The fund has been created to increase access to finance for smaller businesses looking to start, scale and grow. It covers businesses across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Sussex, Surrey and Kent.
What funding is available?
The South East Investment Fund offers two main forms of commercial finance:
- Debt finance from £25,000 to £2 million
- Equity investment of up to £5 million
The South East Investment Fund will be managed by a team of fund managers appointed by the British Business Bank including The FSE Group and Maven Capital Partners. The FSE Group will manage the debt finance part of the fund while Maven Capital Partners will manage equity investment through the fund.
The fund is intended to support businesses at different stages of their development, including those looking to invest in new equipment, recruit staff, develop products or services, enter new markets or increase working capital.
The Fund has already made its first investment with a £250,000 loan to Basingstoke technology company Process Vision, backing the company’s next phase of commercial growth and international expansion.
Is your business ready to raise finance?
Access to additional funding can provide an important opportunity for businesses, but securing finance should form part of a wider growth strategy.
Before approaching a lender or investor, it is worth taking the time to establish:
- How much funding the business actually needs
- What the funding will be used for
- How the investment is expected to generate growth or improve performance
- How much the business can afford to repay
- What impact external investment could have on ownership and control
Having a clear answer to these questions can make the funding process more straightforward and help ensure that the finance supports a commercially viable plan.
Debt or equity: what is the difference?
The right type of funding will depend on the business, its plans and its financial position.
Debt finance generally involves repaying the amount borrowed, together with interest and any applicable fees. The business owners normally retain ownership and control, but the business needs sufficient cash flow to meet its repayment commitments.
Equity finance involves giving an investor a share of the business in exchange for capital. There are generally no regular loan repayments, but existing owners may give up part of their ownership and investors may have an involvement in significant business decisions.
Understanding the longer-term implications of each option is therefore just as important as securing the funding itself.
Prepare before you apply
Funders will typically want to understand the business, its financial performance and its plans for growth.
This may include up-to-date management accounts, cash-flow information, financial forecasts, a business plan and a clear explanation of how the proposed funding will be used.
Preparing these figures is not simply about meeting a funder’s requirements. Building a robust financial forecast can help business owners test different scenarios, understand the potential return on investment and identify any pressure points in cash flow before committing to a project.
Funding is available beyond the South East
Although the South East Investment Fund is focused on businesses in the South East, it is part of the British Business Bank’s wider **Nations and Regions Investment Funds** programme.
The Bank currently has targeted investment funds operating across UK nations and regions outside London, meaning businesses elsewhere may also have access to regional sources of debt or equity finance.
For example, the **£140 million East of England Investment Fund** was launched on 23 September 2026, covering Essex, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, with the same headline funding range of £25,000 to £2 million for debt finance and up to £5 million for equity investment.
Planning your next stage of growth
External finance can be a valuable tool for growing a business, but the funding itself is only one part of the process.
A clear financial plan can help you determine how much capital you need, what it will achieve and how the business will manage the additional financial commitments.
If you are considering raising finance, we can help you assess your funding requirements, build robust financial forecasts and prepare the financial case for lenders or investors. Getting the numbers right before approaching funders can help you make a stronger, more informed funding application.
Contact us to discuss how we can support you.
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