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Female founders in the North West boosted by £50m of Start Up Loans support

Press release 06 March 2025

  • The British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme has delivered £50m worth of loans to female-owned businesses in the North West 
  • The support provided is spread across 5,820 loans

The British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme has provided 5,820 loans worth over £50m to female-owned businesses in the North West.

With 36% of loans provided in the North West going to female entrepreneurs, the milestone underscores the Bank’s commitment to supporting underrepresented founders in the UK. This compares to government data showing just 18% of smaller companies with employees were female led in 2022 (.PDF, 848 KB).

This North West milestone follows the news that female-owned businesses in Greater Manchester have received £20m in funding. Greater Manchester was also recently announced as the most entrepreneurial place outside of London.

Recent female Start Up Loan recipients in the North West include Lauren Rowland and Hannah Muir, founders of pottery painting studio and bar, Craft + Common, who secured £25,000 each of Start Up Loan funding to open their studio and purchase equipment to get started.

Other female founders in the region include Lisa Storey, founder of EZ Hampers, a sustainable gift company and Dani Wallace, founder of I Am The Queen Bee, which provides resources and training to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses and improve their public speaking.

Alongside the funding it provides through the Start Up Loans programme, the British Business Bank also supports a number of initiatives aimed at supporting female entrepreneurs. This includes Lifted Ventures, which aims to increase the flow of early-stage capital to female founders in the UK

Louise McCoy, Managing Director, Start Up Loans Products at British Business Bank said:

The North West is full of entrepreneurial talent so I’m proud that we have provided over £50m worth of Start Up Loans to female entrepreneurs in the region. The British Business Bank is dedicated to supporting underrepresented groups and this milestone is just another example of the fantastic work the Start Up Loans programme is doing to make funding easier to access for women who want to set up or grow a business. Our funding is helping to create a thriving small business community in the North West and we look forward to providing even more support in 2025 and beyond.

Craft + Common, North West-based Start Up Loan recipient  

Craft + Common, an all-in-one pottery painting studio and bar founded by friends Lauren Rowland and Hannah Muir in 2023, secured a Start Up Loan to support the move into its first premises in Lytham St Annes. The business secured £50k of funding from the Start Up Loans programme with the support of its Business Support Partner, GC Business Finance (GCBF). The finance was used to support the purchase of its first studio and acquire crucial equipment to get things running.

Craft + Common offers pottery painting and ‘paint and sip’ events in a fun, relaxing, and social environment. Following the success of its first studio it has now opened a second premises in Lymm, with plans to expand even more.

Lauren Rowland, co-founder of Craft + Common, said:

We never could have imagined how our little idea would have come to life, and we have achieved so much success in just two years. We're very grateful for the support we have received from our local community and beyond. The Start Up Loan funding from GCBF supported us in getting started and we wouldn't be where we are now without it. We have opened a second studio in Lymm which has received lots of support from the local community and we're excited to see what is next for us.

Further Information

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Notes to editors

About Start Up Loans

The Start Up Loans programme provides personal loans for business purposes of up to £25,000 at a 6% fixed interest rate per annum and offers free dedicated mentoring and support to each business. 

The funding for the Start Up Loans programme is provided by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). 

The primary aim of the Start Up Loans programme is to help ensure that viable start-ups and early-stage businesses have access to the finance and support they need in order to thrive. A network of Business Support Partner organisations supports applicants in all regions and industries throughout the UK.

The Start Up Loans programme is operated by The Start-Up Loans Company, a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, registration number 08117656, registered office at Steel City House, West Street, Sheffield, S1 2GQ.

The Start-Up Loans Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of British Business Bank plc which is a development bank wholly owned by DBT.

British Business Bank plc and its subsidiaries are not banking institutions and do not operate as such. They are not authorised or regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority or the Financial Conduct Authority. 

Free guides on a range of subjects related to starting a business are available on the Start Up Loans website. You can find recent media press releases on media centre.

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