FW Capital has expanded its team with a new appointment in Liverpool. Barry Wilson joins FW Capital as an Investment Executive and he will focus on providing funding to regional businesses from the new £75 million NPIF II – FW Capital Debt Finance fund, part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II).
Finance of £100,000 to £2 million is available to businesses in the North of England with a focus on Merseyside, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria. FW Capital was previously responsible for the successful delivery of the original £176 million NPIF Debt Finance Fund.
Barry has an extensive banking background having worked for NatWest for over 42 years delivering financial solutions for SME businesses across many sectors. Based in FW Capital’s Liverpool office, he is responsible for providing funding from NPIF II to SMEs across Merseyside.
Gary Guest, Fund Director at FW Capital said:
“Barry is a valuable addition to our team, bringing a wealth of experience which will help businesses across the region. He understands the obstacles faced by many businesses and in his new role will seek opportunities to use the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II to back the next generation of high-potential businesses in Merseyside.”
Barry Wilson, Investment Executive at FW Capital added:
“My appointment demonstrates FW Capital’s commitment to bringing in people with different skills to complement the existing team. This is an exciting new challenge for me using my experience in a different way to directly interact with businesses and provide vital finance to assist innovation and create local opportunities for new and growing businesses across the Merseyside area. I’m born and bred in Liverpool and keen to use my new role to assist the growth of the local economy.”
Simon Cunnington, Director at the British Business Bank said,
“Experienced fund managers play a big part in providing businesses with access to finance and the addition of team members with the right mix of skills and experience will enable NPIF II to have a lasting impact on the business community in the North.”
“By leveraging the expertise of their team across the whole of the North West, FW Capital will be able to continue bridging the funding gap and support the development of a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region.”
The £660m Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIFII) covers the entire North of England and provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.
The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II aims to build on the success of the initial fund, with the purpose of driving sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the North of England.
The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for the North’s smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and help to break down barriers in access to finance. FW Capital will provide debt finance options from £100,000 to £2million to businesses based in the North West of England.