Flexible Business Finance for the North
Explore small business loans, Start Up Loans and business finance of up to £250,000 for growth, working capital, equipment purchases and refinancing. As a direct lender, BEF provides funding and support tailored to your business needs.
What do you need finance for?
Turn your idea into reality with funding for startup costs, equipment, stock and early growth.
Access flexible working capital finance to cover day to day costs and keep your business moving.
Invest in people, equipment, premises and new opportunities with flexible business funding.
Replace expensive short-term borrowing with flexible finance that better supports your business and future plans.
Explore Business Loans
Compare business loans, small business loans and funding options for growth, working capital, equipment purchases and refinancing.
Explore Business LoansNeed funding help?
Answer a few simple questions about your business and what you're looking to achieve. We'll help you explore the funding options that may suit your needs and future plans.
Find Your Finance
Who we help and where we lend
We provide finance to businesses at different stages, startups, small businesses, and growing businesses.
We lend for a range of business needs including starting a business, managing cash flow, growing your business and refinancing existing borrowing.
We lend across Yorkshire and The Humber, the North East and the North West. Check your area to see whether we lend where your business is based.
Why choose BEF?
People first
Real people, not automated decisions.
Bigger picture
We look beyond the numbers and your credit score.
Fair funding
Designed to help businesses move forward.
Community impact
Every repayment supports more businesses.
A different kind of business lender
BEF is a not for profit Community Development Finance Institution providing flexible business finance directly to businesses. Since 2004, we have helped founders and business owners access funding to start, develop and grow with confidence.
"There are brilliant founders and business owners across the North. We understand their ambitions, help them access finance and build more vibrant communities."
Doug Heseltine, Head of Investments
Hear from a business owner
See what it's like to work with BEF, in their own words.
The impact of our lending since 2012
Invested in startups and SMEs
Added to the regional economy
Jobs created or protected
New UK businesses created
Businesses we've helped
We've helped thousands of businesses access the finance they need to move forward. Read some of their stories and see what finance has helped them achieve.
The Puzzling World of Professor Kettlestring in York secures NPIF II funding to launch unique tourist attraction
York-based attractions business The Puzzling World of Professor Kettlestring has secured five-figure funding, invested by NPIF II – BEF Smaller Loans.
Grimsby children’s role play centre launches with Start Up Loans support
Adventure Village Grimsby has secured a five-figure Start Up Loan through the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme, with support from Business Enterprise Fund (BEF).
Wool and truly thriving: How a Start Up Loan helped Pretty Knits Wool Shop flourish
For Hannah Hazledine-Herd, owning Pretty Knits Wool Shop in Darlington was once a dream. Today, but now thanks to two Start Up Loans, secured with the support of the Business Enterprise Fund (BEF), that dream is a thriving reality.
Flexible Business Finance FAQs
Find answers to common questions about business finance, from how much you can borrow to what finance can be used for. As a not-for-profit CDFI, we take a different approach to lending, so you can also find out more about how we work.
Better outcomes through partnership
We work with organisations across the public, private and third sectors to help businesses access the finance they need to move forward. By working together, we can strengthen businesses and help create more vibrant communities across the North.