Charlie Sefton founder Clevelli Bay

Since then it has evolved - including opening up to all age demographics - and has provided substantial support to aspiring UK business owners, delivering over 125,000 loans and providing post loan support, often in the form of mentoring. The programme continues to grow in strength, fuelled by the inspiring founders who have emerged. 

A recent expansion of Start Up Loans, announced earlier in the Summer by the Secretary of State for the Department for Business and Trade, marks a new chapter in this journey - with over £1 billion in additional lending to support even more founders.

We are scaling our efforts to offer up to 69,000 loans during the Spending Review period, with the average loan size expected to increase, or able to increase to £15,000, ensuring founders across the UK have the funding they need to kickstart their business.

The impact of this programme extends beyond the founders themselves, as these businesses boost their local economies and supply employment opportunities. The expansion of the programme has been projected to generate an estimated £1.3 billion in additional output, £3.1 billion in turnover and create 12,600 new jobs, driving growth in the UK.

The exciting expansion was announced as part of the Government's allocation of more than £4.5 billion to the British Business Bank through the ‘Backing Your Business' small business plan. The package also included extending the Growth Guarantee Scheme until 2030, increasing the ENABLE Guarantees programme capacity to £5 billion and enhancing the Regional Angels Programme with an additional £340 million. All these measures are designed to improve access to finance for small businesses across the breadth of the UK.

This £4.5 billion, alongside other Bank programme expansions, and introduction of new initiatives, is a result of the Government's 2025 Spending Review, which will elevate the British Business Bank's total financial capacity to £25.6 billion from April 2026. This increase will facilitate a two-thirds rise in investments, amounting to approximately £2.5 billion each year.

Clevelli Bay
Neurodivergent Charlie Sefton launched Clevelli Bay, an eco-friendly household cleaning brand after being inspired by Richard Branson's stories about dyslexia and success. With a £25,000 Start Up Loan, the brand successfully entered the market, offering ocean-inspired products designed to limit single-use plastic and reduce carbon emissions.

"Starting a product business with incredibly large upfront costs seemed impossible pre-revenue before I came across Start Up Loans. Not only did the loan provide the capital to get up and running, but my mentor's support was second to none. I was impressed by the knowledge, expertise and network that my mentor Sophie has supported me with. Aside from this, Sophie has also given me the mental confidence to push through the difficult times in setting up a business, particularly as a female founder."

Morgan's Juice Bar and Snacks
Nestled in Chalk Farm tube station, Morgan's Juice Bar and Snacks, was founded by a former forensic collector, Gary Morgan and Rachel, a former police officer and paramedic. The juice bar offers fresh, healthy options to commuters and locals, serving as a community cornerstone.

"During a visit to a juice bar, we were inspired to think, ‘We could do this!'. We set out to find the perfect location and stumbled upon a vacancy in Chalk Farm tube station. The footfall there can be high, so we took the leap and utilised a £20,000 loan to secure the building and purchase the necessary equipment. We've set to launch in the Autumn and we're incredibly excited about the road ahead."

The Cellar at 24, Anstruther
Nicola and Sian Linton, were already restaurant owners when they saw popular venue The Cellar in Anstruther announced its closure after a decade in business. Inspired by their love for Spanish cuisine they took out a second Start-Up Loan from DSL Business Finance to set up a wine and small plates bar.

"This is our second loan and the previous one was key in helping us successfully launch our first location, Ox & Anchor. When we saw the restaurant was closing, we feIt it would be a real shame if it was to close for good. We wanted to bring our vision of a tapas restaurant to life, inspired by the vibrant culinary scene of Spain. Since launching the restaurant has been a great success and we look forward to serving more customers fantastic food and wine."

At Start Up Loans, we are absolutely committed to ensuring that our support is inclusive. We are proud that so far 40% of our loans have been granted to women and around 70% of our loans have reached businesses outside London and the South East. The expansion of our programme will enable us to even further ensure we are delivering loans to a representative mix of founders across the UK.

Over its lifespan, the Start Up Loans programme has worked towards helping founders, local communities and the overall small business community by providing essential support to entrepreneurs from all walks of life and sectors. Today, we encourage all aspiring entrepreneurs to seize the expanded opportunities of the programme and get in touch if they have a great idea.