BBI announces funding facility to boost UK innovation

British Business Investments (BBI) has announced an initial £20m funding facility to Sprk Capital Limited (“Sprk”). The facility will provide capital to smaller businesses in the UK engaged in innovation. 

British Business Investments, a wholly-owned commercial subsidiary of the British Business Bank, aims to improve access to alternative finance for smaller businesses across the whole of the UK, while supporting the UK’s transition to a net zero economy. Since it was established in 2014, British Business Investments has committed more than £3.8 billion to providers of finance to UK smaller businesses. 

Sprk is a specialty lender to companies engaged in the innovation sector. Through the provision of advanced funding of UK R&D and innovation grants, Sprk provides non-dilutive cashflow solutions to smaller businesses, enabling them to invest with confidence in their innovation projects.

R&D advance funding, also known as an R&D tax credit loan, is a simple way for businesses to access their R&D tax credits at any point in the financial year. Grant advance funding, also known as innovation grant funding, is a simple way for businesses to finance their grant awards ahead of incurring expenditures.

Currently, innovation incentives such as tax credits and grants account for £16bn of funding to smaller businesses in the UK. Since it launched in 2021 Sprk has provided funding to innovation projects totalling over £150m. Although Sprk has a sector agnostic lending strategy, 80% of its loans to date broadly represent the UK innovation market, with lending focused on the manufacturing, IT & communication, and the professional scientific and technical sectors.

Sprk is the first lender focused on the innovation lending sector to receive funding from British Business Investments.

In 2024, the British Business Bank and Innovate UK signed a memorandum of understanding to help create new pathways for business investment and promote growth through innovation. The collaboration will see the two organisations working more closely together to co-create new opportunities to promote investment and to support UK businesses through better tailored offerings.

“We look forward to working with Sprk to help innovative smaller businesses across the UK to access the capital they need to scale up and become successful, high growth companies.”

“The funding provided also enables us to work even closer with UK Research & Innovation through Innovate UK to provide additional capital to grant projects, accelerating UK-led innovation further.”

Scott O’Brien, Chief Investment Officer, Innovate UK, said: “We recognise the liquidity challenges that can face cutting-edge businesses bringing new technologies to market. Together, the British Business Bank and Innovate UK support the end to end pathways through which innovative UK businesses start, scale and succeed. This new funding facility with Sprk supports those pathways, alongside our world-class portfolio of products and services designed to support businesses in bringing the best ideas to market and driving economic growth.

“The initial £20m has the potential to help fund hundreds of SMEs to achieve their goals of advancing technology and research in the UK into some of the most complex issues that are faced around net zero, AI and sustainability.”

Chris Collings, Relationship Director at Triple Point, who helped to enable the new facility said: “We’re proud to have played a role in enabling this funding through the restructuring of existing facilities and supporting the commencement of the relationship with BBI.

“Our ongoing commitment to SPRK in this crucial lending market reflects our dedication to the innovation and growth driving SMEs across the UK. The new partnership with BBI creates further opportunity to expand on these activities, and we look forward to working alongside the team as this initiative develops.”