UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

 Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED

 MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number: 811-23579

FLAT ROCK CORE INCOME FUND

 (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

Robert K. Grunewald

 Chief Executive Officer

1350 6^th Avenue, 18^th Floor

 New York, NY 10019

 (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

(908) 239-7493

 (Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

The Corporation Trust Company

 Corporation Trust Center

1209 Orange Street

 Wilmington, DE 19801

 (Name and address of agent for service)

Copy to:

Owen J. Pinkerton, Esq.

 Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP

 700 Sixth Street, NW, Suite 700

 Washington, D.C. 20001-3980

 (202) 383-0262

Date of fiscal year end:   December 31

Date of reporting period: January 1, 2021 – June 30, 2021

Item 1. Reports to Stockholders.

Table of Contents

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

Fellow CORFX Shareholders,

At the midyear mark, Flat Rock Core Income Fund (“the Fund”) was up 5.09%. Our performance was driven by our consistent distribution payment of $1.37/share on an annualized basis, resulting in a current distribution yield of 6.63%¹, as well as 1.6% increase in NAV driven predominantly by improving mark to market of our investment portfolio.

Fund Performance (Net)

The performance data quoted here represents past performance. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted above. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, so that shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. A Fund’s performance, especially for very short periods of time, should not be the sole factor in making your investment decisions. All historical performance related to Flat Rock Core Income Fund, prior to 11/23/2020 is of the Predecessor Fund, Flat Rock Capital Corp.

We launched the predecessor fund to Flat Rock Core Income, Flat Rock Capital Corp, on June 29th, 2017, with a mandate to deliver a consistent distribution yield with low volatility. Since then, Flat Rock Capital Corp and Flat Rock Core Income have generated 7.60% annualized returns with an annualized standard deviation of 3.22%. We have not had any loan defaults in our portfolio since our inception and have experienced only two down months. As we reflect on 2020 and the recovery in 2021, we can see the positive results of several key investment disciplines. One key investment discipline involves aligning ourselves with private equity firms buying middle market businesses where they are willing to invest significant cash equity into the buyout. We are not typically interested in investing in the debt of a traditional “leveraged buyout” where private equity contributes as little equity as possible and attempts to generate returns through financial engineering. Generally, we seek to invest alongside equity investors creating approximately a 50% to 60% loan to value for our investment. This approach creates a strong alignment of interest with the owners and a significant buffer against potential losses. Of course, this low loan to value discipline also creates challenges; these high-quality loans can be hard to find. To address this challenge, we have committed to a “capacity constrained” strategy. At Flat Rock Core Income Fund, our goal is to invest millions, not billions.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

Sincerely,

Robert Grunewald

Chief Executive Officer and Founder

Glossary: Standard Deviation is measure that provides the dispersion around a mean. The S&P 500 Index or the Standard & Poor's 500 Index is a market-capitalization-weighted index of the 500 largest U.S. publicly traded companies. The S&P BDC Total Return Index is designed to track leading business development companies that trade on major U.S. exchanges. The S&P LSTA Leveraged Loan Index is a market value weighted index designed to capture the performance of the U.S. leveraged loan market. The Bloomberg Barclays US Corporate High Yield Bond Index measures the USD-denominated, high yield, fixed-rate corporate bond market. Securities are classified as high yield if the middle rating of Moody's, Fitch and S&P is Ba1/BB+/BB+ or below. The index excludes bonds from emerging markets.

Consider the investment risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund carefully before investing. Other information about the Fund may be obtained at https://flatrockglobal.com/core-income-fund/. This material must be preceded or accompanied by the prospectus. Please read it carefully.

The Fund is suitable for investors who can bear the risks associated with the Fund’s limited liquidity and should be viewed as a long-term investment. Our shares have no history of public trading, nor is it intended that our shares will be listed on a national securities exchange at this time, if ever. No secondary market is expected to develop for our shares; liquidity for our shares will be provided only through quarterly repurchase offers for no less than 5% of and no more than 25% of our shares at net asset value, and there is no guarantee that an investor will be able to sell all the shares that the investor desires to sell in the repurchase offer. Due to these limited restrictions, an investor should consider an investment in the Fund to be of limited liquidity. Investing in our shares may be speculative and involves a high degree of risk, including the risks associated with leverage. Investing in the Fund involves risks, including the risk that shareholder may lose part or all of their investment. We may pay distributions in significant part from sources that may not be available in the future and that are unrelated to our performance, such as a returns of capital or borrowing. The amount of distributions that we may pay, if any, is uncertain. Alps Distributors Inc. serves as our principal underwriter, within the meaning of the 1940 Act, and will act as the distributor of our shares on a best efforts' basis, subject to various conditions.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

Flat Rock Core Income Fund's ("the Fund") investment objective is the preservation of capital while generating current income from its debt investments and seeking to maximize the portfolio's total return.

PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW

For the six month period ended June 30, 2021, the Fund returned 5.09%. During that same period, the S&P BDC Total Return Index returned 28.13% and the S&P 500 Index returned 15.25%.

PERFORMANCE as of June 30, 2021

Performance data quoted represents past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. The principal value and investment return of an investment will fluctuate so that your shares, if repurchased, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Total return measures net investment income and capital gain or loss from portfolio investments. All performance shown assumes reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

Flat Rock Core Income Fund is a continuously offered, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that is operated as an interval fund. The Fund is suitable only for investors who can bear the risks associated with the Fund's limited liquidity and should be viewed as a long-term investment. The Fund’s shares have no history of public trading, nor is it intended that our shares will be listed on a national securities exchange at this time, if ever. Investing in the Fund’s shares may be speculative and involves a high degree of risk, including the risks associated with leverage. Investing in the Fund involves risk, including the risk that shareholders may receive little or no return on their investment or that shareholders may lose part or all of their investment. The Fund may pay distributions in significant part from sources that may not be available in the future and that are unrelated to our performance, such as a return of capital or borrowings. The amount of distributions that the Fund may pay, if any, is uncertain.

ASSET ALLOCATION as of June 30, 2021^

Percentages are based on net assets of the Fund.

TOP TEN HOLDINGS* as of June 30, 2021

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

GROWTH OF A HYPOTHETICAL $10,000 INVESTMENT

The graph below illustrates the growth of a hypothetical $10,000 investment assuming the purchase of common shares at the NAV of $20.00 on May 3, 2017 (commencement of operations) and tracking its progress through June 30, 2021. Operations for the period prior to November 22, 2020 are for Flat Rock Capital Corp. (see Note 12 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further information).

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

Investment Abbreviations:

LIBOR - London Interbank Offered Rate

Reference Rates:

1M US L - 1 Month LIBOR as of June 30, 2021 was 0.10%

2M US L - 2 Month LIBOR as of June 30, 2021 was 0.13%

3M US L - 3 Month LIBOR as of June 30, 2021 was 0.15%

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented

For a share outstanding throughout the periods presented

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

1. ORGANIZATION

Flat Rock Core Income Fund (the "Fund") is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (the "1940 Act") as a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The shares of beneficial interest of the Fund (the “Shares”) are continuously offered under Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Fund operates as an interval fund pursuant to Rule 23c-3 under the 1940 Act, and has adopted a fundamental policy to conduct quarterly repurchase offers at net asset value (“NAV”).

The Fund's investment objective is the preservation of capital while generating current income from its debt investments and seeking to maximize the portfolio’s total return.

The Fund was formed as a Delaware statutory trust on August 18, 2020 and operates pursuant to an Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware. The Fund had no operations from that date to November 23, 2020, other than those related to organizational matters and the registration of its shares under applicable securities laws.

The operations reported in the accompanying consolidated financial statements and financial highlights for the periods from May 3, 2017 to November 22, 2020 are for Flat Rock Capital Corp., a Maryland corporation formed on March 20, 2017 that commenced operations on May 3, 2017. Flat Rock Capital Corp. was an externally managed, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that elected to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the 1940 Act and that elected to be treated as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). On November 20, 2020, Flat Rock Capital Corp. transferred all of its assets to the Fund as part of a reorganization as described in Note 12.

FRC Funding I, LLC, a wholly owned financing subsidiary, is consolidated in the Fund’s financial statements.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Fund in preparation of its financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The Fund is an investment company under U.S. GAAP and follows the investment company accounting and reporting guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 946.

Use of Estimates: The preparation of the financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the period. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

Federal Income Taxes: The Fund has elected to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended. Accordingly, the Fund will generally not pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any net ordinary income or capital gains that are timely distributed to shareholders. To qualify as a RIC, the Fund must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements and timely distribute at least 90% of its investment company taxable income each year to its shareholders.

As of and during the six months ended June 30, 2021, the Fund did not have a liability for any unrecognized tax benefits. The Fund files U.S. federal, state, and local tax returns as required. The Fund’s tax returns are subject to examination by the relevant tax authorities until expiration of the applicable statute of limitations which is generally three years after the filing of the tax return for federal purposes and four years for most state returns.

Security Valuation: The Fund records its investments at fair value, which is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The valuation techniques used to determine fair value are further described below. The Fund determines the NAV of its shares daily as of the close of regular trading (normally, 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each day that the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for business.

Short-term debt securities having a remaining maturity of 60 days or less when purchased are valued at cost adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts, which approximates fair value.

