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£4m delivered to ex-military entrepreneurs via Start Up Loans and X-Forces Enterprise over last year

Press release 25 June 2025

  • Over 3,390 military entrepreneurs have received a Start Up Loan since 2013
  • New special edition Veteran’s guide published to support Armed Forces personnel transitioning from the military to entrepreneurship
  • One such business owner is Jamie Cleland, founder of sauce company Big Jim’s Kitchen, who took out a loan with support from X-Forces earlier this year

Ahead of Armed Forces Day, Start Up Loans and X-Forces Enterprise announce over £4m worth of loans has been delivered to members of the Armed Forces community since July 2024.

Overall, since 2013, the value of Start Up Loans to Armed Forces personnel, veterans, and their families is approaching £40m (£39m). Since the partnership started, over 3,390 members of the wider military family have received funding and tailored support to start and grow their own businesses.

Recipients include veterans and family members from the Army, Royal Air Force, Navy and Marines. The most popular sectors for new businesses include retail, manual trades and digital/web services.

This milestone highlights the far-reaching impact of the programme. Last year, X-Forces Enterprise estimated that the businesses supported through these loans have created over 10,000 jobs, demonstrating the community-wide benefits of armed forces-led entrepreneurship.

In addition to helping businesses access funding, X-Forces Enterprise provides pre-and-post-loan mentoring to help entrepreneurs navigate the transition from military services into entrepreneurship.

Richard Bearman, Co-Chief Banking Officer, British Business Bank said: 

The Armed Forces community is a vital part of the UK population and it’s essential that they receive the support they need to transition successfully back to civilian life. Reaching nearly £40 million in lending for entrepreneurs from the Armed Forces is a moment to celebrate, as it reflects the incredible potential of this community and we clearly are doing more than ever with £4m being delivered in the last twelve months alone.

Ren Kapur MBE, Founder and CEO of X-Forces Enterprise commented:

It’s fantastic to work with Start Up Loans, and to see Armed Forces personnel and their families set up businesses, achieve their dreams, and create jobs. We share their success stories at our Soldiering On Awards and when we’re out and about at many military-led events. It’s hugely rewarding for us to see them realise their entrepreneurial ambitions and positively impact society.

Armed Forces personnel and their families use their skills to create such a variety of businesses, from Jamie’s hot sauce company through to UK Connect which is a multi-million pound turnover computer networking business. We are delighted to have supported over 3,300 business owners.

One founder to receive a loan from X-Forces Enterprise is Jamie Cleland, owner of hot sauce company Big Jim’s Kitchen, which instils the flavours of Scotland into delicious sauces, including their Hot Toddy and Irn Bru & Whisky flavours. 

Jamie Cleland, Owner, Big Jim’s Kitchen said:

Big Jim’s Kitchen was born out of passion, creativity, and a love for bold flavour - but to turn that vision into a real business, we needed belief and backing. Thanks to the incredible support from X-Forces Enterprise and Start Up Loans, we got the funding and the confidence to launch something truly special. Now, we’re bottling the spirit of Scotland, one whisky-infused sauce at a time.

The Start Up Loans programme was established in 2012 to help people - wherever they are in the UK and whatever their background - to achieve their ambitions of starting their own business. It provides fixed-interest loans of between £500 and £25,000 to aspiring business owners, many of whom might otherwise struggle to secure finance.

To further support existing or aspiring veterans and their families, Start Up Loans and X-Forces Enterprise have published a guide to equip the Armed Forces community with the knowledge needed to successfully launch and manage their new venture. The ‘Essential guide to starting a business: Veterans edition’ can be found on Funding | X-Forces Enterprise.

Further Information

If you are a journalist and have a media enquiry, please contact [email protected].

Notes to editors

About Start Up Loans 

The Start Up Loans programme provides personal loans for business purposes of up to £25,000 at a 6% fixed interest rate per annum and offers free dedicated mentoring and support to each business.
The primary aim of the Start Up Loans programme is to ensure that viable start-ups and early-stage businesses have access to the finance and support they need in order to thrive. A network of Business Support Partner organisations supports applicants in all regions and industries throughout the UK. The Start Up Loans programme is not designed to generate a commercial profit. Capital payments together with the interest are recycled to help meet increasing demands for finance.

Free guides on a range of subjects related to starting a business are available on the Start Up Loans website: Start Up Loans Free Start Up Guides. You can find recent media press releases on Start Up Loans Media Centre.

The funding for the Start Up Loans programme is provided by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). The Start Up Loans programme is operated by The Start-Up Loans Company, a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, registration number 08117656, registered office at Steel City House, West Street, Sheffield, S1 2GQ.  The Start-Up Loans Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of British Business Bank plc which is a development bank wholly owned by HM Government. British Business Bank plc and its subsidiaries are not banking institutions and do not operate as such. With the exception of BBB Investment Services Limited they are not authorised or regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority or the Financial Conduct Authority. BBB Investment Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. A complete legal structure chart for the group can be found at British Business Bank.

About X-Forces Enterprise

Established in 2013 by Lt Col Ren Kapur, MBE, X-Forces Enterprise (XFE) has been instrumental in supporting veterans, service leavers, reservists, spouses and family members in their business ventures.
The inception of XFE has its origins with Ren who, having seen how organisations such as the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development boasted 90% success rates for their micro-financing in Eastern European Countries, asked the question; Why we as UK PLC were ready to accept much poorer success rates? The additional influence was the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which led to a significant reduction in military personnel and thousands of people entering the job market.

Recognising the challenges faced by those serving personnel transitioning to civilian life, Ren developed a comprehensive blueprint for self-employment support tailored to the Armed Forces community. This initiative was bolstered by collaborations with the Ministry of Defence, the Cabinet Office, and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

A pivotal achievement was the policy change in 2013 allowing Government supported Start Up Loans funding for individuals over 30, broadening financial support for aspiring entrepreneurs. Money alone was not the answer, the educational wraparound from the MOD and the third sector also being key to support transition to the commercial world.

Since 2013, XFE has facilitated the launch of over 4,000 businesses, providing access to more than £38.7 million in start-up funds and delivering over 65,000 hours of training. In 2023, XFE celebrated its ten-year milestone anniversary at the London Stock Exchange, highlighting its significant contributions to the military community’s entrepreneurial landscape.

Today, XFE continues to champion enterprise learning, offering free-at-point-of-delivery training so individuals can navigate the complexities of self-employment and business ownership.
Learn more at X-Forces Enterprise

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