How can we help you?

General questions

What will happen to any Crowdfunding investments held by a customer who has died?

Triodos Crowdfunding investments may be transferred to a new investment holder, who will need to open a Crowdfunding account if they do not already have one. It is sometimes possible to redeem the investments (have them paid out) instead of transferring them. This is ultimately at the discretion of the directors of the company that issued the investment. You can indicate on the Bereavement Notification Form(PDF) whether you would like the investments to be transferred or redeemed. If you select the option to transfer, we will provide the new investment holder with a Stock Transfer Form to complete so they can transfer the investments (and any cash in the Crowdfunding ‘wallet’) to their name. If you select the option to redeem, we will contact the issuing company to request this. Once we have received a response, we will let you know if the redemption is possible or if the investments must be transferred.

Why do I need to wait 24 hours after opening an account before I can make an investment?

If you have just opened a new account on the platform you will need to wait 24 hours before you can provide us with investment instructions. This regulatory requirement provides an opportunity for new investors to familiarise themselves with the information that can be found on our website regarding the risks of investing. During this time you will also be able to read the offer documents for any of the open investments you are interested in.

Once these 24 hours have elapsed you will be able to provide us with your investment instructions, provided that you have completed your full registration on the platform.

How can I provide Triodos Bank with money to invest in a crowdfunding offer?

You can make your payment by electronic bank transfer.

We will send you the account details, and your unique reference number to use as a reference, when you make an investment pledge. The funds must be transferred within 10 working days of your application, be sent from a UK bank account held in your name and match the bank details you provided on your application.

What are “Other investments” in your portfolio?

Other investments are investments that have been made on through the platform where we are not the registrar of the offer.

This means that we will display details of your original investment, however records of capital repayments and interest payments made to these investments will not be recorded on the platform. For details of the registrar and where to find any relevant information, please refer to the Updates tab in the investment details.

What are the risks of investing?

As with any investment, investing in crowdfunding investments through Triodos does involve risk. But what are some the key risks involved?

You could lose all the money you invest - If the business you are investing in fails, there is a high risk that you will lose your money. Most start-up and early-stage businesses fail.
You are unlikely to get your money back quickly - Even if the business you invest in is successful, it will likely take several years to get your money back.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket - Putting all your money into a single business or type of investment for example, is risky. Spreading your money across different investments makes you less dependent on any one to do well.
The value of your investment can be reduced - If your investment is shares, the percentage of the business that you own will decrease if the business issues more shares. This could mean that the value of your investment reduces, depending on how much the business grows. Most start-up businesses issue multiple rounds of shares.
You are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong - Protection from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), in relation to claims against failed regulated firms, does not cover poor investment performance. Try the FSCS investment protection checker here.

You can find our more information about the key risks involved on the Triodos Crowdfunding risks page.

Who can invest?

UK residents aged 18 or over who categorise themselves as either a ‘High Net Worth Investor’ or a ’Self-Certified Sophisticated Investor’ or who can confirm that they will invest less than 10% of their net assets in this type of investment as a ‘Restricted Investor’ (all of these as defined by the FCA's Conduct of Business Sourcebook at Chapters 4.7.9 and Chapter 4.7.10).

Prospective investors must also demonstrate that they understand the general risks of the investments on this platform. Organisations and institutions can also invest provided they can categorise themselves and demonstrate the same knowledge as above. You must not attempt to register online and you must not participate in any investment offers via our platform if you do not meet these criteria.

What fees does Triodos Bank charge?

We do not charge fees to investors. We charge a fee to the organisation that is raising the capital. Details of these fees are outlined in the offer document.

What if I invest and then change my mind?

You have 14 days from when you apply for an investment to reconsider. This is referred to as a ‘cooling off’ period and during this time you can notify us that you wish to cancel, without any need to explain and without incurring any cost. We will simply return your money to the bank account from which the funds were paid or to the debit card which was used for payment.

When will I start to earn interest?

You will start to earn interest on your investment when the bonds are issued, not from the point at which you made the investment. There is usually a minimum amount that must be raised for the bond issue to go ahead. This minimum raise will be indicated in the 'key terms' on the offer page and in the offer document. Bonds will be issued 14 days after the closing date to allow for the cooling off period to elapse.

Do I need to have online banking to make investments?

No. When it comes to pay for an investment, you are presented with two choices: you can pay by bank transfer or pay using money held in your electronic wallet, if your account is in credit.

The bank transfer is made through your own bank and does not have to be made online. You can take the bank transfer instructions and your unique reference number to your local bank branch and ask them to make the transfer or - if you use telephone banking - you can instruct the bank transfer by phone with your bank.

