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New £140m investment fund to unlock growth for smaller businesses in the East of England

Press release 23 September 2026

  • £140m East of England Investment Fund launched to support small and medium sized businesses
  • The Fund will offer a range of commercial finance options with loans from £25,000 to £2m and equity investment of up to £5m
  • Launch of the East of England Investment Fund means the British Business Bank is now delivering targeted finance across every UK Nation and region outside of London.

A new £140m Fund designed to support the growth of small and medium sized businesses in the East of England, has been launched today by the British Business Bank.

The launch of the East of England Investment Fund means the British Business Bank is now delivering targeted finance across every UK nation and region outside London.

This supports the Government’s plan for growth in every postcode by helping businesses access finance close to home. By backing ambitious smaller businesses, the fund aims to support innovation, create jobs and stimulate sustained economic growth in the region.

Covering Essex, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire , the fund will provide much-needed access to finance for small and medium-sized businesses, offering loans from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investments of up to £5 million to help businesses start, scale and grow.

The East of England is home to 15% of the UK’s university spinout businesses 1 , yet the region only received 9% of the UK’s total equity investment by value last year 2 . The launch of the Fund will help to ensure the bridge between academic innovation and market deployment is adequately supported in the region. 

David Hourican, Incoming Interim Chief Executive Officer of the British Business Bank, said:

The East of England is home to some of the UK’s most innovative and enterprising businesses, from world leading life sciences to advanced manufacturing and agri-tech. The launch of the East of England Investment Fund will play a crucial role in stimulating growth throughout the region by ensuring its businesses have access to the finance they need and deserve.

Science, Innovation and Investment Minister Chris McDonald said:

The East of England is home to small and medium sized businesses that are locally significant and internationally competitive. Many of these are in sectors such as life sciences, technology and clean energy that are growing quickly.

These businesses need financial support to grow and take advantage of new market opportunities, but I know from my own experience that it isn’t easy if you are located outside of London.

That’s why the British Business Bank is creating a new fund to support business in this region, sitting alongside targeted finance funds for every part of the UK. This is all part of the Prime Minister’s ambition to make sure that economic growth happens in every postcode, so that everyone in the country has the opportunity to benefit.

The East of England Investment Fund will be managed by two fund managers appointed by the British Business Bank. Eastmeare, which is part of Beechbrook LLP and Mercia Ventures. which is part of Mercia Asset Management PLC.   Eastmeare will manage the debt finance part of the fund, while Mercia Ventures will manage the equity investment part of the fund.

Further Information

If you are a journalist and have a media enquiry, please contact [email protected].

Notes to editors

Following today’s launch in Norwich, the British Business Bank will be holding a roadshow for small business finance intermediaries across the region to provide more information about the Fund. Destinations include Rothamsted Research Centre, Hertfordshire, (20 October), Hinxton Hall, Cambridgeshire (21 October) and Adastral Park, Suffolk, (22 October).

Nations and Regions Investments Limited, registered in England and Wales, registration number 14777628, registered office Steel City House, West Street, Sheffield S1 2GQ. A wholly owned commercial subsidiary of British Business Bank plc, registered in England and Wales, registration number 08616013, registered office Steel City House, West Street, Sheffield, S1 2GQ. British Business Bank plc is a development bank wholly owned by HM Government. It and its subsidiaries are not banking institutions and do not operate as such. With the exception of BBB Investment Services Limited they are not authorised or regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority or the Financial Conduct Authority. BBB Investment Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. A complete legal structure chart for the group can be found at british-business-bank.co.uk.

About the British Business Bank

The British Business Bank is the UK government’s economic development bank. Established in November 2014, its mission is to drive economic growth by helping smaller businesses get the finance they need to start, scale and stay in the UK. Its remit is to design, deliver and efficiently manage UK-wide smaller business access to finance programmes for the UK government.

In 2025/26 3 , the Bank supported UK smaller businesses to access £9.4bn of finance, made up of £1.3bn of public funding, £4.3bn of private capital crowded in by the Bank and £3.7bn of lending the Bank guaranteed. The funding benefited 38,000 UK businesses, including around 30,000 businesses the Bank had not previously helped to fund.

British Business Bank plc is a public limited company registered in England and Wales, registration number 08616013, registered office at Steel City House, West Street, Sheffield, S1 2GQ. It is a development bank wholly owned by HM Government. British Business Bank plc and its subsidiaries are not banking institutions and do not operate as such. With the exception of BBB Investment Services Limited they are not authorised or regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority or the Financial Conduct Authority. BBB Investment Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. A complete legal structure chart for the group can be found at british-business-bank.co.uk.

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