GC Business Finance

What GC Business Finance does

GC Business Finance is a Manchester-based, FCA-regulated not-for-profit alternative lender that operates as a trading name of The Enterprise Fund Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Growth Company Limited. Founded in 2002, the company delivers government-backed finance to UK small businesses and entrepreneurs who are unable to obtain funding from mainstream banks. Its product portfolio spans Start Up Loans of £500-£25,000 delivered as a national partner of the British Business Bank, NPIF II Smaller Loans (Growth Loans) of £25,000-£100,000, Early Stage Equity investments of £25,000-£2m via its GC Angels division (with 400+ associate investors and in-house co-funds), Bounce Back Loans for COVID-era emergency support, and the GM Export Fund offering up to £250,000 for Greater Manchester businesses with international ambitions. Linked Business Support, including mentorship and pre-application guidance, is offered alongside the lending products.

Underlying the business is a fintech platform that performs data-driven eligibility assessment and provides an online eligibility checking tool with quick approval turnaround. The company has cumulatively funded over 40,000 businesses with more than £1.03bn of loans disbursed, and operates through a hybrid direct and channel-led go-to-market motion combining online applications, partner referrals from accountants, banks, Growth Hubs, and Combined Authorities, and broker relationships via its NACFB patron status. BFS Funding Managers Ltd, a subsidiary authorised by the FCA (FRN: 608682), acts as joint manager of the NPIF II NW Fund alongside River Capital.

Revenue mechanics are tied to programme management, interest spreads, and origination activity on government-backed schemes; as a not-for-profit, surpluses are reinvested into the organisation rather than distributed. Customer segments are early-stage entrepreneurs and growing SMEs, with explicit focus on female-founded businesses (39% of Start Up Loans) and ethnic minority founders (23%), both exceeding national Start Up Loans programme averages. Headcount is stated as 11-50 employees across two Manchester offices (Lee House headquarters and The Tootal Buildings), and the 2025/26 financial year was reported as a record year with over £26m delivered across approximately 2,500 loans under the Start Up Loans programme.

Name

GC Business Finance

Legal name

The Enterprise Fund Limited

Website

https://businessfinance.growthco.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alternative SME Lending

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Small Business Banking (Microbusiness/Sole Proprietor) (FSABAAAI)

Keywords

• Business lending services
• SME growth loans
• Startup loan financing
• Angel investment services
• Alternative business finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Start Up Loans: Delivers Start Up Loans programme on behalf of the British Business Bank, providing loans from £500 to £25,000 to entrepreneurs starting businesses. As a not-for-profit lender, any surpluses are reinvested into the organization.
2. NPIF II Smaller Loans: Growth loans from £25,000 to £100,000 for businesses looking to expand, take on new staff or diversify products, delivered as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II.
3. Early Stage Equity (GC Angels): Equity investment from £25,000 to £2m through GC Angels, a professional service driven by equity specialists with over 400 associate investors and in-house co-funds.
4. Bounce Back Loans: Emergency government funding provided during the pandemic to support SMEs across the UK.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

GC Business Finance is a not-for-profit alternative lender providing government-backed business loans and equity finance to UK SMEs and entrepreneurs unable to secure mainstream funding. It delivers the British Business Bank's Start Up Loans programme (£500–£25,000), Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II Smaller Loans (£25,000–£100,000), Early Stage Equity via GC Angels (£25,000–£2m), Bounce Back Loans, and the GM Export Fund, supported by a fintech platform for online eligibility checking and streamlined loan processing.

Product overview

GC Business Finance operates as a not-for-profit alternative finance lender offering a portfolio of loan and equity products. The core offering comprises Start Up Loans (£500-£25,000) for new businesses, NPIF 2 Smaller Loans (£25,000-£100,000) for growth, Early Stage Equity via GC Angels (£25,000-£2m) for equity investment, Bounce Back Loans for COVID-19 emergency support, and the GM Export Fund for international expansion. The company leverages a fintech platform for loan application processing and partners with the British Business Bank and Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II to deliver government-backed financing across the UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GC Angels: Early stage equity investment service providing professional service driven by equity specialists with over 400 associate investors and in-house co-funds. Investment range from £25,000 to £2m.

