9%
Gross SME bank lending increased by 9% to £68bn.
314,000
314,000 new business start-ups, up 1% on 2024.
Note: Start-ups measured by VAT and PAYE registrations.
50%
Around 50% of smaller businesses used external finance in Q3 2025, with credit cards (19%), overdrafts (16%), and leasing and hire purchase (12%) most used.
62%
62% of smaller businesses said they knew where to obtain information on different types of finance, five percentage points higher than in 2024.
60%
Challenger banks accounted for 60% of gross SME bank lending, up from 39% in 2012.
43%
Since 2013, 43% of the 28 new providers that have entered the smaller business banking market are, or have been, British Business Bank delivery partners.
£2.9bn
AI companies raised £2.9bn across 323 equity deals in Q1-Q3 2025, accounting for around two-fifths of total UK equity investment.
71%
71% of Ethnic Minority-led businesses aim to become significantly larger (vs 40% of White-led businesses), and 52% are willing to use external finance to grow (vs 35% of White-led businesses).