As the fund manager for the smaller loans fund (£25,000 to £100,000) for the British Business Bank’s £130m Investment Fund for Wales, has supported the growth of 19 SME’s from across the country in just under a year.

British Business Bank launched The Investment Fund for Wales in late 2023, which operates across Wales and includes loans of £25,000 to £2m and equity investments up to £5m for SMEs.

BCRS has worked with SMEs in the West Midlands since 2002, expanding into Wales, officially launching in Cardiff last November.

Since BCRS was founded as a community development financial institution in 2002, it has provided loans worth more than £90m to businesses across the West Midlands and Wales.

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Stephen Deakin, CEO at BCRS Business Loans, said: “We are proud to have distributed £1m of funding to help small businesses across Wales with their growth plans.

“We look forward to working with more businesses across the country to help them realise their growth plans.”

Beth Bannister, senior investment manager of nations and regions investment funds at the British Business Bank, said: “Entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Wales and the British Business Bank is here to support Welsh business owners in their endeavours to scale and grow.”

(Pictured from left to right: James Pittendreigh, business loans business development manager, Tony Wood head of credit, Niki Haggerty-James, BDM, Graeme Lewis, BDM, at BCRS)