any such conflicts in a manner that is in accordance with their fiduciary duties to the Fund, there can be no assurance they will be resolved favorably for the Fund. Also, Fidelity personnel and employees, including employees of the Adviser, are generally permitted to invest in alternative investment funds, private equity funds, real estate funds, hedge funds or other investment vehicles, including potential competitors of the Fund. Shareholders will not receive any benefit from any such investments, and the financial incentives of such Fidelity employees in such other investments could be greater than their financial incentives in relation to the Fund.

 

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Additionally, certain employees and other professionals of Fidelity have family members or relatives employed by such advisers and service providers (or their affiliates) or otherwise actively involved in industries and sectors in which the Fund invests, or have business, financial, personal or other relationships with companies in such industries and sectors (including the advisors and service providers described above) or other industries, which gives rise to potential or actual conflicts of interest. For example, such family members or relatives might be employees, officers, directors or owners of companies or assets that are actual or potential investments of the Fund or other counterparties of the Fund and its portfolio companies and/or assets. Moreover, in certain instances, the Fund or its portfolio companies may issue loans to or acquire securities from, or otherwise transact with, companies that are owned by such family members or relatives or in respect of which such family members or relatives have other involvement. These relationships may influence the Adviser in deciding whether to select or recommend such service providers to perform services for the Fund or portfolio companies (the cost of which will generally be borne directly or indirectly by the Fund or such portfolio companies, as applicable). Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that the Adviser determines appropriate, conflict mitigation strategies may be put in place with respect to a particular circumstance, such as internal information barriers or recusal, disclosure or other steps determined appropriate by the Adviser. The shareholders rely on the Adviser to manage these conflicts in its sole discretion.

Valuation of Assets. A majority of securities and other assets in which the Fund will directly or indirectly invest, including secured loan investments, are not expected to have a readily ascertainable market value and will be valued by the Adviser in accordance with its established valuation policies. Such securities and other assets will constitute a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments. In addition, when the Adviser determines that the market price does not fairly represent the value of an investment, the Adviser will fair value such investment in accordance with the Fund’s policies and procedures. The Adviser has a conflict of interest in determining such valuations, as the Adviser’s determination of a fair value for such investments may cause it to receive higher management fees.

The Adviser and its affiliates are engaged in advisory and management services for multiple collective investment vehicles and managed accounts, including other investment funds managed by the Adviser and its affiliates. In connection with these activities, the Adviser and its affiliates are required to value assets, including in connection with managing or advising their proprietary and client accounts. In this regard, the Adviser and its affiliates may share information regarding valuation techniques and models or other information relevant to the valuation of a specific asset or category of assets, although they are under no obligation to engage in such information sharing.

Conflicts with Portfolio Companies. In certain instances, the portfolio managers and officers and employees of the Adviser may serve as board members of certain portfolio companies and, in that capacity, will be required to make decisions that they consider to be in the best interests of the portfolio company. In certain circumstances, such as in situations involving bankruptcy or near insolvency of the portfolio company, actions that may be in the best interests of the portfolio company may not be in the best interests of the Fund, and vice versa. Accordingly, in these situations, there may be conflicts of interest between an individual’s duties as a portfolio manager or officer or employee of the Adviser and such individual’s duties as a board member of the portfolio company. Additionally, the Adviser or affiliates of the Adviser may enter into transactions with a portfolio company (for example, a property lease), which may create a conflict of interest. While it is generally expected that any such transaction would be on arm’s length terms, it is possible that the portfolio company may pay higher fees or receive fewer benefits in the transaction than it would if the counterparty to the transaction were a third party.

Selection of Service Providers. The Fund’s advisers and Service Providers or their affiliates are expected to provide goods or services to, or have business, personal, financial or other relations with the Adviser, its affiliates, advisory clients and portfolio companies. Such advisers and Service Providers may be investors in the Fund, sources of investment opportunities or co-investors or commercial counterparties or entities in which the Adviser or an affiliate has an investment. Additionally, certain employees of the Adviser or its affiliates may have family members or relatives employed by such advisers and Service Providers. These relationships may influence the Adviser in deciding whether to select or recommend such Service Providers to perform services for the Fund or portfolio companies (the cost of which generally will be borne directly or indirectly by the Fund or such entities, as applicable).

Additionally, affiliates of the Fund’s adviser may act as the administrative agent on loans in which the Fund many invest, which may contemplate additional compensation to such affiliates for the service of acting as administrative agent thereunder. The Adviser and its affiliates will only retain compensation as administrative agent if permissible under the 1940 Act, SEC exemptive relief, and other applicable law. Under the documentation for such loans, an entity typically is designated as the administrative agent and/or collateral agent, and this agent is granted a lien on any collateral on behalf of the other lenders and distributes payments on the indebtedness as they are received. As is typical in such agency arrangements, the agent is the party responsible for administering and enforcing the terms of the loan facility, may take certain actions and make certain decisions in its discretion and generally may take material actions only in accordance with the instructions of a designated percentage of the lenders. I

 

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Data. The Adviser and its affiliates receive or obtains various kinds of data and information from the Fund, Other Clients and their portfolio companies, including data and information relating to business operations, trends, budgets, customers and other metrics, some of which is sometimes referred to as “big data.” The Adviser can be expected to be better able to anticipate macroeconomic and other trends, and otherwise develop investment themes, as a result of its access to (and rights regarding) this data and information from the Fund, Other Clients and their portfolio companies. In light of its relationship with the Fund, Other Clients and their portfolio companies, related parties and service providers, the Adviser may have access to (and rights regarding) data that it would not otherwise obtain in the ordinary course. Although the Adviser believes that these activities improve the Adviser’s investment management activities on behalf of the Fund and Other Clients, information obtained from the Fund and its portfolio companies may provide material benefits to the Adviser and its affiliates or Other Clients without compensation or other benefit accruing to the Fund or shareholders. For example, information from a portfolio company in which the Fund holds an interest may enable the Adviser to better understand a particular industry and execute trading and investment strategies in reliance on that understanding for the Adviser, its affiliates and Other Clients that do not own an interest in the portfolio company, without compensation or benefit to the Fund or its portfolio companies.

Furthermore, except for contractual obligations to third parties to maintain confidentiality of certain information, and regulatory limitations on the use of material nonpublic information, the Adviser may use data and information from the Fund’s activities to assist in the pursuit of the Adviser’s various other activities, including to trade for the benefit of the Adviser and/or an Other Client. Any confidentiality obligations in the operative documents do not limit the Adviser’s ability to do so. For example, the Adviser’s ability to trade in securities of an issuer relating to a specific industry may, subject to applicable law, be enhanced by information of a portfolio company in the same or related industry. Such trading can be expected to provide a material benefit to the Adviser without compensation or other benefit to the Fund or shareholders.

The sharing and use of “big data” and other information presents potential conflicts of interest and the shareholders acknowledge and agree that any benefits received by the Adviser or its personnel (including fees, costs and expenses) will not reduce the management fees or incentive fees payable to the Adviser or otherwise be shared with the Fund or shareholders. As a result, the Adviser has an incentive to pursue investments that have data and information that can be utilized in a manner that benefits the Adviser, its affiliates or Other Clients.

Material, Non-Public Information. The Adviser and its affiliates will come into possession of confidential information with respect to an issuer. The Adviser may be restricted from buying, originating or selling securities, loans of, or derivatives with respect to, the issuer on behalf of the Fund until such time as the information becomes public or is no longer deemed material such that it would preclude the Fund from participating in an investment. Disclosure of such information to the Adviser’s personnel responsible for the affairs of the Fund will be on a need-to-know basis only, and the Fund may not be free to act for the Fund upon any such information. Therefore, the Fund may not have access to confidential information in the possession of the Adviser that might be relevant to an investment decision to be made for the Fund. In addition, the Adviser, in an effort to avoid buying or selling restrictions on behalf of the Fund or Other Clients, may choose to forego an opportunity to receive (or elect not to receive) information that other market participants or counterparties, including those with the same positions in the issuer as the Fund, are eligible to receive or have received, even if possession of such information would otherwise be advantageous to the Fund.

In addition, affiliates of the Adviser within Fidelity may come into possession of confidential information with respect to an issuer. The Adviser may be restricted from buying, originating or selling securities, loans of, or derivatives with respect to, the issuer on behalf of the Fund if the Adviser deemed such restriction appropriate. Disclosure of such information to the Adviser’s personnel responsible for the affairs of the Fund will be on a need-to-know basis only, and the Fund may not be free to act upon any such information. Therefore, the Fund may not have access to confidential information in the possession of the Adviser or its affiliates that might be relevant to an investment decision to be made by the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund may not be able to initiate a transaction that it otherwise might have initiated and may not be able to sell an investment that it otherwise might have sold.

Loan Agreements with Affiliates. The Fund may enter into loan agreements with the Adviser or its affiliates. The Adviser and its affiliates have a conflict of interest between the obligation to act in the Fund’s best interest and the Adviser or affiliate’s own best interest. Any such loans or advances made to the Fund will be consistent with applicable law, the Adviser’s fiduciary obligations to act in the Fund’s best interests, the Fund’s investment objectives, and the asset coverage ratio requirements under the 1940 Act. The terms associated with any such loans from the Adviser or its affiliates, including the interest charged, shall, in the aggregate, be no more favorable to the Adviser or its affiliates than could be obtained in an arm’s-length transaction but will not necessarily be on the same terms or at the same interest rate charged by the Adviser to other funds that it manages. Neither the Adviser nor any of its affiliates is obligated to extend any such loans to the Fund and such loans will not necessarily be made available to the Fund in the same amounts or on the same economic terms as are made available to other funds advised by the Adviser or its affiliates, or at all. In the event that the Fund is required to find third-party financing in place of or in addition to loans from the Adviser and its affiliates, such third-party financing could be at less favorable economic terms than the loans from the Adviser and its affiliates, which could reduce the Fund’s returns.

 

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Buying and Selling Investments or Assets from Certain Related Parties. The Fund and its portfolio companies may purchase investments or assets from or sell investments or assets to shareholders, other portfolio companies of the Fund, portfolio companies of Other Clients or their respective related parties. Purchases and sales of investments or assets between the Fund or its portfolio companies, on the one hand, and shareholders, other portfolio companies of the Fund, portfolio companies of Other Clients or their respective related parties, on the other hand, are not, unless required by applicable law, subject to the approval of the Board or any shareholder. These transactions involve conflicts of interest, as the Adviser may receive fees and other benefits, directly or indirectly, from or otherwise have interests in both parties to the transaction, including different financial incentives Fidelity may have with respect to the parties to the transaction. For example, there can be no assurance that any investment or asset sold by the Fund to a shareholder, other portfolio companies of the Fund, portfolio company of Other Clients or any of their respective related parties will not be valued or allocated a sale price that is lower than might otherwise have been the case if such asset were sold to a third party rather than to a shareholder, portfolio company of Other Clients or any of their respective related parties. The Adviser will not be required to solicit third party bids or obtain a third-party valuation prior to causing the Fund or any of its portfolio companies to purchase or sell any asset or investment from or to a shareholder, other portfolio companies of the Fund, portfolio company of Other Clients or any of their respective related parties as provided above.

Other Affiliate Transactions and Investments in Different Levels of Capital Structure. From time to time, the Fund and the Other Clients may make investments at different levels of an issuer’s capital structure or otherwise in different classes of an issuer’s securities or loans, subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act. While less common, subject to applicable law, from time to time the Fund could hold an investment in a different layer of the capital structure than an investor or another party with which the Adviser or its affiliates have a material relationship, in which case the Adviser or its affiliates could have an incentive to cause the Fund or the portfolio company to offer more favorable terms to such parties (including, for instance, financing arrangements). Such investments may inherently give rise to conflicts of interest or perceived conflicts of interest between or among the various classes of securities or loans that may be held by such entities. To the extent the Fund holds securities or loans that are different (including with respect to their relative seniority) than those held by an Other Client, the Adviser and its affiliates may be presented with decisions when the interests of the funds are in conflict. For example, conflicts could arise where the Fund lends funds to a portfolio company while an Other Client invests in equity securities of such portfolio company. In this circumstance, for example, if such portfolio company were to go into bankruptcy, become insolvent or otherwise be unable to meet its payment obligations or comply with its debt covenants, conflicts of interest could arise between the holders of different types of securities or loans as to what actions the portfolio company should take. Further conflicts could arise after the Fund and Other Clients have made their respective initial investments. For example, if additional financing is necessary as a result of financial or other difficulties, it may not be in the best interests of the Fund to provide such additional financing. If the Other Clients were to lose their respective investments as a result of such difficulties, the ability of the Adviser to recommend actions in the best interests of the Fund might be impaired. Any applicable co-investment order issued by the SEC may restrict the Fund’s ability to participate in follow-on financings. The Adviser may in its discretion take steps to reduce the potential for adversity between the Fund and the Other Clients, including causing the Fund and/or such Other Clients to take certain actions that, in the absence of such conflict, it would not take. Such conflicts will be more difficult if the Fund and Other Clients hold significant or controlling interests in competing or different tranches of a portfolio company’s capital structure. Equity holders and debt holders have different (and often competing) motives, incentives, liquidity goals and other interests with respect to a portfolio company. In addition, there may be circumstances where the Adviser agrees to implement certain procedures to ameliorate conflicts of interest that may involve a forbearance of rights relating to the Fund or Other Clients, such as where the Adviser or its affiliates may cause the Fund or Other Clients to decline to exercise certain control-and/or foreclosure-related rights with respect to a portfolio company.

Further, the Fund is prohibited under the 1940 Act from participating in certain transactions with certain affiliates (including portfolio companies of Other Clients) without the prior approval of a majority of the independent members of the Board and, in some cases, the SEC. Any person that owns, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of the outstanding voting securities will be an affiliate of the Fund for purposes of the 1940 Act and generally the Fund will be prohibited from buying or selling any securities from or to such affiliate, absent the prior approval of the Board. However, the Fund may under certain circumstances purchase any such affiliate’s loans or securities in the secondary market, which could create a conflict for the Adviser between the Fund’s interests and the interests of such affiliate, in that the ability of the Adviser to recommend actions in the Fund’s best interest may be limited. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain “joint” transactions with certain affiliates, which could include investments in the same portfolio company (whether at the same or closely related times), without prior approval of the Board and, in some cases, the SEC.

In addition, conflicts may arise in determining the amount of an investment, if any, to be allocated among potential investors and the respective terms thereof. There can be no assurance that any conflict will be resolved in favor of the Fund, and each shareholder acknowledges and agrees that in some cases, subject to applicable law, a decision by the Adviser to take any particular action could have the effect of benefiting an Other Client (and, incidentally, may also have the effect of benefiting the Adviser and its affiliates) and therefore may not have been in the best interests of, and may be adverse to, the Fund. There can be no assurance that the return on the

 

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Fund’s investment will be equivalent to or better than the returns obtained by the Other Clients participating in the transaction. The shareholders will not receive any benefit from fees paid to any affiliate of the Adviser from a portfolio company in which an Other Client also has an interest to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act.

Related Financing Counterparties. The Fund may invest in companies or other entities in which Other Clients make an investment in a different part of the capital structure (and vice versa) subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act and the Fund’s co-investment order. The Adviser and its affiliates take into account various facts and circumstances they deem relevant in selecting financing sources, including whether a potential lender has expressed an interest in evaluating debt financing opportunities, whether a potential lender has a history of participating in debt financing opportunities generally and with the Adviser in particular, the size of the potential lender’s loan amount, the timing of the relevant cash requirement, the availability of other sources of financing, the creditworthiness of the lender, whether the potential lender has demonstrated a long-term or continuing commitment to the success of the Adviser, its affiliates and their funds, and such other factors that the Adviser and its affiliates deem relevant under the circumstances. The cost of debt alone is not determinative.

It is possible that shareholders, Other Clients, their portfolio companies, co-investors and other parties with material relationships with the Adviser, such as shareholders of and lenders to the Adviser and its affiliates and lenders to Other Clients and their portfolio companies, could provide additional first lien financing to portfolio companies of the Fund, subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act. The Adviser could have incentives to cause the Fund and its portfolio companies to accept less favorable financing terms from a shareholder, Other Clients, their portfolio companies, Fidelity, and other parties with material relationships with the Adviser than it would from a third party. If the Fund or a portfolio company occupies a more senior position in the capital structure than a shareholder, Other Client, their portfolio companies and other parties with material relationships with the Adviser, the Adviser could have an incentive to cause the Fund or portfolio company to offer more favorable financing terms to such parties. In the case of a related party financing between the Fund or its portfolio companies, on the one hand, and the Adviser or Other Clients’ portfolio companies, on the other hand, to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, the Adviser could, but is not obligated to, rely on a third party agent to confirm the terms offered by the counterparty are consistent with market terms, or the Adviser could instead rely on its own internal analysis, which the Adviser believes is often superior to third party analysis given the scale of the Adviser and its affiliates in the market. If, however, any of the Adviser, the Fund, an Other Client or any of their portfolio companies delegates to a third party, such as another member of a financing syndicate or a joint venture partner, the negotiation of the terms of the financing, the transaction will be assumed to be conducted on an arms-length basis, even though the participation of the Adviser related vehicle impacts the market terms. For example, in the case of a loan extended to the Fund or a portfolio company by a financing syndicate in which an Other Client has agreed to participate on terms negotiated by a third party participant in the syndicate, it may have been necessary to offer better terms to the financing provider to fully subscribe the syndicate if the Other Client had not participated. It is also possible that the frequent participation of Other Clients in such syndicates could dampen interest among other potential financing providers, thereby lowering demand to participate in the syndicate and increasing the financing costs to the Fund. The Adviser does not believe either of these effects is significant, but no assurance can be given to shareholders that these effects will not be significant in any circumstance. Unless required by applicable law, the Adviser will not seek any consent or approvals from shareholders or the Board in the case of any of these conflicts.

The Adviser and its affiliates could cause actions adverse to the Fund to be taken for the benefit of Other Clients that have made an investment more senior in the capital structure of a portfolio company than the Fund (e.g., provide financing to a portfolio company, the equity of which is owned by the Fund) and, vice versa, actions may be taken for the benefit of the Fund and its portfolio companies that are adverse to Other Clients. The Adviser and its affiliates could seek to implement procedures to mitigate conflicts of interest in these situations such as (i) a forbearance of rights, including some or all non-economic rights, by the Fund or relevant Other Client (or their respective portfolio companies, as the case may be) by, for example, agreeing to follow the vote of a third party in the same tranche of the capital structure, or otherwise deciding to recuse itself with respect to decisions on defaults, foreclosures, workouts, restructurings and other similar matters, (ii) causing the Fund or relevant Other Client (or their respective portfolio companies, as the case may be) to hold only a non-controlling interest in any such portfolio company, (iii) retaining a third party loan servicer, administrative agent or other agent to make decisions on behalf of the Fund or relevant Other Client (or their respective portfolio companies, as the case may be), or (iv) create groups of personnel within the Adviser and its affiliates separated by information barriers (which may be temporary and limited purpose in nature), each of which would advise one of the clients that has a conflicting position with other clients. As an example, to the extent an Other Client holds an interest in a loan or security that is different (including with respect to relative seniority) than those held by the Fund or its portfolio companies, the Adviser may decline to exercise, or delegate to a third party, certain control, foreclosure and other similar governance rights of the Other Client. In these cases, the Adviser would generally act on behalf of one of its clients, though the other client would generally retain certain control rights, such as the right to consent to certain actions taken by the trustee or administrative or other agent of the investment, including a release, waiver, forgiveness or reduction of any claim for principal or interest; extension of maturity date or due date of any payment of any principal or interest; release or substitution of any material collateral; release, waiver, termination or modification of any material provision of any guaranty or indemnity; subordination of any lien; and release, waiver or permission with respect to any covenants.

 

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In addition, it is anticipated that in a bankruptcy proceeding the Fund’s interests will likely be subordinated or otherwise adverse to the interests of Other Clients with ownership positions that are more senior to those of the Fund. For example, an Other Client that has provided debt financing to an investment of the Fund may take actions for its benefit, particularly if the Fund’s Investment is in financial distress, which adversely impact the value of the Fund’s subordinated interests.

Although Other Clients can be expected to provide financing to the Fund and its portfolio companies subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, there can be no assurance that any Other Client will indeed provide any such financing with respect to any particular investment. Participation by Other Clients in some but not all financings of the Fund and its portfolio companies may adversely impact the ability of the Fund and its portfolio companies to obtain financing from third parties when Other Clients do not participate, as it may serve as a negative signal to market participants. Any financing provided by a shareholder or an affiliate to the Fund or a portfolio company is not an investment in the Fund.

The respective investment programs of the Fund and the Other Clients may or may not be substantially similar. The Adviser and its affiliates may give advice to, and recommend securities for, Other Clients that may differ from advice given to, or securities recommended or bought for, the Fund, even though their investment objectives may be the same as or similar to those of the Fund. While the Adviser will seek to manage potential conflicts of interest in a fair and equitable manner, the portfolio strategies employed by the Adviser and its affiliates in managing their respective Other Clients are likely to conflict from time to time with the transactions and strategies employed by the Adviser in managing the Fund and may affect the prices and availability of the securities and instruments in which the Fund invests. Conversely, participation in specific investment opportunities may be appropriate, at times, for both the Fund and Other Clients. In any event, it is the policy of the Adviser to allocate investment opportunities and sale opportunities on a basis deemed by the Adviser, in its sole discretion, to be fair and equitable over time.

Joint Ventures. The Fund or the Adviser may partner with one or more unaffiliated banks or other financial institutions to make particular investments or types of investments, with, in some instances, such partners having senior exposure to the investment program and the Fund and Other Clients participating in the junior exposure or vice versa. In doing so, the Adviser would seek to benefit from the larger combined capital base of working with a partner, as well as such partner’s sourcing channels and expertise. In addition, the Fund may be an initial economic participant in such an investment program or may join the investment program after it has made investments. As a result, the Fund may or may not share in the returns of the investments that have already been originated and, accordingly the returns realized by the Fund investors may differ from the returns realized by other participants of such investment program.

The structure of this type of investment program will vary and will be determined on a case-by-case basis in order to accommodate the nature of the arrangements, applicable bank and other regulatory restrictions, particular considerations applicable to the funds and accounts participating in the investment program, tax considerations, and other factors. For example, the investment program may be structured so that the Fund purchases debt of a holding company (the “JV Participant”) and the JV Participant then participates in the joint venture or the investments sourced through the joint venture. In such a situation, the equity of the JV Participant is expected to be held by Other Clients. As a result, conflicts of interest may arise between the Fund (as debt holders of the JV Participant) and the Other Clients participating in the investment program (as equity holders of the JV Participant). These conflicts of interest would be magnified in the event of any default, bankruptcy or similar event of financial distress with respect to the JV Participant. Further, the returns realized by the Fund are likely to differ from the returns realized by the Other Clients participating in the investment program. In such a structure, the Fund as a debt holder will have more enhanced downside protection than the Other Clients but will not benefit from all of the upside from the underlying investments, whereas the Other Clients, while being subject to a greater risk of loss, will also benefit from greater upside than the Fund.

The Fund’s joint venture partner may be a regulated banking entity, and the joint venture vehicle may be subject to bank regulation as a result of the bank’s ownership interest therein. As a result, there is a risk that the joint venture could be subject to bank regulatory audit and review, as well as potential fines or other enforcement actions that the Fund, acting on its own, would not otherwise be subject. While the bank joint venture partner would be expected to assume some of these liabilities directly, the JV Participant would nevertheless have some exposure, potentially in respect of larger liabilities. Such liabilities could be significant. Furthermore, the activities of the joint venture may be restricted because of regulatory requirements applicable to the bank or its internal policies designed to comply with, limit the applicability of, or that otherwise relate to such requirements.

 

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The Adviser believes that any such joint venture will be structured in a manner that would not cause a violation of applicable banking laws and regulations. However, it is possible that future changes or clarifications in statutes, regulations or interpretations concerning the permissible activities of bank holding companies, as well as further judicial or administrative decisions and interpretations of present or future statutes or regulations could restrict (or possibly prevent) the banking partner from continuing to participate in the joint venture in the manner originally contemplated. In such event, the Adviser and the applicable banking partner may agree to alter or restrict the investment program or may elect to terminate the investment program altogether. Any such restructuring or termination may adversely affect the returns realized by the Fund in connection with its participation in the investment program.

Certain Investments Inside the Fund’s Mandate that are not Pursued by the Fund. Under certain circumstances, the Adviser may determine not to pursue some or all of an investment opportunity within the Fund’s mandate pursuant to its investment allocation policies and procedures, including without limitation, as a result of business, reputational or other reasons applicable to the Fund, Other Clients, their respective portfolio companies or the Adviser. In addition, the Adviser may determine that the Fund should not pursue some or all of an investment opportunity, including, by way of example and without limitation, because the Fund has already invested sufficient capital in the investment, sector, industry, geographic region or markets in question, as determined by the Adviser in its good faith discretion, or the investment is not appropriate for the Fund for other reasons as determined by the Adviser in its good faith reasonable sole discretion. In any such case the Adviser or its affiliates could, thereafter, offer such opportunity to other parties, including Other Clients or portfolio companies or limited partners or shareholders of the Fund or Other Clients, joint venture partners, related parties or third parties. Any such Other Clients may be advised by a different FDS affiliate, which could determine an investment opportunity to be more attractive than the Adviser believes to be the case. In any event, there can be no assurance that the Adviser’s assessment will prove correct or that the performance of any investments actually pursued by the Fund will be comparable to any investment opportunities that are not pursued by the Fund. The Adviser and its affiliates, including their personnel, may receive compensation from any such party that makes the investment, including an allocation of carried interest or referral fees, and any such compensation could be greater than amounts paid by the Fund to the Adviser. In some cases, the Adviser or its affiliates earn greater fees when Other Clients participate alongside or instead of the Fund in an Investment.

Allocation of Revolver, Delayed-Draw Investment or Line of Credit Obligations. The Fund generally expects to participate in one or more investments that are structured as “revolvers,” “delayed-draws” or “lines of credit” with funding obligations that extend past the initial date of investment. Later funding obligations related to such investments may not be allocated pro rata among all the investors who participated in the initial funding of an investment. In particular, the Fund may participate in the initial funding of an investment, but may not participate in later-arising funding obligations (i.e., the revolver, delayed-draw or line of credit portions) related to such investment, including because of capacity limitations that an investment vehicle may have for making new revolver, delayed-draw investments or lines of credit. As a result, the Fund may be allocated a smaller or larger portion of revolver, delayed-draw investments or lines of credit than other investors participating in the loan (or may not be allocated any portion). Fund investors that participate in the initial funding of an investment may receive certain economic benefits in connection with such initial funding, such as original issue discount, closing payments, or commitment fees and these benefits are expected to be allocated based on participation in the initial funding, regardless of participation in future funding obligations. In addition, where the Fund and any other participating investors have not participated in each funding of an investment on a pro rata basis, conflicts of interest may arise between the Fund and the other investors as the interests of the Fund and the other investors may not be completely aligned with respect to such investment. In that regard, the revolver, delayed draw or line of credit portion of an investment may be senior to the investment in the portfolio company made by the Fund, and as a result, the interests of the Fund may not be aligned with other participating investors.

Insurance. The Adviser will cause the Fund to purchase, and/or bear premiums, fees, costs and expenses (including any expenses or fees of insurance brokers) for insurance to insure the Fund and the Board against liability in connection with the activities of the Fund. This includes a portion of any premiums, fees, costs and expenses for one or more “umbrella,” group or other insurance policies maintained by the Adviser or its affiliates that cover the Fund and one or more of the Other Clients, the Adviser, and/or its affiliates (including their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives, independent client representative (if any) and other indemnified parties). The Adviser will make judgments about the allocation of premiums, fees, costs and expenses for such “umbrella,” group or other insurance policies among the Fund, one or more Other Clients, the Adviser, and/or its affiliates on a fair and reasonable basis, subject to approval by the Board.

