Funding Circle teams up with rugby star Henry Pollock to champion SMEs

The initiative, called The Pitch, forms part of Funding Circle’s longstanding partnership with PREM Rugby and aims to help smaller businesses raise their profile and attract new customers.

The launch follows new research commissioned by Funding Circle revealing that more than half (51%) of UK SME owners consider attracting the attention of new customers one of their biggest challenges to growth.

A third (34%) said they had good ideas for promoting their businesses but lacked the funding or resources to put them into practice, while 35% reported that cash flow pressures had prevented them from investing in marketing as they would have liked over the past year.

The findings also highlight the limited marketing budgets available to many smaller firms.

More than half (51%) of SME owners spent less than £1,000 on marketing and advertising during the past 12 months, including 16% who spent nothing at all.

However, almost four in ten (39%) said they would prioritise a professionally produced advertising campaign or professional social media and video content if budget and access were not barriers.

The research found that many business owners are managing marketing activities themselves alongside their day-to-day responsibilities.

Almost half (49%) personally manage their company’s social media accounts, while 42% produce their own photography and video content.

More than a quarter (28%) have also had to learn marketing skills they had not previously expected to need.

When choosing someone to represent their business, respondents identified trustworthiness (43%), authenticity (33%) and relatability (26%) as the most important qualities.

Alexander Allen, Managing Director and Chief Customer Officer at Funding Circle, said: “We support small businesses every day, so we know just how much hard work, ambition and creativity goes into running one. But having a great business is only half the battle. Getting it in front of the right people can be just as challenging, especially when you’re juggling everything else that comes with running a business.

“At Funding Circle, we’ve always been about helping small businesses thrive, and that goes beyond access to finance. Our partnership with PREM Rugby gives us a brilliant opportunity to do something different, using the reach and profile of the sport to shine a light on the businesses that keep the UK moving.”

Rugby star joins campaign to promote small businesses

Through The Pitch, one winning SME will receive a professionally produced advertising video starring Northampton Saints and England player Henry Pollock, potentially alongside other PREM Rugby stars.

The prize also includes a £5,000 advertising campaign and co-branded LED advertising at the winning business’s local PREM Rugby club.

To launch the competition, Pollock appears in a campaign film taking on a range of small-business roles, including working as a barista, barber and accountant, as well as trying his hand at hospitality, construction and other sectors.

Pollock said: “Small businesses are a huge part of rugby, supporting clubs and communities up and down the country, so it’s great to have the chance to give something back.

“I’m used to being thrown into different positions on a rugby pitch, but going on loan as a barista, barber and accountant were definitely new ones for me! We had a lot of fun making the film, and I can’t wait to see what businesses come up with.”

The competition is open to UK businesses, with entries accepted from 20 October until 3 November 2026. Businesses can enter through Funding Circle’s The Pitch competition page. Eligibility criteria apply, with one entry permitted per business and no purchase necessary.