Access to Finance Sheffield: Grants, Loans, Microfinance and Equity Options for Local Businesses

We had a great time at our recent Access to Finance event at Electric Works today. Over 90 businesses joined us to explore the many finance options available and gain clarity on the funding landscape, from grants and microfinance to equity investment and asset-based lending.

It was fantastic to see such a diverse range of Sheffield businesses come together to learn, share, and grow. A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to attend and helped make the event such a success.

This event was developed by the Sheffield Diverse Business Board to help businesses better understand finance options and to break down some of the myths around debt, loans, and investment. Ben Locke, Co-Chair of the Board, opened the event with a powerful introduction on the importance of financial access in supporting diverse and inclusive business growth.

Key Topics Covered

The day featured presentations from a range of expert speakers, each offering insights into different types of funding and how to access them:

• Purple Shoots introduced microfinance options and walked attendees through the process of applying for smaller-scale loans aimed at early-stage or community-based businesses.

• Finance for Enterprise spoke about business loans for when banks or mainstream funders can’t fully support a business. They offer: loans from £25,001 to £250,000, support when the bank can't help at all or can only part-fund, and funding for established businesses that can demonstrate repayment ability

• Business Enterprise Fund (BEF) covered their flexible finance options for SMEs, particularly those facing barriers to mainstream funding.

• BTG Advisory provided a detailed session on asset-based lending, explaining how businesses can secure funding against assets like stock, property, or invoices.

• Mercia gave a comprehensive overview of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, how to access it, and the types of investment Mercia offers to growth-focused businesses.

• South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) covered the South Yorkshire Equity Platform, explaining how local businesses can make use of it to access regional equity funding.

• Business Sheffield closed the funding overview by sharing available grants and walking businesses through the process of applying for them.

If you'd like to learn more about the event or want access to the presentation slides, you can find them here:
View the Slides.

If you’d like to speak to any of the presenters or explore funding options for your business, their contact details are included in the slides.

If you want one-to-one business support or to have a conversation about your specific funding needs, get in touch with Business Sheffield on businesssheffield@sheffield.gov.uk or call 0114 224 5000.

Check out our upcoming workshops here.