U.K. Export Finance
U.K. Export Finance is the United Kingdom's government export credit agency, providing financial guarantees, export insurance, and direct lending to support UK exporters. It serves SMEs, large companies, and international buyers across 200+ countries, backed by £60 billion in capacity and over 100 years of operating history.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1919
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What U.K. Export Finance does
U.K. Export Finance (UKEF) is the United Kingdom's official export credit agency and a ministerial government department, established in 1919 as the Export Credits Guarantee Department and operating under the Export and Investment Guarantees Act 1991. UKEF provides financial guarantees to lenders, export insurance policies, and direct lending facilities to support UK exporters, organized across four product categories: working capital solutions (e.g., General Export Facility up to £25 million, Export Development Guarantee over £25 million, Export Working Capital Scheme, Bond Support Scheme), insurance products (Export Insurance Policy covering up to 95% of losses, Bond Insurance Policy), buyer finance products (Buyer Credit Facility, Standard Buyer Loan Guarantee, Direct Lending Facility up to £200 million, Guarantee for Repeat Orders, Early Project Services Guarantee, Bills and Notes Guarantee), and critical minerals support products.
UKEF serves three primary customer groups: UK small and medium-sized enterprises (10-250 employees) seeking working capital and insurance for export contracts; large UK companies (over 250 employees) requiring high-value export finance facilities; and international buyers and sovereign entities in 200+ countries seeking UK government-backed financing for procurement from UK suppliers. Distribution operates through a multi-channel model: regional Export Finance Managers across all UK nations, a global network of Country Heads in overseas markets, an approved lender network including HSBC UK, Barclays, Lloyds, Santander UK, NatWest, and Standard Chartered, and approved insurance brokers. A digital platform on GOV.UK enables approved lenders to apply for guarantees online.
Revenue mechanics are unconventional for a government department: UKEF earns premiums on insurance policies (case-by-case pricing), guarantee fees on lender-backed facilities, and interest income on direct loans to overseas buyers at OECD Commercial Interest Reference Rates. In FY2024-2025, UKEF provided £14.5 billion of financial support to over 667 UK companies, supporting up to 70,000 jobs, against a total capacity of £60 billion. The organization is wholly owned by His Majesty's Government, reports to the Secretary of State for International Trade, and operates with 251-500 employees headquartered at 1 Horse Guards Road, London.
U.K. Export Finance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- U.K. Export Finance
- Legal name
- Export Credits Guarantee Department
- Website
- https://ukexportfinance.gov.uk
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1919
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- U.K. Export Finance is the United Kingdom's government export credit agency, providing financial guarantees, export insurance, and direct lending to support UK exporters. It serves SMEs, large companies, and international buyers across 200+ countries, backed by £60 billion in capacity and over 100 years of operating history.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
U.K. Export Finance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Export Credit Agency / Government Trade Finance
- NAICS
- International, Secondary Market, and All Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation (522299)
- SIC
- International Affairs (9721), Foreign Governments (8888), Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) & Trade Finance Institutions (BPADACAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Trade Finance, Export Credit & Risk Mitigation (BPADAMAG), Export Promotion & Market Access Support (BPADAMAC), Development Finance, Guarantees & Blended Finance Programs (BPADABAM), Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) & Official Export Finance (FSABAKAC)
Keywords
Where U.K. Export Finance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
U.K. Export Finance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Export Insurance Premiums: UKEF provides export insurance policies protecting UK exporters against buyer default and non-payment risks. Premiums are determined on a case-by-case basis and collected from policyholders.
- Guarantee Fees: UKEF provides guarantees to lenders supporting export finance facilities, with fees charged for guaranteeing credit risk. The Export Insurance Policy provides cover for up to 95% of potential losses.
