The Enterprise Capital Funds programme

About

The British Business Bank is the largest domestic backer of Venture Capital funds in the UK. Established in 2006, the Enterprise Capital Funds programme helps those looking to operate in the UK market to raise venture capital funds specifically targeting early-stage small businesses believed to have long-term growth potential. The programme's primary objective is to address the 'equity gap' by increasing the availability of early-stage equity finance to high potential UK companies. The ECF programme has been running successfully since 2005. Original approval for the programme was granted by the European Commission and extended by a further 10 years in 2014 to 2024. Following the exit of the UK from the EU, the ECF Programme now runs under the UK Subsidy Control Act. A budget of £1bn was provided to the programme in 2017 and on average investment is made into 3-4 funds a year with a to...