The Board is responsible for the valuation of the Fund’s portfolio investments for which market quotations are not readily available, as determined in good faith pursuant to the Fund’s valuation policy and consistently applied valuation process. The Board has delegated day-to-day responsibility for implementing the portfolio valuation process set forth in the valuation policy to the Fund's investment adviser.

If market quotations are not readily available, securities or other assets will be valued at their fair market value as determined using the “fair value” procedures approved by the Board. In these cases, the Fund’s NAV will reflect certain portfolio investment’s fair value rather than their market price. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for an investment may be materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that investment. The fair value prices can differ from market prices when they become available or when a price becomes available.

The Fund intends to invest directly in Senior Loans (either in the primary or secondary markets). Each Senior Loan held by the Fund will be fair valued by a third-party valuation firm engaged by the Fund each quarter. Certain of the Senior Loans held by the Fund will be broadly syndicated loans. Broadly syndicated loans will be valued by using readily available market quotations or another commercially reasonable method selected by an independent, third party pricing service or by using broker quotations.

For each Senior Loan where market quotations are not readily available, the Fund will obtain a valuation from a third-party valuation firm each quarter when it receives financial updates from portfolio companies. Valuations will be updated whenever material information is received from portfolio companies. As a proxy for discount rates and market comparables, the Adviser will look to the S&P/LSTA U.S. Leveraged Loan 100 Index (the “LSTA Index”) for significant price movements. The LSTA Index is a market value-weighted index designed to track the performance of the U.S. leveraged loan market based upon market weightings, spreads and interest payments. The LSTA Index is comprised of senior secured loans denominated in U.S. dollars that meet certain selection criteria. If the LSTA index cumulative change is greater than 1% or less than -1% from the completion date of the most recent valuation, then the Adviser will adjust the value of the Senior Loan by 20% of the LSTA Index change. For example, if the LSTA Index trades down or up by 5%, then the Adviser will adjust the value of the Senior Loans by 1% to mirror the LSTA Index. Furthermore, if the LSTA Index moves another 1% (over 2% cumulative change) in either direction, then the Adviser will further adjust the value based on the aforementioned methodology.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

In addition, the values of the Fund’s Senior Loans are adjusted daily based on the estimated total return that the asset will generate during the current quarter. The Adviser will monitor these estimates daily and update them as necessary if macro or individual changes warrant any adjustments. To the extent adjustments are necessary, the Senior Loans may be valued based on prices supplied by a pricing agent(s), based on broker or dealer supplied valuations, based on model pricing, or based on matrix pricing, which is a method of valuing securities or other assets by reference to the value of other securities or other assets with similar characteristics, such as rating, interest rate and maturity. At the end of the quarter, each Senior Loan’s value is adjusted based on the actual income and appreciation or depreciation realized by such loan when its quarterly valuations and income are reported. The Fund’s Senior Loans are valued without accrued interest, and accrued interest is reported as income in the Fund’s statement of operations.

The Fund may invest in junior debt or equity tranches of CLOs. These investments will be valued based on the last reported bid prices supplied by an independent, third party pricing service engaged by the Fund. If the last reported bid price is not readily available or is otherwise deemed to be unreliable by the Adviser, then such securities will be valued at fair value pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board.

All available information, including non-binding indicative bids which may not be considered reliable, typically will be considered by the Adviser in making its fair value determinations. In some instances, there may be limited trading activity in a security even though the market for the security is considered not active. In such cases the Adviser will consider the number of trades, the size and timing of each trade, and other circumstances around such trades, to the extent such information is available. The Fund will engage third-party valuation firms to provide assistance to the Board in valuing a substantial portion of the Fund’s investments. The Adviser expects to evaluate the impact of such additional information and factor it into its consideration of fair value.

Investments in private investment companies are measured based upon NAV as a practical expedient to determine fair value. The Fund applies the practical expedient to private investment companies on an investment-by-investment basis, and consistently with the Fund's entire position in a particular investment, unless it is probable that the Fund will sell a portion of an investment at an amount different from the NAV of the investment. Each of these investments has certain restrictions with respect to rights of withdrawal by the Fund as specified in the respective agreements. Generally, the Fund is required to provide notice of its intent to withdraw after the investment has been maintained for a certain period of time. The management agreements of the private investment companies provide for compensation to the managers in the form of fees ranging from 0% to 2% annually of the net assets and performance incentive allocations or fees ranging from 0% to 20% on net profits earned.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

The fair value of securities may be difficult to determine and thus judgment plays a greater role in the valuation process. The fair valuation methodology may include or consider the following guidelines, as appropriate: (1) evaluation of all relevant factors, including but not limited to, pricing history, current market level and supply and demand of the respective security; (2) comparison to the values and current pricing of securities that have comparable characteristics; (3) knowledge of historical market information with respect to the security; and (4) other factors relevant to the security which would include, but not be limited to, duration, yield, fundamental analytical data, the U.S. Treasury yield curve and credit quality.

