Report and publications
Devolved Nation project overview
The make-up of sub-national economies can vary significantly within a particular nation. Factors such as location (urban/rural/coastal), the background of business owners (gender, age and ethnicity), the local business base, the size/maturity of businesses, and the sectoral composition all have an impact. This project seeks to understand the extent to which these differing characteristics affect or influence attitudes towards the use of external finance amongst the SME population.
This report seeks to better understand the differences between sub-national access to finance economies, whilst simultaneously undertaking a devolved nations comparison. This is the third year the Bank has supported this project, having published a suite of nation specific sub-regional access to finance reports in 2024 and 2025. This research was completed in partnership with Economic Intelligence Wales.
Wales findings
- 66% of Welsh SMEs reported using any finance
- 19% of smaller businesses in Wales reported experiencing barriers to accessing finance
- 8 in 10 Welsh SMEs perceived their cash flow position as positive
- 17% anticipated requiring additional finance over the next year
- 62% of those requiring additional finance felt confident about securing it
- Sole traders were least likely to perceive their cash flow position as strong (7%) but most likely to perceive it as stable (66%)
- Between 2023-2025, there was a respective 9 percentage point and 5 percentage point increase in the share of male-led and female-led businesses anticipating moderate growth
Sub-national findings
- SMEs based in North Wales were least likely to be using equity finance (0%)
- SMEs based in North Wales and South West Wales were more inclined to report experiencing barriers to accessing finance (both 21%)
- Of those reporting a negative cash flow position, smaller businesses in Mid Wales cited an increased cost of borrowing (38%) and poor supplier terms (23%) at the highest/a statistically significant rate
- SMEs based in South East Wales were most inclined to report having a finance requirement over £250k (25%)
- Smaller businesses in South West Wales were least likely to feel confident in securing additional finance (45%)
- The lowest share of SMEs expecting to remain stable were based in South East Wales (42%), although they had the joint highest share of growth expectations (34%)
Devolved Nations comparison
- Wales had the highest share of smaller businesses reporting any barriers to finance, at 19% compared to 18% in Northern Ireland and 13% in Scotland
- Welsh businesses’ perceptions of a positive cash flow position (80%) were more broadly aligned with Scotland (85%) than Northern Ireland (69%)
- Wales had the lowest proportion of SMEs that anticipated requiring additional finance over the next year, at just 17% compared to 42% in Northern Ireland and 47% in Scotland
- A higher share of smaller businesses in Wales expected a finance requirement above £250k (14%) than in Northern Ireland (9%) and Scotland (6%)
- Wales had proportionally more SMEs that expected to remain stable (48%) than in Northern Ireland (30%) and Scotland (39%).
Wales SME Access to Finance Report
This report from British Business Bank and Economic Intelligence Wales seeks to better understand the differences between sub-national access to finance economies, whilst simultaneously undertaking a devolved nations comparison.
Trosolwg o brosiect y Gwledydd Datganoledig
Gall natur economïau is-genedlaethol amrywio’n sylweddol o fewn un wlad benodol. Mae gan ffactorau fel lleoliad (trefol/gwledig/arfordirol), cefndir perchennog y busnes (rhyw, oedran ac ethnigrwydd), y sylfaen o fusnesau sy’n bodoli’n lleol, maint/aeddfedrwydd y busnesau, a’r cymysgedd o sectorau oll ran i’w chwarae yn hynny o beth. Nod y prosiect yma yw deall i ba raddau mae’r gwahanol nodweddion yma’n effeithio neu’n dylanwadu ar agweddau at ddefnyddio cyllid allanol ymysg y boblogaeth o BBaCh.
Nod yr adroddiad hwn yw ennill gwell dealltwriaeth o’r gwahaniaethau rhwng mynediad at economïau cyllid ar lefel is-genedlaethol, a hynny wrth gymharu’r gwledydd datganoledig â’i gilydd. Dyma’r drydedd flwyddyn i’r Banc gefnogi’r prosiect yma, ar ôl cyhoeddi adroddiadau isranbarthol penodol ar gyrchu cyllid ar gyfer y gwledydd unigol yn 2024 a 2025. Cyflawnwyd y gwaith ymchwil yma mewn partneriaeth â Dirnad Economi Cymru.