- Direct Lending Interest: Under the Direct Lending Facility, UKEF provides direct loans to overseas buyers at fixed rates based on Commercial Interest Reference Rates (CIRR) set by the OECD, generating interest income.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Export Insurance Policy - Cover for up to 95% of potential losses due to buyer insolvency, non-payment, political events, hostilities or civil disturbances |
| Subscription | Annual | General Export Facility - Access trade finance facilities up to £25 million without need of an export contract |
| Subscription | Annual | Export Development Guarantee - Access finance for high value facilities over £25 million, not tied to export contracts |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Direct Lending Facility - Loans of up to £200 million to overseas buyers for UK purchases |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Standard Buyer Loan Guarantee - Loans between £1 million and £30 million for overseas buyers |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
U.K. Export Finance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UK Export Finance (UKEF) is the UK's official export credit agency, providing government-backed financial guarantees to lenders, export insurance policies against buyer non-payment, and direct loans to overseas buyers to support UK exports. Its portfolio includes working capital guarantees, contract bond guarantees, buyer credit guarantees, and specialist cover for capital goods, services, intangibles, and critical minerals across 200+ countries.
Product overview
U.K. Export Finance (UKEF) operates as the UK government's export credit agency, offering a comprehensive portfolio of financial products and services organised into four categories: working capital solutions, export insurance, buyer finance, and critical minerals support. Working capital products (General Export Facility, Export Development Guarantee, Export Working Capital Scheme, Bond Support Scheme, Supply Chain Discount Guarantee) provide lender guarantees to help UK exporters access finance for fulfilling orders and investing in export growth. Insurance products (Export Insurance Policy, Bond Insurance Policy) protect against buyer default and unfair bond calls. Buyer finance products (Buyer Credit Facility, Standard Buyer Loan Guarantee, Direct Lending Facility, Guarantee for Repeat Orders, Early Project Services Guarantee, Bills and Notes Guarantee) enable overseas buyers to finance purchases from UK suppliers. Critical minerals products (Critical Goods Export Development Guarantee, Critical Minerals Supply Finance) support the supply of critical minerals to UK exporters. These products are complemented by advisory services (Export Finance Managers), business development events (Supplier Fairs, UK Trade and Export Finance Forum), and a global network of Country Heads. UKEF's General Export Facility is its most popular product, and the organisation reported providing £14.5 billion of financial support in 2024-2025.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Export Finance Managers: Regional representatives providing free, impartial guidance to businesses on export finance needs across all regions of the UK
Products and services
- General Export Facility (GEF) Provides a guarantee to lenders enabling UK SMEs to access trade finance facilities up to £25 million without requiring ties to a specific export contract, supporting multiple export orders, labour costs, and inventory build-up. Guarantees up to 80% of the facility; designed for SMEs with at least 20% annual turnover from exports.
- Export Development Guarantee (EDG) Guarantees up to 80% of lender risk for high-value facilities over £25 million that are not tied to an individual export contract, enabling companies to bid for multiple contracts, invest in product development, and build export capability.
- Export Working Capital Scheme Provides a partial guarantee of up to 80% to banks supporting working capital facilities linked to specific export contracts, increasing banks' appetite to lend for contract fulfilment.
- Bond Support Scheme Provides a partial guarantee of up to 80% of the bond's value to banks to increase their appetite to provide contract bonds, reducing the cash deposit exporters must tie up as collateral.
- Supply Chain Discount Guarantee Supports companies in the supply chain by allowing suppliers to discount their invoices and get paid earlier, with UKEF providing an 80% guarantee to the bank.
- Export Insurance Policy Provides cover for up to 95% of potential losses due to buyer insolvency, failure to pay, political events, or civil disturbances for exports to emerging or developing markets. Available directly from UKEF or via credit insurance brokers.
- Bond Insurance Policy Provides insurance against demands for payment under a bond or counter-guarantee to an overseas buyer, covering up to 100% of the contract's value for unfair calls or those caused by political events.
- Buyer Credit Facility Provides a guarantee to a bank making a loan to an overseas buyer for the purchase of goods, services, or intangibles sourced from the UK, with loans for periods of two years or longer in more than 60 currencies.
- Standard Buyer Loan Guarantee Covers a loan to an overseas buyer to finance the purchase of capital goods, services, or intangibles from a UK supplier in the range of £1 million to £30 million, with the buyer making a 15% down payment and typically repaying over 2-5 years.
- Direct Lending Facility Provides direct loans from UK Export Finance to overseas buyers to support the purchase of goods, services, or intangibles from the UK, with loans of up to £200 million in up to 8 currencies within an overall limit of £13 billion.
