From tinned fish to aerospace tech: Start Up Loans helps create or support 250,000 jobs in the UK
Press release
- Economic data shows Start Up Loans-supported businesses are creating jobs in every UK Nation and region
- 14 entrepreneurs have been named 2026 Start Up Loans Ambassadors, including Dorset tinned fish pioneers who appeared on Dragon’s Den, Belfast banjo makers and the founder of a period pain product business now supplying Walmart
- The Start Up Loans programme has provided 140,000 loans to small businesses nationwide, amounting to more than £1.4bn
- New data highlights strong entrepreneurial ambition among younger people, with founders under 30 particularly likely to start businesses in the fitness and ecommerce sectors
- Successful business owners pass on their support and advice to smaller business owners
New data released today shows the Start Up Loans programme has helped create or support more than 249,000 jobs across the UK, as businesses funded by the government-backed British Business Bank programme have gone on to hire, grow and contribute to local economies.
The latest Start Up Loans data demonstrates the vital role the programme plays in supporting entrepreneurs from all backgrounds across the UK. In 2025/26, Start Up Loans supported businesses across a wide range of sectors, with hairdressing and beauty businesses receiving almost 700 of the 11,520 loans issued during the year. Hospitality, fitness, food and drink, and e-commerce businesses also featured prominently among those benefiting from the programme’s funding and support.
The data shows Start Up Loans is helping entrepreneurs of all ages start and grow businesses. Among founders under 30, loans were most commonly used to launch customer-facing businesses such as fitness, hospitality and retail ventures. Meanwhile, older entrepreneurs were more likely to use the programme to establish businesses drawing on their professional expertise, including management consultancy, software development, and educational support services.
These findings highlight the breadth of entrepreneurs being supported by Start Up Loans, providing access to finance that enables people at different stages of life and from diverse professional backgrounds to start businesses, create jobs, and contribute to economic growth in communities across the UK.
The 2026 Ambassadors and Pass It On advice from famous entrepreneurs
The figures are announced as the owners of 14 small businesses are named as the 2026 Start Up Loans Ambassadors, an annual initiative now in its 14th year celebrating founders who have used a loan to turn their business ideas into reality.
This year, the Start Up Loans scheme is encouraging established, successful business owners to pass on the benefit of their experience to the new Ambassadors. Co-Founder of DASH Water, Alex Wright, offers encouragement, advising:
Don't be afraid to put yourself out there - start small, get feedback, iterate, and go again. It's the same model Eric Ries sets out in The Lean Startup, and it's served us well at DASH.
Emilie Vanpoperinghe, CEO and Co-Founder of Oddbox also has advice to smaller business owners:
The strongest brands feel authentic. If what you do consistently matches what you believe, people actually feel that and over time that will build a strong brand. So, I encourage the Start Up Loans Ambassadors to be authentic and to be intentional and consistent with what they do with their business.
Varun Bhanot, the Co-Founder and CEO of MAGIC AI:
My number one piece of advice for anyone starting a business is you’re going to need grit more than anything, you’ll need it more than being smart, being talented. You need grit. If you work the hardest, you stick at it and you have grit you’ll be just fine.
This year’s cohort reflects the diversity of entrepreneurs being supported by the Start Up Loan programme across the UK, with founders building businesses that are responding to changing consumer demands, sustainability challenges, local community needs, and emerging technological opportunities.
Of the Ambassadors, 12 represent each of the UK’s Nations and regions. The businesses include:
- Flyber, an East Midlands advanced manufacturing aerospace technology business developing composite blades for drones and next-generation electric aircraft
- Period Harmony, a London-based female-health business that creates doctor-formulated, drug-free period relief products and educational content about periods
- Ashlia, an award-winning fashion rental boutique in the Scottish Highlands
- Eden in the Wilde, a luxury reusable floral business in the North West
- RKB Boxing, a women-only boxing gym in Wales.
Two additional Ambassadors have also been selected from specialist groups supported by Start Up Loans. Gen Z Ambassador Mariam Sesay, 26, founded My Hapii, a plant-powered, Sierra Leonean-inspired haircare brand designed for afro-textured and curly hair. Former Army Surveyor Tim Jervis, founder of Salt Pig Sandwiches in York, represents the Armed Forces community with a business bringing fresh-baked bread, quality fillings, and bold sauces to the traditional sandwich.
