Greater Manchester’s female founders given a £20m boost through Start Up Loans
The Start Up Loans programme, part of the British Business Bank, has provided 2,156 loans worth over £20m to female-owned businesses in Greater Manchester. This highlights Start Up Loans’ commitment to supporting underrepresented founders and opening up access to finance for entrepreneurs.
This latest milestone follows the news that Greater Manchester is the most entrepreneurial place outside of London. Start Up Loans provided start up financing to businesses across Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan in the 2023/24 financial year, the highest of any region outside the Capital.
Recent female Start Up Loan recipients in Greater Manchester include sustainable gift business, EZ Hampers, which secured a £10k Start Up Loan to move into a new premises in Altrincham.
Alongside providing funding through the Start Up Loans programme, the British Business Bank is also involved in initiatives that support female founders, including the female angel investor network, Lifted Ventures.
Delyth Edwards, senior network manager for the North West at the British Business Bank said: “At the British Business Bank, we’re committed to supporting underrepresented groups, helping them to gain the funding and skills required to build a thriving business. The Start Up Loans programme has made a huge difference to female-founded business in Greater Manchester, supporting them with over £20m in funding.
“This is a reminder of why it’s so important to have targeted funding programmes to reach those who have historically struggled to access finance. As we continue to support entrepreneurs across the North West, I look forward to seeing all the success these businesses will achieve.”
EZ Hampers, Greater Manchester-based Start Up Loan recipient
EZ Hampers, a Greater Manchester-based sustainable gift business, secured a Start Up Loan in 2024. Founded by Lisa Storey, the business received a £10,000 Start Up Loan through GC Business Finance to move into a new premises in Altrincham.
The funding helped Lisa move to an area with increased footfall, which has helped her grow her business further. EZ Hampers sources products solely from positive impact businesses and plans to employ underrepresented people from the local community. Lisa is also working with students from Manchester Metropolitan University to improve her marketing strategy to support business growth and has recently hired a marketing manager.
Lisa Storey, founder of EZ Hampers said: “The Start Up Loan was important for me to achieve my dreams of opening EZ Hampers. The funding helped us move into new premises, which has put us at the front and centre of the community. We have been hosting lots of events, and we have recently hired a marketing manager to support us in raising our brand awareness.
“Growing a business is challenging but the Start Up Loans programme helped make accessing funding to grow my business easier. This has helped me get to where I am now, and I look forward to achieving even more success over the coming years.”
