Since the launch of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II) in 2024, fund manager FW Capital has reached the landmark funding milestone of £15million from its management of NPIF II – FW Capital Debt Finance, with significant demand for investment seen in the Liverpool City Region (LCR).
The FW Capital team has supported more than 40 companies across the North West with a notable amount of funding provided to businesses across LCR. These include supporting the growth aspirations for Knowsley-based Central Group, Liverpool-based Berkeley Shaw Real Estate and Prime Transport Planning.
Gary Guest, Fund Director at FW Capital said:
“There is significant regeneration and business expansion happening across the North West and we have supported businesses from Cumbria to Cheshire but have seen a real uptick in interest from LCR. We have experienced a strong period of funding activity in the last two months which has seen us reach another major funding milestone under NPIF II.”
Barry Wilson and Caroline Turley are based in FW Capital’s Liverpool office and are focused on helping SMEs access funding to scale up and support innovation.
Caroline Turley, Investment Executive at FW Capital added:
“We’re working with a variety of brilliant businesses across LCR, helping them to scale up and reach their long-term vision. We’ve lots more deals in the pipeline which will act as a catalyst for businesses to kick on and succeed – creating more jobs for local people and opportunities for local communities.”
Barry Wilson, Investment Executive at FW Capital said:
“As a Liverpool born and bred lad I’m thrilled with the strong growth and funding demand we’re witnessing from local companies. It’s showing there is confidence in the area with business owners seeking external finance to support their expansion strategies. Access to finance is still a challenge for some but through NPIF II we’re closing that funding gap and opening the doors for many to achieve sustainable growth.”
Sue Barnard, Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank, said:
“As we approach the first anniversary year of NPIF II, it has been amazing to see businesses across Liverpool and the wider North West approaching FW Capital to support their growth. From electromechanical specialists to real estate agents, FW Capital has helped deliver the impact of NPIF II across a wide range of sectors. Congratulations to the whole team on reaching this impressive milestone.”
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, with some flexibility to lend across the North.
NPIF II – FW Capital Debt Finance can provide loans in the NPIF II area with a primary focus on the North West regions of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside.