About the Start Up Loans Company

The Start Up Loans Company was established in September 2012, with a mission to help new and early-stage UK businesses access affordable finance and mentoring support.

We’re part of the British Business Bank and deliver the Government’s Start Up Loans programme, providing finance and support for businesses who struggle to access other forms of finance.

We work with a national network of business support partners who are based across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. As well as helping loan applicants prepare their business plans and cash flow forecasts, our business support partners are responsible for assessing final applications and providing ongoing mentoring support to those people whose applications are successful.

We also work with a finance provider, GC Business Finance (GCBF). Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), they are responsible for managing loan agreements and issuing funds to successful applicants. They also act as the main contact for any matters relating to loan administration and repayments. Business support partners do not get involved at this level once a loan has been granted.

We monitor all our business support partners and our finance provider closely, to make sure we’re consistent in how we support applicants and making responsible lending decisions across the entire network.

Our mission is to make owning a business a viable career for people who struggle to raise finance. We provide affordable loans and mentoring to help these people start up and succeed.

And as part of the British Business Bank, our aim is to drive sustainable growth and prosperity across the UK, and to enable the transition to a net zero economy, by supporting access to finance for smaller businesses.

Accessible and translated resources

We’ve translated some of our useful content into other languages and formats.

Learn more about accessible and translated resources

Find out more about the Start Up Loan product, interest rate and repayments terms

More about the Start Up Loans scheme

We’re more than just a finance provider. Our approach is designed to make sure our customers get the support they need to build a strong business. Read on to find out more about how we’ve done this successfully.

Impact and achievements

Start Up Loans have transformed the lives of thousands of people, our local communities and the nation as a whole. Learn more about what we’ve achieved.

Discover more about our achievements

Business support partners

We work with a national network of business support partners, whose experienced business advisers provide pre-loan support, assess applications and deliver mentoring.

Learn more about business support partners

Our success stories

We’ve already backed thousands of businesses with a Start Up Loan. Read some of our success stories and how our support helped people make their business dreams a reality.

Read our success stories

Our essential guide to starting a business

Essential guide to starting a business

To help you make your business idea a reality, we’ve created this short guide with all the information you need to get started. It includes tips and advice on a wide range of topics that are important to consider when getting your start-up off the ground.

  • Conducting market research on customers and competitors
  • Choosing a company structure
  • Figuring out responsibilities for paying insurance and tax
  • Developing your business strategy and sales forecast
  • Writing your business plan
  • Analysing your strengths and weaknesses