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Success Stories

Learn how other UK businesses have used external finance to reach their ambition

Here’s just some of the tens of thousands of smaller businesses funded through our partners, with the support of British Business Bank’s programmes.

Have you received finance from one of our partners using one of our programmes? Do you want to have a chance of being featured as a success story on our website? Please email our Communications team to register your interest.

Enterprise Capital Funds

NQ64

NQ64 are a chain of unique bars across the country offering a range of specialist beers and cocktails which can be enjoyed by customers while playing a range of retro arcade games and consoles.

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Future Fund

Big Atom

What do you do when nearly three-quarters of your customers close overnight? How do you maintain operations in those conditions?

Future Fund

Bockatech

As a young company, Bockatech needed cash to develop its technology and grow its business but worried that COVID-19 would hamper its ability to raise finance through private investors.

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)

Marwell Wildlife

Marwell Wildlife was forced to close its zoo when the Government implemented the shutdown to fight COVID-19. With no visitors paying to enter the zoo, but ongoing costs to meet for the animals’ upkeep, the company sought financial support via the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) before its cashflow dried up.

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)

SD Kells

Closing all of its department stores as part of the COVID-19 lockdown and facing a long period of no revenue meant things were looking bleak for Northern Ireland retailer SD Kells.

Future Fund

Ambion Heating

What do you do when you’re in the middle of a funding round and a pandemic hits?

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)

CM Marketing

As many of its customers – trade showrooms and builders’ merchants – closed their doors in response to the spread of the coronavirus, bathroom distributors CM Marketing took quick action, changing its working methods and assessing its cashflow.

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)

Harvey House Nursery

Only four months into its life as a business, Harvey House Nursery was forced to close to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)

Oliver Brown

Having dedicated funds to buying in stock for Royal Ascot 2020, London tailors Oliver Brown were left significantly short when the lockdown was enforced and the racing event took place without spectators.

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)

Hot Stone London

Like all restaurants, Hot Stone London was ordered to close once coronavirus spread more widely throughout the UK.

Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS)

YHA (England & Wales)

Government restrictions introduced in March meant YHA had to close its entire network of youth hostels to guests. To remain operating, the charity had to implement numerous cost-saving measures, but the lack of bookings caused cash reserves to run out.

Future Fund

Odqa Renewable Energy Technologies

Before COVID-19 struck, this Oxford University spin-out was aiming to secure seed funding so it could further its work to provide the world’s cheapest on-demand solar power.

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)

Dewing Properties

When the coronavirus lockdown prohibited the sale of residential property, demand for housing fell flat.

Future Fund

Vaix

Vaix was in the middle of its venture capital fundraising when the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to discussions with investors.

Future Fund

Voltaware

The impact of COVID-19 meant energy start-up Voltaware was unable to roll out its technology or fully support its commercial activity.

Future Fund

Riversimple Movement

About to secure additional funding to continue building its fuel cell electric vehicles, Riversimple Movement’s business was suddenly under threat once COVID-19 hit.

Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS)

Greenhill Hotel

Like most hospitality businesses, the Greenhill Hotel was instructed to close its doors to visitors, to help stop the spread of COVID-19. With no date for when it would be able to reopen, and unable to qualify for any government grants, the business found the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) to be its best option for financial support.

Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS)

CEG Packaging

With most of its customers forced to close as part of the Government’s COVID-19 shutdown, Liverpool-based CEG Packaging saw demand for its services diminish very quickly.

Future Fund

Momentum Bioscience

With its next financing round completed, Momentum Bioscience was funnelling much of that investment towards setting up a crucial clinical pilot study for its new product. Then COVID-19 hit, forcing major cost-cutting and threatening job losses.