Since the scheme’s introduction in 2012, the Granite City has seen a total of 189 loans disbursed, with each business securing an average of £10,583. This financial backing is coupled with additional support in key areas such as marketing, business development, and business plan writing.

From this total, female entrepreneurs in Aberdeen secured over a third (34%) of the loans, while 35% were awarded to young business owners under the age of 30.

One young couple to benefit recently from the Start Up Loans programme’s support are husband and wife Glenn and Jen Bowen, who started boardgame rental business Rent Shuffle & Roll in 2022. The couple launched the business after developing a love for board games during their time at university. They recently received a £20,000 loan through the Start Up Loans programme and DSL Business Finance to purchase a van, enabling them to take the business on the road and showcase their subscription service at gaming events.

Barry McCulloch, senior manager, UK Network, Scotland at the British Business Bank, said: “Delivering nearly 200 loans and providing £2m of funding to smaller businesses in Aberdeen is a huge milestone for the Start Up Loans scheme.

“This reflects our ambition to unlock opportunities for Scottish businesses outside of the central belt, and it’s been a joy to see the benefits that the funding has brought to entrepreneurs and communities in the North East.

“We’re incredibly proud of the success of the scheme since it was launched in 2012, and it’s fantastic to hear stories from people who’ve turned their dreams into reality.”

Mr Bowen said: “Our collection is growing constantly and we’ve almost reached 1,000 games – that’s 300 more than we had this time last year. We were asked to provide the whole gaming library for the UK Games Expo in June so the van was pivotal in transporting them all down to Birmingham.

“We’re grateful to the British Business Bank and DSL for helping us find our way at the beginning, and it’s great that they’ve reached this milestone and shown their commitment to supporting early-stage businesses, like ourselves, in Aberdeen.”