West Midlands-based BCRS Business Loans allocated £20m by the British Business Bank to support smaller businesses across the West Midlands and Wales
The British Business Bank has allocated £20m to West Midlands-based BCRS Business Loans to support underserved small businesses across the West Midlands and Wales, with loans ranging from £25,001 to £250,000.
BCRS is the sixth Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) lender accredited by the British Business Bank under its Community ENABLE Funding (CEF) programme and is the first with a dedicated focus on Wales.
BCRS is also one of the members of the UK Community Finance Partnership Taskforce, alongside the British Business Bank, which was launched in February 2026. The Taskforce’s mission is to scale the CDFI sector through partnerships with banks, securing concrete commitments for growth.
As a CDFI, BCRS is a regional, social impact lender that provides debt finance and support to underserved smaller businesses, which may find it difficult to access finance from mainstream lenders.
CDFIs typically have strong, local knowledge of the businesses they support and the communities they reside in. As such, they are well placed to provide the right finance which can unlock the potential in those communities. Through this knowledge, they can help remove barriers to accessing finance experienced by businesses.
One of the key objectives of the British Business Bank’s Community ENABLE Funding programme is to help develop the whole sector, so many more such businesses can access the finance they need.
The programme works by increasing the availability of funding to social impact small business lenders, and in turn the smaller businesses they serve in local communities. It is aimed at CDFIs, and will provide a significant boost to the sector, supporting up to £150m of lending over its first two years.
Following the accreditation of BCRS, £102m has now been allocated to CDFIs under the British Business Bank programme.
BCRS Business Loans Limited was established by the local Co-operative Development Agency as the Black Country Reinvestment Society on 26 April 2002 and registered with the then Financial Services Authority as an Industrial and Provident Society.
Initially established as a social enterprise lender covering predominantly the Black Country sub-region of the West Midlands, BCRS soon expanded their offer to include micro-enterprises and subsequently small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across the West Midlands, and now Wales as well.
In the financial year ending March 2025, BCRS lent £9.9m and supported over 124 smaller businesses, safeguarding 889 jobs and creating 317, adding £51.2m to the West Midlands economy.
Reinald de Monchy, chief banking officer, British Business Bank said: “We’re very pleased to welcome BCRS Business Loans as the sixth lender to the Community ENABLE Funding programme. Its commitment to supporting small businesses across the West Midlands and Wales aligns perfectly with our remit to widen access to finance across the UK’s Nations and regions.
“Through collaboration, we can help more entrepreneurs invest, grow and create jobs in the communities they serve for businesses that are the backbone of their local economies. We look forward to seeing the positive impact BCRS will deliver for businesses across these regions.”
Stephen Deakin, chief executive of BCRS Business Loans, said: “As a Community Development Finance Institution BCRS Business Loans is pleased to build upon our longstanding partnership with the British Business Bank to join the lenders accredited under the Community ENABLE Funding programme.
“Following on from the progress we have made together through the Midlands Engine Investment Fund and Investment Fund for Wales this accreditation strengthens our support for businesses in those areas, giving them vital access to the finance they need to generate growth and create employment, delivering impact in their local communities.
“In our most recent financial year 34.6% of lending was invested in the UK’s most disadvantaged areas so we look forward to delivering on the British Business Bank’s wider mission to improve access to finance for underserved entrepreneurs.”