Frequently Asked Questions

Questions + Answers + More
Everything you want to know about PlusPlus

Investing

What do we mean by investing in PlusPlus?

When we refer to investing on this website, we mean proving a loan to an agricultural or food business in Africa, Asia or Latin America. Investors do not receive financial interest on their loan, but they do achieve high social and societal return. On the website, we use both the words 'investing' and 'lending'.

What does investing via PlusPlus cost?

Our name may be PlusPlus, we do not add costs. There are no costs associated with subscribing to our platform nor for providing loans through your account if you pay via iDeal or credit card. The repayment process is free of charge as well.

What payment options are there?

You have the choice of iDeal or Sepa Direct Debit (one-time debit). You can also transfer money directly from your bank account to your own wallet. In mid-2023, we hope to offer credit cards as well.

What do I pass on to the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration

The total amount you invest in a calendar year belongs in box 3. Just like your savings and investments. This applies to both private and business lenders with a private company. Enter the outstanding amount under "Bank accounts and other assets" and then select "Money lent and other receivables." It is not mandatory to enter an account number. The Tax and Customs Administration does ask for a description. "Outstanding capital crowdfunding platform PlusPlus" is sufficient.

What is the minimum and maximum amount that I can invest through PlusPlus?

Minimum

You can invest from as little as 50 euros. Each higher amount that you want to lend is then a multiple of 50. Your account must be validated by our payment service provider before you can invest. This happens immediately after you have completed your account setup.

Maximum

The AFM's advice is: invest a maximum of 10% of the freely investable assets in crowdfunding (and spread across multiple websites). This is all the money that you own that you will not need for the next three to five years, minus your debts. In addition, we strongly advise against investing with borrowed money.

Can I also invest from my BV?

Yes. When you create an account on the website, you can choose between 'Private' and 'Business'. If you opt for a business account, you must provide a registration number for the Chamber of Commerce and identification documents of shareholders with more than 25% interest.

Do I also get a contract when I provide a loan?

The legal provisions for your investment are included in the general terms and conditions that apply to the project concerned. These conditions can always be viewed on the various project pages. In your My PlusPlus environment you can also download a PDF for each project with an overview of the loans you have provided. You can also receive this PDF by email. To do this, go to Settings in My PlusPlus.

What if there is not enough money available for a project?

If a project is not fully funded within the period of 60 days, you will receive the full amount that you have invested back into your account. Until then, it is safe in a third-party account (wallet) with our payment service provider.

Who is the counterparty if I make a direct investment?

At PlusPlus you invest directly in a local entrepreneur. From a legal point of view, the entrepreneur you have selected is the counterparty.

What does the investment process look like?

On the website you can select one or more projects to which you want to provide a loan from 50 euros. Once payment from an investor has been successfully processed, the agreement is established. This agreement is entered into on the condition that the project has sufficient investors. Investors accept the terms and conditions that are part of the purchase agreement. They also accept the general terms and conditions of the payment service provider that PlusPlus works with. Once the project is fully funded, the condition precedent is met and the agreement between the investor and borrower comes into effect.

What is the risk of an investment via PlusPlus?

Investing in small and medium-sized companies in the agricultural sector and the food chain in developing countries involves the risk that the loan cannot be fully repaid. Learn about the risks before making an investment. PlusPlus tries to minimize this risk with a thorough assessment of our businesses. Read more on the risk page or the answers to the frequently asked questions about risks.

From which countries can I invest in projects via PlusPlus?

At PlusPlus you can invest from all countries if you have an EU nationality (including Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein). In addition, you need to have a bank account with IBAN.

Please note: in some countries certain legal requirements may apply to investors. It is an investors own responsibility to ensure that such requests are met.

What currency can I invest in?

Only in euros. You pay in euros and will be reimbursed in euros. The risks of exchange rate fluctuations are covered by our local entrepreneurs.

Can I also cancel an investment?

Yes. If you wish to reverse the investment, you must notify us within 4 days (96 hours) of receiving the confirmation email by sending an email to [email protected]. The money will then be placed in your wallet. You can then choose whether to leave it there or whether it should be transferred (within 24 hours) to your bank account.

