# ESF/ThinCats announces £200 million funding programme to support lending to UK SMEs
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2017-10-04
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: £200m Funding Programme for UK SMEs
Meta Description: ESF Capital & ThinCats launch £200m funding programme for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK. Loans up to £5m available for growing
URL: https://financedigest.com/esfthincats-announces-200-million-funding-programme-to-support-lending-to-uk-smeshtml

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ESF Capital, together with its operating subsidiary, ThinCats, has concluded a funding programme for loans of up to £5m for growing UK small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) _._

This £200 million funding programme comprises £30 million already committed by ESO Capital, £70 million concluded with Waterfall Asset Management, LLC (“Waterfall”) and the balance to be provided by Waterfall and other institutional investors, subject to certain conditions.   All funds under the programme will continue to be invested in loans originated through ThinCats, Europe’s leading secured lending platform for SMEs.

Alongside existing ThinCats lenders, these additional institutional [investors allow ThinCats to provide certainty of funding](https://www.financedigest.com/credit-suisse-to-repay-further-750-million-to-greensill-linked-fund-investors.html "Credit Suisse to repay further 0 million to Greensill-linked fund investors") to a diverse set of SMEs in more significant amounts. Lending will focus on [funding growing companies with asset backing](https://www.financedigest.com/norway-sovereign-fund-backs-teck-resources-in-battle-with-glencore.html "Norway sovereign fund backs Teck Resources in battle with Glencore") and reliable cashflows, including acquisition finance, across all regions and sectors in the UK.

**ThinCats Chief Development Officer, Damon Walford, said:**“This additional investor base will allow us to significantly increase funding for [small businesses’](https://www.financedigest.com/the-small-businesss-guide-to-getting-started-in-digital-advertising.html "The Small Business’s Guide to Getting Started in Digital Advertising") expansion, acquisition or refinancing plans. Our focus on providing amounts up to £5m based on assets and reliable cashflows [means](https://www.financedigest.com/redefining-what-it-means-to-have-it-all-how-to-make-work-fit-into-your-life.html "Redefining What It Means to Have It All: How to Make Work Fit into Your Life") we occupy a space where traditional providers ‘can’t work’ rather than ‘won’t work’.

We have built an impressive team to service the [market focussed on working alongside professional intermediaries to source opportunities](https://www.financedigest.com/amino-acids-premixes-market-overview-analysis-with-application-product-source-opportunity-and-region-2022-2029.html "Amino Acids Premixes Market Overview & Analysis with Application, Product, Source, Opportunity and Region 2022-2029") and this funding ensures we are able to provide certainty to borrowers and their advisers.

This is a significant stage in the continued development of our business, which we plan to significantly increase over the next two years and we are excited by what the [future](https://www.financedigest.com/what-does-the-future-hold-for-corporate-payments.html "What Does the Future Hold for Corporate Payments?") holds.”

**HenrikMalmer, Managing Director at Waterfall said: “ThinCats occupies a unique space in the market and we are pleased to invest in senior [secured loans](https://www.financedigest.com/pandemic-loans-three-ways-to-secure-recovery.html "Pandemic loans: Three ways to secure recovery") made to growing and ambitious small businesses, which we see as a positive addition to our portfolio.“**

**ESF’s Managing Director, Ravi Anand, said:**“ESF has engaged across the institutional market and this is the first [key](https://www.financedigest.com/alanine-market-key-players-swot-analysis-key-indicators-and-forecast-to-2029.html "Alanine Market Key Players, SWOT Analysis, Key Indicators and Forecast to 2029") initiative in our plans to provide significant funding to the UK SME market. Generating a strong and sustainable yield from providing [finance for small and growing businesses is a compelling alternative](https://www.financedigest.com/demystifying-alternative-finance.html "DEMYSTIFYING ALTERNATIVE FINANCE") to traditional fixed income investments when combined with the funding gap left by conventional lenders.“


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