South West Investment Fund improving access to finance across the region
An ‘Early Assessment Report’ undertaken by SQW Ltd has found that the British Business Bank’s South West Investment Fund is helping to improve access to finance for smaller businesses across the South West, supporting ambitious firms to grow, innovate and scale.
By September 2025, the South West Investment Fund – which was launched in July 2023 – had provided £50.8m to 192 businesses through 217 investments, helping to address local finance gaps and increase the availability of funding for smaller businesses.
The evaluation found strong evidence that the fund is supporting companies that may otherwise have struggled to secure investment, while also attracting additional private sector finance into the region.
By the end of September 2025, across all funds, £0.95 of private sector funding per £1 of South West Investment Fund investment has been leveraged.
Nearly a third of supported businesses are female led (38%), with a notably higher proportion among smaller loans (46%) than equity investments (24%).
The most up to date data (July 2026) shows that the South West Investment Fund has invested £75m into 283 ambitious businesses across the South West region and attracted a total of £82m of private sector investment. The findings form part of SQW’s independent evaluation of the British Business Bank’s wider £1.6bn Nations and Regions Investment Funds programme.
In the South West, the South West Investment Fund is supporting businesses across a broad range of sectors. To September 2025, information and communication accounted for 17.2% of firms supported, followed by manufacturing at 14.6% and accommodation and food service activities at 12.5%.
Among the hundreds of businesses to have received support from the South West Investment Fund in the region is the AI-powered job levelling platform, RoleMapper. It secured a £1m equity investment from the South West Investment Fund, through appointed fund manager The FSE Group, as part of a £2.1m funding round alongside Mercia Ventures, South West-based venture capital firm QantX, and existing private investors.
Sara Hill, RoleMapper founder and Chief Executive Officer, said, “The South West Investment Fund funding has enabled us to build a complete portfolio of solutions designed to help accelerate the shift from traditional job frameworks to future-fit, AI-ready organisations. Our new solution, RoleEvaluate, is now one of the most robust, cutting-edge job levelling solutions on the market and we’re really excited about RoleMapper’s next stage of growth as we expand our presence in the HR tech space.”
Adam Kelly, Managing Director of Debt & Regional Funds at the British Business Bank, said, “This independent evaluation highlights the important role the South West Investment Fund is playing in supporting smaller businesses across the South West.
“The findings demonstrate how the fund is helping businesses access the finance they need to invest, innovate and grow, whilst also helping to attract additional private sector investment into the regional economy. While still at an early stage, it is encouraging to see strong evidence that the fund is supporting businesses that might otherwise struggle to secure finance and is helping create the conditions for long-term economic growth.”
Pictured: Sara Hill, founder and Chief Executive Officer of RoleMapper