Expense Allocations. The Administrator and its affiliates provide, or oversee the provision of, administrative resources to the Fund. The resources provided by the Administrator and its affiliates to the Fund include shared resources among the Fund and Other Clients. The Fund is responsible for paying its allocable share of such expenses. The Administrator takes into account a variety of considerations when allocating such expenses, both between the Administrator/its affiliates, on the one hand, and the Fund and Other Clients on the other, and between and among the Fund and Other Clients. The Administrator seeks to allocate expenses using fair and reasonable methodologies. The Administrator will make judgments about the allocation of fees, costs and expenses among the Fund, one or more Other Clients, the Adviser, the Administrator and/or its affiliates on a fair and reasonable basis, subject to oversight of the Board.

 

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Additional Potential Conflicts of Interest. The officers, directors, members, managers, employees and personnel of the Adviser, as applicable, may trade in securities for their own accounts, subject to restrictions and reporting requirements as may be required by law or the policies of the Adviser and its affiliates, or otherwise determined from time to time by the Adviser. In addition, certain Other Clients may be subject to the 1940 Act or other regulations that, due to the role of the Adviser or its affiliates, could restrict the ability of the Fund to buy investments from, to sell investments to or to invest in the same securities as, such Other Clients. Such regulations may have the effect of limiting the investment opportunities available to the Fund. Finally, although Fidelity believes its positive reputation in the marketplace provides benefit to the Fund and Other Clients, the Adviser could decline to undertake investment activity or transact with a counterparty on behalf of the Fund for reputational reasons, and this decision could result in the Fund foregoing a profit or suffering a loss.

The foregoing list of conflicts does not purport to be a complete enumeration or explanation of the actual and potential conflicts involved in an investment in the Fund. Prospective investors should read this registration statement and consult with their own advisers before deciding whether to invest in the Fund. In addition, as the Fund’s investment program develops and changes over time, an investment in the Fund may be subject to additional and different actual and potential conflicts. Although the various conflicts discussed herein are generally described separately, prospective investors should consider the potential effects of the interplay of multiple conflicts.

 

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CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS

The following table sets forth, as of October 21, 2022, information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our Common Shares at the time of the satisfaction of the minimum offering requirement by:

 

 

each person known to us to be expected to beneficially own more than 5% of the outstanding Common Shares;

 

 

each of our Trustees and each executive officers; and

 

 

all of our Trustees and executive officers as a group.

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and includes voting or investment power with respect to the securities. There are no Common Shares subject to options that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of the offering.

 

     Common
Shares Beneficially Owned
 

Name and Address

     Number        Percentage  

Interested Trustees

     

David B. Jones

     —          —    

Independent Trustees(1)

     

Jennifer M. Birmingham

     —          —    

Matthew J. Conti

     —          —    

Tara C. Kenney

     —          —    

Executive Officers who are not Trustees(1)

     

Stephanie Brown

     —          —    

John J. Burke III

     —          —    

David Gaito

     —          —    

Therese Icuss

     —          —    

Cynthia Lo Bessette

     —          —    

Ksenia Portnoy

     —          —    

Jeffrey Scott

     —          —    

Vishal Sheth

     —          —    

Vadim Zlotnikov

     —          —    

Other

     

FMR Capital, Inc.(2)

     80        100

All officers and Trustees as a group (12 persons)

     —          —    

 

*

Less than 1%.

(1)

The address for all of the Fund’s officers and Trustees is Fidelity Private Credit Fund, c/o Fidelity Investments, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.

(2)

The address for FMR Capital, Inc. is 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.

The following table sets forth the dollar range of our equity securities as of October 21, 2022.

 

Name and Address    Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in
Fund(1)(2)
 

Interested Trustees

  

David B. Jones

     —    

Independent Trustees(1)

     —    

Jennifer M. Birmingham

     —    

Matthew J. Conti

     —    

Tara C. Kenney

     —    

 

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(1)

Beneficial ownership has been determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) of the Exchange Act.

(2)

The dollar range of equities securities expected to be beneficially owned by our Trustees is based on the initial public offering price of $25.00 per share.

(3)

The dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned are: none, $1 – $10,000, $10,001 – $50,000, $50,001 – $100,000 or over $100,000.

 

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DISTRIBUTIONS

We expect to pay regular monthly distributions commencing with the first full calendar quarter after the escrow period concludes. Any distributions we make will be at the discretion of our Board, considering factors such as our earnings, cash flow, capital needs and general financial condition and the requirements of Delaware law. As a result, our distribution rates and payment frequency may vary from time to time.

Our Board’s discretion as to the payment of distributions will be directed, in substantial part, by its determination to cause us to comply with the RIC requirements. To maintain our treatment as a RIC, we generally are required to make aggregate annual distributions to our shareholders of at least 90% of investment company taxable income. See “Description of our Common Shares” and “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”

The per share amount of distributions on Class S, Class D and Class I shares generally differ because of different class-specific shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees that are deducted from the gross distributions for each share class. Specifically, distributions on Class S shares will be lower than Class D shares and Class I shares, and distributions on Class D shares will be lower than Class I shares because we are required to pay higher ongoing shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees with respect to the Class S shares (compared to Class D shares and Class I shares), and we are required to pay higher ongoing shareholder servicing fees with respect to Class D shares (compared to Class I shares).

There is no assurance we will pay distributions in any particular amount, if at all. We may fund any distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings or return of capital, and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. The use of borrowings to pay distributions is subject to the limitations in Section 5.4(f) of the Declaration of Trust and Section VI.K. of the Omnibus Guidelines. The extent to which we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will depend on various factors, including the level of participation in our distribution reinvestment plan, how quickly we invest the proceeds from this and any future offering and the performance of our investments. Funding distributions from the sales of assets, borrowings, return of capital or proceeds of this offering will result in us having less funds available to acquire investments. As a result, the return you realize on your investment may be reduced. Doing so may also negatively impact our ability to generate cash flows. Likewise, funding distributions from the sale of additional securities will dilute your interest in us on a percentage basis and may impact the value of your investment especially if we sell these securities at prices less than the price you paid for your shares. We believe the likelihood that we pay distributions from sources other than cash flow from operations will be higher in the early stages of the offering.

From time to time, we may also pay special interim distributions in the form of cash or Common Shares at the discretion of our Board.

We have not established limits on the amount of funds we may use from any available sources to make distributions. There can be no assurance that we will achieve the performance necessary to sustain our distributions or that we will be able to pay distributions at a specific rate or at all. The Adviser and its affiliates have no obligation to waive advisory fees or otherwise reimburse expenses in future periods. See “Advisory Agreement and Administration Agreement.”

Consistent with the Code, shareholders will be notified of the source of our distributions. Our distributions may exceed our earnings and profits, especially during the period before we have substantially invested the proceeds from this offering. As a result, a portion of the distributions we make may represent a return of capital for tax purposes. The tax basis of shares must be reduced by the amount of any return of capital distributions, which will result in an increase in the amount of any taxable gain (or a reduction in any deductible loss) on the sale of shares.

For a period of time following commencement of this offering, which time period may be significant, we expect substantial portions of our distributions may be funded indirectly through the reimbursement of certain expenses by the Adviser and its affiliates, including through the waiver of certain investment advisory fees by the Adviser, that are subject to conditional reimbursement by us within three years. Any such distributions funded through expense reimbursements or waivers of advisory fees are not based on our investment performance, and can only be sustained if we achieve positive investment performance in future periods and/or the Adviser or its affiliates continues to advance such expenses or waive such fees. Our future reimbursement of amounts advanced or waived by the Adviser and its affiliates will reduce the distributions that you would otherwise receive in the future. Other than as set forth in this prospectus, the Adviser and its affiliates have no obligation to advance expenses or waive advisory fees.

 

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We intend to elect to be treated, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under the Code. To obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment, we must distribute at least 90% of our investment company taxable income (net ordinary taxable income and net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses), if any, to our shareholders. A RIC may satisfy the 90% distribution requirement by actually distributing dividends (other than capital gain dividends) during the taxable year. In addition, a RIC may, in certain cases, satisfy the 90% distribution requirement by distributing dividends relating to a taxable year after the close of such taxable year under the “spillback dividend” provisions of Subchapter M. If a RIC makes a spillback dividend, the amounts will be included in a shareholder’s gross income for the year in which the spillback dividend is paid.

We currently intend to distribute net capital gains (i.e., net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses), if any, at least annually out of the assets legally available for such distributions. However, we may decide in the future to retain such capital gains for investment and elect to treat such gains as deemed distributions to you. If this happens, you will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as if you had received an actual distribution of the capital gains that we retain and reinvested the net after tax proceeds in us. In this situation, you would be eligible to claim a tax credit (or, in certain circumstances, a tax refund) equal to your allocable share of the tax we paid on the capital gains deemed distributed to you. We can offer no assurance that we will achieve results that will permit the payment of any cash distributions. See “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”

If we issue senior securities, we may be prohibited from making distributions if doing so causes us to fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios stipulated by the 1940 Act or if distributions are limited by the terms of any of our borrowings.

We have adopted a distribution reinvestment plan pursuant to which you may elect to have the full amount of your cash distributions reinvested in additional Common Shares. See “Distribution Reinvestment Plan.”

 

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DESCRIPTION OF OUR COMMON SHARES

The following description is based on relevant portions of Delaware law and on our Declaration of Trust and bylaws. This summary is not necessarily complete, and we refer you to Delaware law, our Declaration of Trust and our bylaws for a more detailed description of the provisions summarized below.

General

The terms of the Declaration of Trust authorize an unlimited number of Common Shares of any class, par value $0.01 per share, of which 80 shares were outstanding as of October 21, 2022, and an unlimited number of shares of preferred shares, par value $0.01 per share. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Board may classify or reclassify any unissued Common Shares into one or more classes or series of Common Shares or preferred shares by setting or changing the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, or limitations as to dividends, qualifications, or terms or conditions of redemption of the shares. There is currently no market for our Common Shares, and we can offer no assurances that a market for our shares will develop in the future. We do not intend for the shares offered under this prospectus to be listed on any national securities exchange. There are no outstanding options or warrants to purchase our shares. No shares have been authorized for issuance under any equity compensation plans. Under the terms of our Declaration of Trust, shareholders shall be entitled to the same limited liability extended to shareholders of private Delaware for profit corporations formed under the Delaware General Corporation Law, 8 Del. C. § 100, et. seq. Our Declaration of Trust provides that no shareholder shall be liable for any debt, claim, demand, judgment or obligation of any kind of, against or with respect to us by reason of being a shareholder, nor shall any shareholder be subject to any personal liability whatsoever, in tort, contract or otherwise, to any person in connection with the Fund’s assets or the affairs of the Fund by reason of being a shareholder.

None of our shares are subject to further calls or to assessments, sinking fund provisions, obligations of the Fund or potential liabilities associated with ownership of the security (not including investment risks). In addition, except as may be provided by the Board in setting the terms of any class or series of Common Shares, no shareholder shall be entitled to exercise appraisal rights in connection with any transaction.

Outstanding Securities

 

Title of Class

   Amount
Authorized
     Amount
Held by
Fund for
its
Account
     Amount
Outstanding as of
October 21, 2022
 

Class S

     Unlimited        —          —    

Class D

     Unlimited        —          —    

Class I

     Unlimited        —          80  

Common Shares

Under the terms of our Declaration of Trust, all Common Shares will have equal rights as to voting and, when they are issued, will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. Dividends and distributions may be paid to the holders of our Common Shares if, as and when authorized by our Board and declared by us out of funds legally available therefore. Except as may be provided by our Board in setting the terms of classified or reclassified shares, our Common Shares will have no preemptive, exchange, conversion, appraisal or redemption rights and will be freely transferable, except where their transfer is restricted by federal and state securities laws or by contract and except that, in order to avoid the possibility that our assets could be treated as “plan assets,” we may require any person proposing to acquire Common Shares to furnish such information as may be necessary to determine whether such person is a benefit plan investor or a controlling person, restrict or prohibit transfers of such shares or redeem any outstanding shares for such price and on such other terms and conditions as may be determined by or at the direction of the Board. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, each share of our Common Shares would be entitled to share pro rata in all of our assets that are legally available for distribution after we pay all debts and other liabilities and subject to any preferential rights of holders of our preferred shares, if any preferred shares are outstanding at such time. Subject to the rights of holders of any other class or series of shares, each share of our Common Shares will be entitled to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders, including the election of Trustees. Except as may be provided by the Board in setting the terms of classified or reclassified shares, and subject to the express terms of any class or series of preferred shares, the holders of our Common Shares will possess exclusive voting power. There will be no cumulative voting in the election of Trustees. Subject to the special rights of the holders of any class or series of preferred shares to elect Trustees, each Trustee will be elected by a plurality of the votes cast with respect to such Trustee’s election except in the case of a “contested election” (as defined in our bylaws), in which case Trustees will be elected by a majority of the votes cast in the contested election of Trustees. Pursuant to our Declaration of Trust, our Board may amend the bylaws to alter the vote required to elect Trustees.

 

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Class S Shares

No upfront selling commissions are paid for sales of any Class S shares; however, if you purchase Class S shares from certain financial intermediaries, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in such amount as they may determine, provided that they limit such charges to a 3.50% cap on NAV for Class S shares. Class S shares are subject to a minimum initial investment of $2,500. All subsequent purchases of Class S, except for those made under our distribution reinvestment plan, are subject to a minimum investment size of $500 per transaction. The Managing Dealer can waive the initial or subsequent minimum investment at its discretion.

We pay the Managing Dealer selling commissions over time as a shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee with respect to our outstanding Class S shares equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV of our outstanding Class S shares, including any Class S shares issued pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan. The shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees are paid monthly in arrears. The Managing Dealer reallows (pays) all or a portion of the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees to participating brokers and servicing brokers for ongoing shareholder services performed by such brokers and will waive shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees to the extent a broker is not eligible to receive it for failure to provide such services. In addition to the above payments, the Distribution and Service Plan for Class S specifically recognizes that the Adviser may make payments from its management fee revenue, past profits, or other resources to the Managing Dealer in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of Class S shares and/or shareholder support services. The Adviser, directly or through the Managing Dealer or one or more affiliates, may pay significant amounts to intermediaries that provide those services. Currently the Board of the fund has authorized such payments for Class S.

Class D Shares

No upfront selling commissions are paid for sales of any Class D shares; however, if you purchase Class D shares from certain financial intermediaries, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in such amount as they may determine, provided that they limit such charges to a 1.50% cap on NAV for Class D shares. Class D shares are subject to a minimum initial investment of $2,500. All subsequent purchases of Class D, except for those made under our distribution reinvestment plan, are subject to a minimum investment size of $500 per transaction. The Managing Dealer can waive the initial or subsequent minimum investment at its discretion.

We pay the Managing Dealer selling commissions over time as a shareholder servicing fee with respect to our outstanding Class D shares equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV of all our outstanding Class D shares, including any Class D shares issued pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan. The shareholder servicing fees are paid monthly in arrears. The Managing Dealer reallows (pays) all or a portion of the shareholder servicing fees to participating brokers and servicing brokers for ongoing shareholder services performed by such brokers and will waive shareholder servicing fees to the extent a broker is not eligible to receive it for failure to provide such services.

Class D shares are generally available for purchase in this offering only (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, sponsored by participating brokers or other intermediaries that provide access to Class D shares, (2) through participating brokers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class D shares, (3) through transaction/ brokerage platforms at participating brokers, (4) through certain registered investment advisers, (5) through bank trust departments or any other organization or person authorized to act in a fiduciary capacity for its clients or customers or (6) by other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus.

In addition to the above payments, the Distribution and Service Plan for Class D specifically recognizes that the Adviser may make payments from its management fee revenue, past profits, or other resources to the Managing Dealer in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of Class D shares and/or shareholder support services. The Adviser, directly or through the Managing Dealer or one or more affiliates, may pay significant amounts to intermediaries that provide those services. Currently the Board of the fund has authorized such payments for Class D.

 

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Class I Shares

No upfront selling commissions are paid for sales of any Class I shares. Class I shares are subject to a minimum initial investment of $1,000,000, which is waived or reduced by the Managing Dealer to $25,000 or less for certain investors as described below and may be increased or decreased pursuant to agreements with financial intermediaries. Financial intermediaries may be permitted to impose higher or lower investment minimums for purchases made through their platforms. Investors should consult their financial intermediary for more information. All subsequent purchases of Class I, except for those made under our distribution reinvestment plan, are subject to a minimum investment size of $500 per transaction. The Managing Dealer can waive the initial or subsequent minimum investment at its discretion.

No shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees are paid for sales of any Class I shares. However, Class I has adopted a Distribution and Service Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act that recognizes that the Adviser may make payments from its management fee revenue, past profits, or other resources to the Managing Dealer in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of Class I shares and/or shareholder support services. The Adviser, directly or through the Managing Dealer or one or more affiliates, may pay significant amounts to intermediaries that provide those services. Currently the Board of the fund has authorized such payments for Class I.

Class I shares are generally available for purchase in this offering only (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, sponsored by participating brokers or other intermediaries that provide access to Class I shares, (2) by endowments foundations, pension funds and other institutional investors, (3) through participating brokers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class I shares, (4) through transaction/ brokerage platforms at participating brokers, (5) by our executive officers and Trustees and their immediate family members, as well as officers and employees of the Adviser or other affiliates and their immediate family members, and, if approved by our Board, joint venture partners, consultants and other service providers, or (6) by other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus. In certain cases, where a holder of Class S or Class D shares exits a relationship with a participating broker for this offering and does not enter into a new relationship with a participating broker for this offering, such holder’s shares may be exchanged into an equivalent NAV amount of Class I shares. We may also offer Class I shares to certain feeder vehicles primarily created to hold our Class I shares, which in turn offer interests in themselves to investors; we expect to conduct such offerings pursuant to exceptions to registration under the Securities Act and not as a part of this offering. Such feeder vehicles may have additional costs and expenses, which would be disclosed in connection with the offering of their interests. We may also offer Class I shares to other investment vehicles.

Without limiting the foregoing, the Managing Dealer waives or reduces to $25,000 or less Class I investment minimums for purchases: (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, sponsored by participating brokers or other intermediaries that provide access to Class I shares, (2) through participating brokers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class I shares, (3) through transaction/brokerage platforms at participating brokers, (4) by our executive officers and Trustees and their immediate family members, as well as officers and employees of the Adviser or other affiliates and their immediate family members, and, if approved by our Board, joint venture partners, consultants and other service providers, and (5) by other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus. The foregoing categories of investors who are granted waivers or reductions by the Managing Dealer from the Class I investment minimums include investors described in the foregoing sentence who make purchases for eligible retirement plans and IRAs. Waivers and reductions are subject to the terms and conditions of agreements that the Managing Dealer enters into with participating intermediaries, as applicable.

Other Terms of Common Shares

We will cease paying the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee on the Class S shares and Class D shares on the earlier to occur of the following: (i) a listing of Class I shares, (ii) our merger or consolidation with or into another entity, or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets or (iii) the date following the completion of the primary portion of this offering on which, in the aggregate, underwriting compensation from all sources in connection with this offering, including the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee and other underwriting compensation, is equal to 10% of the gross proceeds from our primary offering. In addition, as required by exemptive relief for which we have applied to allow us to offer multiple classes of shares, at the end of the month in which the Managing Dealer in conjunction with the transfer agent determines that total transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, and shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees paid with respect to any single share held in a shareholder’s account would exceed, in the aggregate, 10% of the gross proceeds from the sale of such share (or a lower limit as determined by the Managing Dealer or the applicable selling agent), we will cease paying the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee on either (i) each such share that would exceed such limit or (ii) all Class S shares and Class D shares in such shareholder’s account. We may modify this requirement if permitted by applicable exemptive relief. At the end of such month, the applicable Class S shares or Class D shares in such shareholder’s account will convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares), with an equivalent aggregate NAV as such Class S or Class D shares. In addition, immediately before any liquidation, dissolution or winding up, each Class S share and Class D share will automatically convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares) with an equivalent NAV as such share.

 

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Preferred Shares

This offering does not include an offering of preferred shares. However, under the terms of the Declaration of Trust, our Board may authorize us to issue preferred shares in one or more classes or series without shareholder approval, to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. The Board has the power to fix the preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption of each class or series of preferred shares. We do not currently anticipate issuing preferred shares in the near future, including within the first year after the effective date of this prospectus. In the event we issue preferred shares, we will make any required disclosure to shareholders. We will not offer preferred shares to the Adviser or our affiliates except on the same terms as offered to all other shareholders.

Preferred shares could be issued with terms that would adversely affect the shareholders, provided that we may not issue any preferred shares that would limit or subordinate the voting rights of holders of our Common Shares. Preferred shares could also be used as an anti-takeover device through the issuance of shares of a class or series of preferred shares with terms and conditions which could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change in control. Every issuance of preferred shares will be required to comply with the requirements of the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act requires, among other things, that: (1) immediately after issuance and before any dividend or other distribution is made with respect to common shares and before any purchase of common shares is made, such preferred shares together with all other senior securities must not exceed an amount equal to 50% of our total assets after deducting the amount of such dividend, distribution or purchase price, as the case may be, and (2) the holders of shares of preferred shares, if any are issued, must be entitled as a class voting separately to elect two Trustees at all times and to elect a majority of the Trustees if distributions on such preferred shares are in arrears by two full years or more. Certain matters under the 1940 Act require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of preferred shares (as determined in accordance with the 1940 Act) voting together as a separate class. For example, the vote of such holders of preferred shares would be required to approve a proposal involving a plan of reorganization adversely affecting such securities.

The issuance of any preferred shares must be approved by a majority of our Independent Trustees not otherwise interested in the transaction, who will have access, at our expense, to our legal counsel or to independent legal counsel.

Limitation on Liability of Trustees and Officers; Indemnification and Advance of Expenses

Delaware law permits a Delaware statutory trust to include in its declaration of trust a provision to indemnify and hold harmless any trustee or beneficial owner or other person from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever. Our Declaration of Trust provides that our Trustees will not be liable to us or our shareholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a trustee to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Our Declaration of Trust provides for the indemnification of any person to the full extent permitted, and in the manner provided, by Delaware law. In accordance with the 1940 Act, we will not indemnify certain persons for any liability to which such persons would be subject by reason of such person’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office.

Pursuant to our Declaration of Trust and subject to certain exceptions described therein, we will indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (i) any individual who is a present or former Trustee or officer of the Fund and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity or (ii) any individual who, while a Trustee or officer of the Fund and at the request of the Fund, serves or has served as a trustee, officer, partner or trustee of any corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity (each such person, an “Indemnitee”), in each case to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we will not provide indemnification for any loss, liability or expense arising from or out of an alleged violation of federal or state securities laws by an Indemnitee unless (i) there has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged securities law violations, (ii) such claims have been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of competent jurisdiction, or (iii) a court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims against the Indemnitee and finds that indemnification of the settlement and the related costs should be made and the court considering the request for indemnification has been advised of the position of the SEC and of the published position of any state securities regulatory authority in which securities were offered or sold as to indemnification for violations of securities laws.

We will not indemnify an Indemnitee against any liability or loss suffered by such Indemnitee unless (i) the Fund determines in good faith that the course of conduct that caused the loss or liability was in the best interest of the Fund, (ii) the Indemnitee was acting on behalf of or performing services for the Fund, (iii) such liability or loss was not the result of (A) negligence or misconduct, in the case that the party seeking indemnification is a Trustee (other than an Independent Trustee), officer, employee, controlling person or agent of the Fund, or (B) gross negligence or willful misconduct, in the case that the party seeking indemnification is an Independent Trustee, and (iv) such indemnification or agreement to hold harmless is recoverable only out of assets of the Fund and not from the shareholders.

 

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In addition, the Declaration of Trust permits the Fund to advance reasonable expenses to an Indemnitee, and we will do so in advance of final disposition of a proceeding (a) if the proceeding relates to acts or omissions with respect to the performance of duties or services on behalf of the Fund, (b) the legal proceeding was initiated by a third party who is not a shareholder or, if by a shareholder of the Fund acting in his or her capacity as such, a court of competent jurisdiction approves such advancement and (c) upon the Fund’s receipt of (i) a written affirmation by the trustee or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Fund and (ii) a written undertaking by him or her or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the Fund, together with the applicable legal rate of interest thereon, if it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct was not met.

Delaware Law and Certain Declaration of Trust Provisions

Organization and Duration

We were formed in Delaware on March 23, 2022 and will remain in existence until dissolved in accordance with our Declaration of Trust or pursuant to Delaware law.

Purpose

Under the Declaration of Trust, we are permitted to engage in any business activity that lawfully may be conducted by a statutory trust organized under Delaware law and, in connection therewith, to exercise all of the rights and powers conferred upon us pursuant to the agreements relating to such business activity.

Our Declaration of Trust contains provisions that could make it more difficult for a potential acquirer to acquire us by means of a tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise. Our Board may, without shareholder action, authorize the issuance of shares in one or more classes or series, including preferred shares; our Board may, without shareholder action, amend our Declaration of Trust to increase the number of our Common Shares, of any class or series, that we will have authority to issue; and our Declaration of Trust provides that, while we do not intend to list our shares on any securities exchange, if any class of our shares is listed on a national securities exchange, our Board will be divided into three classes of Trustees serving staggered terms of three years each. These provisions are expected to discourage certain coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids and to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to negotiate first with our Board. We believe that the benefits of these provisions outweigh the potential disadvantages of discouraging any such acquisition proposals because, among other things, the negotiation of such proposals may improve their terms.

Sales and Leases to the Fund

Our Declaration of Trust provides that, unless otherwise permitted by the 1940 Act or applicable guidance or exemptive relief of the SEC, except as otherwise permitted under the 1940 Act, we may not purchase or lease assets in which the Adviser or any of its affiliates have an interest unless all of the following conditions are met: (a) the transaction is fully disclosed to the shareholders in a prospectus or in a periodic report; and (b) the assets are sold or leased upon terms that are reasonable and fair to us and at a price not to exceed the lesser of cost or fair market value as determined by an independent expert. However, the Adviser may purchase assets in its own name (and assume loans in connection) and temporarily hold title, for the purposes of facilitating the acquisition of the assets, the borrowing of money, obtaining financing for us, or the completion of construction of the assets, so long as all of the following conditions are met: (i) the assets are purchased by us at a price no greater than the cost of the assets to the Adviser; (ii) all income generated by, and the expenses associated with, the assets so acquired will be treated as belonging to us; and (iii) there are no other benefits arising out of such transaction to the Adviser apart from compensation otherwise permitted by the Omnibus Guidelines, as adopted by the NASAA.

Sales and Leases to our Adviser, Trustees or Affiliates

Our Declaration of Trust provides that, unless otherwise permitted by the 1940 Act or applicable guidance or exemptive relief of the SEC, we may not sell assets to the Adviser or any of its affiliates unless such sale is approved by the holders of a majority of our outstanding Common Shares. Our Declaration of Trust also provides that we may not lease assets to the Adviser or any affiliate thereof unless all of the following conditions are met: (a) the transaction is fully disclosed to the shareholders in a prospectus or in a periodic report; and (b) the terms of the transaction are fair and reasonable to us.

 

124


Loans

Our Declaration of Trust provides that, unless otherwise permitted by the 1940 Act or applicable guidance or exemptive relief of the SEC, except for the advancement of indemnification funds, no loans, credit facilities, credit agreements or otherwise may be made by us to the Adviser or any of its affiliates.

Commissions on Financing, Refinancing or Reinvestment

Our Declaration of Trust provides that, unless otherwise permitted by the 1940 Act or applicable guidance or exemptive relief of the SEC, we generally may not pay, directly or indirectly, a commission or fee to the Adviser or any of its affiliates in connection with the reinvestment of cash available for distribution, available reserves, or the proceeds of the resale, exchange or refinancing of assets.

