Business growth loans

​We're working in partnership with GC Business Finance, part of The Growth Company, to provide a range of business loans.

We have 3 different loans available:

• Start-up loans
• Business loans
• Export finance

Eligibility

To be eligible for any of these loans:

• You must be at least 16 years old at the time of your application.
• Your business must be based in Rochdale borough or you must be a resident of Rochdale borough. If your loan is to expand your business, you can apply if you're planning to expand in Rochdale borough.
• You'll need to be able to demonstrate a viable business plan. Your plan must show you can meet the loan repayment and create or protect jobs as a result of the finance.
• For the start-up loan, you must be starting a business or have started a business in the last 24 months.
• For the business loan, you must be unable to raise the finance you need to start up a new business or finance your existing business. You'll need to be able to show you've tried unsuccessfully to obtain some or all of the finance you need from traditional lenders.
• For export finance, you must be a small or medium-sized business in Rochdale borough and looking to trade overseas for the first time or expand your current levels of trade. You must be unable to access export finance from other sources due to your lack of export history, small scale or perceived high level of risk.