- Guarantee for Repeat Orders Covers a loan with a pre-agreed credit limit to an overseas buyer to finance repeat purchases of goods, services, or intangibles from a UK supplier, covering up to 85% of the contract value with buyers repaying over up to 24 months.
- Early Project Services Guarantee (EPSG) Provides a guarantee to a bank making a loan to an international buyer to finance the purchase of design, engineering, or technical services from a UK supplier for early project work, with repayment terms of up to two years.
- Bills and Notes Guarantee Guarantees payments due under bills of exchange or promissory notes purchased from UK exporters by a financial institution, for contracts in the range of £1 million to £30 million.
- Critical Goods Export Development Guarantee Provides an 80% guarantee on finance for UK-based suppliers selling critical minerals or goods containing them to UK exporters, requiring suppliers to have UK premises and employees and supply at least 50% of their critical mineral products to UK exporters.
- Critical Minerals Supply Finance Provides a guarantee to a bank making a loan to an overseas project with a long-term offtake agreement to supply UK exporters with critical minerals products, supporting mining, processing, manufacturing, and recycling operations.
- Export Finance Managers Service Regional representatives based across the UK providing free, impartial guidance on export finance needs, introducing businesses to finance providers, credit insurers, brokers, and other government support sources.
- Global Network / Country Heads Service International team of Country Heads based in countries worldwide, acting as the first point of contact for overseas buyers interested in UK procurement through government-backed financing, with local knowledge and export finance expertise.
Quantifiable outcome
- £14.5 billion of financial support provided in 2024-2025
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use U.K. Export Finance
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
U.K. Export Finance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
U.K. Export Finance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Energoatom (Ukraine's National Nuclear Power Producer)flagship£210 million UKEF financing enabling Urenco to supply enriched uranium to Ukraine's Energoatom for two years, supporting over 60% of Ukraine's electricity generation amid Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. Over a third of uranium processed at Urenco's plant in North-West England supporting 650 skilled UK jobs.
- Nigerian Ports Authorityflagship£746 million Buyer Credit Facility from UKEF to modernize Apapa Port and Tin Can Island Port in Lagos. Coordinated by Citibank. Includes £70 million steel contract with British Steel. First major port upgrade in nearly 50 years for Nigeria's maritime hubs handling over 70% of Nigeria's trade.
- NissanflagshipAdvanced discussions for $1.35 billion syndicated loan guaranteed by UKEF as part of Nissan's £2 billion investment plan for Sunderland plant, including three new EV models (Qashqai, Juke, Leaf) and battery gigafactory. Deal expected to protect 7,000 jobs.
- Forum Energy Technologies Ltd (FET)coreYork-based submarine rescue system supplier supported by UKEF with £30 million contract for Indonesian Navy. Part of combined £128 million UKEF-backed deals with over £67 million in supply contracts to UK manufacturers.
- Submarine Manufacturing and Products Ltd (SMP Ltd)coreBristol-based submarine manufacturing company receiving over £67 million in supply contracts under combined £128 million UKEF-backed deals for Indonesian Navy submarine rescue vehicles.
- GMP Manufacturing Ltd (GMPM)coreHull-based pharmaceutical manufacturer secured over £500,000 funding support from White Oak UK backed by UKEF's General Export Facility. Company grew workforce 40%+ in eight years and manufactures medical products for UK, Europe, and Australia.
- British Steelflagship£70 million contract to supply 120,000 tonnes of steel billet for Nigerian port redevelopments. Part of £746 million UKEF-backed deal. British Steel is increasing production at Scunthorpe facility to fulfill contract. Also secured separate €44 million+ contract for Turkish high-speed railway.
- UrencoflagshipUK-based uranium enrichment company receiving £210 million UKEF financing to supply enriched uranium to Ukraine's Energoatom. Over a third of uranium processed at Urenco's plant in North-West England supporting 650 UK skilled jobs.
- Vietnam's Ministry of FinanceflagshipVietnam-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed October 2025 including cooperation documents between Vietnam's Ministry of Finance and UK counterparts including UK Export Finance, J.P. Morgan, and TheCityUK.
- Government of GuyanacoreUKEF increased financing capacity for Guyana from £2.1 billion to £3 billion following high-level meeting with President Mohamed Irfaan Ali. Funding development in energy, infrastructure, healthcare, and education over five years.
