In UK Export Finance’s Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, it was revealed that they provided £7.4bn to UK businesses for the purpose of exports, with 81% going to SMEs, totalling £6bn

As part of their support, UK Export Finance improved their small business offering by fully deploying the General Export Facility to support a wider range of SMEs, during which, they provided £180 million of support, 92%t of which went to SMEs.

For the year ahead, UK Export Finance has pledged to continue widening the availability of the General Export Facility with new delivery partners, as well as utilising the Export Finance Manager network to reach a greater number of SMEs whose turnover is less than £10m a year.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan, secretary of state for international trade, and Mike Freer, parliamentary under secretary of state, said in a joint statement: “Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are benefitting from the new General Export Facility with nearly £250m of working capital loans.

“The new expanded Export Development Guarantee is also providing financial security to many of the UK’s biggest exporters, with billions of pounds now provided, and to the thousands of companies in their supply chains.”

Serial entrepreneur and founder of business launchpad platform Start My Business, Shoaib Aslam commented: “In the current economic climate, start-ups and SMEs are desperate for support so it is fantastic to see the commitment provided by UK Export Finance over the past year. Financial support, in particular, can help form the backbone of a successful small business and facilitate much needed growth.

“Although, start-ups and SMEs should also look for support beyond the government as well, relying on both the services and guidance of other small businesses to ensure the small business economy thrives collectively.”