The Fund has engaged third-party valuation firms to provide assistance to the Board in valuing certain of the Fund’s investments. The Board may evaluate the impact of such additional information, and factor it into its consideration of fair value.

Securities Transactions and Investment Income: Investment security transactions are accounted for on a trade date basis. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Discounts and premiums on securities purchased are amortized or accreted using the effective interest method. Realized gains and losses from securities transactions and unrealized appreciation and depreciation of securities are determined using the identified cost basis method for financial reporting purposes. Interest income from investments in the “equity” class of collateralized loan obligation (“CLO”) funds will be recorded based upon an estimate of an effective yield to expected maturity utilizing assumed cash flows in accordance with FASB ASC 325-40, Beneficial Interests in Securitized Financials Assets.

Debt Issuance Costs: The Fund records origination and other expenses related to its debt obligations as debt issuance costs. These expenses are deferred and amortized over the life of the related debt instrument. Debt issuance costs are presented on the consolidated statement of assets and liabilities as a direct deduction from the debt liability.

Distributions to Shareholders: The Fund normally pays dividends, if any, monthly, and distributes capital gains, if any, on an annual basis. Income dividend distributions are derived from dividends and interest income the Fund receives from its investments, including short term capital gains. Long term capital gain distributions are derived from gains realized when the Fund sells a security it has owned for more than one year.

Cash and Cash Equivalents: Cash and cash equivalents (e.g. U.S. Treasury bills) may include demand deposits and highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less. Cash and cash equivalents are carried at cost, which approximates fair value. The Fund deposits its cash and cash equivalents with highly-rated banking corporations and, at times, may exceed the insured limits under applicable law.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

3. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

The Fund utilizes various inputs to measure the fair value of its investments. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the reporting entity. Unobservable inputs reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability that are developed based on the best information available. These inputs are categorized in the following hierarchy under applicable financial accounting standards:

The availability of observable inputs can vary from security to security and is affected by a wide variety of factors, including, for example, the type of security, whether the security is new and not yet established in the marketplace, the liquidity of markets, and other characteristics particular to the security. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3.

The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The inputs used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

The following table summarizes the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments under the fair value hierarchy levels as of June 30, 2021:

The following table presents changes in the fair value of investments for which Level 3 inputs were used to determine the fair value as of and for the period ended June 30, 2021:

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

The following table summarizes the valuation techniques and significant unobservable inputs used for the Fund’s investments that are categorized in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy as of June 30, 2021:

4. INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES AND OTHER AGREEMENTS

Flat Rock Global, LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund pursuant to the terms of an investment advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”). Under the terms of the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser provides the Fund such investment advice as it deems advisable and furnishes a continuous investment program for the Fund consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and strategies. As compensation for its management services, the Fund pays the Adviser a management fee of 1.375% (as a percentage of the average daily value of total assets), paid quarterly in arrears, calculated based on the average daily value of total assets at the end of the two most recently completed quarters.

In addition to the Advisory Fee, the Adviser in entitled to an incentive fee. The incentive fee is calculated and payable quarterly in arrears in an amount equal to 15.0% of our “pre-incentive fee net investment income” for the immediately preceding quarter, and is subject to a hurdle rate, expressed as a rate of return on our “adjusted capital,” equal to 1.50% per quarter (or an annualized hurdle rate of 6.00%), subject to a “catch-up” feature, which allows the Adviser to recover foregone incentive fees that were previously limited by the hurdle rate. For this purpose, “pre-incentive fee net investment income” means interest income, dividend income and any other income accrued during the calendar quarter, minus our operating expenses for the quarter (including the management fee, expenses reimbursed to the Adviser for any administrative services provided by the Adviser and any interest expense and distributions paid on any issued and outstanding preferred shares, but excluding the incentive fee). “Adjusted capital” means the cumulative gross proceeds received by the Fund from the sale of shares (including pursuant to the Fund’s distribution reinvestment plan), reduced by amounts paid in connection with purchases of the Fund’s shares pursuant to the Fund’s Repurchase Program.

The calculation of the incentive fee on pre-incentive fee net investment income for each quarter is as follows:

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“ALPS”) serves as the Fund’s Administrator and Accounting Agent and receives customary fees from the Fund for such services.

DST Systems Inc., an affiliate of ALPS, serves as transfer, dividend paying and shareholder servicing agent for the Fund.

