Subsidised and Guaranteed Loans

If you have a promising business but cannot provide the security needed for a conventional bank loan, the Government's Small Firms Loan Guarantee may be what you need.

Alternatively, other supported loan schemes (loans subsidised by government or local agencies) may reduce your borrowing costs if you meet their lending criteria.

This briefing covers:

The Government's Small Firms Loan Guarantee provides a government guarantee against default on loans from banks and other financial institutions.

The scheme is run by the the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR). It focuses on start-up and younger businesses who have been trading for less than five years. It is intended to guarantee loans for sound business projects that cannot get conventional financing owing to a lack of suitable security.

• The Small Firms Loan Guarantee.
• Which business activities are most likely to qualify for other supported loan schemes.
• How to apply.
• An overview of the major schemes.