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Berkeley Shaw secures NPIF II backing to boost growth

Press release 27 January 2025

Liverpool-based Berkeley Shaw Real Estate has secured a significant working capital loan from NPIF II – FW Capital Debt Finance, which is managed by FW Capital as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II). 

Portrait of the team from Berkeley Shaw

Following two acquisitions that the property advisor recently concluded, the funding from NPIF II – FW Capital will be used to support future growth ambitions.

Preston-based PR Lettings and well known Maghull estate agency Ian Crane recently joined the Berkeley Shaw stable, and managing director John Baybut says: 

It’s been a pleasure to welcome so many new colleagues and clients into our business. We have the technology, people and funds to build a leading regional sales and management business, and we remain firmly on the lookout for the right clients and right acquisitions.

With its head office located in Old Haymarket, Baybut says property owners value service and market knowledge, but now also tech and instant, round-the-clock communication.  He says he is looking for ‘established firms’ serving the mid to higher ends of the market throughout the North West. 

Berkeley Shaw already manages more than a billion pounds of assets for clients, including some of Liverpool’s best-known apartment developments, and the chartered surveyor believes there is an appetite from developers and pension funds for local real estate agencies with established and proven supply chains.

The business, which has offices in Liverpool, Crosby, Formby, Maghull, Southport and Preston, employs approximately 40 staff and recently hit the national headlines after being tasked with selling Jurgen Klopp’s former home in Freshfield. Berkeley Shaw’s property management arm is responsible for prime residential buildings such as Waterloo Warehouse, Beetham Tower and Wapping Quays.   

Commercial sites under its care include Stephenson Way industrial estate in Formby and numerous warehouses in and around Liverpool docks.

We want to grow the commercial side of our business and the NPIF II support from FW Capital will help with that ambition, too. They’ve been committed and business-like, and I look forward to a long-term relationship with Caroline, Carol and their team,

said John Baybut.

Commenting on the facility, Caroline Turley, Investment Executive at FW Capital said:

We have been very pleased to support Berkeley Shaw with the working capital needed during this period of growth. Our key criteria are assessing the leadership capability within the business and also making sure they have a track record of success. It's clear John and his team have this in abundance, and we look forward working together over the coming years.

Sue Barnard, senior manager at the British Business Bank, said:

NPIF II was created to drive sustainable growth for businesses across the North. This support for Berkeley Shaw showcases how the fund can support an expanding business in a high growth sector, making a significant contribution to a more thriving regional economy.

Rebecca Richards, Partner at Xeinadin Liverpool advised on the two recent acquisitions.

The £660m Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II) covers the entire North of England and provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II aims to build on the success of the initial fund, with the purpose of driving sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the North of England.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for the North’s smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and help to break down barriers in access to finance.  FW Capital will provide debt finance options from £100,000 to £2million to businesses based in the North West of England, with some flexibility to lend across the North.

Further Information

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Notes to editors

Berkeley Shaw

Berkeley Shaw was founded in 1980 in Crosby, north Liverpool, as chartered surveyors Berkeley Kersh.  The firm became Berkeley Shaw in 2002 when Mike Shaw took sole charge of the business.  On his retirement in 2014, John Baybut assumed the management of the business, opening new offices in Formby and Southport, before re-establishing the company’s presence in Liverpool city centre.

The company’s three core service lines are sales, lettings and block management.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II)

NPIF II is a £660 million investment fund to support the growth of small and medium-sized businesses across the North of England launched in March 2024.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II is one of a series of new Nations and Regions Investment Funds launched by the British Business Bank delivering a £1.6 billion commitment of new funding to drive sustainable economic growth.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II offers a range of commercial finance options with loans from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investment up to £5 million. The fund covers the entire North of England including Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Lancashire, Yorkshire & the Humber, Cheshire & Warrington, Cumbria, County Durham, Tyne & Wear, and Northumberland.

It aims to tackle an identified funding gap between the North and South of England and increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller businesses.

About FW Capital

FW Capital manages the £75 million NPIF II – FW Capital Debt Finance fund, part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II on behalf of the British Business Bank. Finance of £100,000 to £2 million is available to businesses in the North of England with a focus on Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside.

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