Partner Event: How to Win Regional Investment

For entrepreneurs seeking growth funding of £25,000 to £2 million.

Are you an entrepreneur seeking investment to take your business to the next level? Whether you’re a start-up needing a loan to accelerate initial growth, or a scale-up needing a larger investment to hire a new team, launch a new product or service or purchase new machinery, regional funding is worth exploring.

One great example of this is the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, which launched in 2017 and supported 739 businesses with £300 million in funding. On the back of this success, the second fund is now open for applications, offering £400 million of funds, deployable as loans worth £25,000 up to £2 million into regional businesses.

Funds like these offer business owners who may not be investable for traditional lenders (due to size, revenue or activity) access to growth funding. Though, as with any form of investment, a compelling case must be made to persuade fund manager to invest.

Speakers

Lewis Stringer, Senior Manager, British Business Bank

Lewis Stringer joined the British Business Bank in October 2016 as the MEIF Senior Relationship Manager, covering the East and South-East Midlands and worked on the Bank’s high-profile Covid-19 response initiatives. He currently works in the UK Network Team for the Bank as a Senior Manager, covering the East & South-East Midlands and supporting demand-side initiatives, as well as the recently launched £400m Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) II.

Lewis has 25 years’ experience in economic development including two years at Capital for Enterprise Limited (the Bank’s predecessor), where he worked in the Debt Team on the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme and former RDA legacy funds, ten years at East Midlands Development Agency (emda) in the Business Investment Team, where he managed a team and a series of grant, loan and equity funds, and investment readiness programmes, and five years at Nottingham City Council. Lewis also has over five years commercial and personal banking experience with Lloyds Banking Group.

Daniel Carrico, Executive Director, First Enterprise

Daniel is the CEO of a Community Development Financial Institute (CDFI) based out of Nottingham in the East Midlands. They lend to entrepreneurs and SMEs that can’t access business finance from traditional lenders, with a specific focus on BAME communities.