ipe-quest.com

What It Is

IPE Quest is an online asset manager search, screening, and tendering platform operated by the UK-based IPE International Publishers Ltd. It has served institutional asset owners since 1999. Its core business is not payment acquiring or funds clearing and settlement; instead, it helps institutions such as pension funds, insurers, sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and consultants reach global asset managers anonymously through RFI/RFP/pre-RFI processes.

Core Capabilities

The platform offers Search (RFI/RFP) and Discovery (pre-RFI) tools. Asset owners can create tenders with criteria and questionnaires, allowing asset managers to submit data in a comparable format. Public information highlights 1,800+ global asset managers, a track record of 1,600+ successful tenders, a network of 4,500+ asset management executives, as well as features such as real-time email alerts, customizable questionnaires, and supplementary file uploads. In terms of access control, full tender details are available only to vetted registered users, and asset owners can remain anonymous during the process.

Pricing and Payments

Pricing disclosure is limited: asset owners can post tenders for free, and asset managers can receive alerts for free, but responding to a tender requires a “small fee.” The terms also state that some content or features may be paid, with payment potentially arranged via an external site. An error page notes that users should contact support if purchased credits are not received, and warns them not to pay again by card, indicating that a card payment/credits mechanism exists. However, rates, currencies, settlement timeframes, and payment service providers are not disclosed.

Compliance and Risk Control

The company is registered in England and Wales, with company number 3233596 and VAT number 685 178 492, and is governed by UK law. Its financial promotion content is intended only for institutional investors and Potentially Exempt Persons, not consumers. The platform provides basic risk controls through registration review, password management, prohibitions on access abuse, and confidentiality commitments, but it does not disclose any financial licenses, data security certifications, or API security mechanisms.

Pros, Cons, and Who It’s For

Its advantages are a clear institutional focus, a long operating history, free and anonymous posting for buyers, making it suitable for large institutional investors that need a systematic way to select external managers, as well as asset managers seeking institutional mandate opportunities. The drawbacks are opaque pricing and payment details, limited public information on technical integrations, and an error message on the credits purchase page, meaning the stability of the payment experience needs further verification.

Access from China and Alternatives

The available text does not state the access situation from mainland China, so it is not possible to determine whether direct access is available. Chinese institutions looking for similar capabilities may also evaluate institutional investment databases, consultants, or manager selection services such as Mercer, eVestment, Preqin, Cambridge Associates, and WTW.