Finance For Enterprise
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersDoncaster, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Finance For Enterprise firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Finance For Enterprise
- Legal name
- Finance For Enterprise Limited
- Website
- https://finance-for-enterprise.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Finance For Enterprise industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Alternative SME Lending
- NAICS
- Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation (52229)
- SIC
- Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)
- akta.pro primary industry
- SME Term Loans & Growth Capital (FSAKAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI), Impact Investing & Social Finance (Funds, CDFIs, Microfinance) (BPAGALAA), SME Business Lending (Term Loans, Lines of Credit, Overdrafts) (FSABABAB)
Keywords
Where Finance For Enterprise is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Doncaster
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Finance For Enterprise business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Loan Interest Income: FFE generates revenue through interest charged on business loans provided to SMEs. As a not-for-profit lender, any surplus is reinvested into the organization to support more lending activities. Loan amounts range from £25,001 to £250,000.
- Government Scheme Facilitation: FFE acts as an accredited delivery partner for British Business Bank schemes including CBILS, Recovery Loan Scheme, Growth Guarantee Scheme, and Community ENABLE Funding programme. They also manage Start Up Loans and Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund lending.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Business loans between £25,001 and £250,000 for SMEs unable to access mainstream finance |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Finance For Enterprise product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Finance For Enterprise is a not-for-profit Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) that provides business loans between £25,001 and £250,000 to SMEs across England and Wales that are unable to obtain finance from mainstream high street lenders. It delivers a portfolio of loan products including Enterprise Loans, Community ENABLE Funding, the Growth Guarantee Scheme, the Recovery Loan Scheme, CBILS, and Start Up Loans, acting as an accredited delivery partner for British Business Bank government-backed schemes and as a joint fund manager for the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) – BEF & FFE Microfinance.
Product overview
Finance For Enterprise is a not-for-profit Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) providing a unified lending platform for SMEs across England and Wales. The company offers a portfolio of loan products including Enterprise Loans (core offering, £25k-£250k), Community ENABLE Funding (in partnership with British Business Bank), Growth Guarantee Scheme, Recovery Loan Scheme, and Start Up Loans. The company also delivers government-backed schemes including CBILS and acts as fund manager for the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF). All products share a common focus on supporting underserved SMEs unable to access traditional bank lending, with personalised, relationship-led service delivery through Business Lending Managers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Enterprise Loans Business loans up to £250,000 providing additional capital, cash flow headroom, or gap funding for growth and development projects for SMEs unable to access traditional bank support. Available across England and Wales.
- Community ENABLE Funding (CEF) A British Business Bank programme providing loans between £25,001 and £250,000 to underserved smaller businesses across England and Wales, delivered by Finance For Enterprise as an accredited delivery partner with a £43.5m allocation.
- Growth Guarantee Scheme Government-backed scheme successor to the Recovery Loan Scheme, supporting access to finance for UK small businesses via term loans, overdrafts, asset-based lending, and invoice finance facilities.
- Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) Government-backed scheme supporting small and medium-sized businesses in accessing finance for working capital or investment, delivered by Finance For Enterprise as an accredited lender.
- Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) Government-backed loan scheme launched during COVID-19 to support businesses facing cashflow problems, providing facilities up to £250,000. Delivered by Finance For Enterprise as an accredited lender.
- Start Up Loans Government-backed loan programme for new entrepreneurs and start-up businesses, providing initial start-up capital and follow-on enterprise loans for growth. Delivered by Finance For Enterprise as a fund manager for the Start Up Loans UK programme.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over £280m contributed to Yorkshire economy over five years
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Finance For Enterprise
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Finance For Enterprise technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Finance For Enterprise partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Start Up Loans CompanycoreFFE delivers Start Up Loans UK programme, helping new entrepreneurs access funding and business support for launching new businesses.
- Business Enterprise Fund (BEF)coreFFE and BEF secured the tender for providing Microfinance under NPIF in March 2017. They work together as joint fund managers and have provided 23 loans in three months using the NPIF scheme.
- Investors in ExcellenceminorJudy Hart, CEO of Investors in Excellence, introduced the CBM-Logix deal to FFE. Investors in Excellence is a globally recognized specialist in performance improvement and organizational development.
