[REGISTRANT NAME]
FORM OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT, made by and between [REGISTRANT], a Maryland
corporation ("Fund") on behalf of the [SERIES] ("Series"), and DELAWARE
MANAGEMENT COMPANY, a series of Delaware Management Business Trust, a Delaware
business trust ("Investment Manager").
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, the Fund has been organized and operates as an
investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and is
currently comprised of [x] series, including the Series; as a separate series of
the Fund, each series engages in the business of investing and reinvesting its
assets in securities, and
WHEREAS, the Investment Manager is a registered investment
adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and engages in the business of
providing investment management services; and
WHEREAS, in connection with the changes in investment manager,
the Fund on behalf of the Series and the Investment Manager desire to enter into
this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants
herein contained, and each of the parties hereto intending to be legally bound,
it is agreed as follows:
1. The Fund hereby employs the Investment Manager to manage
the investment and reinvestment of the Series' assets and to administer its
affairs, subject to the direction of the Fund's Board of Directors and officers
of the Fund for the period and on the terms hereinafter set forth. The
Investment Manager hereby accepts such employment and agrees during such period
to render the services and assume the obligations herein set forth for the
compensation herein provided. The Investment Manager shall for all purposes
herein be deemed to be an independent contractor, and shall, unless otherwise
expressly provided and authorized, have no authority to act for or represent the
Fund in any way, or in any way be deemed an agent of the Fund. The Investment
Manager shall regularly make decisions as to what securities and other
instruments to purchase and sell on behalf of the Series and shall effect the
purchase and sale of such investments in furtherance of the Series' objectives
and policies and shall furnish the Board of Directors of the Fund with such
information and reports regarding the Series' investments as the Investment
Manager deems appropriate or as the Directors of the Fund may reasonably
request.
2. The Fund shall conduct its own business and affairs and
shall bear the expenses and salaries necessary and incidental thereto including,
but not in limitation of the foregoing, the costs incurred in: the maintenance
of its corporate existence; the maintenance of its own books, records and
procedures; dealing with its own shareholders; the payment of dividends;
transfer of stock, including issuance, redemption and repurchase of shares;
preparation of share certificates; reports and notices to shareholders; calling
and holding of shareholders' meetings; miscellaneous office expenses; brokerage
commissions; custodian fees; legal and accounting fees; taxes; and federal and
state registration fees. Directors, officers and employees of the Investment
Manager may be directors, officers and employees of any of the funds (including
the Fund) of which Delaware Management Company is investment manager. Directors,
officers and employees of the Investment Manager who are directors, officers
and/or employees of these funds shall not receive any compensation from the
funds for acting in such dual capacity.
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In the conduct of the respective businesses of the parties
hereto and in the performance of this Agreement, the Fund and Investment Manager
may share facilities common to each, with appropriate proration of expenses
between them.
3. (a) Subject to the primary objective of obtaining the best
available prices and execution, the Investment Manager will place orders for the
purchase and sale of portfolio securities and other instruments with such
broker/dealers selected who provide statistical, factual and financial
information and services to the Fund, to the Investment Manager, to any
Sub-Adviser, as defined in Paragraph 5 hereof, or to any other fund for which
the Investment Manager or any such Sub-Adviser provides investment advisory
services and/or with broker/dealers who sell shares of the Fund or who sell
shares of any other fund for which the Investment Manager or any such
Sub-Adviser provides investment advisory services. Broker/dealers who sell
shares of the funds of which Delaware Management Company is investment manager,
shall only receive orders for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities to
the extent that the placing of such orders is in compliance with the Rules of
the Securities and Exchange Commission and the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph
(a) above and subject to such policies and procedures as may be adopted by the
Board of Directors and officers of the Fund, the Investment Manager may ask the
Fund and the Fund may agree to pay a member of an exchange, broker or dealer an
amount of commission for effecting a securities transaction in excess of the
amount of commission another member of an exchange, broker or dealer would have
charged for effecting that transaction, in such instances where the Fund and the
Investment Manager have determined in good faith that such amount of commission
was reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services
provided by such member, broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either that
particular transaction or the Investment Manager's overall responsibilities with
respect to the Fund and to other funds and other advisory accounts for which the
Investment Manager or any Sub-Adviser, as defined in Paragraph 5 hereof,
exercises investment discretion.