To date, young entrepreneurs (18-24) have received more than £135m in Start Up Loan funding, while members of the Armed Forces community have received close to £70m from nearly 6,000 Start Up Loans.
Louise McCoy, Managing Director, Start Up Loans, British Business Bank said:
Every year, our Ambassadors demonstrate what can be achieved when entrepreneurs with ambition and determination can access the right support, finance, and guidance at the right time. The Start Up Loan Ambassadors show how great business ideas can be transformed into thriving enterprises that create jobs, drive innovation, and contribute to the economic growth in communities across the UK.
This year's Ambassadors represent the very best of UK entrepreneurship and Start Up Loans is proud to support founders from every devolved nation and region, helping them to take their first steps into business. Over the coming year, they will share their experiences, insight, and advice to inspire the next generation of founders, helping more people turn their ambitions into successful businesses.
Minister for Small Business and Enterprise Lord Leong said:
Start Up Loans have helped more than 100,000 entrepreneurs turn bold ideas into real businesses. Behind every business is a founder who took a chance - and the jobs created show how far that ambition can go with the right support.
This success is a tribute to our determined founders, inspiring ambassadors, and the British Business Bank. I congratulate everyone involved. Giving entrepreneurs the chance to succeed creates opportunities that reach far beyond any one business, benefiting families, communities, and the wider economy.
Further Information
If you are a journalist and have a media enquiry, please contact [email protected].
Notes to editors
Scotland – Ashlia: Lia Smith and Ashlee Smith
Lia Smith, 22, and Ashlee Smith, 19, founded Ashlia in 2024. Their business is an award-winning Highland fashion rental boutique, which helps to make occasion wear more affordable and sustainable.
Wales – RKB Boxing: Runa Bakshi
Runa Bakshi, 48, founded RKB Boxing at the beginning of this year. Her business offers women-only boxing and kickboxing training for all abilities and backgrounds, aimed at boosting confidence and fitness.
Northern Ireland - Rioja Bangos: Paul Conlon and John McClenaghan
Paul Conlon and John McClenaghan, co-founders of Ríoga Banjos, an innovative company redefining the traditional art of banjo making. Founder partner John McClenaghan is a banjo builder who has been hand-crafting his own instruments for 20 years. He teamed up with Paul, a ‘banjo mechanic’ for over 30 years and teacher, to create Ríoga Banjos, a bespoke maker of hand-built Irish tenor banjos.
London – Period Harmony: Raminder Samra
Raminder Samra, 33, founded Period Harmony in 2021 to help tackle period pain through innovative, discreet pain-relief solutions. The business's flagship slow-release menthol patch is stocked by major UK retailers and is soon set to launch in the US through Walmart.
North West – Eden in the Wilde: Natasha Nelson
Natasha Nelson, 47, launched Eden in the Wilde during lockdown. The business offers reusable floral designs as a more sustainable alternative to traditional wedding flowers, without compromising on the luxury look.
North East – Pretty Knits Wool Shop: Hannah Hazledine-Herd
Hannah Hazledine-Herd, 39, took over Pretty Knits Wool shop in 2023. Her business sells wools and yarns and offers a welcoming space for anyone who loves knitting, crochet and handmade creativity.
Yorkshire – CAHM Collective: Amy Hogarth
Amy Hogarth, 38, founded CAHM Collective from her kitchen table in 2020. Her business crafts a full range of luxury home fragrance and wellbeing products, stocked in over 200 independent gift shops, garden centres and boutiques across the UK and beyond.
West Midlands – Monk & Smuggler: Natasha Duncan
Natasha Duncan co-founded Monk & Smuggler in 2023. The independent Stafford coffee house focuses on quality coffee, community connections and creating a welcoming space for people to meet, work or simply enjoy a great drink.
East Midlands – Flyber: Rowan Carstensen
Rowan Carstensen co-founded Flyber, an aerospace technology business developing bespoke carbon-fibre composite blades for drones and next-generation electric aircraft. The company designs, tests and manufactures its high-performance blades in the UK, helping to shape the future of advanced air mobility.
East of England - Village Cricket Co: Freddie Chatt
Freddie Chatt, 35, founded Village Cricket Co in 2021 with his friend George to make cricket more accessible and affordable for grassroots players. The business designs and sells high-quality cricket equipment, including bats tailored to club and recreational cricketers, at an accessible price point.
