BBB announces Let’s Do Business Finance as accredited lender for CEF

The British Business Bank (BBB) has announced Let’s Do Business Finance as an accredited delivery partner for Community ENABLE Funding (CEF) in the South East of England, as the programme launches across the UK.

Let’s Do Business Finance is one of two lenders who have received accreditation so far, alongside First Enterprise in the Midlands. Supporting smaller businesses across the South East of England, Let’s Do Business Finance offers access to fair and affordable business finance, and works alongside other CDFIs in the UK to remove barriers to accessing finance experienced by many businesses.

From May 2025, Let’s Do Business Finance will be allocated up to £6m to provide capital for underserved smaller businesses across the South East of England, helping those who often struggle to secure funding from mainstream lenders. These will include businesses situated in disadvantaged areas, those with limited awareness of available finance options, and those who have been turned down by traditional funding sources such as high street banks.

In addition, the programme will seek to target several underrepresented groups, including female-led and ethnic minority-led businesses, increasing the diversity of businesses in those areas and improve the small business ecosystem for their customers.

The CEF programme is designed to increase the availability of funding to social impact sector lenders, and the smaller businesses they serve in local communities. All lending decisions are delegated to CEF-accredited delivery partners.

Let’s Do Business Finance will provide business loans under CEF, starting at above £25k. These are funded through several regional funds, for start-ups and smaller businesses that are unable to borrow from traditional high-street lenders. The not-for-profit institution reinvests any surplus into loan funds to further support economic growth and job creation in the local communities.

The initiative is aimed primarily at Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), and will provide a significant boost to the sector, supporting up to £150m of lending over the next two years.

CDFIs are small, regional, social impact sector lenders that provide debt finance and support to underserved smaller businesses that can find it difficult to access finance from mainstream lenders. One of the key objectives of the programme is to help develop the sector as a whole so that many more such businesses can access the finance they need.

CDFIs have strong, local knowledge of the smaller businesses they support and the communities they reside in. As such, they are well placed to provide the right finance which can unlock the potential in these communities. Through this knowledge, local CDFIs will help to remove barriers to accessing finance experienced by many businesses, in this case, here in the South East.

Reinald de Monchy, Co-Chief Banking Officer, Products, at BBB said:
“We are delighted to announce Let’s Do Business Finance as one of the first accredited lenders for the Community ENABLE Funding programme, following its successful launch in November last year. The company has a strong record of supporting smaller businesses in the South East, particularly those that face challenges in accessing finance from mainstream lenders. They have shown a clear commitment and genuine passion for empowering these businesses and we are excited to see the meaningful impact they will deliver.”

Sean Dennis, Managing Director, Let’s Do Business Finance, said:
“Becoming an accredited partner of the Community ENABLE Funding programme marks an important milestone as a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting small businesses with access to finance. This accreditation will enable us to extend our reach, providing vital funding to communities and individuals who often face barriers when seeking traditional finance options. The programme’s support will significantly enhance our ability to make a meaningful difference where it is needed most.”

Theodora Hadjimichael, CEO, Responsible Finance said:
“We’re delighted that Let’s Do Business Finance and First Enterprise have become the first accredited lenders for the Community ENABLE Funding programme. We are excited to see the impact they will generate for their small businesses and hope to see more community lenders across the whole UK join them in the coming months.”

Source: British Business Bank