Reward Funding challenges traditional lending as it targets growth in 2026

Reward Funding has reported another record year of activity, as the alternative lender set out its performance across 2025 and outlined early priorities for 2026, with a continued focus on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and widening access to finance.

In its year-end overview, the business said it passed the £350m lending milestone for the first time in its 15-year history. Since launch, Reward Funding has provided more than £1.45bn in funding to over 2,000 clients.

During 2025, Reward was named one of The Sunday Times’ Best Places to Work for the second consecutive year, reflecting its emphasis on workplace culture and staff development.

The lender said it had strengthened its regional presence over the year, recruiting new team members across the Midlands, Greater London and the North East. The expansion was aimed at supporting higher deal volumes and improving access to funding for introducers and their SME clients.

Reward also played an active role in industry debate throughout the year, contributing to discussions on SME policy and economic conditions. This included responding to the Spring Statement and Autumn Budget and calling on government and regulators to do more to support SMEs, particularly those facing barriers to finance through traditional lenders.

Deal activity increased during the year, with Reward providing funding to more than 225 SMEs. The firm said many of these businesses were unable to secure finance from traditional lenders due to time constraints or the complexity of their transactions.

Nick Smith, group managing director at Reward Funding, said: “2025 has been another successful year for Reward.

“We’ve taken the steps needed to lead the way in industry discussions, becoming a key voice in rallying the relevant bodies to support SMEs before it is too late. We pride ourselves on our flexible funding model, something others cannot match.”

Looking ahead, Reward said it is preparing for further expansion of its loan book and client portfolio in 2026, as it continues to position itself as an alternative source of finance for SMEs amid ongoing economic uncertainty.