Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Business lending growth is forecast to more than halve from 5.3% last year to 2.1% this year, then rise modestly to 2.8% in 2027, according to a new EY UK Bank Lending Outlook analysis. Higher costs and economic uncertainty weigh on investment demand. From 2027, stronger spending on AI and wider digital technology is expected…
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Gross lending to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) hit £5.35 billion in the second quarter of this year, its highest level since the pandemic, UK Finance’s latest Business Finance Review found. SME lending has shown growth for two and a half years, with gross lending more than 26 per cent higher than in the same…
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Bank lending to small businesses across Great Britain falls £27bn in three years, with nine in 10 postcode sectors receiving less finance. The data has revealed a sustained and widespread decline in high street bank lending to UK small businesses, with total outstanding SME credit falling to its lowest level in more than a decade.…
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A review by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has found no evidence that its regulation is a major barrier to SME access to finance. Many of the challenges identified relate to wider market, information and capability challenges. The review found that the challenges are often greatest for microbusinesses, which make up 95.5% of all SMEs…
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Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are missing out on an estimated £54 billion in revenue due to a lack of confidence in accessing external finance, according to new research from broker-lender Portman Finance Group. The research found that 30% of businesses have missed a growth opportunity because of a lack of external finance, with affected…
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UK households and businesses received £69 billion of new finance from Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) members in the first five months of 2026, up 4% on the same period last year, according to new figures published today. The new figures are being released at the same time of the FLA’s first Impact Report. The…
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Lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) rose 16 per cent year-on-year to £5.3 billion in the first quarter of 2026, according to UK Finance’s Business Finance Review. This was the highest level of SME lending since 2021 and demonstrates both strong demand for SME finance and the continued role of high street bank lenders…
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Awareness of specialist business finance among UK SMEs is on the rise as new search data from Semrush has revealed an increase in online demand for tailored funding solutions such as Asset Finance and Invoice Finance. The latest figures show that searches related to specialist finance have increased over the past 12 months, with Asset…
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New data shared by independent SME lender, Time Finance, has shown a significant rise in web searches for Asset Based Lending (ABL), in an encouraging sign business owners’ awareness, appetite and uptake of multi-product finance is on the rise. Analysis of search data from Semrush has shown that average monthly searches for Asset Based Lending…
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Business lender 365 Finance has reported a sharp rise in the demand for funding from high street businesses, with a staggering 43% increase in restaurants opting for revenue-based finance when comparing Q1 2026 in-house data to Q1 2025. Among SMEs in the hospitality industry that increasingly seek finance, the owners of pubs and bars are…
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The British Business Bank’s Small Business Finance Markets 2025/26 report has found that gross SME bank lending increased by 9% to £68bn in 2025, making it the second highest level in the past 13 years after 2020’s covid peak, as credit conditions eased gradually through the year. Business dynamism is showing signs of improvement, with…
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UK Finance’s latest Business Finance Review shows that gross business lending by the high street banks increased from £16.1 billion to £17.5 billion in 2025 compared to 2024. In the final quarter of 2025, gross lending was £4.6 billion, the eighth consecutive quarter of year-on-year growth. The increase in lending in 2025 was strongest amongst…
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Following growth of 6.9% (net) in 2025, bank-to-business lending is forecast to slow to 3.5% (net growth) this year, as global and economic headwinds impact business confidence and reduce investment demand, according to the latest EY ITEM Club Bank Lending Forecast. While falling interest rates helped boost business lending last year to the highest level since…
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