U.S. Bank N.A. serves as the Fund’s custodian.

The Fund has entered into a Distribution Agreement with ALPS Distributors, Inc. (the “Distributor”), an affiliate of ALPS, to provide distribution services to the Fund. The Distributor serves as principal underwriter/distributor of shares of the Fund.

ALPS, DST Systems Inc., U.S. Bank N.A., and the Distributor are not considered affiliates, as defined under the 1940 Act, of the Fund.

5. REPURCHASE OFFERS

The Fund conducts quarterly repurchase offers of 5% of the Fund’s outstanding shares. Repurchase offers in excess of 5% are made solely at the discretion of the Board and investors should not rely on any expectation of repurchase offers in excess of 5%. In the event that a repurchase offer is oversubscribed, shareholders may only be able to have a portion of their shares repurchased.

Quarterly repurchases occur in the months of January, April, July, and October. A Repurchase Offer Notice will be sent to shareholders at least 21 calendar days before the Repurchase Request Deadline, which is ordinarily on the third Friday of the month in which the repurchase occurs. The repurchase price will be the Fund’s NAV determined on the repurchase pricing date, which is ordinarily expected to be the Repurchase Request Deadline. Payment for all shares repurchased pursuant to these offers will be made not later than seven calendar days after the repurchase pricing date.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

During the six months ended June 30, 2021, the Fund completed two repurchase offers. In these offers, the Fund offered to repurchase no less than 5% of the number of its outstanding shares as of the Repurchase Pricing Dates. The result of the repurchase offers were as follows:

6. PORTFOLIO INFORMATION

Purchases and sales of securities for the six months ended June 30, 2021, excluding short-term securities, were as follows:

7. TAXES

Classification of Distributions

Distributions are determined in accordance with U.S. federal income tax regulations, which differ from U.S. GAAP, and therefore, may differ significantly in amount or character from net investment income and realized gains for financial statement purposes. Financial reporting records are adjusted for permanent book/tax differences to reflect tax character but are not adjusted for temporary differences.

The tax character of distributions paid by the Fund during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, was as follows:

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

Tax Basis of Investments

Net unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) of investments based on federal tax cost as of June 30, 2021, with differences related to partnership investments and wash sales, was as follows:

8. RISK FACTORS

In the normal course of business, the Fund invests in financial instruments and enters into financial transactions where risk of potential loss exists due to such things as changes in the market (market risk) or failure or inability of the other party to a transaction to perform (credit and counterparty risk). See below for a detailed description of select principal risks. The following list is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of all of the potential risks associated with the Fund. The Fund’s prospectus provides a detailed discussion of the Fund’s risks and considerations.

Credit Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk that the issuer or guarantor of an obligation, or the counterparty to a transaction, may fail, or become less able, to make timely payment of interest or principal or otherwise honor its obligations or default completely. The strategies utilized by the Adviser require accurate and detailed credit analysis of issuers, and there can be no assurance that its analysis will be accurate or complete. The Fund may be subject to substantial losses in the event of credit deterioration or bankruptcy of one or more issuers in its portfolio.

Financial strength and solvency of an issuer are the primary factors influencing credit risk. The Fund could lose money if the issuer or guarantor of a debt security is unable or unwilling, or is perceived (whether by market participants, rating agencies, pricing services or otherwise) as unable or unwilling, to make timely principal and/or interest payments, or to otherwise honor its obligations. Companies in which the Fund invests could deteriorate as a result of, among other factors, an adverse development in their business, a change in the competitive environment or an economic downturn. As a result, companies that the Adviser may have expected to be stable may operate, or expect to operate, at a loss or have significant variations in operating results, may require substantial additional capital to support their operations or maintain their competitive position, or may otherwise have a weak financial condition or be experiencing financial distress. In addition, inadequacy of collateral or credit enhancement for a debt obligation may affect its credit risk. Although the Fund may invest in investments that the Adviser believes are secured by specific collateral, the value of which may exceed the principal amount of the investments at the time of initial investment, there can be no assurance that the liquidation of any such collateral would satisfy the borrower’s obligation in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal payments with respect to such investment, or that such collateral could be readily liquidated. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy of a borrower, the Fund could experience delays or limitations with respect to its ability to realize the benefits of the collateral securing an investment. Under certain circumstances, collateral securing an investment may be released without the consent of the Fund.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

Credit risk is typically greater for securities with ratings that are below investment grade (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”). Since the Fund can invest significantly in high-yield investments considered speculative in nature and unsecured investments, this risk may be substantial. The Fund’s right to payment and its security interest, if any, may be subordinated to the payment rights and security interests of more senior creditors. This risk may also be greater to the extent the Fund uses leverage or derivatives in connection with the management of the Fund. Changes in the actual or perceived creditworthiness of an issuer, or a downgrade or default affecting any of the Fund’s securities, could affect the Fund’s performance.

