British Business Bank

Founded in 2014, British Business Bank is wholly owned by the UK Department for Business and Trade but operates independently. It is headquartered in Sheffield and is a development bank rather than a conventional retail or commercial bank.

The Bank designs and manages finance programmes through more than 200 delivery partners, including Start Up Loans, government-backed guarantees, and investment programmes that attract private capital into venture and growth markets. Its work is aimed at helping smaller businesses start, scale and remain in the UK.

Its strongest areas are policy-led finance, venture and growth-capital investment, regional economic development, and programmes that expand funding for businesses underserved by traditional lenders. In 2025, it brought British Business Investments and British Patient Capital under its umbrella, becoming the UK’s largest domestic investor in venture and venture-growth opportunities.