Business finance figures for the South West, from the British Business Bank.
46% of smaller businesses in the South West 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.
The share of smaller businesses using external finance in the South West rose by 1 percentage point 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.
27% of smaller businesses in the South West 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'.
14% of smaller businesses in the South West were using bank overdrafts in 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025, British Business Bank, 2024
536,925 smaller businesses with 0 to 249 employees were counted in the South West 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'.
115 announced equity deals were recorded for smaller businesses based in the South West in 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025, British Business Bank, 2024
Beauhurst data, based on the head office of the recipient business.
Announced equity deals for smaller businesses based in the South West were worth £314m in 2024.
Source: Nations and Regions Tracker 2025, British Business Bank, 2024
Beauhurst data.
Major banks approved or increased 4,090 loans and overdrafts for smaller businesses in the South West 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.
Major banks approved or increased 11,429 loans and overdrafts for smaller businesses in the South West 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.
Major banks approved or increased loans and overdrafts worth £1,434m for smaller businesses in the South West 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.
Major banks approved or increased loans and overdrafts worth £2,092m for smaller businesses in the South West 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.
The national development bank newly supported an estimated 2,800 businesses in the South West 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.
856 Start Up Loans were offered to businesses in the South West 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'.
Start Up Loans offered to businesses in the South West were worth £10m 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'.
46% of smaller businesses in the South West were using external finance in 2024. The share of smaller businesses using external finance in the South West rose by 1 percentage point between 2023 and 2024. 27% of smaller businesses in the South West were willing to use external finance to grow in 2022.
46% of smaller businesses in the South West were using external finance in 2024.
The share of smaller businesses using external finance in the South West rose by 1 percentage point between 2023 and 2024.
27% of smaller businesses in the South West were willing to use external finance to grow in 2022.