Lending Practices

Our Declaration of Trust provides that, with respect to financing made available to us by the Adviser, the Adviser may not receive interest in excess of the lesser of the Adviser’s cost of funds or the amounts that would be charged by unrelated lending institutions on comparable loans for the same purpose. The Adviser may not impose a prepayment charge or penalty in connection with such financing and the Adviser may not receive points or other financing charges.

Number of Trustees; Vacancies; Removal

Our Declaration of Trust provides that the number of Trustees will be set by our Board in accordance with our bylaws. Our bylaws provide that a majority of our entire Board may at any time increase or decrease the number of Trustees. Our Declaration of Trust provides that the number of Trustees generally may not be less than three. Except as otherwise required by applicable requirements of the 1940 Act and as may be provided by our Board in setting the terms of any class or series of preferred shares, pursuant to an election under our Declaration of Trust, any and all vacancies on our Board may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining Trustees in office, even if the remaining Trustees do not constitute a quorum, and any Trustee elected to fill a vacancy will serve for the remainder of the full term of the Trustee for whom the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualified, subject to any applicable requirements of the 1940 Act. Independent Trustees will nominate replacements for any vacancies among the Independent Trustees’ positions.

Our Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee may be removed without cause upon the vote of a majority of then-outstanding shares.

We have a total of four members of our Board, three of whom are Independent Trustees. Our Declaration of Trust provides that a majority of our Board must be Independent Trustees except for a period of up to 60 days after the death, removal or resignation of an Independent Trustee pending the election of his or her successor. Each Trustee will hold office until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified. While we do not intend to list our shares on any securities exchange, if any class of our shares is listed on a national securities exchange, our Board will be divided into three classes of Trustees serving staggered terms of three years each.

Action by Shareholders

Our bylaws provide that shareholder action can be taken only at a special meeting of shareholders or by unanimous consent in lieu of a meeting. The shareholders will only have voting rights as required by the 1940 Act or as otherwise provided for in the Declaration of Trust. Under our Declaration of Trust and bylaws, the Fund is not required to hold annual meetings. Special meetings may be called by the Trustees and certain of our officers and will be limited to the purposes for any such special meeting set forth in the notice thereof. In addition, our Declaration of Trust provides that, subject to the satisfaction of certain procedural and informational requirements by the shareholders requesting the meeting, a special meeting of shareholders will be called by the secretary of the Fund upon the written request of shareholders entitled to cast 10% or more of the votes entitled to be cast at the meeting. Any special meeting called by such shareholders is required to be held not less than 15 nor more than 60 days after we are provided notice by such shareholders of the request for a special meeting. These provisions will have the effect of significantly reducing the ability of shareholders being able to have proposals considered at a meeting of shareholders.

 

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With respect to special meetings of shareholders, only the business specified in our notice of the meeting may be brought before the meeting. Nominations of persons for election to the Board at a special meeting may be made only (1) pursuant to our notice of the meeting, (2) by the Board or (3) provided that the Board has determined that Trustees will be elected at the meeting, by a shareholder who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has complied with the advance notice provisions of the Declaration of Trust.

Our Declaration of Trust also provides that the following actions may be taken by the shareholders, without concurrence by our Board or the Adviser, upon a vote by the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares entitled to vote to:

 

   

modify the Declaration of Trust;

 

   

remove the Adviser or appoint a new investment adviser;

 

   

dissolve the Fund; or

 

   

sell all or substantially all of our assets other than in the ordinary course of business.

The purpose of requiring shareholders to give us advance notice of nominations and other business is to afford our Board a meaningful opportunity to consider the qualifications of the proposed nominees and the advisability of any other proposed business and, to the extent deemed necessary or desirable by our Board, to inform shareholders and make recommendations about such qualifications or business, as well as to provide a more orderly procedure for conducting meetings of shareholders. Although our Declaration of Trust does not give our Board any power to disapprove shareholder nominations for the election of Trustees or proposals recommending certain action, they may have the effect of precluding a contest for the election of Trustees or the consideration of shareholder proposals if proper procedures are not followed and of discouraging or deterring a third party from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of trustees or to approve its own proposal without regard to whether consideration of such nominees or proposals might be harmful or beneficial to us and our shareholders.

Our Adviser may not, without the approval of a vote by the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares entitled to vote on such matters:

 

   

amend the Declaration of Trust;

 

   

amend the Advisory Agreement except for amendments that would not adversely affect the rights of our shareholders;

 

   

except as otherwise permitted under the Advisory Agreement, voluntarily withdraw as our investment adviser unless such withdrawal would not affect our tax status and would not materially adversely affect our shareholders;

 

   

appoint a new investment adviser (other than a sub-adviser pursuant to the terms of the Advisory Agreement and applicable law);

 

   

sell all or substantially all of our assets other than in the ordinary course of business; or

 

   

cause the merger or similar reorganization of the Fund.

Amendment of the Declaration of Trust and Bylaws

Our Declaration of Trust provides that shareholders are entitled to vote upon a proposed amendment to the Declaration of Trust if the amendment would alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the shares held by such shareholders so as to affect them adversely. Approval of any such amendment requires at least a majority of the votes cast by such shareholders at a meeting of shareholders duly called and at which a quorum is present. In addition, amendments to our Declaration of Trust to make our Common Shares a “redeemable security” or to convert the Fund, whether by merger or otherwise, from a closed-end company to an open-end company each must be approved by (a) the affirmative vote of shareholders entitled to cast at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter and (b) the affirmative vote of shareholders entitled to cast at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter upon and following the occurrence of a listing of any class of our shares on a national securities exchange.

 

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Our Declaration of Trust provides that our Board has the exclusive power to adopt, alter or repeal any provision of our bylaws and to make new bylaws. Except as described above and for certain provisions of our Declaration of Trust relating to shareholder voting and the removal of Trustees, our Declaration of Trust provides that our Board may amend our Declaration of Trust without any vote of our shareholders.

Actions by the Board Related to Merger, Conversion, Reorganization or Dissolution

The Board may, without the approval of holders of our outstanding shares, approve a merger, conversion, consolidation or other reorganization of the Fund, provided that the resulting entity is a business development company under the 1940 Act. The Fund will not permit the Adviser to cause any other form of merger or other reorganization of the Fund without the affirmative vote by the holders of more than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding shares of the Fund entitled to vote on the matter. The Fund may be dissolved at any time, without the approval of holders of our outstanding shares, upon affirmative vote by a majority of the Trustees.

Derivative Actions

No person, other than a Trustee, who is not a shareholder shall be entitled to bring any derivative action, suit or other proceeding on behalf of the Fund. No shareholder may maintain a derivative action on behalf of the Fund unless holders of at least ten percent (10%) of the outstanding shares join in the bringing of such action. The requirement for ten percent (10%) of the outstanding shares to join in a derivative action does not apply to claims arising under the federal and state securities laws.

In addition to the requirements set forth in Section 3816 of the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute, a shareholder may bring a derivative action on behalf of the Fund only if the following conditions are met: (i) the shareholder or shareholders must make a pre-suit demand upon the Board to bring the subject action unless an effort to cause the Board to bring such an action is not likely to succeed; and a demand on the Board shall only be deemed not likely to succeed and therefore excused if a majority of the Board, or a majority of any committee established to consider the merits of such action, is composed of Board who are not “Independent Trustees” (as that term is defined in the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute); and (ii) unless a demand is not required under clause (i) above, the Board must be afforded a reasonable amount of time to consider such shareholder request and to investigate the basis of such claim; and the Board shall be entitled to retain counsel or other advisers in considering the merits of the request and may require an undertaking by the shareholders making such request to reimburse the Fund for the expense of any such advisers in the event that the Board determine not to bring such action. For purposes of this paragraph, the Board may designate a committee of one or more Trustees to consider a shareholder demand.

Exclusive Delaware Jurisdiction

Each Trustee, each officer and each person legally or beneficially owning a share or an interest in a share of the Fund (whether through a broker, dealer, bank, trust company or clearing corporation or an agent of any of the foregoing or otherwise), to the fullest extent permitted by law, including Section 3804(e) of the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute, (i) irrevocably agrees that any claims, suits, actions or proceedings asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs (or similar) doctrine or arising out of or relating in any way to the Fund, the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute or the Declaration of Trust (including, without limitation, any claims, suits, actions or proceedings to interpret, apply or enforce (A) the provisions of the Declaration of Trust, (B) the duties (including fiduciary duties), obligations or liabilities of the Fund to the shareholders or the Board, or of officers or the Board to the Fund, to the shareholders or each other, (C) the rights or powers of, or restrictions on, the Fund, the officers, the Board or the shareholders, (D) any provision of the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute or other laws of the State of Delaware pertaining to trusts made applicable to the Fund pursuant to Section 3809 of the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute or (E) any other instrument, document, agreement or certificate contemplated by any provision of the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute or the Declaration of Trust relating in any way to the Fund (regardless, in each case, of whether such claims, suits, actions or proceedings (x) sound in contract, tort, fraud or otherwise, (y) are based on common law, statutory, equitable, legal or other grounds or (z) are derivative or direct claims), shall be exclusively brought in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction thereof, any other court in the State of Delaware with subject matter jurisdiction, (ii) irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in connection with any such claim, suit, action or proceeding, (iii) irrevocably agrees not to, and waives any right to, assert in any such claim, suit, action or proceeding that (A) it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of such courts or any other court to which proceedings in such courts may be appealed, (B) such claim, suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum or (C) the venue of such claim, suit, action or proceeding is improper, (iv) consents to process being served in any such claim, suit, action or proceeding by mailing, certified mail, return receipt requested, a copy thereof to such party at the address in effect for notices hereunder, and agrees that such service shall constitute good

 

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and sufficient service of process and notice thereof; provided, nothing in clause (iv) hereof shall affect or limit any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law and (v) irrevocably waives any and all right to trial by jury in any such claim, suit, action or proceeding. Nothing disclosed in this section will apply to any claims, suits, actions or proceedings asserting a claim brought under federal securities laws.

Restrictions on Roll-Up Transactions

In connection with a proposed “roll-up transaction,” which, in general terms, is any transaction involving the acquisition, merger, conversion or consolidation, directly or indirectly, of us and the issuance of securities of an entity that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of the roll-up transaction, we will obtain an appraisal of all of our properties from an independent expert. In order to qualify as an independent expert for this purpose, the person or entity must have no material current or prior business or personal relationship with us and must be engaged to a substantial extent in the business of rendering opinions regarding the value of assets of the type held by us, who is qualified to perform such work. Our assets will be appraised on a consistent basis, and the appraisal will be based on the evaluation of all relevant information and will indicate the value of our assets as of a date immediately prior to the announcement of the proposed roll-up transaction. The appraisal will assume an orderly liquidation of our assets over a 12-month period. The terms of the engagement of such independent expert will clearly state that the engagement is for our benefit and the benefit of our shareholders. We will include a summary of the appraisal, indicating all material assumptions underlying the appraisal, in a report to the shareholders in connection with the proposed roll-up transaction. If the appraisal will be included in a prospectus used to offer the securities of the roll-up entity, the appraisal will be filed with the SEC and the states as an exhibit to the registration statement for the offering.

In connection with a proposed roll-up transaction, the person sponsoring the roll-up transaction must offer to the shareholders who vote against the proposal a choice of:

 

   

accepting the securities of the entity that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of the roll-up transaction offered in the proposed roll-up transaction; or

 

   

one of the following:

 

   

remaining as shareholders and preserving their interests in us on the same terms and conditions as existed previously; or

 

   

receiving cash in an amount equal to their pro rata share of the appraised value of our net assets.

We are prohibited from participating in any proposed roll-up transaction:

 

   

which would result in shareholders having voting rights in the entity that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of the roll-up transaction that are less than those provided in the charter, including rights with respect to the election and removal of Trustees, annual and special meetings, amendments to the charter and our dissolution;

 

   

which includes provisions that would operate as a material impediment to, or frustration of, the accumulation of Common Shares by any purchaser of the securities of the entity that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of the roll-up transaction, except to the minimum extent necessary to preserve the tax status of such entity, or which would limit the ability of an investor to exercise the voting rights of its securities of the entity that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of the roll-up transaction on the basis of the number of shares held by that investor;

 

   

in which shareholders’ rights to access to records of the entity that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of the roll-up transaction will be less than those provided in the charter;

 

   

in which we would bear any of the costs of the roll-up transaction if the shareholders reject the roll-up transaction; or

 

   

unless the organizational documents of the entity that would survive the roll-up transaction provide that neither its adviser nor its managing dealer may vote or consent on matters submitted to its shareholders regarding the removal of its adviser or any transaction between it and its adviser or any of its affiliates.

 

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Access to Records

Any shareholder will be permitted access to all of our records to which they are entitled under applicable law at all reasonable times and may inspect and copy any of them for a reasonable copying charge. Under the Delaware Statutory Trust Statute, our shareholders are entitled to inspect and copy the following corporate documents: (i) our charter; (ii) our bylaws; (iii) a current list of shareholders; and (iv) information regarding our business and financial condition. A shareholder may also request access to any other corporate records, which may be evaluated solely in the discretion of our Board. Inspection of our records by the office or agency administering the securities laws of a jurisdiction will be provided upon reasonable notice and during normal business hours. An alphabetical list of the names, addresses and business telephone numbers of our shareholders, along with the number of Common Shares held by each of them, will be maintained as part of our books and records and will be available for inspection by any shareholder or the shareholder’s designated agent at our office. The shareholder list will be updated at least quarterly to reflect changes in the information contained therein. A copy of the list will be mailed to any shareholder who requests the list within ten days of the request. A shareholder may request a copy of the shareholder list for any proper and legitimate purpose, including, without limitation, in connection with matters relating to voting rights and the exercise of shareholder rights under federal proxy laws. A shareholder requesting a list will be required to pay reasonable costs of postage and duplication. Such copy of the shareholder list shall be printed in alphabetical order, on white paper, and in readily readable type size (no smaller than 10 point font).

A shareholder may also request access to any other corporate records. If a proper request for the shareholder list or any other corporate records is not honored, then the requesting shareholder will be entitled to recover certain costs incurred in compelling the production of the list or other requested corporate records as well as actual damages suffered by reason of the refusal or failure to produce the list. However, a shareholder will not have the right to, and we may require a requesting shareholder to represent that it will not, secure the shareholder list or other information for the purpose of selling or using the list for a commercial purpose not related to the requesting shareholder’s interest in our affairs. We may also require that such shareholder sign a confidentiality agreement in connection with the request.

Reports to Shareholders

Within 60 days after each fiscal quarter, we will distribute our quarterly report on Form 10-Q to all shareholders of record. In addition, we will distribute our annual report on Form 10-K to all shareholders within 120 days after the end of each calendar year, which must contain, among other things, a breakdown of the expenses reimbursed by us to the Adviser. These reports will also be available on our website at [    ] and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Subject to availability, you may authorize us to provide prospectuses, prospectus supplements, annual reports and other information, or documents, electronically by so indicating on your subscription agreement, or by sending us instructions in writing in a form acceptable to us to receive such documents electronically. Unless you elect in writing to receive documents electronically, all documents will be provided in paper form by mail. You must have internet access to use electronic delivery. While we impose no additional charge for this service, there may be potential costs associated with electronic delivery, such as on-line charges. If our e-mail notification is returned to us as “undeliverable,” we will contact you to obtain your updated e-mail address. If we are unable to obtain a valid e-mail address for you, we will resume sending a paper copy by regular U.S. mail to your address of record. You may revoke your consent for electronic delivery at any time and we will resume sending you a paper copy of all required documents. However, in order for us to be properly notified, your revocation must be given to us a reasonable time before electronic delivery has commenced. We will provide you with paper copies at any time upon request. Such request will not constitute revocation of your consent to receive required documents electronically. If you invest in our shares through a financial adviser or a financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer, and such adviser or intermediary delivers all or a portion of the reports above, any election with respect to delivery you have made with such financial adviser or intermediary will govern how you receive such reports.

Conflict with the 1940 Act

Our Declaration of Trust provide that, if and to the extent that any provision of Delaware law, or any provision of our Declaration of Trust conflicts with any provision of the 1940 Act, the applicable provision of the 1940 Act will control.

 

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DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

We expect to determine our NAV for each class of shares each month as of the last day of each calendar month. The NAV per share for each class of shares is determined by dividing the value of total assets attributable to the class minus liabilities attributable to the class by the total number of Common Shares outstanding of the class at the date as of which the determination is made.

We conduct the valuation of our investments, upon which our NAV is based, at all times consistent with GAAP and the 1940 Act. We value our investments in accordance with ASC 820, which defines fair value as the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the applicable measurement date. ASC 820 prioritizes the use of observable market prices or values derived from such prices over entity-specific inputs. Due to the inherent uncertainties of valuation, certain estimated fair values may differ significantly from the values that would have been realized had a ready market for these investments existed, and these differences could be material.

Investments that are listed or traded on an exchange and are freely transferrable are valued at either the closing price (in the case of securities and futures) or the mean of the closing bid and offer (in the case of options) on the principal exchange on which the investment is listed or traded. Other investments for which market quotations are readily available may be valued at market values in the principal market in which they normally are traded, as furnished by recognized dealers in such securities or from independent valuation services. We will utilize a number of factors to determine if the quotations are representative of fair value, including through comparison of prices to multiple sources and monitoring of significant valuation events.

Investments, including debt securities, that are publicly traded but for which no readily available market quotations exist are generally valued on the basis of information furnished by a third-party pricing service that uses a valuation matrix which incorporates both dealer-supplied valuations and electronic data processing techniques. To assess the continuing appropriateness of pricing sources and methodologies, the Adviser regularly performs price verification procedures and issues challenges as necessary to independent pricing services or brokers, and any differences are reviewed in accordance with the valuation procedures. The Adviser does not adjust the prices unless it has a reason to believe market quotations or prices received from a third-party pricing services are not reflective of the fair value of an investment. Where prices or inputs are not available, or, in the judgment of the Adviser, not reliable, valuation approaches based on the facts and circumstances of the particular investment will be utilized. Securities that are not publicly traded or whose market prices are not readily available, as will be the case for a substantial portion of our investments, are valued at fair value as determined by the Adviser in good faith pursuant to policies approved by the Board, based on, among other things, the input of the Adviser and independent valuation firm(s) engaged to review our investments. The Adviser and independent valuation firm(s) will use a variety of approaches to establish the fair value of these investments in good faith. The approaches used will generally include widely recognized and utilized valuation approaches and methodologies, including an analysis of discounted cash flows, publicly traded comparable companies and comparable transactions and will also consider recent transaction prices and other factors in the valuation. An independent, third-party valuation firm will generally review a portion of the Fund’s investments in loans each quarter such that on an annual basis most of the loans’ values will be tested for appropriateness and reasonability.

The Fund values its investments in accordance with Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act, which sets forth requirements for determining fair value in good faith. Pursuant to Rule 2a-5, the Board has designated the Adviser to determine the fair value of all fund investments. The Board oversees the Adviser’s performance of its responsibilities, and in support of this oversight, the Adviser provides periodic reports to the Fund’s Board related the fair valuation process. The Adviser carries out its responsibilities as valuation designee principally through its valuation committee (the “Fair Value Committee”) assisted by a variety of individuals and entities including, but not limited to, independent pricing services, administrative personnel, and other service providers, as appropriate. All fair value determinations will be approved by the Adviser’s Fair Value Committee. In accordance with our valuation procedures, the Adviser performs periodic testing of the appropriateness and accuracy of fair value methodologies, and has established a process for approving, monitoring, and evaluating independent pricing service providers. The Board may determine to modify its designation of the Adviser as valuation designee, relating to any or all Fund investments, at any time.

With respect to the quarterly valuation of investments, we undertake a multi-step valuation process each quarter in connection with determining the fair value of our investments in loans for which reliable market quotations are not readily available as of the last calendar day of each quarter, which includes, among other procedures, the following:

 

   

The valuation process begins with each loan being preliminarily valued by the Adviser’s Fair Value Committee in conjunction with the Adviser’s investment professionals responsible for each portfolio investment;

 

   

In addition, an independent valuation firm is engaged to prepare quarter-end valuations of a selection of loan investments, as determined by the Adviser. The independent valuation firm undertakes a full analysis of the investments and provides a range of values on such investments to the Adviser. The independent valuation firm also provides analyses to support their valuation methodology and calculations;

 

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The Adviser’s Fair Value Committee reviews each valuation recommendation to confirm they have been calculated in accordance with the valuation policy and compares such valuations to the independent valuation firm’s valuation ranges to ensure the Adviser’s valuations are reasonable; and

 

   

The Adviser’s Fair Value Committee determines the fair value of each investment in the portfolio in good faith based on the input of the Adviser’s valuation team and, where applicable, the independent valuation firms or other external service providers.

When we determine our NAV as of the last day of a month that is not also the last day of a calendar quarter, the Adviser’s valuation team will prepare preliminary fair value estimates for each investment consistent with the methodologies set forth in the valuation policy. If an individual asset for which reliable market quotations are not readily available is known by the Adviser’s valuation team to have experienced a significant observable change14 since the most recent quarter end, an independent valuation firm may from time-to-time be asked by the Adviser to provide an independent fair value range for such asset. The independent valuation firm will provide a final range of values for each such investment to the Adviser’s Fair Value Committee, along with analyses to support its valuation methodology and calculations.

As part of the valuation process, we will take into account relevant factors in determining the fair value of our loan investments for which reliable market quotations are not readily available, including and in combination, as relevant, of: (i) the estimated enterprise value of a portfolio company, generally based on an analysis of discounted cash flows, publicly traded comparable companies and comparable transactions, (ii) the nature and realizable value of any collateral, (iii) the portfolio company’s ability to make payments based on its earnings and cash flow, (iv) the markets in which the portfolio company does business, (v) overall changes in the interest rate environment and the credit markets that may affect the price at which similar investments may be made in the future, and (vi) any other factors determined by the Adviser to be relevant to the fair value determination. When an external event such as a purchase transaction, public offering or subsequent equity or debt sale occurs, the Adviser’s Fair Value Committee will consider whether the pricing indicated by the external event corroborates its valuation.

Our most recently determined NAV per share for each class of shares will be available on our website: [    ]. We will report our NAV per share as of the last day of each month on our website within twenty business days of the last day of each month.

 

 

14 

A significant observable event generally refers to the material loss of physical assets, a payment default or payment deferral, a bankruptcy filing or a liquidity event relating to the interests held or the issuer.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

General

We are offering a maximum of $1,000,000,000 in Common Shares pursuant to this prospectus on a “best efforts” basis through Fidelity Distributors Company LLC, the Managing Dealer, a registered broker-dealer. Because this is a “best efforts” offering, the Managing Dealer must only use its best efforts to sell the shares, which means that no underwriter, broker or other person will be obligated to purchase any shares. The Managing Dealer is headquartered at 900 Salem Street, Smithfield, Rhode Island 02917. We are offering a minimum of $100,000,000. See “Escrow Arrangement.”

The shares are being offered on a “best efforts” basis, which means generally that the Managing Dealer is required to use only its best efforts to sell the shares and it has no firm commitment or obligation to purchase any of the shares. The Fund intends that the Common Shares offered pursuant to this prospectus will not be listed on any national securities exchange, and neither the Managing Dealer nor the participating brokers intend to act as market-makers with respect to our Common Shares. Because no public market is expected for the shares, shareholders will likely have limited ability to sell their shares until there is a liquidity event for the Fund.

We are offering to the public three classes of Common Shares: Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares. We are offering to sell any combination of share classes with a dollar value up to the maximum offering amount. All investors must meet the suitability standards discussed in the section of this prospectus entitled “Suitability Standards.” The share classes have different ongoing shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees.

Class S shares are available through brokerage and transactional-based accounts. Class D shares are generally available for purchase in this offering only (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, sponsored by participating brokers or other intermediaries that provide access to Class D shares, (2) through participating brokers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class D shares, (3) through transaction/brokerage platforms at participating brokers, (4) through certain registered investment advisers, (5) through bank trust departments or any other organization or person authorized to act in a fiduciary capacity for its clients or customers or (6) other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus. Class I shares are generally available for purchase in this offering only (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, sponsored by participating brokers or other intermediaries that provide access to Class I shares, (2) by endowments foundations, pension funds and other institutional investors, (3) through participating brokers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class I shares, (4) through transaction/brokerage platforms at participating brokers, (5) by our executive officers and Trustees and their immediate family members, as well as officers and employees of the Adviser or other affiliates and their immediate family members, and, if approved by our Board, joint venture partners, consultants and other service providers, or (6) by other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus. In certain cases, where a holder of Class S or Class D shares exits a relationship with a participating broker for this offering and does not enter into a new relationship with a participating broker for this offering, such holder’s shares may be exchanged into an equivalent NAV amount of Class I shares. We may also offer Class I shares to certain feeder vehicles primarily created to hold our Class I shares, which in turn offer interests in themselves to investors; we expect to conduct such offerings pursuant to exceptions to registration under the Securities Act and not as a part of this offering. Shares of the Fund are not eligible for purchase by registered investment companies or business development companies to the extent such acquisition is in reliance on Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act. Such feeder vehicles may have additional costs and expenses, which would be disclosed in connection with the offering of their interests. We may also offer Class I shares to other investment vehicles. The minimum initial investment for Class I shares is $1,000,000, unless waived by the Managing Dealer. Financial intermediaries may be permitted to impose higher or lower investment minimums for purchases made through their platforms.

Without limiting the foregoing, the Managing Dealer waives or reduces to $25,000 or less Class I investment minimums for purchases: (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, sponsored by participating brokers or other intermediaries that provide access to Class I shares, (2) through participating brokers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class I shares, (3) through transaction/brokerage platforms at participating brokers, (4) by our executive officers and Trustees and their immediate family members, as well as officers and employees of the Adviser or other affiliates and their immediate family members, and, if approved by our Board, joint venture partners, consultants and other service providers, and (5) by other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to this prospectus. The foregoing categories of investors who are granted waivers or reductions by the Managing Dealer from the Class I investment minimums include investors described in the foregoing sentence who make purchases for eligible retirement plans and IRAs. Waivers and reductions are subject to the terms and conditions of agreements that the Managing Dealer enters into with participating intermediaries, as applicable. Financial intermediaries may be permitted to impose higher or lower investment minimums for purchases made through their platforms. Investors should consult their financial intermediary for more information.

 

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If you are eligible to purchase all three classes of shares, you should be aware that Class I shares have no shareholder servicing or distribution fees, which will reduce the NAV or distributions of the other share classes. However, Class I shares will not receive shareholder services. Before making your investment decision, please consult with your investment adviser regarding your account type and the classes of Common Shares you may be eligible to purchase. Neither the Managing Dealer nor its affiliates will directly or indirectly compensate any person engaged as an investment adviser or bank trust department by a potential investor as an inducement for such investment adviser or bank trust department to advise favorably for an investment in us.

The number of shares we have registered pursuant to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part is the number that we reasonably expect to be offered and sold within two years from the initial effective date of the registration statement. Under applicable SEC rules, we may extend this offering one additional year if all of the shares we have registered are not yet sold within two years. With the filing of a registration statement for a subsequent offering, we may also be able to extend this offering beyond three years until the follow-on registration statement is declared effective. Pursuant to this prospectus, we are offering to the public all of the shares that we have registered. Although we have registered a fixed dollar amount of our shares, we intend effectively to conduct a continuous offering of an unlimited number of Common Shares over an unlimited time period by filing a new registration statement prior to the end of the three-year period described in Rule 415. In such a circumstance, the issuer may also choose to enlarge the continuous offering by including on such new registration statement a further amount of securities, in addition to any unsold securities covered by the earlier registration statement.

This offering must be registered in every state in which we offer or sell shares. Generally, such registrations are for a period of one year. Thus, we may have to stop selling shares in any state in which our registration is not renewed or otherwise extended annually. We reserve the right to terminate this offering at any time and to extend our offering term to the extent permissible under applicable law.

Purchase Price

During the escrow period, the per share purchase price for the class of share being purchased will be $25.00. After the close of the escrow period, shares will be sold at the then-current NAV per share, as described in “Determination of Net Asset Value.” Each class of shares may have a different NAV per share because shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees differ with respect to each class.

Escrow Arrangement

We will take purchase orders and hold investors’ funds in an interest-bearing escrow account until we receive purchase orders for at least $100,000,000, and our Board has authorized the release of the escrowed purchase order proceeds to us so that we can commence operations. Even if we receive purchase orders for $100,000,000, our Board may elect to wait a substantial amount of time before authorizing, or may elect not to authorize, the release of the escrowed proceeds. We currently expect to hold a first closing during the first quarter of 2023 of approximately $100,000,000 based on preliminary indications of interest received to date; however, there is no assurance when or if such closing will occur or of any amount to be raised. If we do not raise the minimum amount and commence operations by the date that is one year following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, this offering will be terminated and our escrow agent will promptly send you a full refund of your investment with interest and without deduction for escrow expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may elect to withdraw your purchase order and request a full refund of your investment with interest and without deduction for escrow expenses at any time before the escrowed funds are released to us. If we break escrow for this offering and commence operations, interest earned on funds in escrow will be released to our account and constitute part of our net assets. Our escrow agent is UMB Bank, N.A.

Underwriting Compensation

We entered into a Managing Dealer Agreement with the Managing Dealer, pursuant to which the Managing Dealer agreed to, among other things, manage our relationships with third-party brokers engaged by the Managing Dealer to participate in the distribution of Common Shares, which we refer to as “participating brokers,” and financial advisers. The Managing Dealer also coordinates our marketing and distribution efforts with participating brokers and their registered representatives with respect to communications related to the terms of the offering, our investment strategies, material aspects of our operations and subscription procedures. The Adviser may use its management fee revenues, as well as its past profits or its resources from any other source, to pay the Managing Dealer for expenses incurred in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of shares of the Fund and/or shareholder support services. We will not pay referral or similar fees to any accountants, attorneys or other persons in connection with the distribution of our shares.

 

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Upfront Sales Loads

Class S, Class D and Class I Shares. No upfront sales load will be paid with respect to Class S shares, Class D shares or Class I shares; however, if you buy Class S shares or Class D shares through certain financial intermediaries, they may directly charge you transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, in such amount as they may determine, provided that they limit such charges to a 3.50% cap on NAV for Class S shares and a 1.50% cap on NAV for Class D shares.

Shareholder Servicing and/or Distribution Fees — Class S and Class D

The following table shows the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees we pay the Managing Dealer with respect to the Class S, Class D and Class I on an annualized basis as a percentage of our NAV for such class. The shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees will be paid monthly in arrears, calculated using the NAV of the applicable class as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month.

 

     Shareholder
Servicing and/or
Distribution Fee
as a % of NAV
 

Class S shares

     0.85

Class D shares

     0.25

Class I shares

     —    

Subject to FINRA and other limitations on underwriting compensation described in “—Limitations on Underwriting Compensation” below, we will pay a shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee equal to 0.85% per annum of the aggregate NAV for the Class S shares, a shareholder servicing fee equal to 0.25% per annum of the aggregate NAV for the Class D shares, in each case, payable monthly.

The shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees will be paid monthly in arrears. The Managing Dealer will reallow (pay) all or a portion of the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees to participating brokers and servicing brokers for ongoing shareholder services performed by such brokers, and will waive shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees to the extent a broker is not eligible to receive it for failure to provide such services. Because the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees with respect to Class S shares and Class D shares are calculated based on the aggregate NAV for all of the outstanding shares of each such class, it reduces the NAV with respect to all shares of each such class, including shares issued under our distribution reinvestment plan.

Eligibility to receive the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee is conditioned on a broker providing the following ongoing services with respect to the Class S or Class D shares: assistance with recordkeeping, answering investor inquiries regarding us, including regarding distribution payments and reinvestments, helping investors understand their investments upon their request, and assistance with share repurchase requests. If the applicable broker is not eligible to receive the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee due to failure to provide these services, the Managing Dealer will waive the shareholder servicing fee and/or distribution that broker would have otherwise been eligible to receive. The shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees are ongoing fees that are not paid at the time of purchase.

Other Compensation

We or the Adviser may also pay directly, or reimburse the Managing Dealer if the Managing Dealer pays on our behalf, any organization and offering expenses (other than any upfront selling commissions and shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees). In addition to the above payments, the Distribution and Service Plans for Class S, Class D and Class I specifically recognize that the Adviser may make payments from its management fee revenue, past profits, or other resources to the Managing Dealer in connection with providing services intended to result in the sale of shares and/or shareholder support services. The Adviser, directly or through the Managing Dealer or one or more affiliates, may pay significant amounts to intermediaries that provide those services. Currently the Board of the fund has authorized such payments for Class S, Class D and Class I.

Limitations on Underwriting Compensation

We will cease paying the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee on the Class S shares and Class D shares on the earlier to occur of the following: (i) a listing of Class I shares, (ii) our merger or consolidation with or into another entity, or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets or (iii) the date following the completion of the primary portion of this offering on which, in the aggregate, underwriting compensation from all sources in connection with this offering, including the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee and other underwriting compensation, is equal to 10% of the gross proceeds from our primary offering.

 

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In addition, as required by exemptive relief for which we have applied to allow us to offer multiple classes of shares, at the end of the month in which the Managing Dealer in conjunction with the transfer agent determines that total transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, and shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees paid with respect to any single share held in a shareholder’s account would exceed, in the aggregate, 10% of the gross proceeds from the sale of such share (or a lower limit as determined by the Managing Dealer or the applicable selling agent), we will cease paying the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee on either (i) each such share that would exceed such limit or (ii) all Class S shares and Class D shares in such shareholder’s account. We may modify this requirement if permitted by applicable exemptive relief. At the end of such month, the applicable Class S shares or Class D shares in such shareholder’s account will convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares), with an equivalent aggregate NAV as such Class S or Class D shares.

This offering is being made in compliance with FINRA Rule 2310. Under the rules of FINRA, all items of underwriting compensation, including any upfront selling commissions, Managing Dealer fees, reimbursement fees for bona fide due diligence expenses, training and education expenses, non-transaction based compensation paid to registered persons associated with the Managing Dealer in connection with the wholesaling of our offering and all other forms of underwriting compensation, will not exceed 10% of the gross offering proceeds (excluding shares purchased through our distribution reinvestment plan).

Term of the Managing Dealer Agreement

Either party may terminate the Managing Dealer Agreement upon 60 days’ written notice to the other party or immediately upon notice to the other party in the event such other party failed to comply with a material provision of the Managing Dealer Agreement. Our obligations under the Managing Dealer Agreement to pay the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees with respect to the Class S and Class D shares distributed in this offering as described therein shall survive termination of the agreement until such shares are no longer outstanding (including such shares that have been converted into Class I shares, as described above).

Indemnification

To the extent permitted by law and our charter, we will indemnify the participating brokers and the Managing Dealer against some civil liabilities, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act, and liabilities arising from an untrue statement of material fact contained in, or omission to state a material fact in, this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, blue sky applications or approved sales literature.

Supplemental Sales Material

In addition to this prospectus, we will use sales material in connection with the offering of shares, although only when accompanied by or preceded by the delivery of this prospectus. Some or all of the sales material may not be available in certain jurisdictions. This sales material may include information relating to this offering, the past performance of the Adviser and its affiliates, case studies and articles and publications concerning credit markets and direct lending. In addition, the sales material may contain quotes from various publications without obtaining the consent of the author or the publication for use of the quoted material in the sales material.

We are offering shares only by means of this prospectus. Although the information contained in the sales material will not conflict with any of the information contained in this prospectus, the sales material does not purport to be complete and should not be considered as a part of this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or as incorporated by reference in this prospectus or the registration statement, or as forming the basis of the offering of the Common Shares.

Share Distribution Channels and Special Discounts

We expect our Managing Dealer to use multiple distribution channels to sell our shares. These channels may charge different brokerage fees for purchases of our shares. Our Managing Dealer is expected to engage participating brokers in connection with the sale of the shares of this offering in accordance with participating broker agreements.

 

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HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

You may buy or request that we repurchase Common Shares through your financial adviser, a participating broker or other financial intermediary that has a selling agreement with the Managing Dealer. Because an investment in our Common Shares involves many considerations, your financial adviser or other financial intermediary may help you with this decision. Due to the illiquid nature of investments in originated loans, our Common Shares are only suitable as a long-term investment. Because there is no public market for our shares, shareholders may have difficulty selling their shares if we choose to repurchase only some, or even none, of the shares in a particular quarter, or if our Board modifies, suspends or terminates the share repurchase program.

Investors who meet the suitability standards described herein may purchase Common Shares. See “Suitability Standards” in this prospectus. Investors seeking to purchase Common Shares must proceed as follows:

 

   

Read this entire prospectus and any appendices and supplements accompanying this prospectus.

 

   

Complete the execution copy of the applicable subscription agreement. The Fund maintains two subscription agreements: One for investors subscribing through the Managing Dealer platform and one for investors subscribing through the Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC platform. Please consult your financial intermediary for information on the subscription agreement applicable to you. A specimen copy of the subscription agreements, including instructions for completing each agreement, is included in this prospectus as Appendix A. Subscription agreements may be executed manually or by electronic signature except where the use of such electronic signature has not been approved by the Managing Dealer. Should you execute the subscription agreement electronically, your electronic signature, whether digital or encrypted, included in the subscription agreement is intended to authenticate the subscription agreement and to have the same force and effect as a manual signature.

 

   

Submit a wire transfer, instruct your broker to make payment from your brokerage account or otherwise deliver funds for the full purchase price of the Common Shares being subscribed for along with the completed subscription agreement to the participating broker. The Managing Dealer does not accept checks. During the escrow period, wire transfers should be directed to “UMB Bank Escrow Private Credit Fund.” After the escrow period, wire transfers should be directed to “Fidelity Private Credit Fund.” For Class S and Class D shares, after you have satisfied the applicable minimum purchase requirement of $2,500, additional purchases must be in increments of $500. For Class I shares, after you have satisfied the applicable minimum purchase requirement of $25,000 or $1,000,000, additional purchases must be in increments of $500, unless such minimums are waived by the Managing Dealer. The minimum subsequent investment does not apply to purchases made under our distribution reinvestment plan.

 

   

By executing the subscription agreement and paying the total purchase price for the Common Shares subscribed for, each investor attests that he or she meets the suitability standards as stated in the subscription agreement and agrees to be bound by all of its terms. Certain participating brokers may require additional documentation.

A sale of the shares to a subscriber may not be completed until at least five business days after the subscriber receives our final prospectus. Subscriptions to purchase our Common Shares may be made on an ongoing basis, but investors may only purchase our Common Shares pursuant to accepted subscription orders as of the first day of each month (based on the NAV per share as determined as of the previous day, being the last day of the preceding month), and to be accepted, a subscription request must be made with a completed and executed subscription agreement in good order, including satisfying any additional requirements imposed by the subscriber’s broker, and payment of the full purchase price of our Common Shares being subscribed at least five business days prior to the first day of the month (unless waived by the Managing Dealer). During the escrow period, the per share purchase price for our Common Shares will be $25.00.

For example, if you wish to subscribe for Common Shares in October, your subscription request must be received in good order at least five business days before November 1. Notice of each share transaction will be furnished to shareholders (or their financial representatives) as soon as practicable but not later than seven business days after the Fund’s NAV as of October 31 is determined and credited to the shareholder’s account, together with information relevant for personal and tax records. While a shareholder will not know our NAV applicable on the effective date of the share purchase, our NAV applicable to a purchase of shares will be available generally within 20 business days after the effective date of the share purchase; at that time, the number of shares based on that NAV and each shareholder’s purchase will be determined and shares will be credited to the shareholder’s account as of the effective date of the share purchase. In this example, if accepted, your subscription would be effective on the first calendar day of November.

 

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If for any reason we reject the subscription, or if the subscription request is canceled before it is accepted or withdrawn as described below, we will return the subscription agreement and the related funds, without interest or deduction, within ten business days after such rejection, cancellation or withdrawal.

Common Shares purchased by a fiduciary or custodial account will be registered in the name of the fiduciary account and not in the name of the beneficiary. If you place an order to buy shares and your payment is not received and collected, your purchase may be canceled, and you could be liable for any losses or fees we have incurred.

You have the option of placing a transfer on death (TOD), designation on your shares purchased in this offering. A TOD designation transfers the ownership of the shares to your designated beneficiary upon your death. This designation may only be made by individuals, not entities, who are the sole or joint owners with right to survivorship of the shares. If you would like to place a TOD designation on your shares, you must check the TOD box on the subscription agreement and you must complete and return a TOD form, which you may obtain from your financial adviser, in order to effect the designation.

Purchase Price

During the escrow period, the per share purchase price for the class of shares being purchased will be $25.00. After the close of the escrow period, shares will be sold at the then-current NAV per share, as described in “Determination of Net Asset Value.” Each class of shares may have a different NAV per share because shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees differ with respect to each class.

If you participate in our distribution reinvestment plan, the cash distributions attributable to the class of shares that you purchase in our primary offering will be automatically invested in additional shares of the same class. The purchase price for shares purchased under our distribution reinvestment plan will be equal to the most recent available NAV per share for such shares at the time the distribution is payable.

We will generally adhere to the following procedures relating to purchases of Common Shares in this continuous offering:

 

 

On each business day, our transfer agent will collect purchase orders. Notwithstanding the submission of an initial purchase order, we can reject purchase orders for any reason, even if a prospective investor meets the minimum suitability requirements outlined in our prospectus. Investors may only purchase our Common Shares pursuant to accepted subscription orders as of the first day of each month (based on the NAV per share as determined as of the previous day, being the last day of the preceding month), and to be accepted, a subscription request must be made with a completed and executed subscription agreement in good order and payment of the full purchase price of our Common Shares being subscribed at least five business days prior to the first day of the month. If a purchase order is received less than five business days prior to the first day of the month, unless waived by the Managing Dealer, the purchase order will be executed in the next month’s closing at the transaction price applicable to that month. As a result of this process, the price per share at which your order is executed may be different than the price per share for the month in which you submitted your purchase order.

 

 

Generally, within twenty business days after the first calendar day of each month, we will determine our NAV per share for each share class as of the last calendar day of the immediately preceding month, which will be the purchase price for shares purchased with that effective date.

 

 

Completed subscription requests will not be accepted by us before two business days before the first calendar day of each month.

 

 

Subscribers are not committed to purchase shares at the time their subscription orders are submitted and any subscription may be canceled at any time before the time it has been accepted as described in the previous sentence. You may withdraw your purchase request by notifying the transfer agent, through your financial intermediary or directly on our toll-free, automated telephone line, 817-474-1001.

 

 

You will receive a confirmation statement of each new transaction in your account from us or your financial adviser, participating broker or financial intermediary as soon as practicable but generally not later than seven business days after the shareholder transactions are settled when the applicable NAV per share is determined.

 

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Our NAV may vary significantly from one month to the next. Through our website at [    ], you will have information about the most recently available NAV per share.

In contrast to securities traded on an exchange or OTC, where the price often fluctuates as a result of, among other things, the supply and demand of securities in the trading market, our NAV will be calculated once monthly using our valuation methodology, and the price at which we sell new shares and repurchase outstanding shares will not change depending on the level of demand by investors or the volume of requests for repurchases.

 

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SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM

We do not intend to list our shares on a securities exchange and we do not expect there to be a public market for our shares. As a result, if you purchase our Common Shares, your ability to sell your shares will be limited.

Beginning no later than the first full calendar quarter from the date on which we break escrow for this offering, and at the discretion of our Board, we intend to commence a share repurchase program in which we intend to repurchase, in each quarter, up to 5% of our Common Shares outstanding (by number of shares) as of the close of the previous calendar quarter. Our Board may amend, suspend or terminate the share repurchase program if it deems such action to be in our best interest and the best interest of our shareholders. As a result, share repurchases may not be available each quarter. Upon a suspension of our share repurchase program, our Board will consider at least quarterly whether the continued suspension of our share repurchase program remains in our best interest and the best interest of our shareholders. However, our Board is not required to authorize the recommencement of our share repurchase program within any specified period of time. Our Board may also determine to terminate our share repurchase program if required by applicable law or in connection with a transaction in which our shareholders receive liquidity for their Common Shares, such as a sale or merger of the Fund or listing of our Common Shares on a national securities exchange.

We expect to repurchase shares pursuant to tender offers each quarter using a purchase price equal to the NAV per share as of the last calendar day of the applicable quarter, except that shares that have not been outstanding for at least one year will be repurchased at 98% of such NAV (an “Early Repurchase Deduction”). The one-year holding period is measured as of the subscription closing date immediately following the prospective repurchase date. The Early Repurchase Deduction may be waived, at our discretion, in the case of repurchase requests arising from the death, divorce or qualified disability of the holder. The Early Repurchase Deduction will be retained by the Fund for the benefit of remaining shareholders. We intend to conduct the repurchase offers in accordance with the requirements of Rule 13e-4 promulgated under the Exchange Act and the 1940 Act. All shares purchased by us pursuant to the terms of each tender offer will be retired and thereafter will be authorized and unissued shares.

You may tender all of the Common Shares that you own. There is no repurchase priority for a shareholder under the circumstances of death or disability of such shareholder.

In the event the amount of shares tendered exceeds the repurchase offer amount, shares will be repurchased on a pro rata basis. All unsatisfied repurchase requests must be resubmitted in the next quarterly tender offer, or upon the recommencement of the share repurchase program, as applicable. We will have no obligation to repurchase shares, including if the repurchase would violate the restrictions on distributions under federal law or Delaware law. The limitations and restrictions described above may prevent us from accommodating all repurchase requests made in any quarter. Our share repurchase program has many limitations, including the limitations described above, and should not in any way be viewed as the equivalent of a secondary market.

We will offer to repurchase shares on such terms as may be determined by our Board in its complete and absolute discretion unless, in the judgment of our Independent Trustees, such repurchases would not be in the best interests of our shareholders or would violate applicable law. There is no assurance that our Board will exercise its discretion to offer to repurchase shares or that there will be sufficient funds available to accommodate all of our shareholders’ requests for repurchase. As a result, we may repurchase less than the full amount of shares that you request to have repurchased. If we do not repurchase the full amount of your shares that you have requested to be repurchased, or we determine not to make repurchases of our shares, you will likely not be able to dispose of your shares, even if we under-perform. Any periodic repurchase offers will be subject in part to our available cash and compliance with the RIC qualification and diversification rules and the 1940 Act. Shareholders will not pay a fee to us in connection with our repurchase of shares under the share repurchase program.

The Fund will repurchase shares from shareholders pursuant to written tenders on terms and conditions that the Board determines to be fair to the Fund and to all shareholders. When the Board determines that the Fund will repurchase shares, notice will be provided to shareholders describing the terms of the offer, containing information shareholders should consider in deciding whether to participate in the repurchase opportunity and containing information on how to participate. Shareholders deciding whether to tender their shares during the period that a repurchase offer is open may obtain the Fund’s most recent NAV per share on our website at: [    ]. However, our repurchase offers will generally use the NAV on or around the last business day of a calendar quarter, which will not be available until after the expiration of the applicable tender offer, so you will not know the exact price of shares in the tender offer when you make your decision whether to tender your shares.

Repurchases of shares from shareholders by the Fund will be paid in cash promptly after the determination of the relevant NAV per share is finalized. Repurchases will be effective after receipt and acceptance by the Fund of eligible written tenders of shares from shareholders by the applicable repurchase offer deadline. The Fund does not impose any charges in connection with repurchases of shares. All shares purchased by us pursuant to the terms of each tender offer will be retired and thereafter will be authorized and unissued shares.

 

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Most of our assets will consist of instruments that cannot generally be readily liquidated without impacting our ability to realize full value upon their disposition. Therefore, we may not always have sufficient liquid resources to make repurchase offers. In order to provide liquidity for share repurchases, we intend to generally maintain under normal circumstances an allocation to broadly syndicated loans and other liquid investments. We may fund repurchase requests from sources other than cash flow from operations, including, without limitation, the sale of assets, borrowings, return of capital or offering proceeds, and we have no limits on the amounts we may pay from such sources. Should making repurchase offers, in our judgment, place an undue burden on our liquidity, adversely affect our operations or risk having an adverse impact on the Fund as a whole, or should we otherwise determine that investing our liquid assets in originated loans or other illiquid investments rather than repurchasing our shares is in the best interests of the Fund as a whole, then we may choose to offer to repurchase fewer shares than described above, or none at all.

In the event that any shareholder fails to maintain the minimum balance of $10,000 of our shares, we may, at the time of such failure or any time subsequent to such failure, repurchase all of the shares held by that shareholder at the repurchase price in effect on the date we determine that the shareholder has failed to meet the minimum balance, less any Early Repurchase Deduction. Minimum account repurchases will apply even in the event that the failure to meet the minimum balance is caused solely by a decline in our NAV. Minimum account repurchases may be subject to the Early Repurchase Deduction.

Payment for repurchased shares may require us to liquidate portfolio holdings earlier than our Adviser would otherwise have caused these holdings to be liquidated, potentially resulting in losses, and may increase our investment-related expenses as a result of higher portfolio turnover rates. Our Adviser intends to take measures, subject to policies as may be established by our Board, to attempt to avoid or minimize potential losses and expenses resulting from the repurchase of shares.

 

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DISTRIBUTION REINVESTMENT PLAN

We have adopted a distribution reinvestment plan, pursuant to which we will reinvest all cash dividends declared by the Board on behalf of our shareholders who do not elect to receive their dividends in cash as provided below. As a result, if the Board authorizes, and we declare, a cash dividend or other distribution, then our shareholders who have not opted out of our distribution reinvestment plan will have their cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares as described below, rather than receiving the cash dividend or other distribution. Distributions on fractional shares will be credited to each participating shareholder’s account to three decimal places.

No action is required on the part of a registered shareholder to have his, her or its cash dividend or other distribution reinvested in our shares, except shareholders located in certain states or who are clients of selected participating brokers, as described below. Shareholders who are eligible for default enrollment can elect to “opt out” of the Fund’s distribution reinvestment plan in their subscription agreements. Shareholders located in Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, as well as those who are clients of certain participating brokers that do not permit automatic enrollment in our distribution reinvestment plan, will automatically receive their distributions in cash unless they elect to participate in our distribution reinvestment plan and have their cash distributions reinvested in additional Common Shares.

If any shareholder initially elects not to participate or is defaulted to non-participation by virtue of residing in one of the states mentioned above or being a client of a participating broker dealer that does not permit automatic enrollment in dividend reinvestment plans, they may later become a participant by subsequently completing and executing an enrollment form or any distribution authorization form as may be available from the Fund or Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company LLC (the “Plan Administrator”) at alternatives@fmr.com. Participation in the distribution reinvestment plan will begin with the next distribution payable after acceptance of a participant’s subscription, enrollment or authorization. Common Shares will be purchased under the distribution reinvestment plan as of the first calendar day of the month following the record date of the distribution.

If a shareholder seeks to terminate its participation in the distribution reinvestment plan, notice of termination must be received by the Plan Administrator five business days in advance of the first calendar day of the next month in order for a shareholder’s termination to be effective for such month. Any transfer of shares by a participant to a non-participant will terminate participation in the distribution reinvestment plan with respect to the transferred shares. If a participant elects to tender its Common Shares in full, any Common Shares issued to the participant under the Plan subsequent to the expiration of the tender offer will be considered part of the participant’s prior tender, and participant’s participation in the Plan will be terminated as of the valuation date of the applicable tender offer. Any distributions to be paid to such shareholder on or after such date will be paid in cash on the scheduled distribution payment date.

If you elect to opt out of the distribution reinvestment plan, you will receive any distributions we declare in cash. There will be no upfront selling commissions or Managing Dealer fees charged to you if you participate in the distribution reinvestment plan. We will pay the Plan Administrator fees under the distribution reinvestment plan. If your shares are held by a broker or other financial intermediary, you may change your election by notifying your broker or other financial intermediary of your election.

Any purchases of our shares pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan are dependent on the continued registration of our securities or the availability of an exemption from registration in the recipient’s home state.

The purchase price for shares purchased under our distribution reinvestment plan will be equal to the most recent available NAV per share for such shares at the time the distribution is payable. Common Shares issued pursuant to our distribution reinvestment plan will have the same voting rights as the Common Shares offered pursuant to this prospectus. Shareholders will not pay transaction related charges when purchasing Common Shares under our distribution reinvestment plan, but all outstanding Class S and Class D shares, including those purchased under our distribution reinvestment plan, will be subject to ongoing servicing fees.

See our Distribution Reinvestment Plan, which is filed as an exhibit to our registration statement for this offering, for more information.

 

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REGULATION

The following discussion is a general summary of the material prohibitions and descriptions governing BDCs generally. It does not purport to be a complete description of all of the laws and regulations affecting BDCs.

Qualifying Assets

Under the 1940 Act, a BDC may not acquire any asset other than assets of the type listed in Section 55(a) of the 1940 Act, which are referred to as “Qualifying Assets,” unless, at the time the acquisition is made, Qualifying Assets represent at least 70% of the company’s total assets. The principal categories of Qualifying Assets relevant to our business are any of the following:

(1) Securities purchased in transactions not involving any public offering from the issuer of such securities, which issuer (subject to certain limited exceptions) is an Eligible Portfolio Company (as defined below), or from any person who is, or has been during the preceding 13 months, an affiliated person of an Eligible Portfolio Company, or from any other person, subject to such rules as may be prescribed by the SEC. An “Eligible Portfolio Company” is defined in the 1940 Act as any issuer which:

(a) is organized under the laws of, and has its principal place of business in, the United States;

(b) is not an investment company (other than a small business investment company wholly owned by the BDC) or a company that would be an investment company but for certain exclusions under the 1940 Act; and

(c) satisfies any of the following:

 

  (i)

does not have any class of securities that is traded on a national securities exchange;

 

  (ii)

has a class of securities listed on a national securities exchange, but has an aggregate market value of outstanding voting and non-voting common equity of less than $250,000,000;

 

  (iii)

is controlled by a BDC or a group of companies including a BDC and the BDC has an affiliated person who is a director of the Eligible Portfolio Company; or

 

  (iv)

is a small and solvent company having total assets of not more than $4,000,000 and capital and surplus of not less than $2,000,000.

(2) Securities of any Eligible Portfolio Company controlled by the Fund.

(3) Securities purchased in a private transaction from a U.S. issuer that is not an investment company or from an affiliated person of the issuer, or in transactions incident thereto, if the issuer is in bankruptcy and subject to reorganization or if the issuer, immediately prior to the purchase of its securities was unable to meet its obligations as they came due without material assistance other than conventional lending or financing arrangements.

(4) Securities of an Eligible Portfolio Company purchased from any person in a private transaction if there is no ready market for such securities and the Fund already owns 60% of the outstanding equity of the Eligible Portfolio Company.

(5) Securities received in exchange for or distributed on or with respect to securities described in (1) through (4) above, or pursuant to the exercise of warrants or rights relating to such securities.

(6) Cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment.

In addition, a BDC must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described in (1), (2) or (3) above.

Significant Managerial Assistance

A BDC must have been organized and have its principal place of business in the United States and must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described above. However, in order to count portfolio securities as Qualifying Assets for the purpose of the 70% test, the BDC must either control the issuer of the securities or must offer to make available to the

 

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issuer of the securities (other than small and solvent companies described above) significant managerial assistance; except that, where the BDC purchases such securities in conjunction with one or more other persons acting together, one of the other persons in the group may make available such managerial assistance. Making available significant managerial assistance means, among other things, any arrangement whereby the BDC, through its trustees, officers, service providers (e.g., Adviser) or employees, offers to provide and, if accepted, does so provide, significant guidance and counsel concerning the management, operations or business objectives and policies of a portfolio company through monitoring of portfolio company operations, selective participation in board and management meetings, consulting with and advising a portfolio company’s officers or other organizational or financial guidance.

