On this page
Overlay
Explore your funding options
Find your funding
Start-up loans/grants
Generally low-interest government-backed personal loans or grants available to individuals looking to start or grow a new business in the UK.
For information on grant funding visit Government Grant Service or Swoop to find grants that may be appropriate for your business.
Information Message
Finding the right funding
Borrowing from financial providers like banks or loan companies offering a range of borrowing services including:
- Business loans
- Business credit cards
- Arranged overdrafts
- Commercial mortgages
- Invoice finance
- Asset finance and leasing
Information Message
Accelerator funding
Accelerators can offer both equity and non-equity funding, usually alongside a programme of support.
Information Message
Crowdfunding
The use of small amounts of capital from a number of individuals to finance a new business venture, including:
- Equity crowdfunding
- Reward crowdfunding
- Debt crowdfunding
Information Message
Equity investment
Investment for an equity stake in the business including:
- Angel investment – smaller amounts of investment, usually from an individual, high net worth investor, angel syndicate or local angel network.
- Venture capitalist (VC) – a private equity investor who provides capital to companies that show high growth potential, usually at a later stage.
Information Message
Initial Public Offering (IPO)
Floating your business on the stock market, and making shares available to buy in order to raise money.
Information Message
Business state questions:
- What stage is your business currently at?
- Have you validated your business model?
- Is your business generating revenue?
- Do you have financial forecasts in place for your business? (1-3 years)
Information Message
Funding questions:
- Have you identified a funding gap?
- When would you need the additional funds by?
- Are you clear on how much funding is required?
- What is the funding for?
- Have you identified a funding source?
- What are the next steps to securing that funding?
Information Message
Funding checklist
Can you put a mental tick ✓ or a cross ✗ next to the items on this list for what you’ve already got? For anything you haven’t done, jot down a reminder or save a voicenote as your funding to-do list.
Business Model Canvas
Build out the nine components of your business to model growth plans.
Business plan
Outline your forecast and growth plans, plus the opportunity on offer to help investors see you're worth their time.
Due diligence
Do the groundwork now on your finances and when you’ve found a funder and secured an investment, it'll speed things up.
Financial projections
Keeping your plans up to date can help you determine if you can move forward.
Investor insights
Don’t underestimate the time it takes to research, contact and cultivate potential funders.
Investment one pager
Jot down exactly what you need to introduce yourself and your business to potential funders.
Your funding pitch
Develop a pitch or deck for your business, including why you need funding is a great idea.
Valuation
Important especially if you’re going for investment, outline the equity and return on investment that’s on offer.
Funding one pager
There are 10 key elements to get down for your funding one-pager, which are similar to the 60-second pitch idea that you might have already looked at. If you haven’t had a chance, don’t worry, there’s everything you need to know in the 60-second pitch article.
In the meantime, carry on thinking of your answers to each of these sections. Pull your thoughts together using these headings and you’ll have the basis of your funding one pager.
Finding the right funding
1. Business model
What’s different about yours? How do you distribute, who are your key partners, how do you make money?
2. Business summary and vision
A brief intro to your business and your overall vision for the long term.
3. Competitive advantage
What’s yours? What’s the innovation that makes you stand out?
4. Contact details
Don’t forget to include them!
5. Customer problem and your solution
Introduce the problem or painpoint. Explain how your solution addresses the painpoint for the customer.
6. Financial summary table
What are your projections for the next 3-5 years in terms of turnover, gross and net profit?
7. Management team
Who’s in your team – and what’s their experience? Do you have mentors, non-exec directors or advisors?
8. Target market
What’s your knowledge of it? Do you know the total addressable market and the size of the opportunity?
9. Traction
What have you done to date? What’s your proof of concept, and where are you with customers, sales and investment?
10. Your ask (mentor/funding)
What’s the amount of investment you’re looking for, and what will you use it for? What’s your exit strategy and the ROI?
Tips for getting funding ready
-
1
Securing funding can be tough, so plan ahead if you can
-
2
Explore all the options available to you
-
3
Speak to peers, your bank manager and investors
-
4
Be realistic about how much you need and why
-
5
Pitch often and be resilient to knock-backs
-
6
Create clear and concise documentation that stands out from the crowd
Don’t know your angels from your gazelles?
Our jargon buster could help. Doing, growing and selling a business is packed with words, acronyms and terms that you may not have heard before. Our jargon buster explains the most common so you can sort the equity from the liquidity, and keep an eye on the unicorns.
Start-up business financing guide
An essential guide from Start Up Donut to make sure you’re getting the best possible financial base for your business.
Information Message
The 5 stages of equity funding
Discover more about the main stages of investment and what that means for funding.
Information Message
Questions you’re going to be asked
Make sure you’re ready for investment by checking out these questions from All Business.
Information Message
Who does what in a business?
Law firm Pinsent Masons explain the key roles in a business and their responsibilities.
Information Message
What's next?
It’s important to remember that most businesses go through the processes of looking for funding. So no matter how hard it seems at the time you’re not on your own, and there’s lots of support available.
You could:
- Build out a funding one pager for your business, identifying areas that need further exploration
- Run through the learning on the basics of bookkeeping or financial management to help you develop solid financial statements and put forecasts together
- Sign up to one of our wrap around events to help you explore your funding needs further
For more insights on funding and managing your business finances check out this article Understanding your finances.
This material is published by NatWest Group plc (“NatWest Group”), for information purposes only and should not be regarded as providing any specific advice. Recipients should make their own independent evaluation of this information and no action should be taken, solely relying on it. This material should not be reproduced or disclosed without our consent. It is not intended for distribution in any jurisdiction in which this would be prohibited. Whilst this information is believed to be reliable, it has not been independently verified by NatWest Group and NatWest Group makes no representation or warranty (express or implied) of any kind, as regards the accuracy or completeness of this information, nor does it accept any responsibility or liability for any loss or damage arising in any way from any use made of or reliance placed on, this information. Unless otherwise stated, any views, forecasts, or estimates are solely those of the NatWest Group Economics Department, as of this date and are subject to change without notice.