24 August 2012 19:41
The Funding for Lending scheme is only in its infancy but already there are reports of a lukewarm reception from businesses. Does this spell doom for the SME finance initiative or are we seeing the impact of the growth of alternative SME finance
21 August 2012 10:33
So, we’ve seen the first SME finance move by a bank in relation to the Funding for Lending scheme. The reduction in interest rates for small businesses by RBS and NatWest is positive but it is arguably a drop in the ocean.....
09 August 2012 11:06
A & T Business Associates Ltd latest blog
07 August 2012 11:44
The Funding for Lending scheme was officially launched last week and all eyes are on the latest government-backed SME finance initiative. The pressure is on to perform better than previous schemes and invoice finance could be key to its success.
29 March 2012 12:03
The National Loan Guarantee Scheme (NLGS) has been formally unveiled and a series of SME finance measures have been announced, but the 2012 Budget for business has still attracted some criticism, with alternative sources of SME credit,
10 November 2011 11:59
The government is facing increasing pressure to boost SME lending as the EEF industry association has called for action to prevent a double-dip recession.
13 September 2011 09:51
SME finance - what does the goverment do next? Criticism is mounting from all quarters. However, recent news suggests that slashing red tape could pump billions into the UK economy. Could new IP legislation help revitalise state SME lending policy?
06 September 2011 10:13
The big banks, including partly state-owned Royal Bank of Scotland, have published their half-yearly figures and the latest Project Merlin results are in.
21 June 2011 13:35
The scheme to stimulate bank business lending, Project Merlin, has come under fresh scrutiny since missing its Q1 SME lending target. However, new figures have put its performance in a different light.
05 April 2011 14:46
A recent report by KPMG indicates that UK firms have been price cutting since the recession started and this has cost UK businesses £20Billion.