Temporary Investments

Pending investment in other types of Qualifying Assets (including directly originated loans and broadly syndicated loans, as described above), our investments can consist of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment, which are referred to herein, collectively, as temporary investments, so that 70% of our assets would be Qualifying Assets.

Warrants

Under the 1940 Act, a BDC is subject to restrictions on the issuance, terms and amount of warrants, options or rights to purchase shares that it may have outstanding at any time. In particular, the amount of shares that would result from the conversion or exercise of all outstanding warrants, options or rights to purchase shares cannot exceed 25% of the BDC’s total outstanding shares.

Leverage and Senior Securities; Coverage Ratio

We are permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of shares senior to our Common Shares if our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, would at least equal 150% immediately after each such issuance. On September 16, 2022, our sole shareholder approved the adoption of this 150% threshold pursuant to Section 61(a)(2) of the 1940 Act and such election became effective the following day. As defined in the 1940 Act, asset coverage of 150% means that for every $100 of net assets we hold, we may raise $200 from borrowing and issuing senior securities. In addition, while any senior securities remain outstanding, we will be required to make provisions to prohibit any dividend distribution to our shareholders or the repurchase of such securities or shares unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the dividend distribution or repurchase. We will also be permitted to borrow amounts up to 5% of the value of our total assets for temporary or emergency purposes, which borrowings would not be considered senior securities.

We intend to establish one or more credit facilities and/or subscription facilities or enter into other financing arrangements to facilitate investments and the timely payment of our expenses. It is anticipated that any such credit facilities will bear interest at floating rates at to be determined spreads over SOFR (or other applicable reference rate). We cannot assure shareholders that we will be able to enter into a credit facility. Shareholders will indirectly bear the costs associated with any borrowings under a credit facility or otherwise. In connection with a credit facility or other borrowings, lenders may require us to pledge assets, commitments and/or drawdowns (and the ability to enforce the payment thereof) and may ask to comply with positive or negative covenants that could have an effect on our operations. In addition, from time to time, our losses on leveraged investments may result in the liquidation of other investments held by us and may result in additional drawdowns to repay such amounts.

We may enter into a TRS agreement, which is a contract in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in the market value of the assets underlying the TRS and may include a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices during a specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate. A TRS effectively adds leverage to a portfolio by providing investment exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or investing directly in such market. Because of the unique structure of a TRS, a TRS often offers lower financing costs than are offered through more traditional borrowing arrangements. The Fund would typically have to post collateral to cover this potential obligation. To the extent the Fund segregates liquid assets with a value equal (on a daily mark-to-market basis) to its obligations under TRS transactions, enters into offsetting transactions or otherwise covers such TRS transactions in accordance with applicable SEC guidance, the leverage incurred through TRS will not be considered a borrowing for purposes of the Fund’s overall leverage limitation.

We may also create leverage by securitizing our assets (including in CLOs) and retaining the equity portion of the securitized vehicle. We may also from time to time make secured loans of our marginable securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions.

 

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Code of Ethics

We and the Adviser have adopted a code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act, respectively, that establishes procedures for personal investments and restricts certain personal securities transactions. Personnel subject to the code are permitted to invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by us, so long as such investments are made in accordance with the code’s requirements. This code of ethics is available on the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also obtain copies of the codes of ethics, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following email address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

Affiliated Transactions

We may be prohibited under the 1940 Act from conducting certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our Trustees who are not interested persons and, in some cases, the prior approval of the SEC. We have applied for an exemptive order from the SEC that would permit us, among other things, to co-invest with certain other persons, including certain affiliates of the Adviser and certain funds managed and controlled by the Adviser and its affiliates, subject to certain terms and conditions. There is no assurance that the co-investment exemptive order will be granted by the SEC.

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

We have delegated our proxy voting responsibility to the Adviser. The Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures of the Adviser are set forth below. The guidelines will be reviewed periodically by the Adviser, and, accordingly, are subject to change.

As an investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act, the Adviser has a duty to monitor corporate events and to vote proxies, as well as a duty to cast votes in the best interest of clients and not subrogate client interests to its own interests. Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act places specific requirements on registered investment advisers with proxy voting authority.

Proxy Policies

The Adviser’s policies and procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that the Adviser votes proxies in the best interest of the Fund and addresses how it will resolve any conflict of interest that may arise when voting proxies and, in so doing, to maximize the value of the investments made by the Fund, taking into consideration the Fund’s investment horizons and other relevant factors. It will review on a case-by-case basis each proposal submitted for a shareholder vote to determine its impact on the portfolio securities held by its clients. Although the Adviser will generally vote against proposals that may have a negative impact on its clients’ portfolio securities, it may vote for such a proposal if there exists compelling long-term reasons to do so.

Decisions on how to vote a proxy generally are made by the Adviser. Decisions are based on a number of factors which may vary depending on a proxy’s subject matter but are guided by the general policies described in the proxy policy. In addition, the Adviser may determine not to vote a proxy after consideration of the vote’s expected benefit to clients and the cost of voting the proxy. To ensure that its vote is not the product of a conflict of interest, the Adviser will require the members of the Direct Lending Investment Committee to disclose any personal conflicts of interest they may have with respect to overseeing a Fund’s investment in a particular company.

Proxy Voting Records

You may obtain information, without charge, regarding how we voted proxies with respect to our portfolio securities by making a written request for proxy voting information to: Chief Compliance Officer, Fidelity Diversifying Solutions LLC, 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.

Other

We will be periodically examined by the SEC for compliance with the 1940 Act and be subject to the periodic reporting and related requirements of the Exchange Act.

We are also required to provide and maintain a bond issued by a reputable fidelity insurance company to protect against larceny and embezzlement. Furthermore, as a BDC, we will be prohibited from protecting any trustee or officer against any liability to our shareholders arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office.

We are also required to designate a CCO and to adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of the federal securities laws and to review these policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their implementation.

 

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We are not permitted to change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or to withdraw our election as, a BDC unless approved by a majority of our outstanding voting securities. A majority of the outstanding voting securities of a company is defined under the 1940 Act as the lesser of: (i) 67% or more of such company’s shares present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding shares of such company are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of such company.

Our internet address is [    ]. We make available free of charge on our website our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, proxy statement and amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC.

 

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CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The following discussion is a general summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to us and the purchase, ownership and disposition of our shares. This discussion does not purport to be complete or to deal with all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to shareholders in light of their particular circumstances. Unless otherwise noted, this discussion applies only to U.S. shareholders that hold our shares as capital assets. A U.S. shareholder is an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States, a U.S. corporation, a trust if it (a) is subject to the primary supervision of a court in the United States and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (b) has made a valid election to be treated as a U.S. person, or any estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source. This discussion is based upon present provisions of the Code, the regulations promulgated thereunder, and judicial and administrative ruling authorities, all of which are subject to change, or differing interpretations (possibly with retroactive effect). This discussion does not represent a detailed description of the U.S. federal income tax consequences relevant to special classes of taxpayers including, without limitation, financial institutions, insurance companies, investors in pass-through entities, U.S. shareholders whose “functional currency” is not the U.S. dollar, tax-exempt organizations, dealers in securities or currencies, traders in securities or commodities that elect mark to market treatment, or persons that will hold our shares as a position in a “straddle,” “hedge” or as part of a “constructive sale” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In addition, this discussion does not address the application of the Medicare tax on net investment income or the U.S. federal alternative minimum tax, or any tax consequences attributable to persons being required to accelerate the recognition of any item of gross income with respect to our shares as a result of such income being recognized on an applicable financial statement. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisers with regard to the U.S. federal tax consequences of the purchase, ownership, or disposition of our shares, as well as the tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, foreign country or other taxing jurisdiction.

Taxation as a Regulated Investment Company

The Fund intends to elect to be treated, and intends to qualify each taxable year thereafter, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code.

To qualify for the favorable tax treatment accorded to RICs under Subchapter M of the Code, the Fund must, among other things: (1) have an election in effect to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act at all times during each taxable year; (2) have filed with its return for the taxable year an election to be a RIC or have made such election for a previous taxable year; (3) derive in each taxable year at least 90% of its gross income from (a) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities, or currencies; and (b) net income derived from an interest in certain publicly-traded partnerships that are treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes and that derive less than 90% of their gross income from the items described in (a) above (each, a “Qualified Publicly Traded Partnership”); and (4) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of each taxable year of the Fund (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items (including receivables), U.S. government securities and securities of other RICs, and other securities for purposes of this calculation limited, in respect of any one issuer to an amount not greater in value than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets, and to not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets is invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of (I) any one issuer, (II) any two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are determined to be engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses or (III) any one or more Qualified Publicly Traded Partnerships (described in 3(b) above).

As a RIC, the Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code, but determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, that it distributes in each taxable year to its shareholders, provided that it distributes at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income and its net tax-exempt income for such taxable year. Generally, the Fund intends to distribute to its shareholders, at least annually, substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gains, if any.

Amounts not distributed on a timely basis in accordance with a calendar year distribution requirement are subject to a nondeductible 4% U.S. federal excise tax. To prevent imposition of the excise tax, the Fund must distribute during each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, (ii) 98.2% of its capital gains in excess of its capital losses (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the one-year period ending October 31 of the calendar year and (iii) any ordinary income and capital gains for previous years that were not distributed during those years. For these purposes, the Fund will be deemed to have distributed any income or gains on which it paid U.S. federal income tax.

 

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A distribution will be treated as paid on December 31 of any calendar year if it is declared by the Fund in October, November or December with a record date in such a month and paid by the Fund during January of the following calendar year. Such distributions will be taxable to shareholders in the calendar year in which the distributions are declared, rather than the calendar year in which the distributions are received.

If the Fund failed to qualify as a RIC or failed to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement in any taxable year, the Fund would be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates on its taxable income (including distributions of net capital gain), even if such income were distributed to its shareholders, and all distributions out of earnings and profits would be taxed to shareholders as ordinary dividend income. Such distributions generally would be eligible (i) to be treated as “qualified dividend income” in the case of individual and other non-corporate shareholders and (ii) for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay taxes and make distributions (which could be subject to interest charges) before requalifying for taxation as a RIC.

While the Fund generally intends to qualify as a RIC for each taxable year, it is possible that as we ramp up our portfolio we may not satisfy the diversification requirements described above, and thus may not qualify as a RIC, for the short taxable year from the date on which we break escrow for this offering. In such case, however, we anticipate that the associated tax liability would not be material, and that such non-compliance would not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations, although there can be no assurance in this regard. The remainder of this discussion assumes that the Fund qualifies as a RIC for each taxable year.

Distributions

Distributions to shareholders by the Fund of ordinary income (including “market discount” realized by the Fund on the sale of debt securities), and of net short-term capital gains, if any, realized by the Fund will generally be taxable to U.S. shareholders as ordinary income to the extent such distributions are paid out of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits. Distributions, if any, of net capital gains properly reported as “capital gain dividends” will be taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of the length of time the shareholder has owned our shares. A distribution of an amount in excess of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes) will be treated by a shareholder as a return of capital which will be applied against and reduce the shareholder’s basis in his or her shares. To the extent that the amount of any such distribution exceeds the shareholder’s basis in his or her shares, the excess will be treated by the shareholder as gain from a sale or exchange of the shares. Distributions paid by the Fund generally will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction allowed to corporations or for the reduced rates applicable to certain qualified dividend income received by non-corporate shareholders.

Distributions will be treated in the manner described above regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or invested in additional shares pursuant to the distribution reinvestment plan. Shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional shares will generally be treated as receiving a distribution in the amount of the fair market value of the distributed shares. The additional shares received by a shareholder pursuant to the distribution reinvestment plan will have a new holding period commencing on the day following the day on which the shares were credited to the shareholder’s account.

The Fund may elect to retain its net capital gain or a portion thereof for investment and be taxed at corporate rates on the amount retained. In such case, it may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders, who will be treated as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will (i) be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, (ii) receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain and (iii) increase the tax basis for its shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.

The Internal Revenue Service currently requires that a RIC that has two or more classes of stock allocate to each such class proportionate amounts of each type of its income (such as ordinary income and capital gains) based upon the percentage of total dividends paid to each class for the tax year. Accordingly, if the Fund issues preferred shares, the Fund intends to allocate capital gain dividends, if any, between its Common Shares and preferred shares in proportion to the total dividends paid to each class with respect to such tax year. Shareholders will be notified annually as to the U.S. federal tax status of distributions, and shareholders receiving distributions in the form of additional shares will receive a report as to the NAV of those shares.

 

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Sale or Exchange of Common Shares

Upon the sale or other disposition of our shares (except pursuant to a repurchase by the Fund, as described below), a shareholder will generally realize a capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in the shares sold. Such gain or loss will be long-term or short-term, depending upon the shareholder’s holding period for the shares. Generally, a shareholder’s gain or loss will be a long-term gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than one year. For non-corporate taxpayers, long-term capital gains are currently eligible for reduced rates of taxation.

No loss will be allowed on the sale or other disposition of shares if the owner acquires (including pursuant to the distribution reinvestment plan) or enters into a contract or option to acquire securities that are substantially identical to such shares within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the securities acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Losses realized by a shareholder on the sale or exchange of shares held for six months or less are treated as long-term capital losses to the extent of any distribution of long-term capital gain received (or amounts designated as undistributed capital gains) with respect to such shares.

From time to time, the Fund may offer to repurchase its outstanding shares. Shareholders who tender all shares of the Fund held, or considered to be held, by them will be treated as having sold their shares and generally will realize a capital gain or loss. If a shareholder tenders fewer than all of its shares or fewer than all shares tendered are repurchased, such shareholder may be treated as having received a taxable dividend upon the tender of its shares. In such a case, there is a risk that non-tendering shareholders, and shareholders who tender some but not all of their shares or fewer than all of whose shares are repurchased, in each case whose percentage interests in the Fund increase as a result of such tender, will be treated as having received a taxable distribution from the Fund. The extent of such risk will vary depending upon the particular circumstances of the tender offer, and in particular whether such offer is a single and isolated event or is part of a plan for periodically redeeming shares of the Fund.

Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to shares of $2,000,000 or more for an individual shareholder or $10,000,000 or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the Internal Revenue Service a disclosure statement on Internal Revenue Service Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Nature of the Fund’s Investments

Certain of the Fund’s hedging and derivatives transactions are subject to special and complex U.S. federal income tax provisions that may, among other things, (i) disallow, suspend or otherwise limit the allowance of certain losses or deductions, (ii) convert lower-taxed long-term capital gain into higher-taxed short-term capital gain or ordinary income, (iii) convert an ordinary loss or a deduction into a capital loss (the deductibility of which is more limited), (iv) cause the Fund to recognize income or gain without a corresponding receipt of cash, (v) adversely affect the time as to when a purchase or sale of stock or securities is deemed to occur, (vi) adversely alter the intended characterization of certain complex financial transactions and (vii) produce income that will not be treated as qualifying income for purposes of the 90% gross income test described above.

These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders and the Fund’s status as a RIC. The Fund will monitor its transactions and may make certain tax elections in order to mitigate the effect of these provisions.

Below Investment Grade Instruments

The Fund expects to primarily invest in debt securities that are rated below investment grade by rating agencies or that would be rated below investment grade if they were rated. Investments in these types of instruments may present special tax issues for the Fund. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless instruments, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable. These and other issues will be addressed by the Fund, to the extent necessary, to distribute sufficient income to preserve our tax status as a RIC and minimize the extent to which we are subject to U.S. federal income tax.

Original Issue Discount

For federal income tax purposes, we may be required to recognize taxable income in circumstances in which we do not receive a corresponding payment in cash. For example, if we hold debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as having original issue discount (such as zero coupon securities, debt instruments with PIK interest or, in certain cases, increasing interest rates or debt instruments that were issued with warrants), we must include in income each year a portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the life of the obligation, regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by us in the same taxable year. Because

 

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any original issue discount will be included in our investment company taxable income for the year of the accrual, we may be required to make a distribution to our shareholders in order to satisfy the annual distribution requirement, even though we will not have received any corresponding cash amount. As a result, we may have difficulty meeting the annual distribution requirement necessary to qualify for and maintain RIC tax treatment under Subchapter M of the Code. We may have to sell some of our investments at times and/or at prices we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or forgo new investment opportunities for this purpose. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, we may not qualify for or maintain RIC tax treatment and thus may become subject to corporate-level income tax.

Market Discount

In general, the Fund will be treated as having acquired a security with market discount if its stated redemption price at maturity (or, in the case of a security issued with original issue discount, its revised issue price) exceeds the Fund’s initial tax basis in the security by more than a statutory de minimis amount. The Fund will be required to treat any principal payments on, or any gain derived from the disposition of, any securities acquired with market discount as ordinary income to the extent of the accrued market discount, unless the Fund makes an election to accrue market discount on a current basis. If this election is not made, all or a portion of any deduction for interest expense incurred to purchase or carry a market discount security may be deferred until the Fund sells or otherwise disposes of such security.

Currency Fluctuations

Under Section 988 of the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time the Fund accrues income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time the Fund actually collects such income or receivables or pays such liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, gains or losses on foreign currency, foreign currency forward contracts, certain foreign currency options or futures contracts and the disposition of debt securities denominated in foreign currency, to the extent attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the acquisition and disposition dates, are also treated as ordinary income or loss.

Preferred Shares or Borrowings

If the Fund utilizes leverage through the issuance of preferred shares or borrowings, it may be restricted by certain covenants with respect to the declaration of, and payment of, dividends on shares in certain circumstances. Limits on the Fund’s payments of dividends on shares may prevent the Fund from meeting the distribution requirements described above, and may, therefore, jeopardize the Fund’s qualification for taxation as a RIC and possibly subject the Fund to the 4% excise tax. The Fund will endeavor to avoid restrictions on its ability to make dividend payments.

Backup Withholding

The Fund may be required to withhold from all distributions and redemption proceeds payable to U.S. shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification numbers or to make required certifications, or who have been notified by the Internal Revenue Service that they are subject to backup withholding. Certain shareholders specified in the Code generally are exempt from such backup withholding. This backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be refunded or credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.

U.S. Taxation of Tax-Exempt U.S. Shareholders

A U.S. shareholder that is a tax-exempt organization for U.S. federal income tax purposes and therefore generally exempt from U.S. federal income taxation may nevertheless be subject to taxation to the extent that it is considered to derive unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). The direct conduct by a tax-exempt U.S. shareholder of the activities that the Fund proposes to conduct could give rise to UBTI. However, a RIC is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes and its business activities generally will not be attributed to its shareholders for purposes of determining their treatment under current law. Therefore, a tax-exempt U.S. shareholder should not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation solely as a result of such shareholder’s direct or indirect ownership of the Fund’s equity and receipt of distributions with respect to such equity (regardless of whether we incur indebtedness). Moreover, under current law, if the Fund incurs indebtedness, such indebtedness will not be attributed to a tax-exempt U.S. shareholder. Therefore, a tax-exempt U.S. shareholder should not be treated as earning income from “debt-financed property” and distributions the Fund pays should not be treated as “unrelated debt-financed income” solely as a result of indebtedness that the Fund incurs. Certain tax-exempt private universities are subject to an additional 1.4% excise tax on their “net investment income,” including income from interest, dividends,

 

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and capital gains. Proposals periodically are made to change the treatment of “blocker” investment vehicles interposed between tax-exempt investors and non-qualifying investments. In the event that any such proposals were to be adopted and applied to RICs, the treatment of dividends payable to tax-exempt investors could be adversely affected. In addition, special rules would apply if the Fund were to invest in certain real estate mortgage investment conduits or taxable mortgage pools, which the Fund does not currently plan to do, that could result in a tax-exempt U.S. shareholder recognizing income that would be treated as UBTI.

Foreign Shareholders

U.S. taxation of a shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual, a foreign trust or estate or a foreign corporation, as defined for U.S. federal income tax purposes (a “foreign shareholder”), depends on whether the income from the Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the shareholder.

As a RIC is a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, its business activities generally will not be attributed to its shareholders for purposes of determining their treatment under current law. Therefore, a foreign shareholder should not be considered to earn income “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business solely as a result of activities conducted by the Fund.

If the income from the Fund is not “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by the foreign shareholder, distributions of investment company taxable income will be subject to a U.S. tax of 30% (or lower treaty rate), which tax is generally withheld from such distributions. The portion of distributions considered to be a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes generally will not be subject to tax. However, dividends paid by the Fund that are “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends” will generally be exempt from such withholding, in each case to the extent the Fund properly reports such dividends to shareholders. For these purposes, interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends generally represent distributions of certain interest or short-term capital gains that would not have been subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at the source if received directly by a foreign shareholder, and that satisfy certain other requirements. Interest-related dividends do not include distributions paid in respect of a RIC’s non-U.S. source interest income or its dividend income (or any other type of income other than generally non-contingent U.S.-source interest income received from unrelated obligors). In the case of shares of the Fund held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold U.S. federal income tax even if the Fund reports the payment as interest-related dividends or short-term capital gain dividends. There can be no assurance as to whether any of the Fund’s distributions will be eligible for an exemption from withholding of U.S. federal income tax or, as to whether any of the Fund’s distributions that are eligible, will be reported as such by us. To the extent that the Fund or other intermediary withholds any tax with respect to distributions that are exempt from withholding or eligible for a reduced treaty rate, a non-U.S. investor may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS.

A foreign shareholder whose income from the Fund is not “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business would generally be exempt from U.S. federal income tax on capital gain dividends, any amounts retained by the Fund that are designated as undistributed capital gains and any gains realized upon the sale or exchange of shares. However, a foreign shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual and is physically present in the United States for more than 182 days during the taxable year and meets certain other requirements will nevertheless be subject to a U.S. tax of 30% on such capital gain dividends, undistributed capital gains and sale or exchange gains.

If the income from the Fund is “effectively connected” with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder, then distributions of investment company taxable income, any capital gain dividends, any amounts retained by the Fund that are designated as undistributed capital gains and any gains realized upon the sale or exchange of shares will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens, residents or domestic corporations, as applicable. Foreign corporate shareholders may also be subject to the 30% branch profits tax imposed by the Code (or lower treaty rate).

The Fund or other withholding agent may be required to withhold from distributions that are otherwise exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax (or taxable at a reduced treaty rate) based on the information available at the time of such distribution or if the foreign shareholder fails to certify his or her foreign status under penalties of perjury or otherwise establish an exemption. The tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may differ from those described herein. Foreign shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.

 

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Additional Withholding Requirements

Under Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code (such Sections commonly referred to as “FATCA”), a 30% United States federal withholding tax may apply to any dividends that the Fund pays to (i) a “foreign financial institution” (as specifically defined in the Code), whether such foreign financial institution is the beneficial owner or an intermediary, unless such foreign financial institution agrees to verify, report and disclose its United States “account” holders (as specifically defined in the Code) and meets certain other specified requirements or (ii) a non-financial foreign entity, whether such nonfinancial foreign entity is the beneficial owner or an intermediary, unless such entity provides a certification that the beneficial owner of the payment does not have any substantial United States owners or provides the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each such substantial United States owner and certain other specified requirements are met. In certain cases, the relevant foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity may qualify for an exemption from, or be deemed to be in compliance with, these rules. In addition, foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing FATCA may be subject to different rules. You should consult your own tax adviser regarding FATCA and whether it may be relevant to your ownership and disposition of our shares.

Foreign and Other Taxation

The Fund’s investment in non-U.S. securities may be subject to non-U.S. withholding taxes. In that case, the Fund’s yield on those securities would be decreased. Shareholders will generally not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to foreign taxes paid by the Fund.

In addition, shareholders may be subject to state, local and foreign taxes on their distributions from the Fund. Shareholders are advised to consult their own tax advisers with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund.

 

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CERTAIN ERISA CONSIDERATIONS

Each prospective investor that is, or is acting on behalf of, any (i) “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA) subject to Title I of ERISA, (ii) “plan” described in Section 4975(e)(1) of the Code, subject to Section 4975 of the Code (including for e.g., IRA and a “Keogh” plan), (iii) plan, account or other arrangement that is subject to provisions under any Similar Laws, or (iv) entity whose underlying assets are considered to include the assets of any of the foregoing described in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), pursuant to ERISA or otherwise (each of the foregoing described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) referred to herein as a “Plan”), must independently determine that our Common Shares are an appropriate investment, taking into account its obligations under ERISA, the Code and applicable Similar Laws.

In contemplating an investment in the Fund, each fiduciary of the Plan who is responsible for making such an investment should carefully consider, taking into account the facts and circumstances of the Plan, whether such investment is consistent with the applicable provisions of ERISA, Section 4957 of the Code or any Similar Law relating to a fiduciary’s duties to the Plan including, without limitation, the prudence, diversification, and prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA, Section 4957 of the Code and any other applicable Similar Laws. Furthermore, absent satisfying all of the requirements of a prohibited transaction exemption, the fiduciaries of a Plan should not invest in the Fund with the assets of any Plan if the Adviser or any of its affiliates is a fiduciary with respect to such assets of the Plan. Each purchaser of Common Shares that is or may become a Plan is responsible for determining the extent, if any, to which the purchase and holding of Common Shares will constitute a non-exempt prohibited transaction under ERISA, Section 4975 of the Code or any Similar Law, and otherwise for determining compliance with ERISA, Section 4975 of the Code and any applicable Similar Law.

In contemplating an investment in the Fund, the fiduciaries of a Plan that is a Benefit Plan Investor should also carefully consider the definition of the term “plan assets” in ERISA and the Plan Assets Regulation. Under ERISA and the Plan Assets Regulation, when a Benefit Plan Investor invests in an equity interest of an entity that is neither a “publicly-offered security” (within the meaning of the Plan Assets Regulation) nor a security issued by an investment company registered under the 1940 Act, the Benefit Plan Investor’s assets include both the equity interest and an undivided interest in each of the entity’s underlying assets, unless it is established that the entity is an “operating company” or that equity participation in the entity by Benefit Plan Investors is not “significant” (each within the meaning of the Plan Assets Regulation). The term “Benefit Plan Investor” is defined in the Plan Assets Regulation to include (i) any employee benefit plan (as defined in section 3(3) of ERISA) subject to the provisions of Title I of ERISA, (ii) any plan described in section 4975(e)(1) of the Code that is subject to Section 4975 of the Code, and (iii) any entity whose underlying assets include plan assets by reason of such an employee benefit plan’s or plan’s investment in the entity.

Under the Plan Assets Regulation, equity participation in an entity by Benefit Plan Investors is “significant” on any date if 25% or more of the total value of any class of equity interests in the entity is held by Benefit Plan Investors. For purposes of this determination, the value of equity interests held by a person (other than a Benefit Plan Investor) who has discretionary authority or control with respect to the assets of the entity or that provides investment advice for a fee (direct or indirect) with respect to such assets (or any affiliate of such a person) is disregarded (each such person, a “Controlling Person”). The Plan Assets Regulation defines the term “publicly-offered security” as a security that is “widely-held,” “freely transferrable” and either part of a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act or sold pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act if the securities are registered under the Exchange Act within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year of the issuer during which the public offering occurred. A security is considered “widely held” only if it is part of a class of securities that is owned by 100 or more investors independent of the issuer and of one another. A security will not fail to be “widely held” because the number of independent investors falls below 100 subsequent to the initial public offering as a result of events beyond the issuer’s control. The Plan Assets Regulation provides that whether a security is “freely transferable” is a factual question to be determined on the basis of all relevant facts and circumstances. It is noted that the Plan Assets Regulation only establishes a presumption in favor of the finding of free transferability where the applicable investment minimum is $10,000 or less and the restrictions are consistent with the particular types of restrictions listed in the Plan Assets Regulation. With respect to the question of free transferability, it is noted that, while the minimum initial investment in Class I shares is $1,000,000, the minimum is waived or reduced to $25,000 or less for a substantial portion of the eligible purchasers of Class I shares. (However, certain unaffiliated financial intermediaries may be permitted to impose higher or lower investment minimums for purchases made through their platforms. Investors should consult their financial intermediary for more information). See “Plan of Distribution.” Plans and their fiduciaries considering the purchase of Class I shares should consult with their own advisers if they have any questions regarding the foregoing.

