Business finance figures for the East Midlands, from the British Business Bank.
39%
Businesses using external finance
39% of smaller businesses in the East Midlands were using external finance in 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025, British Business Bank, 2024
Smaller businesses (0-249 employees). UK Finance/BVA BDRC SME Finance Monitor, unweighted n=17,011 for 2024. Annual share of businesses using external finance.
-9pp
Change in external finance use
The share of smaller businesses using external finance in the East Midlands fell by 9 percentage points between 2023 and 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025, British Business Bank, 2024
Change on 2023 in percentage points as printed in the source table. The source table shows '-' for London, which is not recorded.
30%
Willing to use finance
30% of smaller businesses in the East Midlands were willing to use external finance to grow in 2022.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2023: English regions factsheets (data annex), British Business Bank, 2022
Factsheet table, period printed as '2022'.
9%
Businesses using overdrafts
9% of smaller businesses in the East Midlands were using bank overdrafts in 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025, British Business Bank, 2024
367,460
Smaller businesses counted
367,460 smaller businesses with 0 to 249 employees were counted in the East Midlands at the start of 2022.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2023: English regions factsheets (data annex), British Business Bank, 2022
Factsheet table, period printed as 'Start 2022'.
55
Announced equity deals
55 announced equity deals were recorded for smaller businesses based in the East Midlands in 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025, British Business Bank, 2024
Beauhurst data, based on the head office of the recipient business.
£91m
Announced equity deal value
Announced equity deals for smaller businesses based in the East Midlands were worth £91m in 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025, British Business Bank, 2024
Beauhurst data.
2,026
Facilities approved to Q2 2023
Major banks approved or increased 2,026 loans and overdrafts for smaller businesses in the East Midlands in the four quarters from Q3 2022 to Q2 2023.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2023: English regions factsheets (data annex), British Business Bank, 12 months to Q2 2023
Factsheet table, period printed as 'Q3 2022-Q2 2023'. UK Finance data on the largest SME lenders; the 2023 annex marks figures as Great Britain only for the share column.
5,525
Facilities approved 2021/22
Major banks approved or increased 5,525 loans and overdrafts for smaller businesses in the East Midlands in the 2021/22 financial year.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2022, British Business Bank, 2021/22
Annex table, period printed as '2021-22 FY'. UK Finance data on the largest SME lenders.
£592m
Value approved to Q2 2023
Major banks approved or increased loans and overdrafts worth £592m for smaller businesses in the East Midlands in the four quarters from Q3 2022 to Q2 2023.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2023: English regions factsheets (data annex), British Business Bank, 12 months to Q2 2023
Factsheet table, period printed as 'Q3 2022-Q2 2023'. UK Finance data on the largest SME lenders; the 2023 annex marks figures as Great Britain only for the share column.
£889m
Value approved 2021/22
Major banks approved or increased loans and overdrafts worth £889m for smaller businesses in the East Midlands in the 2021/22 financial year.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2022, British Business Bank, 2021/22
Annex table, period printed as '2021-22 FY'. UK Finance data on the largest SME lenders.
2,100
Businesses newly supported
The national development bank newly supported an estimated 2,100 businesses in the East Midlands in 2025/26.
Source: Impact Report 2026, British Business Bank, 2025/26
British Business Bank estimates, apportioned from UK-wide estimates using programme data on business location; rounded to the nearest hundred. Includes debt, guarantee and equity programmes.
539
New Start Up Loans
539 Start Up Loans were offered to businesses in the East Midlands in the 2022/23 financial year.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2023: English regions factsheets (data annex), British Business Bank, 2022/23
Factsheet table, period printed as '2022-23 FY'.
£7m
Start Up Loans value
Start Up Loans offered to businesses in the East Midlands were worth £7m in the 2022/23 financial year.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2023: English regions factsheets (data annex), British Business Bank, 2022/23
Factsheet table, period printed as '2022-23 FY'.