- AlstomflagshipCairo Monorail built and assembled at Alstom's Derby Litchurch Lane Works entered commercial service in Egypt as part of £2.3 billion contract backed by UKEF. First UK rolling stock export since 2008, sustaining 150 direct jobs.
- SeAH Steel HoldingcoreSouth Korean export credit agency K-Sure partnered with UKEF to support SeAH Steel Holding's construction of wind tech factory near Redcar. World's largest wind monopile factory creating 750 Teesside jobs.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
U.K. Export Finance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-Sure): South Korea's official export credit agency providing trade insurance, guarantees, and buyer financing. Direct peer to UKEF, and explicitly named alongside UKEF as a co-financing partner on the SeAH wind monopile factory transaction.
- Export Development Canada (EDC): Canada's official export credit agency providing financing, insurance, and guarantees for Canadian exporters. Direct peer to UKEF in mandate, product set, and Crown-backed financing capability.
- Export-Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM): The official US export credit agency providing loan guarantees, direct loans, and export credit insurance to support US exports. Direct ECA peer to UKEF with comparable sovereign-backed product set and global deployment.
- CESCE (Spain): Spain's export credit agency managing state-backed export credit insurance and guarantees for Spanish exporters. Direct ECA peer to UKEF competing for European export mandates.
- SACE (Italy): Italy's export credit agency providing export credit insurance, guarantees, and buyer credit for Italian exporters. Operates with the same ECA mandate as UKEF and competes for the same European cross-border deals.
- Euler Hermes (Allianz Trade): Germany's official export credit agency (now operating within Allianz Trade), offering export credit insurance, guarantees, and buyer credit financing for German exporters. Direct peer to UKEF on product set (export insurance, guarantees, buyer credit) and sovereign mandate.
- BPI France: France's public investment bank and export credit agency, providing export guarantees, buyer credit, and working capital support for French exporters. Closely comparable to UKEF in mandate, sovereign backing, and product suite.
- Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC): Japan's policy-based financial institution providing export finance, overseas investment loans, and untied loans. Comparable to UKEF in supporting strategic export and infrastructure deals via sovereign-backed finance.
Broad incumbents
- Coface: French-headquartered global trade credit insurer providing export credit insurance, surety bonds, and business information. Private-sector incumbent competing with UKEF's insurance products in commercial markets.
- Atradius: Private trade credit insurer operating globally, providing export credit insurance and bonding products that partially overlap with UKEF's Export Insurance Policy and Bond Insurance Policy. Direct competitor in commercial-market export insurance where UKEF does not need to intervene.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
U.K. Export Finance social profiles
Digital presenceU.K. Export Finance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
U.K. Export Finance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
U.K. Export Finance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
U.K. Export Finance M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments10 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about U.K. Export Finance
What does U.K. Export Finance do?
UK Export Finance (UKEF) is the UK's official export credit agency, providing government-backed financial guarantees to lenders, export insurance policies against buyer non-payment, and direct loans to overseas buyers to support UK exports. Its portfolio includes working capital guarantees, contract bond guarantees, buyer credit guarantees, and specialist cover for capital goods, services, intangibles, and critical minerals across 200+ countries.
Is U.K. Export Finance a public or private company?
U.K. Export Finance is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was U.K. Export Finance founded?
U.K. Export Finance was founded in 1919. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is U.K. Export Finance based?
U.K. Export Finance is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does U.K. Export Finance make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Export Insurance Premiums are the primary driver. The others are guarantee Fees and direct Lending Interest.
Who are U.K. Export Finance's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-Sure), Export Development Canada (EDC), Export-Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM), CESCE (Spain), SACE (Italy), Euler Hermes (Allianz Trade), BPI France and Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). Broad incumbents are Coface and Atradius.
Does U.K. Export Finance have an API?
No public API is recorded for U.K. Export Finance.
What industry is U.K. Export Finance in?
U.K. Export Finance's product category is Export Credit Agency / Government Trade Finance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADACAF, Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) & Trade Finance Institutions, with a secondary code of BPADAMAG, Trade Finance, Export Credit & Risk Mitigation. Its NAICS code is 522299 and its SIC code is 9721.