South East – Ojas Saunas: Amelia Sweeney
Amelia Sweeney, 31, founded Ojas Saunas in 2024, after leaving a career in corporate real estate. The business provides outdoor sauna experiences designed to promote health, wellbeing and community, operating from two permanent sites, alongside a mobile sauna offering for retreats, events and private hires.
South West – Sea Sisters: Charlotte Dawe and Angus Cowen
Charlotte Dawe, 45 and Angus Cowen, 37, founded Sea Sisters in 2021. The craft fish cannery produces hand crafted British Conservas using the finest, ethically sourced British fish and seafood.
Ex-Forces – Salt Pig Sandwiches: Timothy Jervis
Timothy Jervis, 36, founded Salt Pig Sandwiches in 2025. The business serves fresh, baked-in-store bread with quality meats, cheeses and bold sauces, bringing a little bit of luxury to the traditional sandwich.
Gen Z – My Hapii: Miriam Sesay
Miriam Sesay, 26, founded My Hapii in 2022, creating plant-powered, handmade hair and body oils inspired by Sierra Leonean botanical traditions. A self-taught natural hair stylist turned professional formulator, she built the brand to simplify care for afro-textured and curly hair.
Regional breakdown of loans since 2012
Since 2012, 70% of Start Up Loans finance has been delivered outside of London and the South East.
Data
All loan drawdowns 2025/26
| Industry | Number |
|---|---|
| Hairdressing and other beauty treatment | 698 |
| Other human health activities | 398 |
| Take-away food shops and mobile food stands | 382 |
| Fitness facilities | 369 |
| Unlicenced restaurants and cafes | 365 |
| Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet | 357 |
| Other service activities n.e.c. | 248 |
| Retail sale of clothing in specialised stores | 211 |
| Licenced restaurants | 195 |
| Other food services | 194 |
All loan drawdowns 2025/26 Under 30 year-olds
| Industry | Number |
|---|---|
| Hairdressing and other beauty treatment | 209 |
| Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet | 150 |
| Fitness facilities | 128 |
| Retail sale of clothing in specialised stores | 80 |
| Take-away food shops and mobile food stands | 74 |
| Unlicenced restaurants and cafes | 70 |
| Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles | 66 |
| Other retail sale not in stores, stalls or markets | 64 |
| Other service activities n.e.c. | 64 |
All loan drawdowns 2025/26 50 years old and over
| Rank | Industry | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Other human health activities | 77 |
| 2 | Take-away food shops and mobile food stands | 53 |
| 3 | Unlicenced restaurants and cafes | 46 |
| 4 | Other service activities n.e.c. | 45 |
| 5 | Other business support service activities n.e.c. | 40 |
| 6 | Hairdressing and other beauty treatment | 38 |
| 7 | Business and domestic software development | 33 |
| 8 | Educational support services | 33 |
| 9 | Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet | 33 |
| 10 | Management consultancy activities other than financial management | 32 |
About Start Up Loans
The Start Up Loans programme provides personal loans for business purposes of up to £25,000 at a fixed interest rate per annum and offers free dedicated mentoring and support to each business. Eligibility for a first Start Up Loan has been extended to businesses that have been trading for up to 60 months.
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. You can find recent media press releases here.
The funding for the Start Up Loans programme is provided by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST). 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.co.uk.
Quick links
- Visit the Ashlia website
- Visit the RBK Boxing profile on Instagram
- Visit the Rioja Banjos website
- Visit the Period Harmony website
- Visit the Eden in the Wilde website
- Visit the Pretty Knits Woolshop website
- Visit the CAHM Collective website
- Visit the Monk & Smuggler website
- Visit the Flyber website
- Visit the Village Cricket Co website
- Visit the Ojas Saunas website
- Visit the Sea Sisters website
- Visit the Salt Pig Sandwiches website
- Visit the My Hapii website
Latest news
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Read more about Start Up Loans celebrates record ‘summer of business’ lending to UK entrepreneurs Press release
10 September 2026 -
Read more about London’s female entrepreneurs boosted by £100m of Start Up Loans Press release
24 August 2026 -
Read more about East Sussex business owners have received £10m Start Up Loans funding Press release
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