Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust

What Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust does

Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust (CWRT) is a not-for-profit Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) founded in 2010 and headquartered in Coventry, UK. It is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Reference Number 743876) and operates as an independent entity with no parent company. CWRT provides business loans ranging from £1,000 to £150,000 to startups, SMEs, social enterprises, and other underserved borrowers across Coventry, Warwickshire, and parts of the Midlands who are declined by or cannot access mainstream high-street banks. Its core product suite comprises three loan tiers (Start Up Loan, Business Loan, and Asset Loan with up to 40% grant component) plus four specialised programmes: the Community ENABLE Fund (CEF), Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS), Local Communities and Enterprise Fund (LCE), and Duplex Investment Fund, the latter three delivered in partnership with the British Business Bank and local councils.

CWRT earns revenue primarily through interest income on business loans (from 11% above the Bank of England Base Rate, scaled by risk and security) and a 5% arrangement fee on loan origination, with terms ranging from 12 to 60 months. Cross-sell is negligible; the unit economics are loan-by-loan. Origination runs through three parallel channels: a direct online enquiry portal managed in-house, a regulated broker network (1% commission on drawdown), and no-fee referral partners including the C&W Growth Hub, Chamber of Commerce, and local councils. CWRT operates the SOAR Customer Portal for borrower account servicing, provided by third-party SOAR Tech Ltd. The organisation is overseen by a board of eight directors and managed by a roughly ten-person executive team led by CEO Sheridan Sulskis. Since inception, CWRT has loaned over £37.4 million to local businesses and currently approves over 90% of applications it receives.

Name

Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust

Legal name

Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust

Website

https://cwrt.uk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CWRT is a not-for-profit, FCA-authorised Community Development Finance Institution founded in 2010 that provides business loans of £1,000 to £150,000 to startups, SMEs, and social enterprises in Coventry, Warwickshire, and the Midlands underserved by mainstream banks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Finance / SME Lending

NAICS

Nondepository Credit Intermediation (5222)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

SME Term Loans & Growth Capital (FSAKAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Microloans & Working Capital Loans (FSAKAGAA), SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI)

Keywords

• Community development finance
• Business lending
• Small business loans
• SME financing
• Alternative lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Coventry

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Business Loan Interest Income: CWRT earns interest income on business loans ranging from £1,000 to £150,000. Interest rates start from 11% above the Bank of England Base Rate, with pricing based on the level of risk involved and security available. Loans are repaid over terms of 12-60 months.
2. Loan Arrangement Fees: An arrangement fee of 5% of the loan amount is charged. This fee can be added to the loan and repaid over the term, generating upfront revenue at the point of loan origination.
3. Broker Commission: CWRT pays brokers a 1% commission fee of the loan amount on successful drawdown of loans introduced through broker partnerships. This is a cost of acquisition rather than a revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CWRT is a not-for-profit Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) that provides business loans of £1,000 to £150,000 to startups, SMEs, and social enterprises in Coventry, Warwickshire, and the Midlands that are underserved by mainstream lenders. Its core offering includes Start Up Loans, Business Loans, and Asset Loans (with a grant component of up to 40% of project costs), complemented by government-backed schemes such as the Community ENABLE Fund, Growth Guarantee Scheme, Local Communities & Enterprise Fund, and Duplex Investment Fund. Loan interest rates start from 11% above the Bank of England Base Rate, with a 5% arrangement fee and terms of 12–60 months.

Product overview

CWRT offers a portfolio of business lending products and funding programmes designed to support SMEs across Coventry, Warwickshire, and the Midlands that are underserved by mainstream lenders. The core product suite comprises three main loan types (Start Up Loan, Business Loan, and Asset Loan with integrated grant component) ranging from £1,000 to £150,000. These are complemented by specialised government-backed programmes including the Community ENABLE Fund (CEF), Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS), Local Communities & Enterprise Fund (LCE), and Duplex Investment Fund. All lending is accessed through the SOAR Customer Portal platform. CWRT positions itself as an ethical, community-focused lender providing personalised, in-house decisions with flexible repayment terms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Community ENABLE Fund (CEF): A British Business Bank programme administered by CWRT to support underserved businesses across Coventry, Warwickshire and surrounding counties with loans above £25,000.
• Duplex Investment Fund
• Local Communities and Enterprise Fund (LCE)

Products and services

• Start Up Loan Loan product for new and early-stage businesses in Warwickshire, covering start-up costs, working capital, and business growth. Repayable over 24–60 months. Ideal for businesses struggling to secure finance from high street banks.
• Business Loan Loan product ranging from £25,001 to £150,000 for businesses in Coventry, Warwickshire, the Midlands, or bordering areas that create positive social or economic impact. Covers working capital, business acquisition, and growth. Repayable over 12–60 months.
• Asset Loan Blended loan and grant product for established businesses investing in assets and creating jobs. Ranges from £25,001 to £150,000 plus a grant of up to 40% of project costs. Requires minimum 2 years of trading history. Repayable over 48–60 months.
• Community ENABLE Fund (CEF) British Business Bank accredited programme delivering business loans above £25k to underserved businesses across Coventry, Warwickshire, and surrounding counties. Loans up to £150,000 at interest rates from 11% above Bank of England Base Rate, with a 5% arrangement fee and maximum term of 60 months.
• Duplex Investment Fund Combined loan and grant funding for established Coventry and Warwickshire businesses investing in capital assets and creating jobs. Loan covers full project cost; grant returned up to 40% of total cost after capital items obtained. Delivered on behalf of Coventry City Council and Warwickshire County Council.
• Local Communities & Enterprise Fund (LCE) Finance strand from the Warwickshire Investment Fund supporting Warwickshire-based SMEs including micro businesses, smaller and medium businesses, start-ups, and social enterprises with loans up to £150,000. Part of a 5-year, £60m Warwickshire County Council access-to-finance initiative.
• Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS) Government-backed lending programme supporting term loans, overdrafts, asset-based lending, and invoice finance. Facilities up to £150,000 per business group with terms from 3 months to 6 years. Provides a 70% government-backed guarantee to the lender. Successor to the Recovery Loan Scheme.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £37.4 million loaned to local businesses since 2010
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Midlands SME FinancecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCWRT is a proud member of Midlands SME Finance, a collaboration of regionally focused funders working together to make it easier for businesses to access the capital they need. The group's shared mission is to help Midlands businesses and entrepreneurs grow, thrive, and achieve their ambitions by providing a simple way to find funding.
• SOAR Tech LtdsupportingTechnology or IntegrationSOAR Tech Ltd is CWRT's third-party provider for the SOAR Customer Portal, CWRT's online customer portal service for account access, document management, and secure messaging. The portal is available 24/7 and is governed by specific terms and conditions between CWRT and SOAR Tech Ltd.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• British Business Bank: UK government-owned development bank that designs and funds the guarantee schemes (CEF, GGS, EFG) CWRT delivers. Although not a direct competitor, the BBB is the most consequential ecosystem participant shaping CWRT's lending capacity and product set.
• Responsible Finance: UK trade body representing CDFIs and responsible finance providers. CWRT operates as a member of this ecosystem, making Responsible Finance a relevant peer as the industry-level coordinator and standards-setter.

Broad incumbents

• Triodos Bank UK: UK ethical bank lending to sustainable businesses and social enterprises. Overlaps with CWRT's social-impact lending thesis but operates at much greater scale as a fully licensed bank rather than a CDFI.
• Charity Bank: UK ethical savings bank lending exclusively to charities and social enterprises. Comparable mission-driven lending focus and FCA-regulated status, though larger and operating nationally rather than regionally.

Direct peers

• Big Issue Invest: UK social investment arm of The Big Issue providing loans and investment to underserved SMEs and social enterprises. Highly comparable CDFI-style lender serving a similar mission-driven, sub-prime SME customer base.
• Business Enterprise Fund: UK CDFI delivering Start Up Loans and government-backed lending to SMEs across northern England. Highly comparable product set (start-up and growth loans), scheme-delivery role, and FCA-regulated CDFI structure.
• First Enterprise: Another UK CDFI accredited under the British Business Bank's Community ENABLE Funding programme and explicitly cited alongside CWRT as a fellow delivery partner for CEF. Directly comparable CDFI lender to underserved SMEs with similar scheme-delivery model.
• GC Business Finance (Growth Capital): UK CDFI delivering government-backed loans including the Recovery Loan Scheme and Growth Guarantee Scheme to SMEs. Closely comparable as a delivery partner for the same British Business Bank guarantee programmes.
• SWIG Finance: UK CDFI providing startup and growth loans to underserved SMEs, focused on the South West. Operates a similar model of regional CDFI lending with FCA authorisation and government-backed scheme participation.

Emerging players

• Resonance: UK social impact investment intermediary that works with CDFIs and manages loan funds for underserved SMEs and social enterprises. Comparable in mission and target market, though operates more as a fund manager than a direct lender.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CandWRT
• Facebookfacebook.com/cwrtrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coventry-and-warwickshire-reinvestment-trust-cwrt-
• Instagraminstagram.com/cwrtrust

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust