Like Québec, Manitoba law stipulates that employers must establish payroll deduction plans for employee subscription if a group (the lesser of fifty or 20 percent of the total workforce) so request. To date, a fund strategy of urging voluntary plan acceptance has achieved this result in the case of sixteen large public and private sector employers, including the Government of Manitoba and Inco, Inc.
Recruitment of fund shareholders must in all respects follow standards set down and enforced by the provincial securities commission.
Manitoba's statutory regime requires that the Crocus Fund, like Working Opportunity, refrain from making investments in specific industries such as resource exploration and extraction (e.g., oil and gas, mining and agriculture), banking, real estate and land development. Rather, the fund is encouraged to target small and medium-sized companies featuring job-intensive, high value-added production. Where possible, it is also expected to support continuing resident ownership of businesses.
In light of its worker ownership mandate, the fund has some latitude in entering transactions as a minority or controlling investor. The government has also stipulated that the Crocus Fund situate 60 percent of its assets in eligible investments no later than four years after first issuance of common shares.
Consistent with legal strictures and its private mandate, fund directors have determined criteria applicable to investment decisions. Key illustrations include:
Like other venture capital institutions, the Crocus Fund conducts an exhaustive process of due diligence whereby it considers all aspects of a potential investee company's attributes and prospects in the market. Along with examining business plans and financial data, the investment team interviews firm owners/managers, workers and other interested parties (e.g., suppliers). Questions emerging from this evaluation contribute to subsequent negotiations and, possibly, terms and conditions to be built into a final investment agreement.