Business loans London: funds, figures and lenders for London firms
Business loans in London come from the same national lenders as anywhere in England, plus a regional fund and local support that only London firms can use. This page sets out what is specific to London: the local business figures, the public funding open to you and which lenders on our panel cover your postcode.
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- Enterprises (ONS 2026)
- 552,505
- Under 10 staff
- 90.1%
- Top sector: professional
- 14.4% of jobs
- Regional fund (BBB)
- None in London
On this page
- London's business base in numbers
- Small business loans in London: what the figures mean
- Unsecured business loans in London
- Government-backed funding for London firms
- Lenders on our panel that cover London
- Free business support in London
- Finance for London's main industries
- Commercial finance brokers in London
- Sources
- Common questions
London's business base in numbers
There were 552,505 enterprises registered in Greater London in 2026, on ONS UK Business Counts figures (Nomis labour market profile: London region). 497,835 of them (90.1%) employ fewer than ten people, 43,005 employ 10 to 49, 9,045 employ 50 to 249 and 2,620 employ 250 or more. Counting branches, shops and depots separately, the area has 611,340 local business units.
Measured by workforce jobs (June 2026), the largest parts of the London economy are professional, scientific and technical services (14.4%), health and social care (10.9%), wholesale, retail and motor trades (10.0%) and information and communication (9.6%). The region counts 6,436,000 jobs in all.
Small business loans in London: what the figures mean
- With 90.1% of London 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.
- Finance and insurance: 7.3%, 2.1 times the Great Britain share of 3.4%. A big finance and insurance workforce supports a wider circle of suppliers who borrow to grow.
- Information and communication: 9.6%, 2.1 times the Great Britain share of 4.5%. Software and digital firms with recurring revenue have revenue-based loans as an extra option.
Set beside nearby cities, Greater London has 552,505 enterprises for 9,122,909 residents, or 60.6 per 1,000 (our calculation from the ONS figures). Birmingham has 38,605 enterprises, 32.8 per 1,000 residents, with 89.0% employing under ten; Bristol has 18,295 enterprises, 36.9 per 1,000 residents, with 86.8% employing under ten.
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Unsecured business loans in London
Of the 45 lenders on our panel with an unsecured business loan, 41 lend to a London postcode; BCRS Business Loans, FW Capital, Finance Yorkshire and Finance for Enterprise do not. Unsecured means no charge over property, but 123 of the 130 products open to London require a personal guarantee in our panel data.
| Lender | Amounts | Terms | Indicative rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| NatWest | £25k to £50k | Up to 7 years | 8.2% to 9.5% a year |
| Business Enterprise Fund | £25k to £250k | Up to 5 years | 17.75% a year |
| Allica Bank | £25k to £150k | Up to 5 years | 9.9% to 13.75% 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 |
| Iwoca | £10k to £1m | Up to 5 years | 1.5% to 5.7% a month |
| LendingCrowd | £75k to £500k | Up to 5 years | 8.9% to 21% a year |
Government-backed funding for London firms
The British Business Bank runs nations and regions investment funds for the North, the Midlands, the South West, the East of England, the South East, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but none of them names London as an area (British Business Bank). For a government-backed loan, London firms can look at the national Growth Guarantee Scheme, which runs through accredited lenders rather than a regional fund manager.
Lenders on our panel that cover London
No business loan provider in our panel data (70 in all) excludes London postcodes, so a London business is compared against all of them.
Free business support in London
Publicly funded help is available through Grow London Local, delivered by London & Partners, it points businesses to support in their own borough. Grants and advice from there can cut the amount you need to borrow.
Finance for London's main industries
The industries that employ the most people in London, and those that are bigger here than nationally, each have a page explaining how lenders assess them: IT company finance, business services finance, beauty salon finance, event business finance, estate agency finance and recruitment finance.
Commercial finance brokers in London
A commercial finance broker does not lend. We take one set of figures from a London business and search the lenders on our panel that accept a London postcode, across every type of business finance, from £10,000 to £20 million. Fees depend on the lender, with nothing to pay upfront.
| Type of finance | Products | Lenders | Amounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsecured business loans | 130 | 41 | £1k to £20m |
| Secured business loans | 57 | 23 | £10k to £10m |
| Revolving credit facilities | 13 | 11 | £2k to £20m |
| Asset finance | 114 | 40 | £1k to £20m |
| Invoice finance | 49 | 26 | £1k to £20m |
| Merchant cash advances | 8 | 7 | £5k to £750k |
| VAT and tax loans | 32 | 10 | £1k to £2m |
- Access to 300+ lendersWhole-of-market search across our lender panel.
- Independent brokerSmart Funding Solutions is an independent broker, not a lender.
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- Support from start to finishOur experts handle the process from start to finish.
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 London
- Asset finance London
- Merchant cash advance London
- Business loans Birmingham
- Business loans Bristol
- Business loans Nottingham
- Business loans Cardiff
- Business loans Sheffield
- Business loans Manchester
- Business loans Windsor
- Business loans Guildford
- Regional business loans UK
- 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 London?
Usually, if the business has been trading and can show it can repay: 41 lenders on our panel offer unsecured loans to London businesses, from £10k.
Do you have an office in London?
No. Smart Funding Solutions is based in Chester and works with London 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
- Access to 300+ lenders
- Personal broker support
- No obligation discussion
- Free to enquire
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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