The UK government has launched an open Call for Evidence to better understand the experiences of small businesses when applying for and accessing debt finance. Issued by the Department for Business and Trade, HM Treasury, and Ministers Gareth Thomas MP and Emma Reynolds MP, the Government is inviting responses from small businesses.
Deadline to respond: 11:59pm, 22 May 2025
This is a valuable opportunity for Made in Britain companies, particularly SMEs, to share their experiences, challenges, and suggestions. Your insight could help shape future government policy to better support small businesses across the UK.
With the industrial strategy to be published in June and the small business strategy to be published later in 2025, the UK government are determined to improve the support the government facilitates and help the nation’s 5.5 million small businesses thrive.
Key areas of focus include:
- Access to finance for investment and growth
- Experience with banks, brokers and alternative lenders
- Barriers to borrowing
- Financial awareness and education
- Support for under-represented groups (e.g. women, ethnic minorities, and disabled entrepreneurs)
Why it matters:
Finance is vital to enable small businesses to invest, grow, create jobs and innovate. However, many SMEs still face barriers to accessing suitable finance. By contributing your views, you can help inform government thinking and influence how support is delivered in the future.
How to respond:
Made in Britain companies are encouraged to respond directly by email to accesstofinance@businessandtrade.gov.uk.
In your response, please include:
- Your company name, size (number of employees) and sector
- Answers to any of the 25 questions (you can respond to as many or as few as you like)
- Any relevant examples, data or insights you can share
A full list of the questions and guidance is available on here.
If you would like to make contact with Made in Britain regarding the Government Call for Evidence on Small Business Access to Finance, supply chains, or related industry matters, please email trade@madeinbritain.org.
By Made in Britain 4 months ago | Government & Supply Chains