Business loans Manchester: funds, figures and lenders for Manchester firms
Business loans in Manchester come from the same national lenders as anywhere in England, plus a regional fund and local support that only Manchester firms can use. Below are the Manchester figures, funds and lender rules that shape a search, each linked to its source.
“The whole process was very smooth and was completed within a few days.”
- Enterprises (ONS 2026)
- 24,550
- Under 10 staff
- 87.3%
- Top sector: professional
- 13.2% of jobs
- Regional fund (BBB)
- NPIF II
On this page
- Manchester's business base in numbers
- Small business loans in Manchester: what the figures mean
- Unsecured business loans in Manchester
- Government-backed funding for Manchester firms
- Lenders on our panel that cover Manchester
- Free business support in Manchester
- Finance for Manchester's main industries
- Commercial finance brokers in Manchester
- Sources
- Common questions
Manchester's business base in numbers
There were 24,550 enterprises registered in Manchester in 2026, on ONS UK Business Counts figures (Nomis labour market profile: Manchester). 21,440 of them (87.3%) employ fewer than ten people, 2,500 employ 10 to 49, 470 employ 50 to 249 and 145 employ 250 or more. That is 9.0% of the 272,085 enterprises in North West. Counting branches, shops and depots separately, the area has 29,740 local business units.
Measured by employee jobs (2024), the largest parts of the Manchester economy are professional, scientific and technical services (13.2%), health and social care (11.7%), administrative and support services (11.5%) and wholesale, retail and motor trades (10.8%). The sectors that are bigger here than nationally are real estate (3.3%, 1.7 times the Great Britain share of 1.9%), finance and insurance (5.5%, 1.6 times the Great Britain share of 3.4%) and administrative and support services (11.5% against 8.6% across Great Britain). In total the area has 453,000 employee jobs and 588,256 residents (2025).
Small business loans in Manchester: what the figures mean
- Because 87.3% of enterprises here are micro businesses, many Manchester applications rest on the directors as much as the company: lenders read the personal credit files and usually ask for a personal guarantee.
- Real estate: 3.3%, 1.7 times the Great Britain share of 1.9%. Real estate businesses make up a larger share than nationally; agencies borrowing against their rent roll are covered in estate agency finance.
- Finance and insurance: 5.5%, 1.6 times the Great Britain share of 3.4%. Finance and insurance employers are a large share of jobs, which feeds a deep supply chain of advisers, IT and property firms that borrow to grow.
Set beside nearby cities, Manchester has 24,550 enterprises for 588,256 residents, or 41.7 per 1,000 (our calculation from the ONS figures). Liverpool has 14,975 enterprises, 29.5 per 1,000 residents, with 87.3% employing under ten; Sheffield has 17,310 enterprises, 29.9 per 1,000 residents, with 87.2% employing under ten. Professional, support, digital and finance jobs together are 35.7% of the Manchester total, against 22.5% in Liverpool and 22.1% in Sheffield.
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Unsecured business loans in Manchester
Of the 45 lenders on our panel with an unsecured business loan, 43 lend to an M postcode; BCRS Business Loans and Finance Yorkshire do not. FW Capital and Finance for Enterprise lend only in certain areas that include Manchester. Unsecured means no charge over property, but 125 of the 132 products open to Manchester 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 |
| Iwoca | £10k to £1m | Up to 5 years | 1.5% to 5.7% a month |
| NatWest | £25k to £50k | Up to 7 years | 8.2% to 9.5% a year |
| Funding Circle | £10k to £750k | Up to 6 years | 6.9% to 25% a year |
| Swishfund | £10k to £100k | Up to 17 months | 1.1% to 3% a month |
| LendingCrowd | £75k to £500k | Up to 5 years | 8.9% to 21% a year |
Government-backed funding for Manchester firms
The British Business Bank's Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (£660 million) covers Manchester and 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 Manchester
Some lenders on our panel lend only in certain postcode areas. These ones include Manchester's M 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 M postcodes, so a Manchester business is compared against all of them.
Free business support in Manchester
Publicly funded help is available through GM Business Growth Hub, publicly funded support for Greater Manchester firms, including help finding funding and accessing finance. Grants and advice from there can cut the amount you need to borrow.
Finance for Manchester's main industries
The industries that employ the most people in Manchester, and those that are bigger here than nationally, each have a page explaining how lenders assess them: estate agency finance, business services finance, recruitment finance, transport and logistics finance, IT company finance and nursery business finance.
Commercial finance brokers in Manchester
People searching for a finance broker in Manchester usually want one thing: to find the lenders likely to say yes without filling in ten application forms. That is our job, as a broker rather than a lender. For an M postcode our panel data lists 132 unsecured loan products, 57 secured loans, 114 asset finance and 52 asset refinance products, 49 invoice finance facilities and 8 merchant cash advances: 468 in all, from 119 lenders.
Our fees depend on the lender, and nothing is payable upfront. Amounts run from £10,000 to £20 million.
- 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 Manchester
- Asset finance Manchester
- Invoice finance Manchester
- Merchant cash advance Manchester
- Business loans Liverpool
- Business loans Sheffield
- Business loans Chester
- Business loans Leeds
- Business loans Nottingham
- Business loans Birmingham
- Business loans Bolton
- Business loans Uttoxeter
- 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 Manchester?
Usually, if the business has been trading and can show it can repay: 43 lenders on our panel offer unsecured loans to Manchester businesses, from £10k.
Which sectors are bigger in Manchester than nationally?
Real estate (1.74 times the Great Britain share), Finance and insurance (1.62 times the Great Britain share) and Professional, scientific and technical services (1.42 times the Great Britain share), on ONS employee jobs for Manchester.
Do you have an office in Manchester?
No. Smart Funding Solutions is based in Chester and works with Manchester 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
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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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