Repayments

Why am I not getting financial interest?

PlusPlus positions itself more as an alternative to donating, and less as an alternative to SRI (where the investor expects a certain financial return on investment in addition to social impact). The point of PlusPlus is to keep the interest for the entrepreneur to an absolute minimum. In this way, small (agri) companies also get access to affordable financing, as they often cannot get access to a local financial institution. For example, the company is still young, has insufficient collateral or climate risks affect harvests. As a result, they receive no loan or only a loan at a sky-high and unaffordable interest rate. By paying no interest to investors, we can guarantee that we really are the cheapest alternative. PlusPlus charged an average (one-time) fee of 5.7% last year, which is much lower than what most lenders charge. This fee is used to cover PlusPlus' expenses.

How does the money get back to my own bank account?

Everyone who lends via PlusPlus receives a wallet from our payment service provider Intersolve, regulated by the DNB (De Nederlandse Bank). Your money is securely saved on the wallet until the start of a project. You have access to your wallet via My PlusPlus. Loans are paid back in installments every 6 months. When the entrepreneur pays you back, this money will initially be placed on your wallet. You can then choose to reinvest this amount from the wallet. You can also have it transferred to your bank account. This will be done within 24 hours after the refund has been placed in your wallet. There are no costs associated with this. The settings for money transfers can be found here.

What are the maturities of the investments?

The period for which you provide a loan varies per project. The terms are 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 or 48 months. For each individual project the term of the loan is stated.

Can a loan also be repaid early by an entrepreneur?

Yes, that's possible. In some cases, the entrepreneur may choose to repay the loan early, for example if the business is growing faster than expected and the remaining loan is no longer needed.

If a loan is repaid early, you will get the outstanding amount back sooner.

When will I receive my repayments?

Repayments are made to your wallet within 2 weeks after the entrepreneur has transferred the repayment. Example: You can expect refunds related to the period up to and including September on your wallet around 15 October.

How can I change my account number?

You can change your account number yourself via your Account page in My PlusPlus. At bank details, click on 'Change account number'. You can then upload a copy of a statement with the new account number, or you can choose to transfer 1 cent from your account to your wallet at Intersolve. You will receive an email confirming the change.

Risks and safety

What are the risks if I invest money?

At PlusPlus you invest directly in companies in the agricultural sector and the food value chain. This means that there is always a risk the company cannot repay the loan. PlusPlus tries to minimize this risk with a thorough assessment of our businesses, but there are always circumstances that cannot be foreseen. It is wise to always study the risks of a project in which you are considering investing. Every company is different and so are the risks.

In addition to the risks that arise on the part of the entrepreneur, operational risks may also occur at PlusPlus. It is possible that PlusPlus will no longer be able to find new shareholders or financiers to finance everything and will therefore have to stop its activities. In that case, PlusPlus will handle outstanding loans as best as possible, but the power to legally address non-payment of a local entrepreneur is then a lot less. For each project you also find a KIIS, a document with additional (financial) information on the company.

What does PlusPlus do to minimize the risks?

Before entrepreneurs can access the PlusPlus platform to make projects available, they will have to meet the PlusPlus access and quality requirements. PlusPlus tries to limit the risks in various ways. We do this by:

  1. Keeping an eye on things. The local offices of our partners Solidaridad, Cordaid and Truvalu visit the companies, offer guidance and provide training.
  2. Due diligence investigation into the expected cash flows of the entrepreneur. PlusPlus always has its own due diligence carried out when applying for funding. In addition, to provide more insight into an investment, we summarize our analysis in an investment overview that is published on our site for each project. However, the analysis does not provide a complete picture and mainly serves as a tool for your own assessment and conclusion. So please note that this analysis does not concern investment advice.

More information on our risk page.

Does PlusPlus guarantee loans made via its platform?

No. With a direct investment in a local entrepreneur, this entrepreneur is responsible for the repayment. If the local entrepreneur is unable to repay the money for whatever reason, there is a chance that you have lost (part of) the money.

Does PlusPlus have a licence?

