Business loans Liverpool: funds, figures and lenders for Liverpool firms
Business loans in Liverpool come from the same national lenders as anywhere in England, plus a regional fund and local support that only Liverpool firms can use. Here is what a Liverpool business should know before it applies, with every figure linked to where it comes from.
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- Enterprises (ONS 2026)
- 14,975
- Under 10 staff
- 87.3%
- Top sector: health and social care
- 19.1% of jobs
- Regional fund (BBB)
- NPIF II
On this page
- Liverpool's business base in numbers
- Small business loans in Liverpool: what the figures mean
- Unsecured business loans in Liverpool
- Government-backed funding for Liverpool firms
- Lenders on our panel that cover Liverpool
- Free business support in Liverpool
- Finance for Liverpool's main industries
- Commercial finance brokers in Liverpool
- Sources
- Common questions
Liverpool's business base in numbers
There were 14,975 enterprises registered in Liverpool in 2026, on ONS UK Business Counts figures (Nomis labour market profile: Liverpool). 13,075 of them (87.3%) employ fewer than ten people, 1,560 employ 10 to 49, 260 employ 50 to 249 and 85 employ 250 or more. That is 5.5% of the 272,085 enterprises in North West. Counting branches, shops and depots separately, the area has 18,580 local business units.
Measured by employee jobs (2024), the largest parts of the Liverpool economy are health and social care (19.1%), wholesale, retail and motor trades (11.1%), education (9.7%) and hotels, restaurants and food service (9.0%). The sectors that are bigger here than nationally are public administration (8.7%, 1.8 times the Great Britain share of 4.9%) and real estate (2.8% against 1.9% across Great Britain). In total the area has 288,000 employee jobs and 507,915 residents (2025).
Small business loans in Liverpool: what the figures mean
- With 87.3% of Liverpool enterprises employing fewer than ten people, a typical application is judged on two or three years of accounts, bank statements and the directors' credit files rather than a long trading record.
- Public administration: 8.7%, 1.8 times the Great Britain share of 4.9%. Suppliers to councils and public bodies commonly wait 30 days or more to be paid, which puts working capital first.
- Real estate: 2.8% against 1.9% across Great Britain. Lettings and estate agencies can borrow against their rent roll; see estate agency finance.
Set beside nearby cities, Liverpool has 14,975 enterprises for 507,915 residents, or 29.5 per 1,000 (our calculation from the ONS figures). Chester has 13,845 enterprises, 37.0 per 1,000 residents, with 88.4% employing under ten; Manchester has 24,550 enterprises, 41.7 per 1,000 residents, with 87.3% employing under ten. Professional, support, digital and finance jobs together are 22.5% of the Liverpool total, against 28.1% in Chester and 35.7% in Manchester.
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Unsecured business loans in Liverpool
Of the 45 lenders on our panel with an unsecured business loan, 43 lend to an L postcode; BCRS Business Loans and Finance Yorkshire do not. FW Capital and Finance for Enterprise lend only in certain areas that include Liverpool. Unsecured means no charge over property, but 125 of the 132 products open to Liverpool require a personal guarantee in our panel data.
| Lender | Amounts | Terms | Indicative rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| FW Capital (local fund) | £100k to £2m | Up to 5 years | Rate on application |
| Finance for Enterprise (local fund) | £25k to £250k | Up to 5 years | 12% to 14.35% a year |
| LendingCrowd | £75k to £500k | Up to 5 years | 8.9% to 21% a year |
| Swishfund | £10k to £100k | Up to 17 months | 1.1% to 3% a month |
| Funding Circle | £10k to £750k | Up to 6 years | 6.9% to 25% a year |
| Allica Bank | £25k to £150k | Up to 5 years | 9.9% to 13.75% a year |
| NatWest | £25k to £50k | Up to 7 years | 8.2% to 9.5% a year |
Government-backed funding for Liverpool firms
Liverpool businesses can apply to the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II, a £660 million British Business Bank fund that is open for applications. It offers smaller loans of £25,000 to £100,000, debt finance of £100,000 to £2 million and equity of up to £5 million.