I am already a Triodos Bank customer. Do I need to register again?

Yes, even if you are a savings or current account customer and use our internet banking you need to register again. This platform is a separate platform offering investments and requires its own registration and password.

How do I cancel an investment pledge?

If you need to cancel an investment pledge for any reason, please send us a message. If you've been timed out and aren't sure whether you've made an investment pledge, please log in to your account and check under 'Account' and then 'Portfolio' to see your investment pledges.

Where is my money held before it is invested or when cash returns are received?

Your money will be held in a client money account before it is invested or when interest or dividend payments or capital repayments are received. Barclays Bank plc is the client money provider we have selected to hold your client money. We undertake a review of our client money provider every year.

If the bank holding your client money fails, you may have a claim under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) for up to £85,000. For further information about the FSCS (including amounts covered and eligibility to claim) please see the FSCS website at www.fca.org.uk or telephone the FSCS on 0800 678 1100.

What due diligence does Triodos perform on the organisations it raises finance for?

We perform thorough due diligence (in some cases over many months) on the clients we raise finance for. This includes – but is not limited to – the following:

• Know your customer checks – ensuring that the company, key members of the management team and its board are who they say they are.

• Financial due diligence – reviewing past financial statements and management accounts to analyse the historic financial performance of the company.

• Financial forecasts – ensuring that the company has prepared a robust financial model based on realistic underlying market, operating and financial assumptions and sensitivity analysis.

• Assessing the financial viability of the organisation using reasonable underlying assumptions over the term of the bond to ensure capital and interest payments can be met in a base case scenario.

• Management team and governance – meetings with the management team and board of directors or trustees, reviewing whether their governance structure appears appropriate for the organisation.

• Mission and impact – understanding the mission and ethos of the organisation to ensure that genuine social or environmental impact is created through its activities.

Triodos Bank does not provide financial advice to savers and investors. It is your responsibility to decide whether to invest or not, including carrying out relevant background research.

IFISA questions

What is the Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA)?

The IFISA is a type of ISA that allows you to receive the interest you earn on eligible crowdfunded investments tax-free.

Which investments available on the platform will be IFISA eligible?

Only certain bond offers will be eligible. Share offers are not eligible for the IFISA. Bond offers that are eligible will be clearly marked on the crowdfunding platform and in the offer document and you will be given the option of investing either directly into the bond or through the IFISA when you apply.

What is the ISA allowance?

The ISA allowance is the maximum amount you can invest across all types of ISAs in any one tax year. You can put your whole allowance into a particular type of ISA or you can split it between the different types of ISAs: Cash, Stocks & Shares, Lifetime and Innovative Finance.

The ISA allowance for the 2023/24 tax year is £20,000.

Who can open a Triodos Innovative Finance ISA?

You can open a Triodos Innovative Finance ISA if you are resident in the UK for tax purposes and are over 18 years of age.

Can I have more than one type of ISA?

Yes, you can have an Innovative Finance ISA as well as a Cash, Stocks & Shares and Lifetime ISA.

Can I transfer my Cash ISA or Stocks and Shares ISA to an Innovative Finance ISA?

Yes, you can transfer other types of ISAs to an Innovative Finance ISA provided you are transferring cash and not investments. If you hold a Stocks & Shares ISA and you wish to transfer it, your current provider will sell any investments you hold and transfer the cash proceeds.

Some ISA providers may not offer a partial transfer and there may be charges or costs, such as manager’s charges or lost interest so you should enquire with your current ISA manager.

If you want to transfer into a Triodos Bank IFISA, you first need to register as a user and complete your investor registration. You can then request a transfer by going to the 'Account' button and selecting 'ISA' and then 'New transfer'. Follow the steps to complete the details of the transfer on screen. A transfer authority form will then be automatically populated which you can print, sign and return to us and we will request the transfer from your existing provider. It usually takes between 15 and 30 days to transfer your ISA, depending on the type of ISA being transferred. This is worth bearing in mind if you would like to invest in a specific offer.

Can I use my previous years’ ISA subscriptions, as well as my current year’s ISA allowance, when investing through the IFISA?

Yes, you can transfer previous years’ ISA subscriptions as well as your current year’s ISA. This can either be money that has been subscribed in the current tax year or the previous tax year, or a mixture of both. If you transfer ISA money that was subscribed during the current tax year then you must transfer all of it. If you transfer money that was subscribed in a previous tax year then you can transfer either all of it or just some of it.

Can I have more than one Innovative Finance ISA?

