BGF

Why are we different?

Long-term capital

We provide long-term growth capital to support your growth strategy, be it to make acquisitions, accelerate a site roll-out, develop new products or expand your management team.

And we don’t rush you. Unlike many other equity investors, with a balance sheet of over £2.5bn backed by the UK’s leading banks, our investment timetable is dedicated by the needs of your business - not the other way round.

Our initial investments are between £1m-£10m, with the potential for significant follow-on funding.

We won’t take the reins

BGF is a non-controlling equity partner, meaning we only ever take a minority stake in the businesses we back and you stay in control of the day-to-day running of your business. A typical equity stake ranges from 10%-40%, and we have no drag rights.

Flexible investments

One size never fits all. We can provide a mix of equity and unsecured loan notes, funding for both acquisitive and organic growth strategies, and can provide equity release to existing shareholders.

More than just money

Many SMEs tell us that it’s not just funding that they need, but the right introduction at the right time. Our Talent Network is an unparalleled resource of board-level executives and sector experts that can provide advice and guidance when you need it most. Take Giggling Squid, the fast-growing Thai restaurant chain in the South East. Using a £6.4m investment from BGF, the company will open a further 10 sites a year for the next five years. BGF introduced Giggling Squid to Simon Kossoff, chair and former CEO of Carluccio’s, who joined their board as non-executive chair to provide strategic support for their ambitious rollout plans.

A local presence

We have offices all over the UK and Ireland, enabling our investors to be fully embedded in the SME community within their region. We run local industry-specific workshops and networking events, and our annual CEO conference, highlighting the power of entrepreneurial activity across the whole country, is now a flagship event in the UK.