GC Business Finance has delivered a record year through the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme, directly injecting over £26m of Start Up Loan funding into ambitious businesses across the UK in the 2025/26 financial year.

Delivered across almost 2,500 loans, the funding has supported entrepreneurs across a wide range of sectors and areas throughout the UK.

As an alternative lender focused on supporting founders who may otherwise not be able to secure finance, the GCBF team has placed a particular focus on targeting founders who are typically underrepresented in the provision of finance. Of all loans directly provided over the last financial year, 39% went to female-founded businesses and 23% went to founders from ethnic minority backgrounds, exceeding the national average.

Operating as a Business Support Partner for both the North West, along with nationally, GCBF has helped businesses throughout the whole of the UK access vital funding. Outside of the North West, London received the highest proportion of funding at 11.4%, followed by the South East (11.2%), the South West (8%), and the East of England (7.1%).