Canfyddiadau Cymru
- Dywedodd 66% o BBaCh Cymru eu bod yn defnyddio cyllid o ryw fath
- Nododd 19% o fusnesau llai Cymru eu bod wedi profi rhwystrau i gyrchu cyllid
- Roedd 8 BBaCh ym mhob 10 yng Nghymru’n teimlo bod eu sefyllfa o ran llif arian yn bositif
- Roedd 17% yn rhagweld y byddai angen cyllid ychwanegol arnynt dros y flwyddyn nesaf
- Roedd 62% o’r rhai sydd angen cyllid yn teimlo’n hyderus am ei ddiogelu
- Unig fasnachwyr oedd lleiaf tebygol o deimlo bod eu sefyllfa o ran llif arian yn gryf (7%) ond mwyaf tebygol o’i weld yn sefydlog
- Rhwng 2023 a 2025, bu cynnydd o 9 pwynt canrannol yn y gyfran o fusnesau dan arweiniad dynion, a 5 pwynt canrannol yn y gyfran dan arweiniad menywod, oedd yn rhag-weld twf cymhedrol
Canfyddiadau is-genedlaethol
- BBaCh yn y Gogledd oedd lleiaf tebygol o fod yn defnyddio cyllid ecwiti.
- Roedd BBaCh yn y Gogledd a’r De-orllewin yn fwy tueddol o ddweud eu bod yn wynebu rhwystrau i gyrchu cyllid (21% yr un)
- O’r rhai a nododd eu bod mewn sefyllfa negyddol o ran llif arian, dywedodd busnesau llai yn y Canolbarth taw cost uwch benthyg arian (38%) a thelerau gwael gan gyflenwyr (23%) oedd fwyaf tebygol o ddweud hyn/oedd yn nodi hyn ar gyfradd o bwys ystadegol
- BBaCh yn y De-ddwyrain oedd fwyaf tueddol o ddweud bod angen mwy na £250k o gyllid arnynt (25%)
- Busnesau llai yn y De-orllewin oedd lleiaf tebygol o deimlo’n hyderus wrth ddiogelu cyllid ychwanegol (45%)
- Yn y De-ddwyrain oedd y gyfran isaf o BBaCh sy’n disgwyl aros yn sefydlog (42%), ond ganddyn nhw oedd y gyfran gydradd uchaf o ddisgwyliadau o ran twf (34%) hefyd
Cymharu’r Gwledydd Datganoledig
- Gan Gymru mae’r gyfran uchaf o fusnesau llai sy’n nodi unrhyw rwystrau i gyllid, ar lefel o 19% o gymharu ag 18% yng Ngogledd Iwerddon ac 13% yn yr Alban
- Roedd canfyddiadau busnesau Cymreig ynghylch sefyllfa gadarnhaol o ran llif arian (80%) yn fwy cyson â’r Alban (85%) na Gogledd Iwerddon (69%)
- Gan Gymru oedd y gyfran isaf o BBaCh oedd yn rhagweld y byddai angen cyllid ychwanegol arnynt yn y flwyddyn nesaf, gyda chwta 17% o gymharu â 42% yng Ngogledd Iwerddon, a 47% yn yr Alban
- Roedd cyfran uwch o fusnesau llai yng Nghymru’n disgwyl y byddai angen mwy na £250k o gyllid arnynt (14%) nac yng Ngogledd Iwerddon (9%) a’r Alban
- Yn gyfrannol, roedd gan Gymru fwy o BBaCh oedd yn disgwyl aros yn sefydlog (48%) na Gogledd Iwerddon (30%) a’r Alban (39%)
Adroddiad Cyrchu Cyllid ar gyfer BBaCh Cymru
Mae'r adroddiad hwn gan Fanc Busnes Prydain a Chyfrifon Cudd-wybodaeth Economaidd Cymru yn ceisio deall yn well y gwahaniaethau rhwng economïau sy'n cael mynediad at gyllid ar lefel is-genedlaethol, gan gynnal cymhariaeth o'r un pryd rhwng y cenhedloedd datganoledig.