Small businesses across the UK could find accessing finance a little easier thanks to a significant recent announcement. The government has committed billions of pounds to bolster funding options, including a substantial £20 billion expansion of financing support through UK Export Finance. For businesses with ambitions to trade internationally, this increased backing could unlock crucial … Read more
Introduction A recent study by Utility Bidder has revealed that only 17% of local authority areas in England and Wales have at least 50% of their non-domestic (business) properties with a positive Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of A+, A or B. The study rates the Top Local Authorities For Starting a Business in 2025 … Read more
Introduction According to NatWest and Beauhurst’s New Startup Index published in 2025, a total of 846,000 new companies started up in the UK in 2024, which was down by 3% on 2023. However, it brings the total number of active businesses registered with Companies House to 5.63 million, which is an all time high. The … Read more
Introduction According to the 2025 State of UK Business Survey by the Boston Consulting Group, 83% of business leaders surveyed stated they feel confident about their business’ prospects over the next 12 months, this is a small increase when compared with last year’s figure of 80%. It is also the case that business expectation on … Read more
Securing funding can be a game-changer for small businesses. A recent report shed light on the landscape of business grants managed by local authorities in the South West of England, offering valuable insights for those seeking financial support. Here’s what you need to know: Winning Isn’t as Tough as You Think The average success rate … Read more
Introduction According to the 2025 Innovation Barometer by Ayming, a London based innovation funding consultancy specialist, UK businesses surveyed are requesting that the Government provides further targeted support to drive innovation and growth as a lack of funding is holding back research and development (R&D) activities. Currently, only 39% of UK businesses surveyed were able … Read more
Introduction According to a 2025 survey by buy to let lender Together, a number of UK landlords and property developers are not fully aware of overall financial costs or resulting benefits when planning property renovation or repairs to their housing portfolio. This can impact on the overall profitability when selling a developed property or taking … Read more
We have seen many comments recently on both the work involved and the success rates in applying for Innovate UK grants. It seems that there is some concern over the time and expense involved in putting together applications that receive high scores, but subsequently don’t win any funding. The recent announcement of £948m to Innovate … Read more
Introduction NatWest has released a report titled: Key strategies to managing working capital in 2025 to help UK businesses manage their cash flow in times where economic volatility caused by international events and other domestic factors can have unexpected impact on working capital. Sudden changes to market conditions can lead to businesses lacking working capital … Read more
The much anticipated Spring Statement was a bit of a damp squib as far as grants goes, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. With the withdrawal of the £25M Innovate Smart Grant scheme earlier this year, it was expected in some circles that a replacement scheme would be announced, but nothing was forthcoming. The appointment of a new head … Read more