Recovery Loan Fund
The Recovery Loan Fund
1) What is the fund?
The Recovery Loan Fund provides loans to UK charities and social enterprises who have been impacted by Covid 19 and need funds to help them to survive, recover and grow. It has been established by Social Investment Business (SIB) to make an existing Government guarantee scheme, the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS – further information below), more easily accessible to charities and social enterprises.
The Fund will lend to organisations that are improving people’s lives, or the environment they live in, across the UK. All funding purposes will be considered including refinancing of existing debt onto more patient terms.
The Fund is being run by Social Investment Business with initial investment from SIB and the Fusion21 Foundation - the charity parent and social investor of social enterprise and public sector procurement provider Fusion21.
In addition, SIB will work with experienced social investor partners to deliver the fund: Big Issue Invest, Charity Bank, Key Fund, Resonance, Social Investment Scotland and Wales Council for Voluntary Action. Other delivery partners may be added in the future.
The Fund closes to submissions at midnight on Friday 20th May 2022. Applications will be reviewed on a first come, first served.
Eligible organisation can apply for loans of £100k-£1.5m.
To be kept up to date please fill out the brief details below and click 'View Application Form'.
See below for more information on eligibility, loan terms and application process.
2) Is my organisation eligible?
- Type of organisation: Your organisation must be an eligible charity or social enterprise (see Eligible Entities below).
- *UK-based: Your organisation must be registered and based in the UK, and deliver its services and impact in the UK.
- Length of existence: Your organisation will need to have been actively operating for at least 2 years.
- Turnover limit: Your organisation must have a minimum turnover of £400k in its last financial year (or £200k if the organisations is **BAME-led, or based in Scotland or Wales).
- Trading income: Your organisation (or group, if applicable) will need to generate at least 50% of its turnover from trading activity. Registered charities and further education colleges are exempt from this eligibility criteria.
- Social Impact: Your organisation (or group, if applicable) will need to be improving people’s lives or the environment they live in.
- Covid-19 impact: You will need to confirm to us that your organisation has been impacted by Covid-19.
- Solvent: You will need to confirm to us that your organisation (or group, if applicable) is not subject to any insolvency proceedings e.g. winding-up, administration, insolvency, bankruptcy.
- Ineligible sectors: A loan cannot be used to support the following sectors:
- Banks, Building Societies, Insurers and Reinsurers (excluding Insurance Brokers)
- Public sector bodies.
- State funded primary and secondary schools.
- Viability test: During assessment, we will need to ensure that your organisation has a viable business proposition.
- Credit and fraud checks: During assessment and before we disburse a loan we will undertake a range of credit and fraud checks.
* Organisations based in Northern Ireland will be referred to Community Finance Ireland.
**Black and Ethnic Minority (BAME) Led = (i) 51% or above, of board and SMT from BAME background
Further detail on eligibility criteria and the specific application form questions can be found in the Application Form Questions & Guidance (available to download at the bottom of the Fund page under ‘Attached Files’).
3) What can I apply for?
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Product: |
Term Loan |
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Size: |
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Term: |
A minimum of 1 year and a maximum of 6 years |
| Purpose: |
Any, including refinancing of existing debt To consider refinancing of existing debt, the organisation must meet both |
| Interest: | A fixed interest fee of 7.9% per year |
| Repayment: |
Capital repayment holiday for up to 12 months on all loans
All loans in monthly repayments in equal sized instalments
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Arrangement fee: |
2.5% on loans of £500k or greater |
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Drawdown: |
Full amount drawn down on signing
No redrawing of repaid amounts
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Prepayment: |
Permitted at any time without penalty |
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Security: |
All loans of up to and including £250k will be provided unsecured. For loans of over £250k, security will be taken in the form of a standard fixed and floating charge, where readily available with exceptions made only in exceptional circumstances. |
4) Who are Eligible Entities?
Eligible charities and enterprises are those who:
- Exist for the benefit of society/ environment.
- Are incorporated and based in the UK, and deliver the majority of their services and social impact in the UK.
- Are one of the following legal forms:
- Charitable incorporated organisation registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and/or the Charity Commissioner for Northern Ireland.
- Company limited by guarantee registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales, the Office of the Scottish Regulator and/or Charity Commissioner for Northern Ireland.
- Community interest company limited by guarantee.
- Community interest company limited by shares.
- A registered society (for community benefit) under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.
- Community benefit society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.
- If the organisation isn’t one of the above legal forms e.g. Company Limited by Guarantee without Charity status or Company Limited by Shares, it must have a social object, asset lock and restriction on the distribution of profits written into its governing documents at the point of application.
5) What is the Recovery Loan Scheme?
The Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) launched on 6 April 2021 and supports access to finance for UK businesses as they recover and grow following the Covid-19 pandemic.
RLS aims to help businesses affected by Covid-19 and can be used for business purposes, including, managing cashflow, investment and growth. It is designed to support businesses that can afford to take out additional finance for these purposes. A key aim of the Recovery Loan Scheme is to improve the terms on offer to businesses, but if SIB can offer a business the choice of a commercial loan on better terms, without requiring the guarantee provided by the RLS, we will do so. Businesses who have taken out a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) or Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) are able to access the new scheme.
Guarantee to the Lender: The scheme provides the lender i.e. SIB with a government-backed guarantee in case a borrower is unable to repay their loan. The guarantee is provided to SIB and not the borrower, and the provision of the guarantee does not remove any of the borrower’s liability for repaying their loan. The borrower always remains 100% liable for the debt. The Scheme will run until 31 December 2021, subject to review.
6) Application Process
If at any point during the process your application is unsuccessful we will do our best to provide feedback and signpost you onto other sources of support.
To start your a.
You can find further information on the Application Process at the bottom of this page under ‘Attached Files’.
If you have any other questions that aren't answered in any of the above, please contact our Investments Team: RLF@sibgroup.org.uk.
Banner photo by Thousand Word Media from the Gloucester Gateway Trust.
Business Finance Support
The British Business Bank has a range of guidance and resources available to all businesses, including content on managing your cashflow and a list of independent advice services.
Legal Notice
The Recovery Loan Scheme is managed by the British Business Bank on behalf of, and with the financial backing of, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. British Business Bank plc is a development bank wholly owned by HM Government. It is not authorised or regulated by the PRA or the FCA. Visit http://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/recovery-loan-scheme