Senior Loans. The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing in a portfolio composed primarily of senior secured loans of U.S. middle-market companies (“Senior Loans”) and investment vehicles, such as collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”), business development companies (“BDCs”) or senior loan facilities that provide the Fund with exposure to Senior Loans. Investing in Senior Loans involves a number of significant risks. Below investment grade Senior Loans have historically experienced greater default rates than has been the case for investment grade securities. The Fund intends to achieve its investment objective by investing in a portfolio composed primarily of securities that are rated below investment grade by rating agencies, or that would be rated below investment grade if they were rated. Below investment grade securities, which are often referred to as “junk,” have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. They may also be difficult to value and illiquid. There can be no assurance as to the levels of defaults or recoveries that may be experienced on the Fund’s investments in Senior Loans. Senior Loans in which the Fund invests may be issued by companies with limited financial resources and limited access to alternative financing. Issuers of Senior Loans may be unable to meet their obligations under their debt securities that the Fund holds. Such developments may be accompanied by deterioration in the value of collateral backing its investments. This could lead to a decline in value of the Fund’s Senior Loan investments, which could result in a decline in the Fund’s net earnings and NAV. In addition, many of the Fund’s Senior Loans are “bank loans” that may not be deemed to be “securities” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Bank loan providers may not have the protections of the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws and must rely instead on contractual provisions in loan agreements and applicable common-law fraud protections.

CLO Risk. CLOs are securities backed by an underlying portfolio of loan obligations. CLOs issue classes or “tranches” that vary in risk and yield and may experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, decrease of market value due to collateral defaults and removal of subordinate tranches, market anticipation of defaults and investor aversion to CLO securities as a class. Investments in CLO securities may be riskier and less transparent than direct investments in the underlying loans and debt obligations. The risks of investing in CLOs depend largely on the tranche invested in and the type of the underlying loans in the tranche of the CLO in which the Fund invests. The tranches in a CLO vary substantially in their risk profile, and debt tranches are more senior than equity tranches. The senior tranches are relatively safer because they have first priority on the collateral in the event of default. As a result, the senior tranches of a CLO generally have a higher credit rating and offer lower coupon rates than the junior tranches, which offer higher coupon rates to compensate for their higher default risk. The Fund expects that it will primarily invest in junior debt tranches of CLOs. The CLOs in which the Fund may invest may incur, or may have already incurred, debt that is senior to the Fund’s investment. CLOs also carry risks including, but not limited to, interest rate risk and credit risk. Investments in CLOs may be subject to certain tax provisions that could result in the Fund incurring tax or recognizing income prior to receiving cash distributions related to such income. CLOs that fail to comply with certain U.S. tax disclosure requirements may be subject to withholding requirements that could adversely affect cash flows and investment results. Any unrealized losses the Fund experiences with respect to its CLO investments may be an indication of future realized losses. Equity tranches are unrated and equity investors receive no principal payments, if any, until all debt obligations are paid.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

Middle Market Risk. Investing in middle-market companies is highly speculative and involves a high degree of risk of credit loss, and therefore the Fund’s securities may not be suitable for someone with a low tolerance for risk. Middle-market companies are more likely to be considered lower grade investments, commonly called “junk,” which are either rated below investment grade by one or more nationally-recognized statistical rating agencies at the time of investment or may be unrated but determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality. Lower grade securities or comparable unrated securities are considered predominantly speculative regarding the portfolio company’s ability to pay interest and principal and are susceptible to default or decline in market value due to adverse economic and business developments. These risks are likely to increase during volatile economic periods.

LIBOR Risk: Concerns have been publicized that some of the member banks surveyed by the British Bankers’ Association (“BBA”) in connection with the calculation of LIBOR across a range of maturities and currencies may have been under-reporting or otherwise manipulating the inter-bank lending rate applicable to them in order to profit on their derivatives positions or to avoid an appearance of capital insufficiency or adverse reputational or other consequences that may have resulted from reporting inter-bank lending rates higher than those they actually submitted. A number of BBA member banks have entered into settlements with their regulators and law enforcement agencies with respect to alleged manipulation of LIBOR, and investigations by regulators and governmental authorities in various jurisdictions are ongoing.