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4. As compensation for the services to be rendered to the Fund
by the Investment Manager under the provisions of this Agreement, the Fund shall
pay to the Investment Manager monthly from the Series' assets, a fee on the
average daily net assets of the Series during the month. Such fee shall be
calculated in accordance with the following schedule:
Monthly Annual Rate Average Daily Net Assets
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If this Agreement is terminated prior to the end of any
calendar month, the management fee shall be prorated for the portion of any
month in which this Agreement is in effect according to the proportion which the
number of calendar days, during which the Agreement is in effect, bears to the
number of calendar days in the month, and shall be payable within 10 days after
the date of termination.
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5. The Investment Manager may, at its expense, select and
contract with one or more investment advisers registered under the Investment
Advisers Act of 1940 (the "Sub-Adviser") to perform some or all of the services
for the Series for which it is responsible under this Agreement. The Investment
Manager will compensate any Sub-Adviser for its services to the Series. The
Investment Manager may terminate the services of any Sub-Adviser at any time in
its sole discretion, and shall at such time assume the responsibilities of such
Sub-Adviser unless and until a successor Sub-Adviser is selected and the
requisite approval of the Series' shareholders is obtained. The Investment
Manager will continue to have responsibility for all advisory services furnished
by any Sub-Adviser.
6. The services to be rendered by the Investment Manager to
the Fund under the provisions of this Agreement are not to be deemed to be
exclusive, and the Investment Manager shall be free to render similar or
different services to others so long as its ability to render the services
provided for in this Agreement shall not be impaired thereby.
7. The Investment Manager, its directors, officers, employees,
agents and shareholders may engage in other businesses, may render investment
advisory services to other investment companies, or to any other corporation,
association, firm or individual, and may render underwriting services to the
Fund or to any other investment company, corporation, association, firm or
individual.
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8. The Investment Manager or its affiliates are permitted to
use the identifying names "Delaware," "Delaware Investments," or "Delaware
Group" when sponsoring Funds (or their series or classes), whether already
existing or to be created in the future. The Investment Manager hereby consents
to the Fund's use of the identifying words "Delaware," "Delaware Investments,"
or "Delaware Group" in the name of the Fund, or any series or class of shares of
the Fund. In the event that the Investment Manager ceases to be the Fund's
investment manager, or otherwise determines that the Fund should no longer
utilize such names for any reason, the Investment Manager may revoke its consent
in writing and the Fund will promptly cease using such names for the Fund, its
series or classes, and will take all necessary steps to amend the Fund's
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws to reflect a name change.
9. In the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence, or a reckless disregard of the performance of its duties as the
Investment Manager to the Fund, the Investment Manager shall not be subject to
liability to the Fund or to any shareholder of the Fund for any action or
omission in the course of, or connected with, rendering services hereunder or
for any losses that may be sustained in the purchase, holding or sale of any
security, or otherwise.
10. This Agreement shall be executed and become effective as
of the date written below if approved by the vote of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Series. It shall continue in effect for a
period of two years and may be renewed thereafter only so long as such renewal
and continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board of
Directors or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of
the Series and only if the terms and the renewal hereof have been approved by
the vote of a majority of the Directors of the Fund who are not parties hereto
or interested persons of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for
the purpose of voting on such approval. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this
Agreement may be terminated by the Fund at any time, without the payment of a
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penalty, on sixty days' written notice to the Investment Manager of the Fund's
intention to do so, pursuant to action by the Board of Directors of the Fund or
pursuant to the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the
Series. The Investment Manager may terminate this Agreement at any time, without
the payment of a penalty, on sixty days' written notice to the Fund of its
intention to do so. Upon termination of this Agreement, the obligations of all
the parties hereunder shall cease and terminate as of the date of such
termination, except for any obligation to respond for a breach of this Agreement
committed prior to such termination, and except for the obligation of the Fund
to pay to the Investment Manager the fee provided in Paragraph 4 hereof,
prorated to the date of termination. This Agreement shall automatically
terminate in the event of its assignment.
11. This Agreement shall extend to and bind the heirs,
executors, administrators and successors of the parties hereto.
12. For the purposes of this Agreement, the terms "vote of a
majority of the outstanding voting securities"; "interested persons"; and
"assignment" shall have the meaning defined in the Investment Company Act of
1940.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused their
corporate seals to be affixed and duly attested and their presents to be signed
by their duly authorized officers as of the _____ day of _________, _ _ _ _.
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[REGISTRANT NAME].
for the [SERIES NAME]
By:
Name:
Title:
Attest:
Name:
Title:
DELAWARE MANAGEMENT COMPANY, a
series of DELAWARE MANAGEMENT BUSINESS TRUST
By:
Name:
Title:
Attest:
Name:
Title:
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