Government Business Support Helpline

Start Up Loans

We’re part of the British Business Bank and deliver the Government’s Start Up Loans programme, providing finance and support for businesses who struggle to access other forms of finance.

We work with a national network of business support partners who are based across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. As well as helping loan applicants prepare their business plans and cash flow forecasts, our business support partners are responsible for assessing final applications and providing ongoing mentoring support to those people whose applications are successful.

We also work with a finance provider, GC Business Finance (GCBF). Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), they are responsible for managing loan agreements and issuing funds to successful applicants. They also act as the main contact for any matters relating to loan administration and repayments. Business support partners do not get involved at this level once a loan has been granted.

We monitor all our business support partners and our finance provider closely, to make sure we’re consistent in how we support applicants and making responsible lending decisions across the entire network.