FINANCING MODEL

DEVELOPMENT OF OSLOFJORD CONVENTION CENTER

The Brunstad Foundation’s largest operations are currently carried out at Brunstad within Sandefjord Municipality in Norway. Over the past 10 years, the foundation has contributed to a large-scale development, which has been estimated to cost around NOK 3,600 million.

The Brunstad Foundation and our subsidiaries therefore find ourselves within an extraordinary period of time. Extensive planning processes and preparations took place during the years before the construction started and in 2022 we put almost ten years of substantial and visible progress in the project behind us. We are proud to see that the progress is happening according to the plan and that we have good control of the costs of the project.

Extent of the development and cost framework

Preparatory construction work started in 2012 and the entire project has, on the whole, been planned to be completed in 2022.

The construction project includes:

  • Better conference facilities, including the capacity for more meeting rooms as well as better kitchen and storage spaces
  • An increase in accommodation capacity with 16 new hotel buildings (1600 suites)
  • Activity facilities totaling approximately 20,000 m2 and an outdoor activity park
  • Extensive work on outdoor areas, development of new park grounds and better access
  • Improved parking, with approximately 1,500 underground parking spaces
  • Fixed sequential projects for the municipality, e.g. roads, footpaths, development of recreational areas, alterations to water and sewerage lines

The construction project has an expected cost framework of approximately NOK 3,600 million.

As of 31 December 2020, approximately NOK 3,200 million of this had been invested. Oslofjord Property AS, in addition, purchased the existing conference center from the Brunstad Foundation in 2015 for NOK 202 million.

Developer: Oslofjord Property AS

In 2011, the Brunstad Foundation established the subsidiary Oslofjord Property AS. This company is the developer of the Oslofjord Convention Center expansion.

As of 31 December 2021, Oslofjord Property AS had an equity amounting to NOK 323 million.

The remaining financing for the construction project has been obtained as follows:

  • Private individuals have signed 50-year lease agreements for suites in hotel buildings. The advance leasing stands at approximately NOK 350 million
  • Oslofjord Convention Center AS has signed a 20-year lease agreement for hotel and conference center facilities. The advance leasing is expected to total closer to NOK 1,600 million. Oslofjord Convention Center AS is raising this capital by entering into 20-year hotel agreements with private individuals
  • The Brunstad Foundation has provided a line of credit of NOK 1,312 million (4% interest per annum) covering the remaining loan needed to complete the project. The loan balance as of 31 December 2021 was NOK 1,267 million

See the financing model schematically presented below:

FINANCING MODEL

The advance leasing is paid to Oslofjord Property AS concurrently with the buildings being completed. All advance leasing paid is recognized linearly over the term of the agreements.

THE BRUNSTAD FOUNDATION

As of 31 December 2021, the Brunstad Foundation had an equity of NOK 1,008 million, which, to a significant extent, is tied up in property at Brunstad (building plots, as well as housing units built until 2006).

The capital that the Brunstad Foundation has lent to Oslofjord Property AS has been borrowed from Brunstad Christian Church as well as affiliated local associations in several countries. The church’s interest in the location has been to ensure that there is a place for gathering for international Christian conferences, but has not had any intention of owning or operating such a large estate.

All of the Brunstad Foundation’s funding from BCC local churches will be repaid by 2028. Lending to the Brunstad Foundation in the meantime is a good and safe capital investment for the local associations, based on market-related terms.

Long-term economic 2030 plan

The Brunstad Foundation and its subsidiaries, together with advisors at Boston Consulting Group and EY, have worked out a long-term economic plan until 2030.

The plan shows a good return on invested capital, and thus also a good debt servicing capacity for the interest-bearing loans. The plans have, among other things, been based on extensive market analyzes for Oslofjord Convention Center AS’ commercial operations.

For more information about Oslofjord Convention Center AS visit www.oslofjord.com.

Risk assessment of the economic plan

In the spring of 2019, considerable effort was put into assessing the various risk factors of the economic plan. The biggest risk is related to the commercial operations of the subsidiary Oslofjord Convention Center AS. It was therefore crucial that this business receives the necessary framework conditions for success, and a management model was decided on, which will facilitate that. The company is to be run on an entirely commercial basis, regardless of the Foundation’s background and ideal objectives.

All hotel buildings are now completed with the last handovers at the end of 2020, and the handover of the extension to the conference center in spring 2022.

Annual reports

We would also like to point out that all of the Brunstad Foundation’s auditor-approved annual reports are available on this website.

See also our ethical guidelines, as well as other useful information about our business entity.