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Growth Guarantee Scheme supports £270 million in lending to North West businesses

August 6, 2025

North-west businesses report demand concerns in ICAEW monitor

The British Business Bank has reached the landmark milestone of £2.5 billion of lending nationwide under its Growth Guarantee Scheme, with the North West receiving £272 million across 1,495 facilities alone.

69% of lending has been delivered to businesses outside London and the South East, and there has also been a wide range of industry sectors supported across the UK through the scheme. This includes over £368 million for manufacturing, over £366 million to wholesale and retail, and over £234 million to the construction sector.

The Growth Guarantee Scheme is designed to support access to finance for UK smaller businesses as they look to invest and grow. The Growth Guarantee Scheme launched on 1 July 2024, with a wide range of products supported by a broad variety of accredited lenders, including term loans, overdrafts, asset finance, invoice finance and asset-based lending.

The Growth Guarantee Scheme can support facility sizes of up to £2 million and provides the lender with a 70% government-backed guarantee. The borrower always remains 100% liable for the debt.

Gareth Thomas, Minister for small business, said:

“As part of our Plan for Change we are committed to breaking down the barriers SMEs face when starting and scaling up, to create jobs and further boost the economy.

“This is an important milestone for the Growth Guarantee Scheme which plays a key role in helping us achieve this, by providing vital access to finance for smaller businesses right across the UK.”

Reinald de Monchy, Chief Banking Officer, British Business Bank said:

“This milestone is a demonstration of the important work done by the 50+ delivery partners who have signed up to the Growth Guarantee Scheme, since its launch in July 2024. In particular, it is fantastic to see how much lending has been provided to firms under five years old, and the diversity of sectors supported.

“The Government’s recent Spending Review will provide the scheme with funding until March 2030, and we are excited to see the additional impact it can generate for smaller businesses across the UK.”

Phil Hughes, deputy managing director of SME Lending at Paragon Bank, said:

“The Growth Guarantee Scheme has proven to be a powerful tool in enabling Paragon to provide greater support to ambitious UK businesses who need funding. We’ve already witnessed the significant impact it can have, particularly in key sectors like construction and agriculture, where initial investment costs often pose a major hurdle. The strong early results and high demand are clear indicators of its effectiveness – with continued support from the British Business Bank, we look forward to expanding our efforts even further.”

Tina McKenzie, Policy Chair, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said:

“FSB campaigned for the Growth Guarantee Scheme to be created, and so we’re pleased to see this latest lending record, which shows just how vital the Scheme has been to so many small businesses up and down the country. As the UK’s grassroots business network, we particularly welcome how the funding has been spread right across all the regions and nations, unlocking wealth and job creation in FSB members and others in local communities.

“Small firms will be the engine of future economic growth, so getting them the finance they need is key. The Growth Guarantee Scheme reaches promising businesses which might otherwise not be able to turn their business plan into reality.”

Heatherley Wood
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