AgriCrowd B.V. (with brand name PlusPlus) is 100% owned by Hands-on BV (with brand name Lendahand) and as such subject to the European Crowdfunding Service Provider (ECSP) license, provided by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) to Hands-on BV on August 11th, 2022. Till that date Hands-on BV was using the MiFID II license for its activities, whereby PlusPlus functioned as a tied agent of Hands-on BV. With the new ECSP license, that structure is no longer feasible.

How secure is my data?

We adhere to strict security requirements when it comes to your personal and payment details. All sensitive data is sent via an encrypted connection (https).

Data is then stored encrypted in a protected facility offered by AWS (S3). AWS is the largest hosting provider worldwide and S3 is the largest file storage service worldwide. Customer data is only accessible via personal accounts, with secure connection and multi-factor authentication.

More information can be found in our Privacy Statement.

Why do my investments go through Intersolve EGI?

Based on the ECSP license, we are required to work with a payment service provider. Intersolve specializes in the settlement of payment transactions and electronic money. Intersolve complies with the applicable financial laws and regulations and is supervised by De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB). The money you invest will remain in a protected and secure bank account until the project is fully funded. PlusPlus has no access to it whatsoever. Once the project in question is fully funded, the money is transferred to the borrower in question. Should the project not be fully funded within the specified period, your money will be transferred back to your own wallet.

What happens if the value of the local currency falls?

The risk for changes in the exchange rate (euro-local currency) lies with the local entrepreneur. If you invest in euros, you will also receive euros back.

What happens if PlusPlus goes bankrupt?

The bonds you have obtained (proof of money lent) qualify as financial instruments that are separate from the assets of AgriCrowd BV (with the brand name PlusPlus) and are kept and protected as such in accordance with the Giro Securities Transactions Act (Wge). The bonds in question therefore always fall outside a possible bankruptcy of PlusPlus.

If PlusPlus were to go bankrupt, transactions between our platform and Intersolve EGI would immediately cease. Intersolve, who handle our transactions, would then transfer the money that is in your personal wallet to your bank account. In consultation with a receiver, Intersolve would handle all outstanding payments, up to the final repayment of the last project.

What happens if a local entrepreneur goes bankrupt?

When a local entrepreneur goes bankrupt for whatever reason, chances are that you will not get part or all of your investment back. Naturally, PlusPlus will try to recover outstanding funds, but the chance of success will be limited in such situations.

If an entrepreneur has difficulty paying you back, it is not possible to take immediate action against him or her. To spread risks, we recommend that you choose projects from different entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs applying for a loan

What kind of entrepreneurs are financed through PlusPlus?

The companies that are financed through PlusPlus have the following characteristics:

  1. They work in the agricultural or food sector in Africa, Asia or Latin America
  2. They are small and medium-sized companies with a maximum of 100 employees
  3. They all have the potential to grow and innovate with a focus on people and the environment.

PlusPlus believes it is important to support entrepreneurs who can make a difference. That's why we're creating a movement of investors who understand the importance of jobs and food security. We often support entrepreneurs not only financially, but also with training and advice. This is how we help them to achieve sustainable growth.

Why don't entrepreneurs go to the bank or a micro-credit institution?

Companies in the agriculture and food sector make a world of difference in Asia, Africa and Latin America. They fight poverty and food shortages in many countries. Nevertheless, a large group of these companies has difficulty finding affordable finance locally. These entrepreneurs are too big for microcredit institutions but they are too small or risky for local banks. The company may be too young, have insufficient collateral or face specific risks to their harvests due to unpredictable climates. These are just a few examples. As a result, they are not eligible for a loan from a standard financial institution. If they can get a loan, it is usually at a sky-high and unaffordable interest rate. With your investment, they can further expand and innovate their business without having to worry about an unreasonable financial burden. This way they can provide new jobs, more food and a better quality of life to those in their community.

What conditions must our borrowers meet?

