GC Business Finance Start Up Loans records strongest quarter to date

GC Business Finance (GCBF) has recorded its strongest-ever quarter for Start Up Loans delivery, issuing 609 loans worth a total of £7.2 million between April and June 2025 – a 12.5% increase on the same period last year.

GCBF, a leading alternative finance provider which delivers Start Up Loans on behalf of the British Business Bank, said the record-breaking quarter reflects growing demand for early-stage finance and its increasing visibility following GCBF’s appointment as one of the programme’s national Business Support Partners in 2023.

Since then, the Start Up Loans team at GCBF has quadrupled in size and helped thousands of entrepreneurs access vital finance and one-to-one support, with nearly 10,000 loans delivered through GCBF to date.

A recent Start Up Loan recipient supported by GCBF is Lytham-based Craft + Common, which secured £50,000 in total across loans to two directors to open its first craft studio and bar. Following its success, it has since self-funded two further store openings, with more planned for the future.

Reclaim Tentwear, a sustainable fashion business, also secured a Start Up Loan from GCBF, receiving over £10,000 of funding to purchase a hydraulic press and to support marketing efforts to raise brand awareness and reach new customers.

Alex Mearns, Head of Start Up Lending at GC Business Finance, said: “This has been a landmark quarter for our Start Up Loans team and the figures are a clear reflection of the increasing demand for early-stage finance, along with GCBF’s ability to meet this demand across the UK. We’re now supporting more entrepreneurs than ever, helping them access the finance they need to get ideas off the ground, grow their businesses and contribute to the wider economy.

“We’re continuing to expand our team in response to growing demand and look forward to supporting even more new ventures in the months and years ahead.”

British Business Bank

The BBB provided £6.8bn in finance supported for smaller businesses in 2024/25, including £1.2bn in public funding, £2.6bn in lending guarantees, and £3.0bn in private capital according to its annual report, which has just been published.

The bank returned a statutory pre-tax profit of £144m, while its investment portfolio grew by 19% to £4.7bn, with a 4.2% five-year adjusted return on capital employed. The majority (84%) of supported businesses were outside London; over 28,000 businesses backed, including 24,000 new recipients.

“Our activities in 2024/25 are expected to produce an impact of 38,000 additional jobs and £8.0bn of gross value added over the life of the finance.

“At the same time, we have undertaken a significant reshaping of our organisation to prepare for an expanded mandate and long-term ambitions. Having an economic development bank with permanent capital and a consistent risk appetite, underpinning the UK venture and growth market through its cycles, is a powerful and very positive development.”

Stephen Welton, Chair, British Business Bank, added: “With a proven track record on a nationwide basis in driving economic growth, innovation and jobs, over the next ten years we expect the British Business Bank to become a far more visible and recognisable institution, firmly embedded in the national narrative of smaller business growth and success.

“A rise in our total financial capacity to £25.6bn will enable us to increase annual investments to around £2.5bn a year and to crowd in even more third party capital.”