If the assets of the Fund were deemed to be “plan assets” under the Plan Assets Regulation, the obligations and other responsibilities of Plan sponsors, Plan fiduciaries and Plan administrators, and of parties in interest and disqualified persons, under Parts 1 and 4 of Subtitle B of Title I of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code, as applicable, may be expanded, and there may be an increase in their liability under these and other provisions of ERISA and the Code (except to the extent (if any) that a favorable statutory or

 

152


administrative exemption or exception applies); in addition, various providers of fiduciary or other services to the entity, and any other parties with authority or control with respect to the entity, could be deemed to be Plan fiduciaries or otherwise parties in interest or disqualified persons by virtue of their provision of such services (and there could be an improper delegation of authority to such providers). Among other consequences, if the assets of the Fund were deemed to be “plan assets,” this could result, among other things, in (i) the application of the prudence and other fiduciary responsibility standards of ERISA to investments made by the Fund, and (ii) the possibility that certain transactions in which the Fund might seek to engage could constitute “prohibited transactions” under ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code. If a prohibited transaction occurs for which no exemption is available, the Adviser and/or any other fiduciary that has engaged in the prohibited transaction could be required to (i) restore to the Plan any profit realized on the transaction and (ii) reimburse the Benefit Plan Investor for any losses suffered by the Benefit Plan Investor as a result of the investment. In addition, each disqualified person (within the meaning of Section 4975 of the Code) involved could be subject to an excise tax equal to 15% of the amount involved in the prohibited transaction for each year the transaction continues and, unless the transaction is corrected within statutorily required periods, to an additional tax of 100%. Fiduciaries of Benefit Plan Investors who decide to invest in the Fund could, under certain circumstances, be liable for prohibited transactions or other violations as a result of their investment in the Fund or as co-fiduciaries for actions taken by or on behalf of the Fund or the Adviser. With respect to an IRA that invests in the Fund, the occurrence of a prohibited transaction involving the individual who established the IRA, or his or her beneficiaries, would cause the IRA to lose its tax-exempt status.

Accordingly, for so long as we believe that any class of our Common Shares are not considered “publicly-offered securities” within the meaning of the Plan Assets Regulation, the Fund will endeavor to limit investment such that Benefit Plan Investors, in the aggregate, hold less than 25% of the value of each class of Common Shares (disregarding equity interests held by Controlling Persons), based on assurances received from investors as determined in accordance with the Plan Assets Regulation. In this respect, in order to avoid the possibility that our assets could be treated as “plan assets,” within the meaning of the Plan Assets Regulation, until such time as each class of our Common Shares constitutes “publicly-offered securities” within the meaning of the Plan Assets Regulation (i) we may require any person proposing to acquire Common Shares to furnish information regarding its status as a Benefit Plan Investor or a Controlling Person and (ii) we will have the power to take any actions deemed reasonably necessary to prevent the assets of the Fund from being considered “plan assets,” which actions may include (a) excluding any shareholder or potential shareholder from purchasing any class of Common Shares; (b) prohibiting or restricting any redemption of any class of Common Shares; and (c) redeeming some or all Common Shares held by any holder if, and to the extent that, our Board determines that there is a substantial likelihood that such holder’s purchase, ownership or redemption of Common Shares would result in our assets to be characterized as plan assets, for purposes of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code. After such time as our Common Shares constitute “publicly-offered securities” under the Plan Assets Regulation, the assets of the Fund would not be considered to be plan assets, as discussed above.

CUSTODIAN, TRANSFER AND DISTRIBUTION PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR

Our securities are held under a custody agreement by State Street Bank and Trust Company. The address of the custodian is 1 Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02111. Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company LLC will act as our transfer agent, distribution paying agent and registrar. The principal business address of our transfer agent is 245 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.

BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES

Since we will generally acquire and dispose of our investments in privately negotiated transactions, we will infrequently use brokers in the normal course of our business. Subject to policies established by our Board, if any, our Adviser will be primarily responsible for the execution of any publicly-traded securities portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage commissions. Our Adviser does not expect to execute transactions through any particular broker or dealer but will seek to obtain the best net results for us, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of order, difficulty of execution, and operational facilities of the firm and the firm’s risk and skill in positioning blocks of securities. While our Adviser generally will seek reasonably competitive trade execution costs, we will not necessarily pay the lowest spread or commission available. Subject to applicable legal requirements, our Adviser may select a broker based partly upon brokerage or research services provided to it and us and any other clients. In return for such services, we may pay a higher commission than other brokers would charge if our Adviser determines in good faith that such commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided.

EXPERTS

The financial statements of Fidelity Private Credit Fund as of September 30, 2022 and for the period from March 23, 2022 through September 30, 2022, included in this Prospectus, have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report. Such financial statements are included in reliance upon the report of such firm given their authority as experts in auditing and accounting.

 

153


LEGAL MATTERS

Dechert LLP, located at 1095 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036, acts as counsel to the Fund.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form N-2, together with all amendments and related exhibits, under the Securities Act, with respect to the Common Shares offered by this prospectus. The registration statement contains additional information about us and the Common Shares being offered by this prospectus.

We are required to file with or submit to the SEC annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information meeting the informational requirements of the Exchange Act. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information filed electronically by us with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of these reports, proxy and information statements and other information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

 

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PRIVACY NOTICE

Rev. 06/2022

 

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INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Fidelity Private Credit Fund

 

     Page  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     F-2  

Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of September 30, 2022

     F-3  

Statement of Operations for the period March  23, 2022 (inception) through September 30, 2022

     F-4  

Notes to Financial Statements

     F-5  

 

F-1


Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Shareholder and the Board of Trustees of Fidelity Private Credit Fund

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Fidelity Private Credit Fund (the “Fund”), as of September 30, 2022, the related statement of operations for the period from March 23, 2022 (inception) through September 30, 2022, and the related notes. In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of September 30, 2022, and the results of its operations for the period from March 23, 2022 (inception) through September 30, 2022, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

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 audit. 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 audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB and in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. 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 its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audit 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 audit 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 audit 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 audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

Boston, Massachusetts

October 27, 2022

We have served as the Fund’s auditor since 2022.

 

F-2


Fidelity Private Credit Fund

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

 

     As of
September 30, 2022
 

Assets

  

Cash

   $ 2,000  

Deferred Offering Costs

     797,414  
  

 

 

 

Total Assets

   $ 799,414  

Liabilities

  

Accrued Expenses and other Payables

   $ 797,414  
  

 

 

 

Total Liabilities

   $ 797,414  
  

 

 

 

Commitments and Contingencies (Note 5)

  

Net Assets

  
Class S Common Shares, par value $0.01 per share, unlimited shares authorized, 0 shares issued and outstanding    $ —    
Class D Common Shares, par value $0.01 per share, unlimited shares authorized, 0 shares issued and outstanding      —    
Class I Common Shares, par value $0.01 per share, unlimited shares authorized, 80 shares issued and outstanding      1  

Paid-in-capital in excess of par value

     1,999  
  

 

 

 

Total Net Assets

   $ 2,000  
  

 

 

 

Net Asset Value per share of issued shares:

  

Class I Common Shares:

   $ 25.00  

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements

 

F-3


Fidelity Private Credit Fund

Statement of Operations

 

     For the period March 23, 2022
(inception) through September 30,
2022
 

Expenses

  

Organization expenses

   $ 205,510  

Board of Trustees’ Fees

     57,250  

Professional fees

     235,173  
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

   $ 497,933  

Reimbursable expenses paid by the Adviser

   $ (497,933
  

 

 

 

Net expenses

     —    
  

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

   $ —    
  

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements

 

F-4


Fidelity Private Credit Fund

Notes to Financial Statements

Note 1: Organization

Fidelity Private Credit Fund (the “Fund”) is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company formed as a Delaware statutory trust on March 23, 2022. The Fund intends to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and also intends to elect to be treated for federal income tax purposes, and intends to qualify annually thereafter, as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) as defined under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The Fund is externally managed by Fidelity Diversifying Solutions LLC (“FDS” or the “Adviser”), which is registered as an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and an affiliate of FMR LLC and its subsidiaries. As of September 30, 2022, the Fund had not commenced operations.

The Fund’s investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in directly originated loans to private companies but also with liquid credit investments, like broadly syndicated loans, and other select private credit investments. The Fund will generally seek to invest in loans that carry variable (i.e., “floating”) interest rates. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its total assets in private credit investments. Specific private investments may include: (a) directly originated first lien loans, senior secured revolving lines of credit, term loans and delayed draw term loans, (b) directly originated second lien, last out senior, secured or unsecured mezzanine term loans and delayed draw term loans, (c) club deals (investments generally comprised from a small group of lenders), and broadly syndicated leveraged loans (investments generally arranged or underwritten by investment banks or other intermediaries), and (d) other debt (collectively referred to as “Private Credit”). The Adviser may also invest to a lesser degree in equity linked instruments (may include debt with warrants, preferred equity investments, or equity co-investments). The Adviser may lead and structure the transaction as sole-lender, as the agent of a club credit facility (a group of similar direct lenders that invest in the same tranches), or may participate as a non-agent investor in a large club or syndicated transactions. In order to provide liquidity for share repurchases, the Fund intends to maintain an allocation to syndicated loans and other liquid investments.

The Fund will invest at least 70% of its total assets in investments that meet regulatory requirements of the BDC structure, which will generally include investments in companies that are private and may be backed by a Sponsor but may also include investments in small capitalization public companies or companies that are backed by a non-private equity sponsor ownership group. The majority of the Fund’s investments will be loans targeted at private U.S. operating companies whose securities are not listed on a national securities exchange or registered under the Exchange Act, and public U.S. operating companies having a market capitalization of less than $250,000,000. The Fund may also invest to a lesser degree in non-U.S. companies.

On September 16, 2022, an affiliate of the Adviser purchased 80 shares of the Fund’s Class I common shares of beneficial interest at $25.00 per share.

Note 2: Significant Accounting Policies

The following is a summary of the significant accounting and reporting policies used in preparing the financial statements.

Basis of Presentation

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). The Fund intends to be considered an investment company under U.S. GAAP and will follow the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies in the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 946 and pursuant to Regulation S-X. The Fund’s first fiscal period will end on December 31, 2022.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. Actual amounts may ultimately differ from those estimates and the differences could be material.

Cash

Cash consists of a demand deposit held with a financial institution. Cash is carried at cost which approximates fair value.

 

F-5


Organization and Offering Expenses

Organization expenses include, among other things, the cost of incorporating the Fund and the cost of legal services and other fees pertaining to the Fund’s organization. These costs are expensed as incurred. For the period from March 23, 2022 (inception) through September 30, 2022, the Fund incurred organization expenses of $205,510, which were paid on behalf of the Fund by the Adviser and have been recorded as an expense on the statement of operations.

The Fund’s offering expenses include, among other things, legal fees, registration fees and other costs pertaining to the preparation of the Fund’s registration statement (and any amendments or supplements thereto) relating to the offering and associated marketing materials. For the period from March 23, 2022 (inception) through September 30, 2022, the Fund incurred offering expenses of $797,414, which were paid on behalf of the Fund by the Adviser. Offering expenses are recorded as deferred offering costs on the statement of assets and liabilities and then will be subsequently amortized to expense on the Fund’s statement of operations over 12 months from the commencement of operations.

The reimbursement of Adviser-paid organization and offering expenses is conditional, as of September 30, 2022, on the Fund breaking escrow relating to the anticipated public offering of its common shares (the “Offering”) and the Adviser requesting reimbursement of organization expenses paid pursuant to the Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement.

Income Taxes

The Fund intends to elect to be treated as a RIC under the Code as soon as reasonably practicable. So long as the Fund maintains its status as a RIC, it generally will not pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes at least annually to its shareholders as dividends. Rather, any tax liability related to income earned and distributed by the Fund would represent obligations of the Fund’s investors and would not be reflected in the financial statements of the Fund.

The Fund evaluates tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing its financial statements to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” to be sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions not deemed to meet the “more-likely-than-not” threshold are reserved and recorded as a tax benefit or expense in the current year. All penalties and interest associated with income taxes are included in income tax expense. Conclusions regarding tax positions are subject to review and may be adjusted at a later date based on factors including, but not limited to, on-going analyses of tax laws, regulations and interpretations thereof.

To qualify for and maintain qualification as a RIC, the Fund must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements. In addition, to qualify for RIC tax treatment, the Fund must distribute to its shareholders, for each taxable year, at least 90% of its “investment company taxable income” for that year, which is generally its ordinary income plus the excess, if any, of its realized net short-term capital gains over its realized net long-term capital losses.

In addition, based on the excise tax distribution requirements, the Fund will be subject to a 4% nondeductible federal excise tax on undistributed income unless the Fund distributes in a timely manner in each taxable year an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of capital gain net income (both long-term and short-term) for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year and (3) any income realized, but not distributed, in prior years. For this purpose, however, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by the Fund that is subject to corporate income tax is considered to have been distributed.

Note 3: Related Party Agreements and Transactions

Investment Advisory Agreement

The Fund has entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”) with the Adviser, pursuant to which the Adviser will manage the Fund on a day-to-day basis. The Adviser is responsible for determining the composition of the Fund’s portfolio, making investment decisions, monitoring the Fund’s investments, performing due diligence on prospective portfolio companies, exercising voting rights in respect of portfolio securities, obtaining and managing financing facilities and other forms of leverage and providing the Fund with such other investment advisory and related services as the Fund may, from time to time, reasonably require for the investment of capital.

The Fund will pay the Adviser a fee for its services under the Advisory Agreement consisting of two components, a management fee and an incentive fee. The cost of both the management fee and the incentive fee will ultimately be borne by the shareholders.

 

F-6


Management Fee

The management fee is payable monthly in arrears at an annual rate of 1.25% of the value of the Fund’s net assets as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the applicable month. For purposes of the Advisory Agreement, net assets mean the Fund’s total assets less liabilities determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP. For the first calendar month in which the Fund has operations, net assets will be measured as the beginning net assets as of the date on which the Fund breaks escrow.

The Adviser has agreed to waive all management fees for the first six months following the date on which the Fund breaks escrow.

Incentive Fees

The incentive fee will consist of two components that are independent of each other, with the result that one component may be payable even if the other is not. A portion of the incentive fee is based on a percentage of the Fund’s income and a portion is based on a percentage of the Fund’s capital gains, each as described below.

Incentive Fee based on Income

The incentive fee based on the Fund’s income is based on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns attributable to each class of the Fund’s Common Shares. “Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns” means dividends, cash interest or other distributions or other cash income and any third-party fees received from portfolio companies such as upfront fees, commitment fees, origination fee, amendment fees, ticking fees and break-up fees, as well as prepayments premiums, but excluding fees for providing managerial assistance and fees earned by the Adviser or an affiliate accrued during the month, minus operating expenses for the month (including the management fee, taxes, any expenses payable under the Advisory Agreement and an administration agreement with the Fund’s administrator, any expense of securitizations, and interest expense or other financing fees and any dividends paid on preferred stock, but excluding the incentive fee and shareholder servicing and /or distribution fees). Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns includes, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as original issue discount, debt instruments with payment-in-kind (“PIK”) interest and zero-coupon securities), accrued income that the Fund has not yet received in cash. Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns do not include any realized capital gains, realized capital losses or unrealized capital appreciation or depreciation. The impact of expense support payments and recoupments are also excluded from Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns.

Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns, expressed as a rate of return on the value of the Fund’s net assets at the end of the immediately preceding quarter, is compared to a “hurdle rate” of return of 1.25% per quarter (5.00% annualized).

The Fund will pay the Adviser an income based incentive fee with respect to the Fund’s Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns in each calendar quarter as follows:

 

   

No incentive fee based on Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns in any calendar quarter in which the Fund’s Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns attributable to the applicable share class do not exceed the hurdle rate of 1.25% per quarter (5.00% annualized);

 

   

100% of the dollar amount of the Fund’s Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns with respect to that portion of such Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns attributable to the applicable share class, if any, that exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than a rate of return of 1.43% (5.72% annualized). This portion of the Fund’s Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns (which exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than 1.43%) is referred to as the “catch-up.” The “catch-up” is meant to provide the Adviser with approximately 12.5% of the Fund’s Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns as if a hurdle rate did not apply if this net investment income exceeds 1.43% in any calendar quarter; and

 

   

12.5% of the dollar amount of the Fund’s Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns attributable to the applicable share class, if any, that exceed a rate of return of 1.43% (5.72% annualized). This reflects that once the hurdle rate is reached and the catch-up is achieved, 12.5% of all Pre-Incentive Fee Net Investment Income Returns thereafter are allocated to the Adviser.

These calculations are pro-rated for any period of less than three months and adjusted for any share issuances or repurchases during the relevant quarter. The Adviser has agreed to waive the incentive fee based on income for the first six months following the date on which the Fund breaks escrow.

 

F-7


Incentive Fee based on Capital Gains

The second component of the incentive fee, the capital gains incentive fee, is payable at the end of each calendar year in arrears. The amount payable equals 12.5% of cumulative realized capital gains attributable to the applicable share class from inception through the end of such calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid incentive fee on capital gains as calculated in accordance with GAAP.

Administration Agreement

The Fund has entered into an Administration Agreement (the “Administration Agreement”) with FDS (the “Administrator”). Under the terms of the Administration Agreement, the Administrator provides, or oversees the performance of, administrative and compliance services necessary for the fund operations, including, but not limited to, maintaining financial records, overseeing the calculation of net asset value (“NAV”), compliance monitoring (including diligence and oversight of the Fund’s other service providers), preparing reports to shareholders and reports filed with the SEC and other regulators, preparing materials and coordinating meetings of the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”), managing the payment of expenses, the payment and receipt of funds for investments and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered by others and providing office space, equipment and office services. In consideration of the administrative services provided by the Administrator to the Fund, the Fund will pay the Administrator a monthly fee of 0.02666% (0.32% on an annualized basis) of the Fund’s month-end NAV and reimburse the Administrator for the costs and expenses of the Fund incurred by the Administrator. The Administration Fee is an expense paid out of the Fund’s net assets and is computed based on the value of the net assets of the Fund as of the close of business on the last business day of each month (including any assets in respect of Shares that are repurchased as of the end of the quarter).

From time to time, FDS, in its capacity as both the Adviser and the Administrator or its affiliates may pay third-party providers of goods or services. Unless such expenses are specifically assumed by the Adviser, Administrator or its affiliates under the Advisory Agreement or Administration Agreement, the Fund will reimburse the Adviser, the Administrator or such affiliates thereof for any such amounts paid on the Fund’s behalf. From time to time, the Adviser or the Administrator may defer or waive fees and/or rights to be reimbursed for expenses.

Costs and expenses of FDS in its capacity as both the Administrator and the Adviser that are eligible for reimbursement by the Fund will be reasonably allocated to the Fund on the basis of time spent, assets under management, usage rates, proportionate holdings, a combination thereof or other reasonable methods determined by the Administrator.

Certain Terms of the Advisory Agreement and Administration Agreement

Each of the Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement has been approved by the Board. Unless earlier terminated as described below, each of the Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement will remain in effect for a period of two years from the date it first becomes effective and will remain in effect from year-to-year thereafter if approved annually by a majority of the Board or by the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities and, in each case, a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Fund may terminate the Advisory Agreement upon 60 days’ written notice, and the Administration Agreement upon 120 days’ written notice, without payment of any penalty. The decision to terminate either agreement may be made by a majority of the Board or the shareholders holding a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities, which means the lesser of (1) 67% or more of the voting securities present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy, or (2) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities. In addition, without payment of any penalty, the Adviser may terminate the Advisory Agreement upon 120 days’ written notice and the Administrator may terminate the Administration Agreement upon 120 days’ written notice. The Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate within the meaning of the 1940 Act and related SEC guidance and interpretations in the event of its assignment.

Managing Dealer Agreement

The Fund has entered into a Managing Dealer Agreement (the “Managing Dealer Agreement”) with Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (the “Managing Dealer”). Under the terms of the Managing Dealer Agreement, the Managing Dealer will serve as the managing dealer for the Offering. The Managing Dealer will be entitled to receive shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees monthly in arrears at a contractual rate of 0.85% per annum of the aggregate value of the Fund’s net assets attributable to Class S shares as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month. The Managing Dealer will be entitled to receive shareholder servicing fees monthly in arrears at a contractual rate of 0.25% per annum of the aggregate value of the Fund’s net assets attributable to Class D shares as of the beginning of the first calendar day of the month. No shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees will be paid with respect to Class I. The shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees will be paid monthly in arrears. The shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees will be payable to the Managing Dealer, but the Managing Dealer will reallow (pay) all or a portion of the shareholder servicing fees to participating brokers and servicing brokers for ongoing shareholder services performed by such brokers and will waive shareholder servicing fees to the extent a broker is not eligible to receive it for failure to provide such services.

 

F-8


The Managing Dealer will cease receiving the distribution and/or shareholder servicing fee on Class S shares and Class D shares upon the earlier to occur of the following: (i) a listing of Class I shares, (ii) the merger or consolidation of the Fund with or into another entity, or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Fund’s assets, or (iii) the date following the completion of the primary portion of the Offering on which, in the aggregate, underwriting compensation from all sources in connection with such Offering is equal to ten percent (10%) of the gross proceeds from our primary shares sold in such Offering, as determined in good faith by the Managing Dealer in its sole discretion.

In addition, at the end of the month in which the Managing Dealer in conjunction with the transfer agent determines that total transaction or other fees, including upfront placement fees or brokerage commissions, and shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees paid with respect to any single share held in a shareholder’s account would exceed, in the aggregate, 10% of the gross proceeds from the sale of such share (or a lower limit as determined by the Managing Dealer or the applicable broker), the Managing Dealer shall cease receiving the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fee on either (i) each such share that would exceed such limit or (ii) all Shares in such shareholder’s account, in the Managing Dealer’s discretion. At the end of such month, the applicable Distribution Shares in such shareholder’s account will convert into a number of Class I shares (including any fractional shares), with an equivalent aggregate NAV.

The Managing Dealer is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

The Managing Dealer Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the Fund’s trustees who are not “interested persons,” as defined in the 1940 Act, of the Fund and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Fund’s distribution plan or the Managing Dealer Agreement or by vote a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, on not more than 60 days’ written notice to the Managing Dealer or the Adviser. This Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment, as defined in the 1940 Act.

Either party may terminate the Managing Dealer Agreement upon 60 days’ written notice to the other party or immediately upon notice to the other party in the event such other party failed to comply with a material provision of the Managing Dealer Agreement. Obligations under the Managing Dealer Agreement to pay the shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees with respect to the Class S and Class D shares distributed in this offering as described therein shall survive termination of the agreement until such shares are no longer outstanding (including such shares that have been converted into Class I shares, as described above).

Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement

The Fund has entered into an Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement (the “Expense Support Agreement”) with the Adviser. Pursuant to the Expense Support Agreement for the first 12 months commencing on the date of the Expense Support Agreement, the Adviser is obligated to advance all of the Fund’s Other Operating Expenses (as defined below) to the effect that such expenses do not exceed 0.70% (on an annualized basis) of the Fund’s NAV (referred to as a “Required Expense Payment”). Any Required Expense Payment must be paid by the Adviser to the Fund in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds and/or offset against amounts due from the Fund to the Adviser or its affiliates. “Other Operating Expenses” means the Fund’s organization and offering expenses, professional fees (including accounting, legal, and auditing fees), custodian and transfer agent fees, third party valuation agent fees, insurance costs, trustee fees, Administration Fees, and other general and administrative expenses.

Upon the termination of Adviser’s obligation to make Required Expense Payments, the Adviser may elect to pay, at such times as the Adviser determines, certain expenses on the Fund’s behalf, provided that no portion of the payment will be used to pay any interest expense or distribution and/or shareholder servicing fees of the Fund (referred to as “Voluntary Expense Payment” and together with a Required Expense Payment, the “Expense Payments”). Any Voluntary Expense Payment that the Adviser has committed to pay must be paid by the Adviser to the Fund in any combination of cash or other immediately available funds no later than 45 days after such commitment was made in writing, and/or offset against amounts due from the Fund to the Adviser or its affiliates.

Following any calendar month in which Available Operating Funds (as defined below) exceed the cumulative distributions accrued to the Fund’s shareholders based on distributions declared with respect to record dates occurring in such calendar month (the amount of such excess being hereinafter referred to as “Excess Operating Funds”), the Fund shall pay such Excess Operating Funds, or a portion thereof, to the Adviser until such time as all Expense Payments made by the Adviser to the Fund within 3 years prior to the last business day of such calendar month have been reimbursed. Any payments required to be made by the Fund shall be referred to herein as a “Reimbursement Payment.”

 

F-9


“Available Operating Funds” means the sum of (i) the Fund’s net investment company taxable income (including net short-term capital gains reduced by net long-term capital losses), (ii) the Fund’s net capital gains (including the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) and (iii) dividends and other distributions paid to the Fund on account of investments in portfolio companies (to the extent such amounts listed in clause (iii) are not included under clauses (i) and (ii) above).

No Reimbursement Payment for any month shall be made if: (1) the Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share declared by the Fund at the time of such Reimbursement Payment is less than the Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share at the time the Expense Payment was made to which such Reimbursement Payment relates, (2) the Fund’s Operating Expense Ratio at the time of such Reimbursement Payment is greater than the Operating Expense Ratio at the time the Expense Payment was made to which such Reimbursement Payment relate, or (3) the Fund’s Other Operating Expenses at the time of such Reimbursement Payment exceeds 0.70% of the Fund’s NAV. “Effective Rate of Distributions Per Share” means the annualized rate (based on a 365-day year) of regular cash distributions per share exclusive of returns of capital, distribution rate reductions due to distribution and shareholder servicing fees, and declared special dividends or special distributions, if any. The “Operating Expense Ratio” is calculated by dividing Operating Expenses, less organizational and offering expenses, management and incentive fees owed to the Adviser, shareholder servicing and/or distribution fees, and interest expense, by the Fund’s net assets. “Operating Expenses” means all of the Fund’s operating costs and expenses incurred, as determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for investment companies.

The Fund’s obligation to make a Reimbursement Payment shall automatically become a liability of the Fund on the last business day of the applicable calendar month, except to the extent the Adviser has waived its right to receive such payment for the applicable month.

Note 4: Share Repurchase Program

Beginning no later than the first full calendar quarter from the date on which the Fund breaks escrow for this offering, and at the discretion of the Fund’s Board, the Fund intends to commence a share repurchase program in which the Fund intends to repurchase, in each quarter, up to 5% of the Fund’s Common Shares outstanding (by number of shares) as of the close of the previous calendar quarter. The Board may amend, suspend or terminate the share repurchase program if it deems such action to be in the Fund’s best interest and the best interest of the Fund’s shareholders. As a result, share repurchases may not be available each quarter.

The Fund expects to repurchase shares pursuant to tender offers each quarter using a purchase price equal to the NAV per share as of the last calendar day of the applicable quarter, except that shares that have not been outstanding for at least one year will be repurchased at 98% of such NAV (an “Early Repurchase Deduction”). The one-year holding period is measured as of the subscription closing date immediately following the prospective repurchase date. The Early Repurchase Deduction may be waived, at the Fund’s discretion, in the case of repurchase requests arising from the death, divorce or qualified disability of the holder. The Early Repurchase Deduction will be retained by the Fund for the benefit of remaining shareholders.