Our local entrepreneurs are first subjected to professional screening. The following criteria are required:

  1. The applicant must be of 'moral character': is positively appraised in the region in which he / she works, Has paid premiums and taxes properly, is not known as a defaulter.
  2. The applicant’s business must be generating income for at least 1 year and should be able to demonstrate a clear long-term plan.
  3. The applicant must be able to demonstrate that there is sufficient cash from the annual profit and loss account to be able to meet the repayment obligations.
  4. The applicant must be able to submit a clear plan in which (in addition to substantiation for the loan) the following points are included: creation of employment, a safe work environment for employees, implementation of 'fair trade' policy, environmental awareness, and the positive impact on the environment of the organization.
  5. no significant payment arrears with other agencies / government organizations.
  6. Clear financial administration.
  7. Access to a bank account.

How much interest do the entrepreneurs pay?

We like to keep it affordable. On average, entrepreneurs pay 5.7% per year in euro fees and interest to us. Often agricultural entrepreneurs do not qualify for financing from banks or microfinance institutions. The requirements of such parties are usually unrealistic. They charge up to 50% interest and require 110% collateral. In the absence of options with banks and microfinance institutions, entrepreneurs regularly turn to loan sharks, who can easily charge more than 100% interest per year.

The interest that agricultural entrepreneurs pay to PlusPlus is low compared to the risk. This underlines our mission. With affordable financing, our entrepreneurs can grow and innovate. And that means more jobs and food supply: 1 +1 = 3!

Impact

What is the impact of PlusPlus?

PlusPlus gives entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector and food chain in Africa, Asia and Latin America direct access to affordable loans. This allows them to grow their business and make it more sustainable. And it is precisely these companies that are an important driver for food production and employment for both women and men. This way, PlusPlus contributes directly to food production and food processing for the local and international market, creating local jobs and improved incomes for employees and small-scale farmers. In this way we indirectly contribute to food security, sustainability, better living conditions for employees and small-scale farmers as well as the reduction of poverty.

By sharing knowledge and partnerships at a local and international level, PlusPlus wants to contribute to sustainable change in the system. By setting a good example, we want to encourage both local banks and other financial institutions to develop affordable financial products for companies in the agricultural sector and the food chain.

In relation to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, PlusPlus actively contributes:

  • SDG 2 No hunger
  • SDG 8 Fair work and economic growth

In addition, our work also affects the following goals:

  • SDG 1 No poverty
  • SDG 5 Gender equality
  • SDG 10 Reduced inequality
  • SDG 17 Partnership to achieve goals

How do we measure our impact?

As a social enterprise, PlusPlus primarily has a social mission. Impact first! We want to solve a social problem above all else. Measuring our social impact is crucial for this, as knowing whether our approach is successful or whether we need to make adjustments is key. We do this on the basis of measurable indicators related to Sustainable Development Goals. We will monitor our entrepreneurs every six months during the term of the loan. We also conduct research after the completion of the loan cycle in order to gain more insight into the longer-term effects of our work. We do this directly and through the local country offices of the co-founders: Solidaridad, ICCO (now known as Cordaid) and Truvalu.

How do we report on our impact?

Transparency about the results of PlusPlus, both about what is going well and what can be improved, is of paramount importance. We will do this with data, supporting and inspiring stories about our entrepreneurs, and blogs from experts. This info will be made available on our website, through our newsletter, mails and social media channels.

Which partners support PlusPlus?

We work together with a growing network of partners to achieve PlusPlus social objectives. Currently, the following partners support our work:

  • P4G, or the Partnership for Green Growth & the Global Goals 2030, supports innovative solutions for sustainable growth worldwide. In 2019 we were selected as one of the seven partners. P4G contributes to the construction and growth of our platform.
  • The Dutch Postcode Lottery has also contributed to the founding of PlusPlus.
Create impact

PlusPlus

In which countries is PlusPlus active?

PlusPlus invests in agricultural entrepreneurs in Africa, Asia and Latin America. We are active in countries where our partners Solidaridad, Cordaid or Truvalu work. In many countries they have local offices and an extensive local network. We are therefore well informed about the local market and developments. View our project page for all countries where PlusPlus is active.

What distinguishes PlusPlus from other similar ventures?

PlusPlus is the European crowdfunding platform that invests directly in entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector and food value chain in developing countries. The companies are too large to qualify for micro-credit and too small to meet the high demands of banks. PlusPlus provides a solution for affordable financing through crowdfunding for this group of companies.

Curious about our agricultural entrepreneurs?

