Success Stories

Learn how other UK businesses have used external finance to reach their ambition

Here’s just some of the tens of thousands of smaller businesses funded through our partners, with the support of British Business Bank’s programmes.

Have you received finance from one of our partners using one of our programmes? Do you want to have a chance of being featured as a success story on our website? Please email our Communications team to register your interest.

Enterprise Capital Funds

NQ64

NQ64 are a chain of unique bars across the country offering a range of specialist beers and cocktails which can be enjoyed by customers while playing a range of retro arcade games and consoles.

Read the success story about NQ64
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Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II

Black Milk

Popular Manchester café, Black Milk, secured a loan from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II).

Investment Fund for Northern Ireland

The Bucks Head

The first deal from the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland saw fund manager Whiterock facilitate a £100,000 loan to The Bucks Head Inn in Dundrum.

Investment Fund for Northern Ireland

Harrison Chambers of Distinction

An award-winning Belfast boutique hotel secured a £160,000 loan from the Investment Fund for Northern Ireland to expand and build on their success.

Investment Fund for Scotland

Highland Hilly Huts

A small hospitality operator based in the Highlands has received funding through the Investment Fund for Scotland to expand following recent success.

Start Up Loans

Lemon Tree Softplay Café

Lemon Tree Soft Play Café took out a Start up Loan and is a growing business founded by three mothers and entrepreneurs, creating a haven for children and families in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Recovery Loan Scheme

Thomas Paine Hotel

Owner of the Thomas Paine Hotel in Norfolk, Gez Chetal used the Recovery Loan Scheme to not only help his business, but to assist ex-offenders to gain employment in the hospitality industry.

Start Up Loans

Tribal Milk

Rahma Ahmed Ali and Nura Nur secured a loan of £10,000 in July 2021 through delivery partner Financing Sharia Enterprise to start alternative dairy brand Tribal Milk.

Start Up Loans

Pop Pressed

Kayleigh Cooper took out a £15,000 Start Up Loan in December 2020 to launch POP Pressed – an organic and plant-based cold-pressed juice brand.

Start Up Loans

This Charming Naan

Max Paley took out a loan of £15,000 in 2021 to launch This Charming Naan, a Smiths-inspired Indian Street Food business in Manchester.

Start Up Loans

hiSbe

Brighton sisters, Amy and Ruth Anslow, founded their independent supermarket, hiSbe, with the help of Start Up Loans.

Start Up Loans

Black Cowboy Coffee and Waffles

Learn how Black Cowboy Coffee and Waffles used funding from a British Business Bank programme. Read more about how the funding helped them.

Start Up Loans

Bird & Blend Tea Co.

Mike Turner and his partner Krisi started their Brighton-based tea mixology company, Bird & Blend Tea Co., with the help of a Start Up Loan.

Start Up Loans

Health & Food

Katerina Pavlakis had a background in both running her own business and working in London. When she and her husband, Colin Bass, moved to rural north Wales, they were keen to start something more local to save them from a long commute.

Start Up Loans

Berry’s Bakery

Robert D’Orville received a Start Up Loan of £25,000 in March 2015, enabling him to take ownership of Berry’s Bakery in Preston, Lancashire.

Start Up Loans

Caffe Venecia

Tony Singh was unemployed before starting his own business, Caffe Venecia, in the centre of Huddersfield in November 2013.

Start Up Loans

Baked In

Baked In was started by Joe who was later joined in the business by his brother Patrick. Their mission is to bring baking to the masses with an innovative range of Home Baking Kits and Mug Brownies.

Start Up Loans

The Nests Little Smallholding

Learn how The Nests Little Smallholding used funding from a British Business Bank programme. Read more about how the funding helped them.

Start Up Loans

Brew Cavern

Learn how Brew Cavern used funding from a British Business Bank programme. Read more about how the funding helped them.