Allica Bank celebrates five years serving the broker market with launch of new educational programme
Allica Bank, the challenger bank for established SMEs, today announces its fully funded broker educational programme. Set to launch in September, the initiative marks five years of supporting established UK businesses in partnership with the broker community.
The programme is both a thank you to brokers for their role in Allica’s growth and reflects the bank’s commitment to the UK’s established business community by investing in the growing broker channel, a vital source of support for these businesses.
Allica initially launched to market in 2020 with a commercial mortgage proposition available exclusively through brokers, quickly followed by asset finance in January 2021. Now a full-service bank, it has seen remarkable growth in that time, reporting earlier this year that it has surpassed £3bn of total lending. This was supported by the addition of a growth finance proposition in 2023 and acquiring bridging lender Tuscan in August 2024.
The broker community has played a critical role in Allica’s success, helping it to continually refine its approach, built on a combination of proprietary technology and strong relationships. In its recent survey of 414 of its broker panel, 90% of brokers rated the overall experience with the bank as ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’.
Its new programme, launched to celebrate the five-year milestone, will see Allica fund 50 places on a recognised Level 3 Certified Practitioner in Specialist Property Finance course, delivered by the Walbrook Institute of London (formerly the London Institute of Banking & Finance).
Alongside the funded qualification, Allica will also deliver a broad range of learning opportunities for broker partners, through its gold sponsorship of the Specialist Finance Academy, a social media webinar hosted by Rosalia Lazzara from Manuka Media, a market update led by renowned economist Trevor Williams, and a series of asset finance training events focused on financial analysis skills.
Nick Baker, chief commercial cfficer at Allica Bank, said: “Building out Allica’s commercial finance proposition and becoming a multi-billion pound lender over the past five years has been a real privilege, and there’s still so much to come. Our broker community has been – and will always be – such an important part of the Allica story, so this is about showing our appreciation and giving back something meaningful.”
Finance and property marketing expert and CEO of Manuka Media, Rosalia Lazzara, who will be delivering a social media masterclass as part of the programme, said: ”I’m proud to be partnering with Allica Bank to mark their five-year milestone with an initiative that truly champions brokers. In an industry where brokers are often left to navigate challenges alone, Allica’s commitment to providing practical tools and dedicated support is a breath of fresh air. By hosting the upcoming webinar as part of this initiative, I’m excited to help equip brokers with knowledge and strategies that will empower them to raise the bar and level up their business. It’s inspiring to see a lender genuinely invest in its broker community, and I’m honoured to play a part in driving this positive change.”
Dominic Williams at ASC Finance for Business said: “When Allica first opened its doors, it filled a real gap, not just with its lending, but in how it treated us as brokers. Allica’s progressive policy in commercial finance was very welcome and as a result I think we provided one of their very first commercial lending clients, which all went through smoothly and gave a great first impression. Five years ago, face-to-face time with a bank was becoming non-existent, so support like this, where we can track the progress of deals and interact with the lending team including underwriters, was a breath of fresh air. This initiative shows what’s possible when a bank listens and encourages brokers to grow alongside them.”
Michael Mann, broker business development director at Allica Bank, also said: “Allica set about building this programme not just for brokers, but with them. We spent time listening to what they actually need in terms of practical support, real-world insight, and opportunities that make a difference in their day-to-day work. Whether they’re just starting out or already established, we want this to be something that helps brokers to grow their business.”