The Fund intends to conduct the repurchase offers in accordance with the requirements of Rule 13e-4 promulgated under the Exchange Act and the 1940 Act. All shares purchased by the Fund pursuant to the terms of each tender offer will be retired and thereafter will be authorized and unissued shares.

Note 5: Commitments and Contingencies

In the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts that provide a variety of general indemnifications. Any exposure to the Fund under these arrangements could involve future claims that may be made against the Fund. Currently, no such claims exist or are expected to arise and, accordingly, the Fund has not accrued any liability in connection with such indemnifications.

The Adviser and/or its affiliates have agreed to advance all of the Fund’s organization and offering expenses on the Fund’s behalf through the date on which the Fund breaks escrow for the offering. Pursuant to the Expense Support Agreement, for the 12-month period commencing from the date of the Expense Support Agreement the Adviser is obligated to advance all of the Fund’s Other Operating Expenses to the effect that such expenses do not exceed 0.70% (on an annualized basis) of the Fund’s NAV. The Fund will be obligated to reimburse the Adviser and/or its affiliates, as applicable, for such advanced expenses only if certain conditions are met. The total organization expenses, professional fees and Board of Trustees fees incurred as of September 30, 2022 was $497,933, of which all had been advanced by the Adviser. The total offering expenses incurred as of September 30, 2022 was $797,414, of which all had been advanced by the Adviser.

 

F-10


Warehouse Investments

Beginning September 6, 2022, the Fund entered into multiple Purchase Agreements with Macquarie Bank Limited and certain of its affiliates (the “Financing Provider”). Under the Purchase Agreements, the Fund has contingent forward obligations to settle the purchase of certain investments (the “Warehouse Investments”) from the Financing Provider, who is obligated to sell such investments subject to the following conditions: (a) that the Fund has received subscriptions of at least $100 million; and (b) that the Board has approved the launch of the Fund and the purchase of the Warehouse Investments (collectively, the “Warehousing Conditions”). The Warehouse Investments primarily consist of newly originated, privately negotiated senior secured term loans to middle market companies consistent with the Fund’s investment strategy. As of September 30, 2022, the Fund had $9,952,949 of contingent forward obligations to settle the purchase of Warehouse Investments.

Beginning September 6, 2022, the Fund’s contingent forward obligations to the Financing Provider under the purchase agreements were guaranteed by an affiliate of the Adviser and as of September 30, 2022, the amount guaranteed was $9,952,949.

Note 6: Net Assets

In connection with its formation, the Fund has the authority to issue an unlimited number of common shares of beneficial interest at $0.01 per share par value. On September 16, 2022, an affiliate of the Adviser purchased 80 shares of the Fund’s Class I common shares of beneficial interest at $25.00 per share.

The Fund intends to offer on a continuous basis up to $1,000,000,000 of common shares of beneficial interest. The Fund expects to offer to sell any combination of three classes of common shares, Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares, with a dollar value up to the maximum offering amount. The share classes have different ongoing distribution and/or shareholder servicing fees. Until the release of proceeds from escrow, the per share purchase price for common shares in the primary offering will be $25.00 per share. Thereafter, the purchase price per share for each class of common shares will equal the NAV per share as of the effective date of the monthly share purchase date.

The Fund will accept purchase orders and hold investors’ funds in an interest-bearing escrow account until the Fund receives purchase orders for at least $100,000,000, in any combination of purchases of Class S shares, Class D shares and Class I shares, and the Fund’s Board has authorized the release of funds in the escrow account.

Note 7: Subsequent Events

In preparation of these financial statements, management has evaluated the events and transactions subsequent to September 30, 2022, through the date when the financial statements were issued, and determined that there are no subsequent events or transactions that would require adjustments to or disclosures in the Fund’s financial statements.

 

F-11


Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

   1

 

APPENDIX A: FORM OF SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENTS

 

Subscription Agreement – FI     

 

 
    1     Your Investment
 

       Investment Amount $                                        

           Share Class (Must select one)

 

    ☐ Class S       ☐ Class D       ☐ Class I
     
     $2,500 minimum initial investment      $2,500 minimum initial investment  

   $25,000 minimum initial investment

   for qualifying investors (otherwise

   $1,000,000 minimum initial

   investment).15

 

 
    2     Form of Ownership
 

 

  Individual / Joint Accounts    Retirement Accounts    Entity Accounts
  ☐ Individual    ☐ IRA    ☐ Trust
     ☐ Joint Tenant with Rights of Survivorship    ☐ Roth IRA    ☐ C Corporation
  ☐ Tenants in Common    ☐ SEP IRA    ☐ S Corporation
  ☐ Community Property    ☐ Rollover IRA    ☐ Partnership
  ☐ Uniform Gift / Transfer to Minors    ☐ Inherited IRA    ☐ Limited Liability Corporation
  ☐ State:                                                              ☐ Other:                                
  Brokerage Account Number:    Custodian Account Number:    Brokerage Account Number:
 

                                                                            

  

 

  

 

The Fund maintains two subscription agreements: One for investors subscribing through the Managing Dealer platform and one for investors subscribing through the Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC platform. Please consult your financial intermediary for information on the subscription agreement applicable to you.

 

 

15 

The Managing Dealer waives or reduces to $25,000 or less Class I investment minimums for purchases: (1) through fee-based programs, also known as wrap accounts, sponsored by participating brokers or other intermediaries that provide access to Class I shares, (2) through participating brokers that have alternative fee arrangements with their clients to provide access to Class I shares, (3) through transaction/brokerage platforms at participating brokers, (4) by our executive officers and Trustees and their immediate family members, as well as officers and employees of the Adviser or other affiliates and their immediate family members, and, if approved by our Board, joint venture partners, consultants and other service providers, and (5) by other categories of investors that we name in an amendment or supplement to the prospectus. The foregoing categories of investors who are granted waivers or reductions by the Managing Dealer from the Class I investment minimums include investors described in the foregoing who make purchases for eligible retirement plans and IRAs. Waivers and reductions are subject to the terms and conditions of agreements that the Managing Dealer enters into with participating intermediaries, as applicable.

 

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Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

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    3     Custodian Information
 

 

          If applicable, please provide the following information: 16

          Custodian Name:                                                                       

          Custodian Tax ID:                                                                     

 Custodian’s W9 Form

 Please print, sign, and scan this page if applicable.

 See Appendix A for supplemental documents requirements by investor type.

 

   
     
 

X

          
          
 

Custodian Signature / Stamp

 
 

 

16

This section is applicable to investors that are investing through a third-party intermediary.

 

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Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

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    4     Investor Information
 

The information provided in this section must be compliant with IRS Form W-9 and related instructions (see www.irs.gov for instructions). Legal addresses must include a residential street address (P.O. boxes will not be accepted).

 

1.

Primary Account Holder / Minor (if Uniform Gift / Transfer to Minors Account) / Trustee / Authorized Signatory

 

  Name (first, middle, last)                                                                                                                                                                           
  Social Security Number                                                                     Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy)                                                        
  Legal Street Address                                                                  City                                      State                         Zip                     
  Mailing Street Address                                                               City                                      State                         Zip                     
  Email Address                                                                                               Phone Number                                                             

Please indicate if you are a:

 

☐ U.S. Citizen

  

☐ Resident Alien

  

☐ Non-Resident Alien

  

Country of Citizenship if non-U.S. Citizen                                      (A completed applicable Form W-8 is required for subscription)

Please specify if you are a Fidelity employee/officer/director/trustee/affiliate (required):

 

☐ Fidelity Employee    ☐ Fidelity or Fidelity Fund Officer or Directors/Trustees
☐ Immediate Family Member of Fidelity Officer or Directors/Trustees    ☐ Fidelity Affiliate    ☐ Not Applicable

 

2.

Joint Account Holder / Custodian (if Uniform Gift / Transfer to Minors Account) / Co-Trustee / Authorized Signatory

 

  Name (first, middle, last)                                                                                                                                                                           
  Social Security Number                                                                     Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy)                                                        
  Legal Street Address                                                                  City                                      State                         Zip                     
  Mailing Street Address                                                               City                                      State                         Zip                     
  Email Address                                                                                               Phone Number                                                             

Please indicate if you are a:

 

☐ U.S. Citizen

  

☐ Resident Alien

  

☐ Non-Resident Alien

  

Country of Citizenship if non-U.S. Citizen                                      (A completed applicable Form W-8 is required for subscription)

Please specify if you are a Fidelity employee/officer/director/trustee/affiliate (required):

 

☐ Fidelity Employee    ☐ Fidelity or Fidelity Fund Officer or Directors/Trustees
☐ Immediate Family Member of Fidelity Officer or Directors/Trustees    ☐ Fidelity Affiliate    ☐ Not Applicable

 

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Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

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3.

Joint Account Holder / Co-Trustee / Authorized Signatory

 

  Name (first, middle, last)                                                                                                                                                                           
  Social Security Number                                                                     Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy)                                                        
  Legal Street Address                                                                  City                                      State                         Zip                     
  Mailing Street Address                                                               City                                      State                         Zip                     
  Email Address                                                                                               Phone Number                                                             

Please indicate if you are a:

 

☐ U.S. Citizen

  

☐ Resident Alien

  

☐ Non-Resident Alien

  

Country of Citizenship if non-U.S. Citizen                                      (A completed applicable Form W-8 is required for subscription)

Please specify if you are a Fidelity employee/officer/director/trustee/affiliate (required):

 

☐ Fidelity Employee    ☐ Fidelity or Fidelity Fund Officer or Directors/Trustees
☐ Immediate Family Member of Fidelity Officer or Directors/Trustees    ☐ Fidelity Affiliate    ☐ Not Applicable

Entity Information (only required for entity account types)

 

  Entity Name                                                                                                                                                                                                
  Tax ID Number                                                                                   Date of Formation (mm/dd/yyyy)                                               
  Legal Street Address                                                                                          City                              State                   Zip               
  Country of Domicile (Form W-8 required for non-U.S.)                                                                                                                          
 

Email Address                                                                                                                                                                                            

  Exemptions per Form W-9 (see Form W-9 instructions at www.irs.gov)                                                                                                
  Exemptions for FATCA Reporting Code (if any)                                                                                                                                    

Please indicate if you are a:

 

☐ Pension Plan    ☐ Profit Sharing Plan    Not-for-Profit Organization   

 

 
     5    Transfer on Death Beneficiary Information (Optional for Individual / Joint Accounts)
 

Please designate the beneficiary information for your account. If completed, all information is required. Secondary beneficiary information may only include whole percentages and must total 100%. (Not available for Louisiana residents).

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

   ☐ Primary
  First Name    MI        Last Name    SSN                    Date of Birth        ☐ Secondary %
 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

   ☐ Primary
  First Name    MI    Last Name    SSN    Date of Birth    ☐ Secondary %
 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

   ☐ Primary
  First Name    MI    Last Name    SSN    Date of Birth    ☐ Secondary %

 

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Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

  

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    6     ERISA Plan Assets Regulation
 

Are you a “benefit plan investor”17 within the meaning of the Plan Assets Regulation18 or will you use the assets of a “benefit plan investor” to invest in Fidelity Private Credit Fund?

☐  Yes    ☐  No

 

 
    7     Distribution Instructions
 

You are automatically enrolled in our Distribution Reinvestment Plan, unless you are a resident of ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, IDAHO, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, NEBRASKA, NEW JERSEY, NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO, OREGON, VERMONT, or WASHINGTON.

 

 

I want to opt out of the Distribution Reinvestment Plan. Note: if you elect to opt out of the DRIP plan, your distributions will go back into the account you selected in which to hold this investment.

 

 

I want to enroll in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan. Note: if you do not elect to enroll in the DRIP plan, your distributions will go back into the account you selected in which to hold this investment.

If you are NOT a resident of the states listed above, you are automatically enrolled in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan.

 

Direct Deposit to third party financial institution (complete section below)

 

I authorize Fidelity Private Credit Fund or its agent to deposit my distribution into my checking or savings account. This authority will remain in force until I notify Fidelity Private Credit Fund in writing to cancel it. In the event that Fidelity Private Credit Fund deposits funds erroneously into my account, they are authorized to debit my account for an amount not to exceed the amount of the erroneous deposit.

 

Name of Financial Institution                                                                                                                                                                

 

Mailing Address                                               City                                  State                                  Zip Code                                 

 

ABA Routing Number                                                                                                                                                                             

 

Account Number                                                                                                                                                                                     

 

 

 
    8     Investment Funding Method
 

 

☐   By Wire: Please wire funds according to the instructions below.

     

 

17 

The term “benefit plan investor” includes, for example: (i) an “employee benefit plan” as defined in section 3(3) of the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), that is subject to Title I of ERISA (such as employee welfare benefit plans (generally, plans that provide for health, medical or other welfare benefits) and employee pension benefit plans (generally, plans that provide for retirement or pension income)); (ii) “plans” described in section 4975(e)(1) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), that is subject to section 4975 of the Code (including, for example, an “individual retirement account”, an “individual retirement annuity”, a “Keogh” plan, a pension plan, an Archer MSA described in section 220(d) of the Code, a Coverdell education savings account described in section 530 of the Code and a health savings account described in section 223(d) of the Code) and (iii) an entity that is, or whose assets would be deemed to constitute the assets of, one or more “employee benefit plans” or “plans” (such as for example, a master trust or a plan assets fund) under ERISA or the Plan Assets Regulation.

18 

“Plan Assets Regulation” means the regulations issued by the United States Department of Labor at Section 2510.3-101 of Part 2510 of Chapter XXV, Title 29 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA, as the same may be amended from time to time.

 

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Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

  

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    9     Electronic Delivery Consent
 

Instead of receiving paper copies of the prospectus, prospectus supplements, annual reports, proxy statements, and other shareholder communications and reports, you may elect to receive electronic delivery of shareholder communications from Fidelity Private Credit Fund. If you would like to consent to electronic delivery, including pursuant to email, please check the box below.

By consenting below to electronically receive shareholder communications, including your account-specific information, you authorize said offering(s) to either (i) email shareholder communications to you directly or (ii) make them available on our website and notify you by email when and where such documents are available. You will not receive paper copies of these electronic materials unless specifically requested, the delivery of electronic materials is prohibited or we, in our sole discretion, elect to send paper copies of the materials.

By consenting to electronic access, you will be responsible for certain costs, such as your customary internet service provider charges, and may be required to download software in connection with access to these materials. You understand this electronic delivery program may be changed or discontinued and that the terms of this agreement may be amended at any time. You understand that there are possible risks associated with electronic delivery such as emails not transmitting, links failing to function properly and system failure of online service providers, and that there is no warranty or guarantee given concerning the transmissions of email, the availability of the website, or information on it, other than as required by law.

Please check this box, if applicable.

 

 
    10     Subscriber Representations and Signatures
 

Fidelity Private Credit Fund is required by law to obtain, verify and record certain personal information from you or persons on your behalf in order to establish the account. Required information includes name, date of birth, permanent residential address and social security/taxpayer identification number. We may also ask to see other identifying documents. If you do not provide the information, Fidelity Private Credit Fund may not be able to open your account. By signing the Subscription Agreement, you agree to provide this information and confirm that this information is true and correct. If we are unable to verify your identity, or that of another person(s) authorized to act on your behalf, or if we believe we have identified potentially criminal activity, we reserve the right to take action as we deem appropriate which may include closing your account.

Please separately initial each of the representations below. Except in the case of fiduciary accounts, you may not grant any person a power of attorney to make the representations on your behalf.

In order to induce Fidelity Private Credit Fund to accept this subscription, I (we) hereby represent and warrant as follows (Each account holder must initial representations 1 – 8, to the extent applicable):

 

      

Primary

Investor

 

   


 

 

 

   

 

Co-

Investor

 

 

 

 

   


 

 

 

   

 

Co-

Investor

 

 

 

 

 
1.    I (we) have received the prospectus (as amended or supplemented) for Fidelity Private Credit Fund at least five business days prior to the date hereof.                            
                                                          
                
                
2.    I (we) have (A) a minimum net worth (not including home, home furnishings and personal automobiles) of at least $250,000, or (B) a minimum net worth (as previously described) of at least $70,000 and a minimum annual gross income of at least $70,000. If I am an entity that was formed for the purpose of purchasing shares, each individual that owns an interest in the entity meets this requirement.19                            
       
             
             
                                                          
                
                
3.   

In addition to the general suitability requirements described above, I/we meet the higher suitability requirements, if any, imposed by my state of primary residence as set forth in the prospectus under “SUITABILITY STANDARDS.” If I am an entity that was formed for the purpose of purchasing shares, each individual that owns an interest in the entity meets this requirement.

                           
       
             
             
                                                          

 

 

19 

In the case of sales to fiduciary accounts, the minimum standards set forth in the prospectus under “SUITABILITY STANDARDS” shall be met by the beneficiary, the fiduciary, account, or, by the donor or grantor, who directly or indirectly supplies the funds to purchase the shares if the donor or grantor is the fiduciary.

 

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Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

  

7     

 

 

                
4.    I acknowledge that there is no public market for the shares, shares of this offering are not liquid and appropriate only as a long-term investment.                    
                                                  
                
                
5.    I am purchasing the shares for my own account, or if I am purchasing shares on behalf of a trust or other entity of which I am a trustee or authorized agent, I have due authority to execute this subscription agreement and do hereby legally bind the trust or other entity of which I am trustee or authorized agent.                    
       
             
                                                  
                
                
6.   

I acknowledge that Fidelity Private Credit Fund may enter into transactions with Fidelity affiliates that involve conflicts of interest as described in the prospectus.

 

                   
                                                  
                
                
7.    I acknowledge that subscriptions must be submitted at least five business days prior to first day of each month and my investment will be executed as of the first day of the applicable month at the NAV per share as of the day preceding day. I acknowledge that I will not know the NAV per share at which my investment will be executed at the time I subscribe and the NAV per share as of the last day of each month will generally be made available on our website within 20 business days of the last day of each month.                    
       
             
             
             
                                                  
                
                
8.    I acknowledge that my subscription request will not be accepted any earlier than five business days before the first calendar day of each month. I acknowledge that I am not committed to purchase shares at the time my subscription order is submitted, and I may cancel my subscription at any time before the time it has been accepted as described in the previous sentence. I understand that I may withdraw my purchase request by notifying the transfer agent or my financial intermediary.                    
       
             
             
             
                                                  
9.    If you live in any of the following states, please read the following carefully and check the appropriate box: Alabama, California, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, and Vermont.              
   If I am an Alabama resident, I have a liquid net worth of at least 10 times my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund and its affiliates.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No              
   If I am a California resident, I may not invest more than 10% of my liquid net worth in Fidelity Private Credit Fund and have either (a) a liquid net worth of $350,000 and annual gross income of $65,000 or (b) a liquid net worth of $500,000.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No              
   If I am an Idaho resident, I have either (a) a liquid net worth of $85,000 and annual gross income of $85,000 or (b) a liquid net worth of $300,000. Additionally, my total investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund shall not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No              
   If I am an Iowa resident, I (i) have either (a) an annual gross income of at least $100,000 and a net worth of at least $100,000, or (b) a net worth of at least $350,000 (net worth should be determined exclusive of home, auto and home furnishings); and (ii) limit my aggregate investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund and in the securities of other non-traded business development companies (“BDCs”) to 10% of my liquid net worth (liquid net worth should be determined as that portion of net worth that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities).    ☐  Yes    ☐  No              
   If I am a Kansas resident, I understand that it is recommended by the Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner that Kansas investors limit their aggregate investment in this offering and other non-traded business development companies to not more than 10% of their liquid net worth. For these purposes, liquid net worth shall be defined as that portion of total net worth (total assets minus total liabilities) that is comprised of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No              
  

If I am a Kentucky resident, my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund or its affiliates may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. “Liquid net worth” is defined as that portion of net worth that is comprised of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             

 

 

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   If I am a Maine resident, I acknowledge that it is recommended by the Maine Office of Securities that my aggregate investment in this offering and similar direct participation investments not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. For this purpose, “liquid net worth” is defined as that portion of net worth that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No              
  

If I am a Massachusetts resident, my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund, non-traded real estate investment trusts, and in other illiquid direct participation programs, may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am a Missouri resident, my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am a Nebraska resident, my aggregate investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund and the securities of other business development companies may not exceed 10% of my net worth. Investors who are accredited investors as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), are not subject to the foregoing investment concentration limit.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If am a New Jersey resident, I have either (a) a minimum liquid net worth of at least $100,000 and a minimum annual gross income of not less than $85,000, or (b) a minimum liquid net worth of $350,000. For these purposes, “liquid net worth” is defined as that portion of net worth (total assets exclusive of home, home furnishings and automobiles, minus total liabilities) that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities. In addition, my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund, its affiliates and other non-publicly-traded direct investment programs (including real estate investment trusts, business development companies, oil and gas programs, equipment leasing programs and commodity pools, but excluding unregistered, federally and state exempt private offerings) may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am a New Mexico resident, I may not invest more than 10% of my liquid net worth in Fidelity Private Credit Fund, its affiliates and in other non-traded business development companies. Liquid net worth is defined as that portion of net worth which consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am a North Dakota resident, I have a net worth of at least ten times my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am an Ohio resident, my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund, its affiliates, and in any other non-traded BDC, may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. “Liquid net worth” is defined as that portion of net worth (total assets exclusive of primary residence, home furnishings and automobiles, minus total liabilities) comprised of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am an Oklahoma resident, my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am an Oregon resident, my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund and its affiliates may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. Liquid net worth is defined as net worth excluding the value of the investor’s home, home furnishings and automobile.

             
  

If I am a Pennsylvania resident, my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am Puerto Rico resident, my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund, its affiliates, and other non-traded business development companies, may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. For these purposes, “liquid net worth” is defined as that portion of net worth (total assets exclusive of primary residence, home furnishings and automobiles minus total liabilities) consisting of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am a Tennessee resident, I have a liquid net worth of at least ten times my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am a Vermont resident and am not an “accredited investor” as defined in 17 C.F.R. § 230.501, my investment in this offering may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. For these purposes, “liquid net worth” is defined as an investor’s total assets (not including home, home furnishings or automobiles) minus total liabilities.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             

 

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Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

  

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If you do not have another broker-dealer or other financial intermediary introducing you to Fidelity Private Credit Fund, then Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (“Managing Dealer”) may be deemed to be acting as your broker-dealer of record in connection with any investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund. For important information in this respect, see Section 11 below.

I declare that the information supplied in this Subscription Agreement is true and correct and may be relied upon by Fidelity Private Credit Fund. I acknowledge that the Broker / Financial Advisor indicated in Section 11 of this Subscription Agreement and its designated clearing agent, if any, will have full access to my account information, including the number of shares I own, tax information (including the Form 1099) and redemption information. Investors may change the Broker / Financial Advisor of record at any time by contacting Fidelity Private Credit Fund Investor Relations at the number indicated below at any time by contacting the transfer agent at alternatives@fmr.com.

Each Account Holder / Trustee / Authorized Signatory must sign below. Please print, sign, and scan this page if applicable. (Custodians must sign in Section 3 on a custodial account)

 

                       
       
    X        X       
   
    Owner or Authorized Person Signature        Date (mm/dd/yyyy)       
       
    X        X       
   
    Co-Investor or Authorized Person Signature        Date (mm/dd/yyyy)       
       
    X        X       
    Co-Investor or Authorized Person Signature          Date (mm/dd/yyyy)       

 

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Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

  

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  11     Broker / Financial Advisor Information and Signature
 

The Financial Advisor must sign below to complete the order. The Financial Advisor hereby warrants that he/she is duly licensed and may lawfully sell shares in the state designated as the investor’s legal residence.

 

Broker           Financial Advisor Name

 

Advisor Mailing Address

 

City           State           Zip Code

 

Financial Advisor Number           Branch Number           Telephone Number

 

Central Registration Depository (CRD) number

     

 

Operations Contact Name           Operations Contact Email Address

Please note that unless previously agreed to in writing by Fidelity Private Credit Fund, all sales of securities must be made through a Broker, including when an RIA has introduced the sale. In all cases, Section 11 must be completed.

The undersigned confirm(s), which confirmation is made on behalf of the Broker with respect to sales of securities made through a Broker, that they (i) have reasonable grounds to believe that the information and representations concerning the investor identified herein are true, correct and complete in all respects; (ii) have discussed such investor’s prospective purchase of shares with such investor; (iii) have advised such investor of all pertinent facts with regard to the lack of liquidity and marketability of the shares; (iv) have delivered or made available a current prospectus and related supplements, if any, to such investor; (v) have reasonable grounds to believe that the investor is purchasing these shares for his or her own account; (vi) have reasonable grounds to believe that the purchase of shares is a suitable investment for such investor, that such investor meets the suitability standards applicable to such investor set forth in the prospectus and related supplements, if any, and that such investor is in a financial position to enable such investor to realize the benefits of such an investment and to suffer any loss that may occur with respect thereto; and (vii) have advised such investor that the shares have not been registered and are not expected to be registered under the laws of any country or jurisdiction outside of the United States except as otherwise described in the prospectus. The undersigned Broker, Financial Advisor or Financial Representative listed in Section 11 further represents and certifies that, in connection with this subscription for shares, he/she has complied with and has followed all applicable policies and procedures of his or her firm relating to, and performed functions required by, federal and state securities laws, rules promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including, but not limited to Rule 151-1 (“Regulation Best Interest”) and FINRA rules and regulations including, but not limited to Know Your Customer, Suitability and PATRIOT Act (Anti Money Laundering, Customer Identification) as required by its relationship with the investor(s) identified on this document.

THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT AND ALL RIGHTS HEREUNDER SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

If you do not have another broker-dealer or other financial intermediary introducing you to Fidelity Private Credit Fund, then the Managing Dealer may be deemed to act as your broker of record in connection with any investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund. If you want to receive financial advice regarding a prospective investment in the shares, contact your broker-dealer or other financial intermediary.

Please print, sign, and scan this page if applicable.

 

    

       
   
 

  X

            
 

  Financial Advisor /Representative Signature

 

            

  Date (mm/dd/yyyy)

 

 

 

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Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

  

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  12     Other Important Information
 

If investors participating in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan or making subsequent purchases of shares of Fidelity Private Credit Fund experience a material adverse change in their financial condition or can no longer make the representations or warranties set forth in Section 10 above, they are asked to promptly notify Fidelity Private Credit Fund and the Broker in writing. The Broker may notify Fidelity Private Credit Fund if an investor participating in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan can no longer make the representations or warranties set forth in Section 10 above, and Fidelity Private Credit Fund may rely on such notification to terminate such investor’s participation in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan.

No sale of shares may be completed until at least five business days after you receive the final prospectus. Subscribers are encouraged to read the prospectus in its entirety for a complete explanation of an investment in the shares of Fidelity Private Credit Fund.

To be accepted, a subscription request must be made with a completed and executed Subscription Agreement in good order and payment of the full purchase price at least five business days prior to the first calendar day of the month (unless waived). All items on the Subscription Agreement, other than those marked optional, must be completed in order for your Subscription Agreement to be processed. You will receive a written confirmation of your purchase.

The Fund and the Managing Dealer will direct any dealers to, upon receipt of any and all wires received from prospective purchasers of shares, transmit same together with a copy of this executed Subscription Agreement or copy of the signature page of such agreement, stating among other things, the name of the purchaser, current address, and the amount of the investment to alternatives@fmr.com (a) by the end of the next business day following receipt where internal supervisory review is conducted at the same location at which subscription documents and checks are received, or (b) by the end of the second business day following receipt where internal supervisory review is conducted at a different location than which subscription documents and checks are received.

Return the completed Subscription Agreement to: alternatives@fmr.com

 

  Appendix A | Supporting Document Requirements

 

 

☐    Please provide the following supporting documentation based on your account type.

