Help, FAQs and Glossary

FW Capital is a Fund Management business which invests in SMEs, helping them grow and prosper. FW Capital is a subsidiary of the DBW Group.  We have offices in Billingham, Birmingham, Bristol, Cumbria, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Preston and across Wales.

We offer both loans and mezzanine investment for businesses. These can be used for a variety of purposes, including marketing, capital expenditure, working capital, staff recruitment, property purchase and property development.

We cannot refinance existing lenders.

We’re here to help SME businesses across the North of England, Wales and the South West of England with loans to facilitate growth.

In the North East of England we can help property developers finance development costs.

For the purpose of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II, Investment Fund for Wales and South West Investment Fund, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are classed as any entity that qualifies as small, micro or medium sized in accordance with sections 382, 384A and 465 of the Companies Act 2006:

To qualify as an SME, the company must meet at least two of the below criteria:

1. Turnover not more than £36 million
2. Balance sheet total not more than £18 million
3. Number of employees not more than 250

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II) is a £660 million investment fund, aimed at driving the growth of small and medium-sized businesses across the North of England. 

NPIF II is one of a series of Nations and Regions Investment Funds launched by the British Business Bank delivering a £1.6 billion commitment of new funding to smaller businesses across the UK. 

FW Capital manages the £75 million Northern Powerhouse Investment II – Debt Finance.

The South West Investment Fund  (“SWIF”) is an initiative launched by the government-owned British Business Bank, providing a variety of funding options to businesses in the South West of England.  FW Capital delivers the £19 million debt-finance element of the fund in the north of the region.

The North East Property Fund is a £20 million fund offering loans from £250k to £2 million to property developers and construction firms to finance development costs for smaller residential and non-speculative commercial property schemes. The North East Local Enterprise Partnership are investors in this fund.

The North East Commercial Property Investment Fund is a £35m fund offering loans from £1 million to £7 million to property developers and construction firms to finance development costs for speculative and non-speculative commercial property schemes. The North East Local Enterprise Partnership are investors in this fund.

The Tees Valley Catalyst Fund closed to new applications on 31st March 2023. Please contact us for further information. 

The Investment Fund for Wales (IFW) is a £130 million investment fund, aimed at driving the growth of small and medium-sized businesses in Wales. 

The IFW is one of a series of Nations and Regions Investment Funds being launched by the British Business Bank which will deliver a £1.6 billion commitment of new funding to smaller businesses across the UK. 

FW Capital manages the £30 million IFW – FW Capital Debt Finance fund. 

FW Capital can offer the following:

• Loans of £100k to £2 million for growth purposes via the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II.
• Loans of £100k to £2 million for growth purposes via the South West Investment Fund.
• Property development loans of £250k to £2 million for property development in the North East.
• Loans of £100k to £2 million for growth purposes via the Investment Fund for Wales.

We always aim to keep our interest rates competitive. Our annual interest rates can range from 6% to 12% and they’re fixed for the life of your loan – even if the Bank of England’s Base Rate changes.

For more information, please contact us.

The security we take is usually over the assets in the business and often includes personal guarantees.

The level of security given can influence the interest rate of the loan.

There are certain criteria for each of the funds we manage. This includes the need for your business to be based in the appropriate geography for the product you are considering. You will find further information on the Funds we manage pages.

If your business isn’t based in one of these areas, but is either willing to re-locate or will have a material presence in the region as a result of the investment, then this should be sufficient – our local Investment Executives can provide further guidance on this.

A business plan and some financial information will also need to be provided before you are able to receive any funding.

Unlike other lenders, we are able to help business across sectors including:

• Business services
• Engineering, electronics & optics
• Food & drink
• Healthcare
• Industrial & manufacturing
• ICT, software & services
• Life sciences
• Media & entertainment
• Medical technology
• Professional services
• Property
• Renewables

Please note there are some sectors deemed as restricted and off limits to any support.

• Gambling
• Tobacco
• Activities that give rise to environmental impact
• Activities that are ethically or morally controversial

If you think you meet our criteria, fill out the enquiry form and we will discuss the process and outline next steps.

This depends on how soon we receive all necessary documentation and the size and complexity of the finance you need. 

Absolutely. Our portfolio teams work with our customers to help provide follow-on funding when required. This means a company could secure several rounds of finance from us over a period of time.

Our maximum loan is £2m through the North East Property Fund and £7m through the North East Commercial Property Investment Fund. Please contact us for further information.

We prefer to successfully complete a project with a customer before financing multiple projects. Track records go a long way though.

There are no set levels, but we expect customers to share the financial risk. Land purchase funds are often sufficient.

We offer up to 65% of the projects gross development value.

Two years from first drawdown for the North East Property Fund, five years from first drawdown for the North East Commercial Property Investment Fund

We only provide finance to support a development to completion and aim to recycle finance quickly to support more customers.

The North East Commercial Property Investment Fund offers loans from £1 million to £7 million to property developers and construction firms to finance development costs for speculative and non-speculative commercial property schemes. The North East Property Fund offers loans from £250k to £2 million for non-speculative schemes.