Products and services

• Start Up Loans Government-backed loans from £500 to £25,000 for entrepreneurs launching new businesses, delivered through the British Business Bank's Start Up Loans programme.
• NPIF 2 Smaller Loans (Growth Loans) Loans from £25,000 to £100,000 for SMEs looking to expand, hire staff, or diversify products, funded through the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II.
• Early Stage Equity (GC Angels) Equity investment from £25,000 to £2 million provided through GC Angels, a professional angel investment service with over 400 associate investors and in-house co-funds.
• Bounce Back Loans Government-backed emergency loans introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide emergency funding to small businesses across the UK.
• GM Export Fund Specialized export financing for Greater Manchester businesses with international growth ambitions, offering loans up to £250,000 for market expansion.
• Linked Business Support Business support services including mentorship, guidance, and pre-application assistance to help entrepreneurs prepare for and manage their loan funding.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000+ businesses funded with £1bn+ in total loans
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered moderate, core and minor.

• NACFB (National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers)moderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2024GC Business Finance became a patron of NACFB, expanding support for UK businesses through commercial finance broker network.
• Combined Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs)moderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NPIF II works alongside Combined Authorities, LEPs, and Growth Hubs to support smaller businesses at all stages of development across the North of England.
• The Growth Company LimitedcoreOthers · 6 April 2023Parent company of The Enterprise Fund Limited (trading as GC Business Finance). GCBF is a subsidiary of The Growth Company Limited.
• Fashion AngelminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023London-based specialist business support organisation partnered with GCBF to assist with providing loans to the fashion sector under the Start Up Loans programme.
• Investing in Women CodemoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 November 2022GC Business Finance is a signatory to the UK Government's Investing in Women Code, committing to internal practices that improve female entrepreneurs' access to finance.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• FW Capital: NPIF II fund manager covering the North West and Wales, offering debt and equity to SMEs — directly comparable to GCBF's NPIF II growth-loan and equity activities.
• SWIG Finance: UK not-for-profit alternative lender providing loans and equity to SMEs unable to access mainstream finance, operating similar community-development and responsible-finance models across regions.
• Big Issue Invest: Social-impact investment arm of The Big Issue providing loans and equity to underserved UK SMEs and social enterprises, comparable to GCBF's mission-driven approach to alternative business finance.
• Key Fund: UK social enterprise and community-business investor providing loans, grants and equity to under-served SMEs, operating with a similar impact mandate to GCBF.
• River Capital: Co-fund manager alongside GCBF on the NPIF II Smaller Loans fund for the North West, directly comparable in product, geography and customer base.
• Midlands Engine Investment Fund: BBB-backed regional fund (similar structure to NPIF II) providing debt and equity to Midlands SMEs through fund managers — directly comparable model serving a different UK region.

Broad incumbents

• Charity Bank: UK ethical bank providing loans to charities and social enterprises — broader ethical-finance player with overlapping mission but different customer base than GCBF.
• Triodos Bank UK: Ethical challenger bank providing loans to values-driven UK SMEs and social enterprises — broader-scale incumbent in the same ethical-finance category as GCBF.
• Funding Circle: Large UK alternative business lender providing working capital and term loans to SMEs — broader-scale peer in the alternative SME-lending space.

Others

• British Business Bank: UK government-backed economic development bank that administers Start Up Loans and NPIF — GCBF operates as a delivery partner/agent for these programmes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GC_BizFinance
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=abkayD87bk4&list=PLBVRO0hVC70vJu4b-sSIztDIsYyxKcaqz
• Facebookfacebook.com/GCBusinessFinance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/business-finance-solutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments12 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GC Business Finance