On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that it intends to phase out LIBOR by the end of 2021. It is unclear if at that time whether or not LIBOR will cease to exist or if new methods of calculating LIBOR will be established such that it continues to exist after 2021. The U.S. Federal Reserve, in conjunction with the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a steering committee comprised of large U.S. financial institutions, is considering replacing U.S. dollar LIBOR with a new index calculated by short-term repurchase agreements, backed by Treasury securities. The future of LIBOR at this time is uncertain. Potential changes, or uncertainty related to such potential changes, may adversely affect the market for LIBOR-based securities, including our portfolio of LIBOR-indexed, floating-rate debt securities, or the cost of our borrowings. In addition, changes or reforms to the determination or supervision of LIBOR may result in a sudden or prolonged increase or decrease in reported LIBOR, which could have an adverse impact on the market for LIBOR-based securities, including the value of the LIBOR-indexed, floating-rate debt securities in our portfolio, or the cost of our borrowings. Additionally, if LIBOR ceases to exist, we may need to renegotiate the credit agreements extending beyond 2021 that utilize LIBOR as a factor in determining the interest rate and certain of our existing credit facilities to replace LIBOR with the new standard that is established.

Global Markets Risk: The U.S. and global markets have, from time to time, experienced periods of disruption due to events such as terrorist attacks; acts of war; natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, floods or hurricanes; and outbreaks of epidemic, pandemic or contagious diseases. Such events have created, and continue to create, economic and political uncertainties and have contributed to recent global economic instability. In particular, outbreaks of epidemic, pandemic or contagious diseases may cause serious harm to our business, operating results and financial condition. Historically, disease pandemics such as the Ebola virus, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or the H1N1 virus, have diverted resources and priorities towards the treatment of such diseases. In December 2019, a strain of novel coronavirus causing respiratory illness, or COVID-19, emerged in the city of Wuhan in the Hubei province of China.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

Any prolonged disruptions in the business of the portfolio companies underlying the CLOs in which we invest, including a disruption in their supply chains may adversely affect their ability to obtain the necessary raw materials or components to make their products or cause a decline in the demand for their products or services, leading to a negative impact on their operating results. In addition, such events may lead to restrictions on travel to and from the affected areas, making it more difficult for companies to conduct their businesses. As a result of pandemic outbreaks, including COVID-19, businesses can be shut down, supply chains can be interrupted, slowed, or rendered inoperable, and individuals can become ill, quarantined, or otherwise unable to work and/or travel due to health reasons or governmental restrictions. Governmental mandates may require forced shutdowns of companies’ facilities for extended or indefinite periods. In addition, these widespread outbreaks of illness, particularly in China, North America, Europe, or other locations significant to the operations of the portfolio companies underlying the CLOs in which we invest, could adversely affect their workforce, resulting in serious health issues and absenteeism, and may cause serious harm to our results of operations, business, or prospects.

Furthermore, future terrorist activities, military or security operations, natural disasters, disease outbreaks, pandemics or other similar events could further weaken the domestic/global economies and create additional uncertainties, which may negatively impact our investments. During these periods of disruption, general economic conditions may deteriorate with material and adverse consequences for the broader financial and credit markets, and the availability of debt and equity capital for the market as a whole, and financial services firms in particular. Such economic adversity could impair companies’ financial positions and operating results and affect the industries in which we invest, which could, in turn, harm our operating results. These conditions may reoccur for a prolonged period of time or materially worsen in the future.

Valuation Risk: Most of the Fund’s investments are not traded on national securities exchanges, and the Fund does not have the benefit of market quotations or other pricing data from such an exchange. Certain of the Fund’s investments will have the benefit of third-party bid-ask quotations. With respect to investments for which pricing data is not readily available or when such pricing data is deemed not to represent fair value, the Fund’s Board has approved a multi-step valuation process each quarter. There is no single standard for determining fair value in good faith. As a result, determining fair value requires that judgment be applied to the specific facts and circumstances of each portfolio investment while employing a consistently applied valuation process for the types of investments the Fund makes.

Interest Rate Risk: Interest rate sensitivity refers to the change in earnings that may result from changes in the level of interest rates. The Fund intends to fund portions of its investments with borrowings, and at such time, its net investment income will be affected by the difference between the rate at which it invests and the rate at which it borrows. Accordingly, the Fund cannot assure that a significant change in market interest risks will not have a material adverse effect on its net investment income.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

9. BORROWINGS

The Fund maintains a $35 million revolving line of credit, originally obtained by Flat Rock Capital Corp. through a special purpose wholly-owned subsidiary, FRC Funding I, LLC (“FRC Funding”), who entered into a Loan and Security Agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with certain financial institutions as lenders (“Lenders”), State Bank and Trust Company as the administrative agent (“State Bank”) and Alostar Capital Finance (“Alostar”), as Lead Arranger and Bookrunner, pursuant to which the Lenders agreed to provide the Company with a revolving line of credit (the “Credit Facility”). The Loan Agreement was subsequently amended to add Cadence Bank, N.A. as the administrative agent following its merger with State Bank and Trust, and to add Hitachi Capital America Corp. to the Lenders.

