Supporting businesses with access to finance up to £150k
Let’s Do Business Finance are a Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) and offer business loans across the South East and East of England.
As well as being accredited for the new Community ENABLE Funding, we are also accredited lenders of the Growth Guarantee Scheme, and are an Official Business Support Partner of the Start Up Loans programme.
We’re accredited lenders of Community ENABLE Funding (CEF)
Let’s Do Business Finance are pleased to be the first accredited lender under The British Business Bank’s Community ENABLE Funding (CEF) Programme, which was designed to support Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) in accessing more funding to better support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), especially those in underserved communities, by increasing the availability of finance.
The Community ENABLE Fund aims to:
Help social lenders and CDFIs increase their SME lending activity by providing more capital, this will enable increased funding to SMEs that have been excluded or declined by mainstream lenders.
Support more ethnic minority-led and female-led businesses.
Boost access to finance for SMEs in deprived areas.
Having access to the Community ENABLE Funding means that Let’s Do Business Finance can now help more businesses than ever before to achieve their growth ambitions.
If you’re looking to grow your business, there has never been a better time - we’re ready to help.
Loans from Let’s Do Business Finance
Borrow from £25,001 up to £150,000
Loan terms up to 6 years
Primarily for businesses over 24 months old (younger businesses may also be eligible in specific circumstances. Contact Us to find out more)
Can be used for business purposes including managing cashflow, investment, staffing and growth
Our loans are accredited under the Community ENABLE Fund and the Growth Guarantee Scheme from the British Business Bank
Areas we cover
We can provide business loans to businesses within the South East and East of England including East and West Sussex, London, Surrey, Kent, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
Why choose Let’s Do Business Finance?
No algorithms.
We don’t rely on algorithms to make decisions - we look beyond the numbers, to the people and businesses behind them.
20 years of experience.
We have 20 years of experience lending to small businesses, and love to see them succeed.
We want to say yes!
We’re committed to supporting businesses who can’t access finance elsewhere.
Eligibility criteria
To qualify, businesses need to show they are financially stable and meet our criteria. This includes the requirements of the Growth Guarantee Scheme, which applies to loans funded through CEF.
What is the Growth Guarantee Scheme?
The successor scheme to the Recovery Loan Scheme, The Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS) launched in July 2024 and is designed to support access to finance for UK small businesses as they look to invest and grow.
The Growth Guarantee Scheme aims to improve the terms on offer to borrowers.
Features of the Growth Guarantee Scheme
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The maximum amount of a facility provided under the scheme is generally £2m per business group for borrowers outside the scope of the Northern Ireland Protocol, and up to £1m (or such other sum as notified from time to time by us to the lender in accordance with the relevant legal agreement(s)) per business group for Northern Ireland Protocol borrowers. Minimum facility sizes vary, starting at £1,000 for asset based lending and invoice finance, and £25,001 for term loans and overdrafts
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Growth Guarantee Scheme supports term loans, overdrafts, asset based lending and invoice finance facilities. Not all lenders will be able to offer all products
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Term loans and asset finance facilities are available from three months up to six years, with overdrafts and invoice finance available from three months up to three years
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Businesses that took out a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS), Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) or a Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) facility before 30 June 2024 are not prevented from accessing Growth Guarantee Scheme, but borrowing under these schemes may reduce the maximum amount the borrower is eligible for
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Interest rates and fees charged by Let’s Do Business Finance will vary and will depend on the specific lending proposal. Let’s Do Business Finance pricing will take into account the benefit of the Government guarantee
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Personal guarantees can be taken at the (organisation) discretion, in line with their normal commercial lending practices. Principal Private Residences cannot be taken as security within the Scheme
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The scheme provides the lender with a 70% government-backed guarantee against the outstanding balance of the facility after it has completed its normal recovery process. The borrower always remains 100% liable for the debt
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Growth Guarantee Scheme-backed facilities are provided at the discretion of Let’s Do Business Finance.
Let’s Do Business Finance are required to undertake our standard credit and fraud checks for all applicants
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The assistance provided through Growth Guarantee Scheme, like many Government-backed business support activities, is regarded as a subsidy and is deemed to benefit the borrower.
There is a limit to the amount of subsidy that may be received by a borrower, and its wider group, over any rolling three-year period. Any previous subsidy may reduce the amount a business can borrow. More information on subsidies is available here
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Growth Guarantee Scheme-backed facilities are provided at the discretion of Let’s Do Business Finance. We are required to undertake our standard credit and fraud checks for all applicants.
Eligibility restrictions
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The scheme is open to smaller businesses with a turnover of up to £45m (on a group basis, where part of a group)
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The borrower must be carrying out trading activity in the UK and, for most businesses, generating more than 50% of its income from trading activity
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Let's Do Business Finance must consider that the borrower has a viable business proposition
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The borrower must not be a business in difficulty, including not being in relevant insolvency proceedings
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Borrowers will need to provide written confirmation that receipt of the Growth Guarantee Scheme facility will not mean that the business exceeds the maximum amount of subsidy they are allowed to receive. All borrowers in receipt of a subsidy from a publicly funded programme should be provided with a written statement, confirming the level and type of aid received
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The following trades and organisations are not eligible to apply under the Growth Guarantee Scheme:
Banks, Building Societies, Insurers and Re-insurers (but not insurance brokers)
The public sector including state-funded primary and secondary schools
Unsure what finance you need?
Why not drop us a line? We’re a friendly bunch and our team of finance experts can take you through your options, and if our products don’t suit you, we can also offer credit brokerage to help you find the right finance option for you.
Business Guidance
The British Business Bank’s Business Guidance pages have a range of guidance and resources for businesses, including information on how to manage your cashflow and where to find independent advice.
The Community ENABLE Fund, and the Growth Guarantee Scheme is managed by the British Business Bank on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business and Trade. British Business Bank plc is a development bank wholly owned by HM Government. It is not authorised or regulated by the PRA or the FCA.