Business Enterprise Fund Information

The Business Enterprise Fund (BEF) champions small and medium-sized (SME) businesses across the North by unlocking access to flexible finance to help them begin, expand, and flourish. Through BEF, new and established businesses can access loans ranging from £500 to £250,000. Our loans are available to businesses in Yorkshire and The Humber, The North East, and The North West. Businesses can use our loans for a wide range of business purposes. We actively support individuals and businesses who find it difficult to access funds from traditional lenders such as banks. This includes women, young entrepreneurs, and minority groups. It also includes businesses located in the many underserved locations across the North. We work closely with a growing number of stakeholders including the British Business Bank. As regional Business Support Partner for the Government's Start Up Loans Programme, we offer finance and support to young businesses (<36 months trading) across Yorkshire and The Humber, and the North East. Additionally, as Fund Manager for the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II), we offer small business loans from £25,000 to £100,000 to businesses in Yorkshire and The Humber. As a social enterprise, all our profits are reinvested back into the loan fund or given to organisations that support and develop business initiatives. Over the last 11 years BEF invested £108m in businesses across the North. The investment added £392.4 million of value to the region’s economy and helped create or safeguard 13,140 jobs.