No, you can only have one Innovative Finance ISA for each tax year. So, if you open an IFISA for 2022/23 and put in some of your £20,000 allowance, you cannot subscribe new money to an IFISA with another provider in that tax year unless you transfer or close your current IFISA.

Your IFISA can hold more than one investment however. Your Triodos IFISA can hold any eligible investment promoted on the Triodos Bank crowdfunding platform.

Can I transfer my Triodos Bank Cash ISA or Stocks and Shares ISA to a Triodos Innovative Finance ISA?

Yes. The transfer process would be the same as if you were transferring your Cash ISA or Stocks & Shares ISA from any another provider. See the answer to the transfer question above.

Can I transfer bonds promoted by Triodos Bank that I previously invested in, into an IFISA?

No. The only investments that can be held in the Triodos IFISA are new, eligible bond offers that are available on the Triodos Bank crowdfunding platform.

Can my IFISA hold more than one investment?

Yes absolutely. Your Triodos Innovative Finance ISA can hold any eligible investment promoted on the Triodos crowdfunding platform. At present only debt securities are eligible to be held in the IFISA.

How do I upload my Transfer History Form?

Please upload your signed Transfer History Form from your computer to the crowdfunding platform by following the steps below:

From the homepage (https://www.triodoscrowdfunding.co.uk) click the green Log in button in the top-right of the screen and sign into your account.
Once signed in, select Account --> ISA --> Your transfer requests from the top-left navigation menu.
On the ISA Transfer in requests screen, upload your Transfer Authority Form by clicking the Click here to upload the transfer form label. In the upload form that appears, you will be able to upload and submit your authority form.

Once we have received the completed form, we will contact your current ISA provider to arrange the transfer of your funds and will email you to confirm when the transfer has been completed.

If you need any assistance, please send us a message or call 0330 355 0355.

Questions about Triodos Bank

How do I contact you?

You can send us a message by logging into your account and selecting 'Account' in the top menu, then 'Profile', 'Messages' and then 'Add a new message'.

You can also call us on 0330 355 0355.

What other services does Triodos Bank offer?

We offer a full range of banking services, for individuals and businesses. You can learn more on our main website here.

Who banks with Triodos Bank?

People and organisations who want to know their money is being used for positive impact, in a transparent way.

How is Triodos Bank transparent?

We’re committed to using the funds entrusted in ways that benefit people and planet. To demonstrate this commitment, we publish details of every organisation we finance on our website here.

How do I make a complaint?

We aim to provide a friendly, professional and accurate values driven service and actively encourage feedback about the service received from us. We are sorry if you are unhappy with your experience and want to know when things have gone wrong so that we have a chance to put things right. We will treat you fairly and reasonably.

Our complaints procedure is explained in full here.

Tax relief questions

What is SITR?

Social investment tax relief (SITR) is the government’s tax relief for social investment which encourages individuals to support social enterprises and helps them access new sources of finance.

What are the benefits of SITR?

Investors in SITR qualifying bonds can, depending on their individual circumstances and the company’s compliance with the rules governing SITR, enjoy some or all of the following tax advantages:

Income tax relief: 30% of the amount invested is given as a relief against income tax liability in the tax year the investment is made or in the previous tax year;
Capital gains hold-over relief: payment of tax on a capital gain can be deferred where the gain is re-invested into investments that also qualify for SITR. The SITR qualifying investment must be made in the period one year before or three yearsafter the gain arose; and
Capital gains disposal relief: an investment which has attracted income tax relief (that has not been subsequently withdrawn) is exempt from capital gains tax if theinvestment is disposed of for more than the purchase price.

The investment must have been held for at least three years.

You should always take your own tax advice before deciding whether to invest.

What is SEIS and EIS?

The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) are tax reliefs designed to encourage investments in small unquoted companies carrying on a qualifying trade with a permanent establishment in the United Kingdom.

What are the benefits of SEIS and EIS?

Investors in SEIS/EIS qualifying companies can, depending on their individual circumstances and the company’s compliance with rules governing SEIS and EIS, enjoy some or all of the following tax advantages:

SEIS/EIS relief (currently 50% for SEIS and 30% for EIS of the amount of the investment) against income tax liability in the year of investment, subject to an ability to carry back relief to the immediately preceding year in certain circumstances.
Exemption from Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on the disposal of SEIS/EIS shares in SEIS/EIS Qualifying Companies after a three year holding period, provided that disqualifying events have not occurred.
Unlimited deferral of capital gains from the previous three years or the subsequent 12 months.
Income tax or CGT relief for a loss on disposal of EIS shares; and
Inheritance tax exemption after two years.

You should always take your own tax advice before deciding whether to invest.