Hargreaves partners with Schroders to offer LTAFs
Long-term asset funds (LTAFs) are set to become more accessible to the UK retail investment market, as Hargreaves Lansdown has partnered with Schroders Capital to add two of the fund manager’s vehicles to its platform next week.
Fund supermarket Hargreaves is the first platform to offer LTAFs within the Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) wrapper, meaning that individuals will be able to expand their pension portfolios into private market investments.
LTAFs are designed to encourage individuals to put money into long-term, illiquid assets, including private equity, infrastructure, private debt, real estate and venture capital.
Read more: UK government to allow retail investors to invest in LTAFs through ISAs
Eligible investors will have access to global private equity and energy transition infrastructure capabilities managed by Schroders Capital, via Hargreaves’ platform.
Emma Wall, head of platform investments at Hargreaves Lansdown, said that the firm sees the partnership as “a milestone for the accessibility of private markets for individual investors in the UK.”
“For retail investors with a long-term investment horizon, the appropriate knowledge and resources, and as part of a well-diversified portfolio, private markets can play an important role in delivering unique growth opportunities beyond what is typically available in public markets,” she added.
“LTAFs offer retail investors a unique opportunity to access a wide range of alternative assets including private market investments through a fund structure specifically designed to invest in less-liquid assets.”
Read more: Schroders Capital sees positive net flows of £2.3bn
The Schroders Capital Global Private Equity LTAF is a feeder fund into the $2.5bn Schroders Capital Semi-Liquid Global Private Equity Fund, which focuses on small to mid-sized private company investments globally.
The Schroders Capital Global Energy Infrastructure LTAF is a feeder fund into the Schroders Capital Semi-Liquid Global Energy Infrastructure Fund, which invests in infrastructure such as wind farms and solar parks that support the energy transition.
“This marks a watershed moment for the accessibility of private markets for eligible retail investors in the UK,” said James Lowe, director, private markets, Schroders Capital.
“Our partnership with Hargreaves Lansdown combines the best of Schroders Capital’s global private markets expertise and tailored LTAFs with Hargreaves Lansdown’s innovative, digital-led approach to offering advanced investment options.
“Schroders Capital has led the way in broadening access to private markets in the UK through our dedicated LTAFs. We are excited to offer our two globally diversified LTAFs, providing a wider set of investors with a new access point to invest into high-growth private businesses and essential global energy infrastructure, benefiting from the diversification and return potential unique to private markets.”
LTAFs can already be held in SIPPs and Innovative Finance ISAs. From April 2026, eligible investors are expected to be able to also access LTAFs through a stocks and shares ISA.
Recent data from Morningstar showed that approved LTAFs have collectively hit £5m of assets under management, with proposed reforms expected to drive further growth.