Lenders on our panel that cover Liverpool
Some lenders on our panel lend only in certain postcode areas. These ones include Liverpool's L postcodes:
- FW Capital: Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II
- Finance for Enterprise: GGS Loan
No business loan provider in our panel data (70 in all) excludes L postcodes, so a Liverpool business is compared against all of them.
Free business support in Liverpool
For free advice before you borrow, Growth Platform is the place to start: the Local Growth Hub for the Liverpool City Region. It cannot lend to you, but it can point you to grants and local programmes that sit alongside finance.
Finance for Liverpool's main industries
The industries that employ the most people in Liverpool, and those that are bigger here than nationally, each have a page explaining how lenders assess them: estate agency finance, care home finance, hospitality business loans, nursery business finance, event business finance and retail business loans.
Commercial finance brokers in Liverpool
Working with a broker means one conversation instead of several. We match a Liverpool business against the 119 lenders on our panel that accept L postcodes, for £10,000 to £20 million, and only approach the ones whose criteria fit. Nothing is paid upfront; fees depend on the lender.
In our panel data, 145 unsecured loans and revolving facilities, 57 property-secured loans and 166 asset finance products are open to Liverpool firms, with 32 short-term VAT and tax loans alongside.
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Sources
Every figure above comes from one of these, checked on 18 October 2026. Lender coverage is from the criteria held for each lender on our panel.
Where to go next
- Business loans: how it works
- Business loan calculator
- Commercial mortgages Liverpool
- Business loans Chester
- Business loans Manchester
- Business loans Sheffield
- Business loans Leeds
- Business loans Birmingham
- Business loans Nottingham
- Business loans Bolton
- Business loans Stafford
- Business loans North West
- Instant Quotes: see which lenders fit your business
We are a credit broker, not a lender. Fees depend on the lender, and there is nothing to pay upfront. This page is general information, not financial advice. Lenders set their own criteria, rates and terms, and all finance is subject to status.
Common questions
Can I get an unsecured business loan in Liverpool?
Usually, if the business has been trading and can show it can repay: 43 lenders on our panel offer unsecured loans to Liverpool businesses, from £10k.
Which sectors are bigger in Liverpool than nationally?
Public administration (1.78 times the Great Britain share), Real estate (1.47 times the Great Britain share) and Health and social care (1.35 times the Great Britain share), on ONS employee jobs for Liverpool.
Do you have an office in Liverpool?
No. Smart Funding Solutions is based in Chester and works with Liverpool businesses by phone, video and email; lenders do not need you to be local to us.
What our clients say
“Simon was fast, kept us updated at all stages and was a real pleasure to work with on our asset finance. I highly recommend this company: excellent service all round.”
“Spoke with Simon, who managed to get me the loan I needed promptly. The whole process was very smooth and was completed within a few days.”
“Getting a business loan can feel like a bit of a minefield, but everything was broken down for me in great detail. Will use again in the future!”
“Simon was a pleasure to deal with and helped us find a business loan that matched our growth goals and future expansion plans.”
“I couldn’t source funding for my business, but the team got in touch within an hour and had it sorted within 24 hours. Fantastic service, and I would definitely use them again.”
Why businesses choose Smart Funding Solutions
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Our clients say
Trusted by UK businesses across every sector.
“Simon was fast, kept us updated at all stages and was a real pleasure to work with on our asset finance. I highly recommend this company: excellent service all round.”
“Spoke with Simon, who managed to get me the loan I needed promptly. The whole process was very smooth and was completed within a few days.”
“Getting a business loan can feel like a bit of a minefield, but everything was broken down for me in great detail. Will use again in the future!”
“Simon was a pleasure to deal with and helped us find a business loan that matched our growth goals and future expansion plans.”
“I couldn’t source funding for my business, but the team got in touch within an hour and had it sorted within 24 hours. Fantastic service, and I would definitely use them again.”
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