Businesses funded by the government-backed Start Up Loans programme have helped create or support more than 249,000 jobs across the UK, according to data published today by the British Business Bank.
The programme has provided 140,000 loans to small businesses, amounting to more than £1.4bn. In 2025/26 it issued 11,520 loans, of which almost 700 went to hairdressing and beauty businesses. Hospitality, fitness, food and drink, and e-commerce businesses also featured prominently, according to the figures released by Start Up Loans.
Since 2012, 70 per cent of Start Up Loans finance has been delivered outside London and the South East, the programme said.
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