We are very proud to launch the SWIG Finance 24/25 Impact Report, showcasing the impact our support has on the communities we serve, as well as the wider benefits of our lending and some of the remarkable businesses we’ve supported over the last year.
Record Levels of Lending
During 2024/25, we expanded our lending networks to deliver a record £14.8 million in essential finance to smaller businesses across the South and West Country, with momentum still building by the end of the year.
We lent £7.6 million in Business Loans to over 80 SMEs for a diverse range of requirements, with 28% of the funding being invested into increasing productivity.
Alongside this, we continued to experience high volumes of Start Up Loans applications resulting in more than 480 loans worth £7.2 million.
This investment helped generate £75.7 million in Social Impact Value.
SWIG Finance’s MD John Peters commented “It has been another fantastic year for SWIG Finance in supporting so many smaller businesses. This has only been possible thanks to our incredible team, board, funders and stakeholders. Together, we’re not just providing finance—we’re fuelling ambition, resilience, and regional growth. Here’s to even more growth, impact, and success stories in the year ahead!”
The Wider Impact of our Lending
As an impact-led lender we are keen to see that our finance helps to create and secure local jobs. By generating positive economic impact across the South and West Country, our funding helps businesses, families and local communities to thrive.
We aim help smaller businesses which collectively have a big impact on their local communities but often face higher barriers to accessing traditional finance due to perceived risks, lack of collateral or systemic barriers.
In 24/25, £3.4 million of our lending supported businesses in economically deprived areas. This funding can be a key catalyst for improving social mobility and levelling up the playing field for local communities, demonstrating how access to finance can be a game-changer.
Lending to under-served businesses is about more than just financing enterprise; it’s about creating opportunities where they are needed most.
Our Funds and Loan Products
Our funding solutions can support businesses at every stage of their lifecycle, and we treat every business on its own merits.
Our Business Loans are unsecured and can be used to support a diverse range of sectors and requirements, including product development, recruitment and operational costs, purchasing equipment, investing in technologies, growth and working capital, investing in Net Zero, larger business acquisitions and refinancing existing debt.
As a Business Support Partner for the British Business Bank’s government backed Start Up Loans Programme, we provide tailored business support and access to finance for businesses trading under 3 years. Start Up Loans can help people to start up in business, acquire an existing business or set up a franchise, as well as earlier stage businesses looking to scale up.
SWIG Finance’s Business Loans Team
Why Generating Social Impact is Important to Us
We are a Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI), which means that we have a mission to provide access to finance for local businesses, helping them to grow and benefit our region’s economy by creating wealth and employment.
We don’t seek to compete with banks, but rather, we work to complement them by supporting those small businesses that can’t access mainstream lending.
As an alternative lender, we take a different approach from mainstream lenders. Rather than relying on automated credit scoring, our business managers work with their customers to understand each business and the people behind it. Our relationship-based approach means we can base our lending decisions on potential, not collateral, which opens a vital lifeline for the small businesses in local communities we serve.
We are a non-profit distributing organisation and we reinvest our profits to ensure that we can improve our services and support more customers each year.
SWIG Finance Team
Collaboration Furthers our Mission
SWIG Finance is part of a thriving network of Community Development Finance Institutions – CDFIs – which is working to build a more inclusive financial ecosystem for businesses throughout the UK.
In 2024/25 we joined a powerful national coalition of socially driven CDFIs through the Community Investment Enterprise Fund, backed by Better Society Capital and Triodos Bank. This milestone unlocked an extra £10 million in lending capital for businesses in 2025/26.
To ensure that our services are accessible to as many customers, intermediaries and brokers as possible, we are members of various bodies such as our local Chambers of Commerce, Business West and the South West Business Council.
We have also formed an exciting local Community Finance Partnership with Lendology CIC and Great Western Credit Union. Through this collaboration, we’re creating a support system to help individuals and businesses better access the finance they need.
Our Community Finance Partnership (L-R) James Berry CEO of Great Western Credit Union, Emma Lower CEO of Lendology, John Peters MD of SWIG Finance
Get in Touch!
If you’re seeking a people-based business finance solution for you or your customers, we are always happy to talk.
Get in touch with our friendly and professional team today to see how we can help: info@swigfinance.co.uk / 01872 227 930