 

  Individual       If a non-U.S. person, Form W-8BEN
  Joint (including JTWROS, Tenants in Common, Community Property)       For each non-U.S. Person account holder, Form W-8BEN
  IRA (including ROTH, SEP, Rollover, Inherited)       None
  Trust   

 

  

Certificate of Trust or Declaration of Trust

 

Appropriate W-8 series form

(see https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-8)

  Corporation (including C Corp., S Corp., LLC)   

 

 

 

  

Formation documents

 

Articles of incorporations

 

Authorized signatory list

 

Appropriate W-8 series form

(see https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-8)

  Partnership   

 

 

  

Formation documents

 

Authorized signatory list

 

Appropriate W-8 series form

(see https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-8)

 

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Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

   2

 

Subscription Agreement – PI     

 

 
    1     Your Investment
 

       Investment Amount $                                         

           Share Class (Must select one)

 

    ☐ Class I
 
     $25,000 minimum initial investment

 

 
    2     Form of Ownership
 

 

  Individual / Joint Accounts    Retirement Accounts    Entity Accounts
  ☐ Individual    ☐ IRA    ☐ Trust
     ☐ Joint Tenant with Rights of Survivorship    ☐ Roth IRA    ☐ C Corporation
  ☐ Tenants in Common    ☐ SEP IRA    ☐ S Corporation
  ☐ Community Property    ☐ Rollover IRA    ☐ Partnership
  ☐ Uniform Gift / Transfer to Minors    ☐ Inherited IRA    ☐ Limited Liability Corporation
  ☐ State:                                                              ☐ Other:                                
  Brokerage Account Number:    Custodian Account Number:    Brokerage Account Number:
 

                                                                            

  

 

  

 

The Fund maintains two subscription agreements: One for investors subscribing through the Managing Dealer platform and one for investors subscribing through the Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC platform. Please consult your financial intermediary for information on the subscription agreement applicable to you.

 

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Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

   3

 

 
    3     Investor Information
 

The information provided in this section must be compliant with IRS Form W-9 and related instructions (see www.irs.gov for instructions). Legal addresses must include a residential street address (P.O. boxes will not be accepted).

 

1.

Primary Account Holder / Minor (if Uniform Gift / Transfer to Minors Account) / Trustee / Authorized Signatory

 

  Name (first, middle, last)                                                                                                                                                                           
  Social Security Number                                                                     Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy)                                                        
  Legal Street Address                                                                  City                                      State                         Zip                     
  Mailing Street Address                                                               City                                      State                         Zip                     
  Email Address                                                                                               Phone Number                                                             

Please indicate if you are a:

 

☐ U.S. Citizen

  

☐ Resident Alien

  

☐ Non-Resident Alien

  

Country of Citizenship if non-U.S. Citizen                                      (A completed applicable Form W-8 is required for subscription)

Please specify if you are a Fidelity employee/officer/director/trustee/affiliate (required):

 

☐ Fidelity Employee    ☐ Fidelity or Fidelity Fund Officer or Directors/Trustees
☐ Immediate Family Member of Fidelity Officer or Directors/Trustees    ☐ Fidelity Affiliate    ☐ Not Applicable

 

2.

Joint Account Holder / Custodian (if Uniform Gift / Transfer to Minors Account) / Co-Trustee / Authorized Signatory

 

  Name (first, middle, last)                                                                                                                                                                           
  Social Security Number                                                                     Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy)                                                        
  Legal Street Address                                                                  City                                      State                         Zip                     
  Mailing Street Address                                                               City                                      State                         Zip                     
  Email Address                                                                                               Phone Number                                                             

Please indicate if you are a:

 

☐ U.S. Citizen

  

☐ Resident Alien

  

☐ Non-Resident Alien

  

Country of Citizenship if non-U.S. Citizen                                      (A completed applicable Form W-8 is required for subscription)

Please specify if you are a Fidelity employee/officer/director/trustee/affiliate (required):

 

☐ Fidelity Employee    ☐ Fidelity or Fidelity Fund Officer or Directors/Trustees
☐ Immediate Family Member of Fidelity Officer or Directors/Trustees    ☐ Fidelity Affiliate    ☐ Not Applicable

 

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Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

   4

 

3.

Joint Account Holder / Co-Trustee / Authorized Signatory

 

  Name (first, middle, last)                                                                                                                                                                           
  Social Security Number                                                                     Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy)                                                        
  Legal Street Address                                                                  City                                      State                         Zip                     
  Mailing Street Address                                                               City                                      State                         Zip                     
  Email Address                                                                                               Phone Number                                                             

Please indicate if you are a:

 

☐ U.S. Citizen

  

☐ Resident Alien

  

☐ Non-Resident Alien

  

Country of Citizenship if non-U.S. Citizen                                      (A completed applicable Form W-8 is required for subscription)

Please specify if you are a Fidelity employee/officer/director/trustee/affiliate (required):

 

☐ Fidelity Employee    ☐ Fidelity or Fidelity Fund Officer or Directors/Trustees
☐ Immediate Family Member of Fidelity Officer or Directors/Trustees    ☐ Fidelity Affiliate    ☐ Not Applicable

Entity Information (only required for entity account types)

 

  Entity Name                                                                                                                                                                                                
  Tax ID Number                                                                                   Date of Formation (mm/dd/yyyy)                                               
  Legal Street Address                                                                                          City                              State                   Zip               
  Country of Domicile (Form W-8 required for non-U.S.)                                                                                                                          
 

Email Address                                                                                                                                                                                            

  Exemptions per Form W-9 (see Form W-9 instructions at www.irs.gov)                                                                                                
  Exemptions for FATCA Reporting Code (if any)                                                                                                                                    

Please indicate if you are a:

 

☐ Pension Plan    ☐ Profit Sharing Plan    Not-for-Profit Organization   

 

 
    4     Transfer on Death Beneficiary Information (Optional for Individual / Joint Accounts)
 

Please designate the beneficiary information for your account. If completed, all information is required. Secondary beneficiary information may only include whole percentages and must total 100%. (Not available for Louisiana residents).

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

   ☐ Primary
  First Name    MI        Last Name    SSN                    Date of Birth        ☐ Secondary %
 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

   ☐ Primary
  First Name    MI    Last Name    SSN    Date of Birth    ☐ Secondary %
 

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

   ☐ Primary
  First Name    MI    Last Name    SSN    Date of Birth    ☐ Secondary %

 

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Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

   5

 

 
    5     ERISA Plan Assets Regulation
 

Are you a “benefit plan investor”20 within the meaning of the Plan Assets Regulation21 or will you use the assets of a “benefit plan investor” to invest in Fidelity Private Credit Fund?

☐  Yes    ☐  No

 

 
    6     Distribution Instructions
 

You are automatically enrolled in our Distribution Reinvestment Plan, unless you are a resident of ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, IDAHO, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, NEBRASKA, NEW JERSEY, NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO, OREGON, VERMONT, or WASHINGTON.

If you are a resident of Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont or Washington, you have the option to enroll in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan.

 

 

I want to opt out of the Distribution Reinvestment Plan. Note: if you elect to opt out of the DRIP plan, your distributions will go back into the account you selected in which to hold this investment.

 

 

I want to enroll in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan. Note: if you do not elect to enroll in the DRIP plan, your distributions will go back into the account you selected in which to hold this investment.

If you are NOT a resident of the states listed above, you are automatically enrolled in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan.

 

 
    7     Electronic Delivery Consent
 

Instead of receiving paper copies of the prospectus, prospectus supplements, annual reports, proxy statements, and other shareholder communications and reports, you may elect to receive electronic delivery of shareholder communications from Fidelity Private Credit Fund. If you would like to consent to electronic delivery, including pursuant to email, please check the box below.

By consenting below to electronically receive shareholder communications, including your account-specific information, you authorize said offering(s) to either (i) email shareholder communications to you directly or (ii) make them available on our website and notify you by email when and where such documents are available. You will not receive paper copies of these electronic materials unless specifically requested, the delivery of electronic materials is prohibited or we, in our sole discretion, elect to send paper copies of the materials.

By consenting to electronic access, you will be responsible for certain costs, such as your customary internet service provider charges, and may be required to download software in connection with access to these materials. You understand this electronic delivery program may be changed or discontinued and that the terms of this agreement may be amended at any time. You understand that there are possible risks associated with electronic delivery such as emails not transmitting, links failing to function properly and system failure of online service providers, and that there is no warranty or guarantee given concerning the transmissions of email, the availability of the website, or information on it, other than as required by law.

☐  Please check this box, if applicable.

 

 

 

20 

The term “benefit plan investor” includes, for example: (i) an “employee benefit plan” as defined in section 3(3) of the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), that is subject to Title I of ERISA (such as employee welfare benefit plans (generally, plans that provide for health, medical or other welfare benefits) and employee pension benefit plans (generally, plans that provide for retirement or pension income)); (ii) “plans” described in section 4975(e)(1) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), that is subject to section 4975 of the Code (including, for example, an “individual retirement account”, an “individual retirement annuity”, a “Keogh” plan, a pension plan, an Archer MSA described in section 220(d) of the Code, a Coverdell education savings account described in section 530 of the Code and a health savings account described in section 223(d) of the Code) and (iii) an entity that is, or whose assets would be deemed to constitute the assets of, one or more “employee benefit plans” or “plans” (such as for example, a master trust or a plan assets fund) under ERISA or the Plan Assets Regulation.

21 

“Plan Assets Regulation” means the regulations issued by the United States Department of Labor at Section 2510.3-101 of Part 2510 of Chapter XXV, Title 29 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA, as the same may be amended from time to time.

 

A-5


Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

   6

 

 
    8     Subscriber Representations and Signatures
 

Fidelity Private Credit Fund is required by law to obtain, verify and record certain personal information from you or persons on your behalf in order to establish the account. Required information includes name, date of birth, permanent residential address and social security/taxpayer identification number. We may also ask to see other identifying documents. If you do not provide the information, Fidelity Private Credit Fund may not be able to open your account. By signing the Subscription Agreement, you agree to provide this information and confirm that this information is true and correct. If we are unable to verify your identity, or that of another person(s) authorized to act on your behalf, or if we believe we have identified potentially criminal activity, we reserve the right to take action as we deem appropriate which may include closing your account.

Please separately initial each of the representations below. Except in the case of fiduciary accounts, you may not grant any person a power of attorney to make the representations on your behalf.

In order to induce Fidelity Private Credit Fund to accept this subscription, I (we) hereby represent and warrant as follows (Each account holder must initial representations 1 – 8, to the extent applicable):

 

      

Primary

Investor

 

   


 

 

 

   

 

Co-

Investor

 

 

 

 

   


 

 

 

   

 

Co-

Investor

 

 

 

 

 
                                                          
1.    I (we) have received the prospectus (as amended or supplemented) for Fidelity Private Credit Fund at least five business days prior to the date hereof.                            
                                                          
                
                
2.    I (we) have (A) a minimum net worth (not including home, home furnishings and personal automobiles) of at least $250,000, or (B) a minimum net worth (as previously described) of at least $70,000 and a minimum annual gross income of at least $70,000. If I am an entity that was formed for the purpose of purchasing shares, each individual that owns an interest in the entity meets this requirement.22                            
       
             
             
                                                          
                
                
3.   

In addition to the general suitability requirements described above, I/we meet the higher suitability requirements, if any, imposed by my state of primary residence as set forth in the prospectus under “SUITABILITY STANDARDS.” If I am an entity that was formed for the purpose of purchasing shares, each individual that owns an interest in the entity meets this requirement.

                           
       
             
             
                                                          
                
4.    I acknowledge that there is no public market for the shares, shares of this offering are not liquid and appropriate only as a long-term investment.                            
                                                          
                
                
5.    I am purchasing the shares for my own account, or if I am purchasing shares on behalf of a trust or other entity of which I am a trustee or authorized agent, I have due authority to execute this subscription agreement and do hereby legally bind the trust or other entity of which I am trustee or authorized agent.                            
       
             
                                                          
                
                
6.   

I acknowledge that Fidelity Private Credit Fund may enter into transactions with Fidelity affiliates that involve conflicts of interest as described in the prospectus.

 

                           
                                                          
                
                
7.    I acknowledge that subscriptions must be submitted at least five business days prior to first day of each month and my investment will be executed as of the first day of the applicable month at the NAV per share as of the day preceding day. I acknowledge that I will not know the NAV per share at which my investment will be executed at the time I subscribe and the NAV per share as of the last day of each month will generally be made available on our website within 20 business days of the last day of each month.                            
       
             
             
             

 

  

 

22 

In the case of sales to fiduciary accounts, the minimum standards set forth in the prospectus under “SUITABILITY STANDARDS” shall be met by the beneficiary, the fiduciary, account, or, by the donor or grantor, who directly or indirectly supplies the funds to purchase the shares if the donor or grantor is the fiduciary.

 

A-6


Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

   7

 

                
8.    I acknowledge that my subscription request will not be accepted any earlier than five business days before the first calendar day of each month. I acknowledge that I am not committed to purchase shares at the time my subscription order is submitted, and I may cancel my subscription at any time before the time it has been accepted as described in the previous sentence. I understand that I may withdraw my purchase request by notifying the transfer agent or my financial intermediary.                    
       
             
             
             
                                                  
9.    If you live in any of the following states, please read the following carefully and check the appropriate box: Alabama, California, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, and Vermont.              
   If I am an Alabama resident, I have a liquid net worth of at least 10 times my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund and its affiliates.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No              
   If I am a California resident, I may not invest more than 10% of my liquid net worth in Fidelity Private Credit Fund and have either (a) a liquid net worth of $350,000 and annual gross income of $65,000 or (b) a liquid net worth of $500,000.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No              
   If I am an Idaho resident, I have either (a) a liquid net worth of $85,000 and annual gross income of $85,000 or (b) a liquid net worth of $300,000. Additionally, my total investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund shall not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No              
   If I am an Iowa resident, I (i) have either (a) an annual gross income of at least $100,000 and a net worth of at least $100,000, or (b) a net worth of at least $350,000 (net worth should be determined exclusive of home, auto and home furnishings); and (ii) limit my aggregate investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund and in the securities of other non-traded business development companies (“BDCs”) to 10% of my liquid net worth (liquid net worth should be determined as that portion of net worth that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities).    ☐  Yes    ☐  No              
   If I am a Kansas resident, I understand that it is recommended by the Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner that Kansas investors limit their aggregate investment in this offering and other non-traded business development companies to not more than 10% of their liquid net worth. For these purposes, liquid net worth shall be defined as that portion of total net worth (total assets minus total liabilities) that is comprised of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No              
   If I am a Kentucky resident, my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund or its affiliates may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. “Liquid net worth” is defined as that portion of net worth that is comprised of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No              
       If I am a Maine resident, I acknowledge that it is recommended by the Maine Office of Securities that my aggregate investment in this offering and similar direct participation investments not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. For this purpose, “liquid net worth” is defined as that portion of net worth that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No              
  

If I am a Massachusetts resident, my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund, non-traded real estate investment trusts, and in other illiquid direct participation programs, may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am a Missouri resident, my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am a Nebraska resident, my aggregate investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund and the securities of other business development companies may not exceed 10% of my net worth. Investors who are accredited investors as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), are not subject to the foregoing investment concentration limit.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             

 

A-7


Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

   8

 

      

If am a New Jersey resident, I have either (a) a minimum liquid net worth of $100,000 and a minimum annual gross income of $85,000, or (b) a minimum liquid net worth of $350,000. For these purposes, “liquid net worth” is defined as that portion of net worth (total assets exclusive of home, home furnishings and automobiles, minus total liabilities) that consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities. In addition, my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund, its affiliates and other non-publicly-traded direct investment programs (including real estate investment trusts, business development companies, oil and gas programs, equipment leasing programs and commodity pools, but excluding unregistered, federally and state exempt private offerings) may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am a New Mexico resident, I may not invest more than 10% of my liquid net worth in Fidelity Private Credit Fund, its affiliates and in other non-traded business development companies. Liquid net worth is defined as that portion of net worth which consists of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am a North Dakota resident, I have a net worth of at least ten times my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am an Ohio resident, my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund, its affiliates, and in any other non-traded BDC, may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. “Liquid net worth” is defined as that portion of net worth (total assets exclusive of primary residence, home furnishings and automobiles, minus total liabilities) comprised of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am an Oklahoma resident, my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am an Oregon resident, my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund and its affiliates may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. Liquid net worth is defined as net worth excluding the value of the investor’s home, home furnishings and automobile.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am a Pennsylvania resident, my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am Puerto Rico resident, my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund, its affiliates, and other non-traded business development companies, may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. For these purposes, “liquid net worth” is defined as that portion of net worth (total assets exclusive of primary residence, home furnishings and automobiles minus total liabilities) consisting of cash, cash equivalents and readily marketable securities.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am a Tennessee resident, I have a liquid net worth of at least ten times my investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             
  

If I am a Vermont resident and am not an “accredited investor” as defined in 17 C.F.R. § 230.501, my investment in this offering may not exceed 10% of my liquid net worth. For these purposes, “liquid net worth” is defined as an investor’s total assets (not including home, home furnishings or automobiles) minus total liabilities.    ☐  Yes    ☐  No

             

If you do not have another broker-dealer or other financial intermediary introducing you to Fidelity Private Credit Fund, then Fidelity Distributors Company LLC (“Managing Dealer”) may be deemed to be acting as your broker-dealer of record in connection with any investment in Fidelity Private Credit Fund.

 

 

A-8


Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

   9

 

I declare that the information supplied in this Subscription Agreement is true and correct and may be relied upon by Fidelity Private Credit Fund. Investors may change the Broker / Financial Advisor of record at any time by contacting Fidelity Private Credit Fund Investor Relations at the number indicated below at any time by contacting the transfer agent at alternatives@fmr.com.

Each Account Holder / Trustee / Authorized Signatory must sign below. Please print, sign, and scan this page if applicable.

 

                       
       
    X        X       
   
    Owner or Authorized Person Signature        Date (mm/dd/yyyy)       
       
    X        X       
   
    Co-Investor or Authorized Person Signature        Date (mm/dd/yyyy)       
       
    X        X       
    Co-Investor or Authorized Person Signature          Date (mm/dd/yyyy)       

 

 

A-9


Fidelity Private Credit Fund | Subscription Agreement

 

   10

 

 
  9     Other Important Information
 

If investors participating in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan or making subsequent purchases of shares of Fidelity Private Credit Fund experience a material adverse change in their financial condition or can no longer make the representations or warranties set forth in Section 8 above, they are asked to promptly notify Fidelity Private Credit Fund and the Broker in writing. The Broker may notify Fidelity Private Credit Fund if an investor participating in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan can no longer make the representations or warranties set forth in Section 8 above, and Fidelity Private Credit Fund may rely on such notification to terminate such investor’s participation in the Distribution Reinvestment Plan.

No sale of shares may be completed until at least five business days after you receive the final prospectus. Subscribers are encouraged to read the prospectus in its entirety for a complete explanation of an investment in the shares of Fidelity Private Credit Fund.

To be accepted, a subscription request must be made with a completed and executed Subscription Agreement in good order and payment of the full purchase price at least five business days prior to the first calendar day of the month (unless waived). All items on the Subscription Agreement, other than those marked optional, must be completed in order for your Subscription Agreement to be processed. You will receive a written confirmation of your purchase.

The Fund and the Managing Dealer will direct any dealers to, upon receipt of any and all wires received from prospective purchasers of shares, transmit same together with a copy of this executed Subscription Agreement or copy of the signature page of such agreement, stating among other things, the name of the purchaser, current address, and the amount of the investment to alternatives@fmr.com (a) by the end of the next business day following receipt where internal supervisory review is conducted at the same location at which subscription documents and checks are received, or (b) by the end of the second business day following receipt where internal supervisory review is conducted at a different location than which subscription documents and checks are received.

Return the completed Subscription Agreement to: alternatives@fmr.com

 

  Appendix A | Supporting Document Requirements

 

 

☐    Please provide the following supporting documentation based on your account type.

 

  Individual       If a non-U.S. person, Form W-8BEN
  Joint (including JTWROS, Tenants in Common, Community Property)       For each non-U.S. Person account holder, Form W-8BEN
  IRA (including ROTH, SEP, Rollover, Inherited)       None
  Trust   

 

  

Certificate of Trust or Declaration of Trust

 

Appropriate W-8 series form

(see https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-8)

  Corporation (including C Corp., S Corp., LLC)   

 

 

 

  

Formation documents

 

Articles of incorporations

 

Authorized signatory list

 

Appropriate W-8 series form

(see https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-8)

  Partnership   

 

 

  

Formation documents

 

Authorized signatory list

 

Appropriate W-8 series form

(see https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-8)

 

 

A-10


 

 

Fidelity Private Credit Fund

Maximum Offering of $1,000,000,000 in Common Shares

Minimum Offering of $100,000,000

 

 

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

 

 

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. No intermediary, salesperson or other person is authorized to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus and supplemental literature authorized by Fidelity Private Credit Fund and referred to in this prospectus, and, if given or made, such information and representations must not be relied upon. This prospectus is not an offer to sell nor is it seeking an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. The information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of these securities. You should not assume that the delivery of this prospectus or that any sale made pursuant to this prospectus implies that the information contained in this prospectus will remain fully accurate and correct as of any time subsequent to the date of this prospectus.

[ ] , 2022

 

 

 

 


PART C

Other Information

 

Item 25.

Financial Statements and Exhibits

(1) Financial Statements

The following financial statements of Fidelity Private Credit Fund are included in Part A of this Registration Statement.

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Fidelity Private Credit Fund

 

     Page  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     F-2  

Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of September 30, 2022

     F-3  

Statement of Operations for the period March 23, 2022 (inception) through September 30, 2022

     F-4  

Notes to Financial Statements

     F-5  

(2) Exhibits

 

(a)(1)   Declaration of Trust of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit (a)(1) of the draft registration statement on Form N-2, filed on April 13, 2022)
(a)(2)   Form of Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust of the Registrant*
(b)   Form of Bylaws of the Registrant*
(c)   Not applicable.
(d)(1)   Form of Subscription Agreement (FI) (included in the Prospectus as Appendix A)*
(d)(2)   Form of Subscription Agreement (PI) (included in the Prospectus as Appendix A)*
(e)   Form of Distribution Reinvestment Plan (1)
(f)   Not applicable.
(g)   Form of Advisory Agreement*
(h)(1)   Form of Managing Dealer Agreement (1)
(h)(2)   Form of Selected Intermediary Agreement (1)
(h)(3)   Form of Distribution and Service Plan Class S and Class D Shares (1)
(h)(4)   Form of Distribution and Service Plan Class I Shares (1)
(i)   Not applicable.
(j)   Custodian Agreement, dated January 1, 2007, between State Street Bank and Trust Company and Fidelity Private Credit Fund (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit (g)(4) of Fidelity Advisor Series I’s (File No. 002-84776) Post-Effective Amendment No. 72).
(k)(1)  

Form of Administration Agreement (1)

 

C-1


(k)(2)   Escrow Agreement*
(k)(3)   Form of Multiple Class of Shares Plan (1)
(k)(4)   Form of Expense Support and Conditional Reimbursement Agreement (1)
(k)(5)   Form of Fee Waiver Agreement (1)
(l)   Opinion of Dechert LLP*
(n)   Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm*
(o)   Not applicable.
(p)   Subscription Agreement for Seed Capital*
(q)   Not applicable.
(r)   Code of Ethics of the Fund and the Adviser*
(s)(1)   Power of Attorney (1)
(s)(2)   Calculation of Filing Fee Tables (1)
*   Filed herewith.
**   To be filed by amendment.
(1)   Previously filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-267297), filed on September 9, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 26.

Marketing Arrangements

The information contained under the heading “Plan of Distribution” in this Registration Statement is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 27.

Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

 

SEC registration fee

   $  92,700  

FINRA filing fee

   $  150,500  

Legal

   $  3,298,745  

Printing

   $  150,000  

Accounting

   $  9,500  

Blue Sky Expenses

   $  203,489  

Advertising and sales literature

   $ —    

Due Diligence

   $ 50,000  

Miscellaneous fees and expenses

   $ 2,413,000  

Total

   $ 6,367,934  

 

Item 28.

Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control

Immediately prior to this offering, FMR Capital, Inc., will own 100% of the outstanding common shares of the Registrant. Following the completion of this offering, FMR Capital, Inc.’s share ownership is expected to represent less than 1% of the Registrant’s outstanding common shares. See “Control Persons and Principal Shareholders” in this Prospectus contained herein.

 

C-2


Item 29.

Number Of Holders of Securities

The following table sets forth the number of record holders of the Registrant’s common shares at October 21, 2022.

 

Title of Class

   Number of
Record
Holders
 

Common shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value

     1  

 

Item 30.

Indemnification

The information contained under the heading “Description of our Common Shares,” “Advisory Agreement and Administration Agreement” and “Plan of Distribution—Indemnification” in this Registration Statement is incorporated herein by reference.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to Trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions described above, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a Trustee, officer or controlling person in the successful defense of an action suit or proceeding) is asserted by a Trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is again public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

Prior to breaking escrow, the Registrant expects to obtain liability insurance for the benefit of its Trustees and officers (other than with respect to claims resulting from the willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office) on a claims-made basis.

 

Item 31.

Business and Other Connections of Adviser

A description of any other business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature in which Fidelity Diversifying Solutions LLC (“FDS”), and each managing director, director or executive officer of FDS, is or has been, during the past two fiscal years, engaged in for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee, is set forth in Part A of this Registration Statement in the section entitled “Management of the Fund.” Additional information regarding FDS and its officers and managing member is set forth in its Form ADV, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC File No. 801-122572) and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 32.

Location of Accounts and Records

All accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, and the rules thereunder are maintained at the offices of:

 

(1)

the Registrant;

 

(2)

the Transfer Agent;

 

(3)

the Custodian;

 

(4)

the Adviser; and

 

(5)

the Administrator.

 

Item 33.

Management Services

Not Applicable.

 

C-3


Item 34.

Undertakings

We hereby undertake:

(1) to file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement

(i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

(ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement; and

(iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.

(2) that, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment will be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of those securities at that time will be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;

(3) to remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering;

(4) that, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser, if the Registrant is subject to Rule 430C [17 CFR 230.430C]: Each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430B or other prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use; and

(5) that for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of securities: the undersigned Registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned Registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to the purchaser:

(i) any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act;

(ii) free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned Registrant;

(iii) the portion of any other free writing prospectus or advertisement pursuant to Rule 482 under the Securities Act [17 CFR 230.482] relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned Registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrant; and

(iii) any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned Registrant to the purchaser.

(6) to send by first class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery, within two business days of receipt of a written or oral request, the prospectus.

 

C-4


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the Registrant has caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Boston, State of Massachusetts on the 28th day of October, 2022.

 

FIDELITY PRIVATE CREDIT FUND
By:   /s/ Stephanie Brown

Name:

  Stephanie Brown

Title:

  President and Treasurer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following

persons in the capacity and on the date indicated.

 

Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/ Stephanie Brown

Stephanie Brown

   President and Treasurer   Date: October 28, 2022

/s/ John J. Burke III

John J. Burke III

   Chief Financial Officer   Date: October 28, 2022

/s/ David B. Jones

David B. Jones*

   Trustee and Chairman of the Board   Date: October 28, 2022

/s/ Jennifer M. Birmingham

Jennifer M. Birmingham*

   Trustee   Date: October 28, 2022

/s/ Matthew J. Conti

Matthew J. Conti*

   Trustee   Date: October 28, 2022

/s/ Tara C. Kenney

Tara C. Kenney*

   Trustee   Date: October 28, 2022

 

*By:   /s/ Richard Horowitz

As Agent or Attorney-in-Fact

The original power of attorney authorizing Richard Horowitz to execute the Registration Statement, and any amendments thereto, for the trustees of the Registrant on whose behalf this Registration Statement is filed have been executed and filed as an Exhibit hereto.