View all projects

What does the PlusPlus business model look like?

The entrepreneur pays a low and one-time fee of on average 5.7%. This is the fee that PlusPlus receives for operational costs. With this fee, PlusPlus tries to cover the (operational) costs.

What is the legal structure of PlusPlus?

To enable investments through the PlusPlus platform, bonds are issued to the crowd. The investor who issues the bonds is called the "issuer". These are entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector and food chain in developing countries who therefore directly raise capital as an issuer via the PlusPlus platform.

The bonds issued are kept by Lendahand, the owner of PlusPlus, in a so-called collective deposit. These pieces qualify as financial instruments, are kept in accordance with the Securities Book-Entry Transfer Act, are separated from the assets of PlusPlus and Lendahand and are therefore protected. The issued bonds are always excluded from a possible bankruptcy of PlusPlus or Lendahand.

What is PlusPlus' remuneration policy?

PlusPlus has a remuneration policy based on the Remuneration Policy for Financial Enterprises Act. The policy applies to all employees of PlusPlus and is aimed at ensuring that employee rewards do not pose any undesirable risks or behavior with regard to the specific services provided to clients and / or with regard to the solidity of PlusPlus.

Reward

PlusPlus pays all employees a fixed monthly salary that is not dependent on targets. We do not work with guaranteed variable remuneration.

Remuneration policy decision-making

The remuneration policy is drawn up by the management. Because PlusPlus is a relatively small company, no remuneration committee is set up, nor is there (yet) a Supervisory Board. For this reason, the remuneration policy is coordinated with the Compliance Officer.

Policy revisions

At least annually, the remuneration policy is reviewed to see whether the policy meets the requirements of the board of management, applicable laws and regulations and the interests of investors. This involves examining which forms of remuneration can encourage undesirable behavior and how the remuneration policy provides for appropriate measures.

Complaints

What if I have a complaint?

    Please use the complaint form of PlusPlus’ owner Lendahand to file your complaint and email it to [email protected]. A first response to the complaint will be given within five working days, and the response will indicate possible follow-up measures. Lendahand will then make every effort to respond to the dissatisfaction as soon as possible. All follow-up communications will be by email, with the email address on file in our system, unless otherwise specified. This is to ensure a reproducible digital archive of communications. Complaints are investigated in accordance with Dutch law as well as our terms and conditions. The filing of a complaint and the corresponding measures taken by Lendahand are of course free of charge for the investor. As a licensed investment firm, Lendahand is also a member of KiFiD, a Dutch foundation whose main objective is to deal with complaints within the financial services industry. If we are unable to resolve the complaint, we will follow KiFiD's advice.

    Download the complaint form.

    Klachtenformulier

Creating or cancelling an account

Why do I create a PlusPlus account at Lendahand?

PlusPlus uses the technology of the crowdfunding platform Lendahand. When creating an account, Lendahand's OAuth is used. OAuth is an open standard for authorization that gives you access to your personal data without relinquishing your username and password. By using OAuth you can log in to both Lendahand and PlusPlus with one account. Our privacy policy describes how PlusPlus handles personal data.

Why do I have to provide proof of identity?

Because of the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Act (Wwft).

What documents do I need to create an account?

In case of a personal account:

Identification document (ID)
The ID must be a clear copy of passport, EU identity card or EU driving license, on which all personal data is fully readable and visible (including the BSN number). The BSN number will not be stored.

In case of a business account:

1. Co-owner identification documents
In the case of a BV, a passport or identity card is required for every person with more than 25% interest. In the case of an association or foundation, a passport or identity card is required for all board members.

2. Chamber of Commerce registration document or registration number.
The document may not be older than three months

Can I also invest with a Lendahand account?

Yes. PlusPlus uses the same platform as Lendahand to operate investments. The platform uses OAuth. This is an open standard for authorization that allows you to access your private data without relinquishing your username and password. By using OAuth you can log in to both Lendahand and PlusPlus.

How can I cancel my account on PlusPlus?

If, for whatever reason, you no longer want to invest via PlusPlus, you can send an email to [email protected] to close your account. After the last repayment of your last investment has been added to your bank account, your account will be deactivated by us.