As of June 30, 2021, the Fund had drawn down $26,686,689 from the Credit Facility and the maximum borrowing outstanding during the six month period was $32,465,955. The Fund is charged an interest rate of 2.88% above the daily LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate), which was 3.02% at June 30, 2021. The Fund is charged a fee on the average daily unused balance of the Credit Facility of between 0.50% and 1.00%. Pursuant to the terms of the Loan Agreement, the Borrowers granted to Cadence for the benefit of Cadence and Hitachi, Lenders, Alostar and its affiliates, a security interest and a lien in substantially all of FRC Funding’s assets.

The average annualized interest rate charged and the average outstanding loan payable for the six months ended June 30, 2021 was as follows:

10. DISTRIBUTION REINVESTMENT PLAN

The Board approved the establishment of a distribution reinvestment plan (the “DRIP”). The DRIP was effective as of, and was first applied to the reinvestment of cash distributions paid on or after, December 7, 2020.

Under the DRIP, cash distributions paid to participating stockholders are reinvested in shares at a price equal to the net asset value per share of the Shares as of such date.

11. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

The Fund had an aggregate of 11,589,001 of unfunded commitments to provide debt financing to its portfolio companies or to fund limited partnership interests as of June 30, 2021. As of June 30, 2021, there were no capital calls or draw requests made by the portfolio companies to fund these commitments. Such commitments are generally up to the Fund’s discretion to approve or are subject to the satisfaction of certain financial and nonfinancial covenants and involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit risk in excess of the amount recognized in the Fund’s consolidated statement of assets and liabilities and are not reflected in the Fund’s consolidated statement of assets and liabilities.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

A summary of the composition of the unfunded commitments as of June 30, 2021 is shown in the table below:

12. FUND REORGANIZATION

On November 20, 2020 (the “Reorganization Date”), pursuant to the approval of an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (the “Plan”) by and between Flat Rock Core Income Fund (the “Acquiring Fund”) and Flat Rock Capital Corp. (the “Acquired Fund”), the Acquired Fund transferred all of its assets to the Acquiring Fund, in exchange for shares of the Acquiring Fund and the assumption by the Acquiring Fund of all of the liabilities of the Acquired Fund.

As of the Reorganization Date, and pursuant to the terms of the Plan, shareholders of the Acquired Fund became shareholders of the Acquiring Fund and received their respective shares. The reorganization qualified as a tax-free “reorganization” under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

On the Reorganization Date, the Acquiring Fund and the Acquired Fund reported the following financial information:

The investment portfolio value and unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) as of the Reorganization Date of the Acquired Fund was as follows:

Immediately following the reorganization, the net assets of the Acquiring Fund was $58,952,907 and 2,892,351 shares were issued in the Acquiring Fund.

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

Assuming the acquisition had been completed on January 1, 2020, the Acquiring Fund’s pro forma results of operations for the period January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020, are as follows:

13. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

The Fund has evaluated events and transactions through the date the financial statements were issued and has identified the following events for disclosure in the financial statements:

On July 27, 2021, the Fund completed a quarterly repurchase offer. In this offer, the Fund offered to repurchase up to 5% of the number of its outstanding shares as of the Repurchase Pricing Date. The result of the repurchase offers was as follow:

Subsequent to June 30, 2021, the Fund paid the following distributions:

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

PROXY VOTING

A description of the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures is available without charge, upon request by calling 1-307-500-5200, or on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the twelve-month period ended June 30th is available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

The Fund files a monthly portfolio investments report with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on Form N-PORT within 60 days after the end of the Fund's first and third quarters. Copies of the Fund’s Form N-PORT are available without charge, upon request, by contacting the Fund at 1-307-500-5200, or on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

PRIVACY NOTICE

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

June 30, 2021 (Unaudited)

Must be accompanied or preceded by a Prospectus.

 ALPS Distributors, Inc. is the Distributor for the Flat Rock Core Income Fund.

Item 2. Code of Ethics.

Not applicable to semi-annual report.

Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert.

Not applicable to semi-annual report.

Item 4.  Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

Not applicable to semi-annual report.

Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.

Not applicable to semi-annual report.

Item 6. Investments.

Item 7. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable to semi-annual report.

Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Item 9. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers.

None.

Item 10. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

There have been no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the Registrant’s Board of Trustees.

Item 11. Controls and Procedures.

Item 12. Disclosure of Securities Lending Activities for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Not applicable.

Item 13. Exhibits.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

FLAT ROCK CORE INCOME FUND

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.