- Evolve Business FinanceminorIntroduced the Synergy Beauty deal to FFE, providing a £50,000 loan for acquisition of the Clarins Gold Salon.
- Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise PartnershipminorFFE supports businesses throughout Sheffield City Region. Chris Scholey, one of FFE's board members, is a board member of Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership.
- Council for Investing in Female Entrepreneurs (CIFE)minorFFE pledged support to the Invest in Women Hub, an initiative dedicated to empowering female entrepreneurs. CIFE operates the Hub as a voluntary collective to support women in business.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Finance For Enterprise competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Business Enterprise Fund (BEF): UK CDFI providing SME loans across the North of England; FFE and BEF are joint fund managers for Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund Microfinance, making them the closest operational peers in mandate, ticket size, and geography.
- SWIG Finance: South West and Wales-focused CDFI providing loans £1k–£250k to underserved SMEs; same mission, similar ticket range, and direct overlap on Start Up Loans and government-backed scheme delivery.
- Big Issue Invest: Social-investment arm of The Big Issue providing loans and investments to underserved SMEs and social enterprises; comparable CDFI-style mission and similar funding sources (Big Society Capital, BBB).
- UKSE: Regional SME fund manager providing loans and equity to growing businesses; FFE's own Fund Manager Michael Hydari joined from UKSE, evidencing direct competition for talent and deal flow in the same regional SME segment.
- Praetura: Manchester-based alternative lender and asset manager providing SME loans, venture debt, and growth capital in the North; comparable sub-£250k commercial loan product and overlapping North-of-England SME customer base.
- Enterprise Ventures: Northern-based SME investor providing loans and equity under NPIF and other regional fund mandates; direct overlap with FFE's customer base and Northern Powerhouse scheme delivery.
Broad incumbents
- Maven Capital Partners: UK-wide SME fund manager providing loans, mezzanine and equity to growth businesses; overlaps with FFE on regional SME lending but operates a broader product set and is significantly larger.
- British Business Bank: UK government's principal SME finance arm; FFE is an accredited delivery partner across CBILS, RLS, GGS, CEF and Start Up Loans, making BBB both a customer-facing channel partner and a major capital allocator.
Others
- Big Society Capital: UK's leading social-investment wholesaler and one of FFE's largest capital providers; an enabling/funder peer rather than a direct competitor, but central to FFE's capital structure.
- Better Society Capital: Social-impact investor that co-invested with Lloyds under CIEF II into FFE; a key capital partner and sector-shaping entity for the UK CDFI market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Finance For Enterprise social profiles
Digital presenceFinance For Enterprise compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Finance For Enterprise financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Finance For Enterprise leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Finance For Enterprise funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Finance For Enterprise M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments4 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Finance For Enterprise
What does Finance For Enterprise do?
Finance For Enterprise is a not-for-profit Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) that provides business loans between £25,001 and £250,000 to SMEs across England and Wales that are unable to obtain finance from mainstream high street lenders. It delivers a portfolio of loan products including Enterprise Loans, Community ENABLE Funding, the Growth Guarantee Scheme, the Recovery Loan Scheme, CBILS, and Start Up Loans, acting as an accredited delivery partner for British Business Bank government-backed schemes and as a joint fund manager for the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) – BEF & FFE Microfinance.
Is Finance For Enterprise a public or private company?
Finance For Enterprise is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Finance For Enterprise founded?
Finance For Enterprise was founded in 1985. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Finance For Enterprise based?
Finance For Enterprise is headquartered in Doncaster, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Finance For Enterprise make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Loan Interest Income is the primary driver. The others are government Scheme Facilitation.
Who are Finance For Enterprise's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Business Enterprise Fund (BEF), SWIG Finance, Big Issue Invest, UKSE, Praetura and Enterprise Ventures. Broad incumbents are Maven Capital Partners and British Business Bank. Others are Big Society Capital and Better Society Capital.
Does Finance For Enterprise have an API?
No public API is recorded for Finance For Enterprise.
What industry is Finance For Enterprise in?
Finance For Enterprise's product category is Alternative SME Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAGAB, SME Term Loans & Growth Capital, with a secondary code of FSAKAGAI, SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans. Its NAICS code is 52229 and its SIC code is 6153.