{
  "slug": "uk-smb-finance",
  "name": "UK SMB Finance & Payments",
  "updated": "2026-09-19",
  "page": "https://godofstartups.com/atlas/markets/uk-smb-finance",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "facts": [
    {
      "metric": "share of UK small businesses reporting customers pay later than agreed terms, vs all-business average",
      "value": "49 vs 36",
      "unit": "%",
      "geo": "UK",
      "period": "fieldwork 3-31 January 2024, published 19 September 2024",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/late-payments-research-performance-and-practices-across-business/late-payments-research-understanding-variations-in-payment-performance-and-practices-across-business-sectors-and-sizes-html-executive-summary"
    },
    {
      "metric": "SME bank loan availability, net % of firms reporting rise minus fall (Q2 2026)",
      "value": "-4",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "Euro area",
      "period": "2026-Q2",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.ecb.europa.eu//press/pr/date/2026/html/ecb.pr260720~cafc3874a7.en.html"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Euro area banks net tightening credit standards on loans to enterprises, net % (Q2 2026)",
      "value": "7",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "Euro area",
      "period": "2026-Q2",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.ecb.europa.eu//press/pr/date/2026/html/ecb.pr260721~44ee50f75c.en.html"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Outstanding sterling bank lending to private non-financial corporations, UK",
      "value": "518220",
      "unit": "GBP million",
      "geo": "UK",
      "period": "2026-07",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/boeapps/iadb/fromshowcolumns.asp?csv.x=yes&Datefrom=01/Dec/2019&Dateto=01/Aug/2026&SeriesCodes=LPMBC57&CSVF=TN&UsingCodes=Y&VPD=Y&VFD=N"
    },
    {
      "metric": "UK businesses reporting concern about energy prices",
      "value": "62",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "UK",
      "period": "2026-05",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/businessservices/bulletins/businessinsightsandimpactontheukeconomy/4june2026"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Euro area companies that introduced self-checkout terminals",
      "value": "13",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "Euro area",
      "period": "2026",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/use-of-cash/html/ecb.uccea202608.en.html"
    },
    {
      "metric": "No recall of HMRC e-invoicing communications among surveyed VAT-registered UK SMEs",
      "value": "91",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "UK",
      "period": "2025",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electronic-invoicing-sme-usage-and-attitudes/electronic-invoicing-quantitative-research-into-small-and-medium-sized-enterprises-usage-and-attitudes"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Challenger and specialist banks' share of UK gross SME bank lending, 2025",
      "value": "60",
      "unit": "percent of gross SME bank lending",
      "geo": "UK",
      "period": "2025",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/sites/g/files/sovrnj166/files/2026-03/report-small-business-finance-markets-2026.pdf"
    },
    {
      "metric": "UK financial service enterprises by employment size band",
      "value": "19900",
      "unit": "VAT and/or PAYE based enterprises, control rounded to base 5",
      "geo": "United Kingdom",
      "period": "2025",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/businessindustryandtrade/business/activitysizeandlocation/datasets/ukbusinessactivitysizeandlocation/2025/ukbusinessworkbook2025new.xlsx"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Share of VAT-mandated UK SMBs using Making Tax Digital-compliant digital accounting software",
      "value": "54",
      "unit": "% using fully functional MTD software (single-application digital record-keeping + return submission); additional 26% using bridging software (spreadsheet + API submission) = 80% total using MTD-compliant digital software",
      "geo": "UK",
      "period": "2025",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-tax-digital-for-vat-final-evaluation/making-tax-digital-for-vat-final-evaluation"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Finance provided to UK smaller businesses by non-bank lenders, 2025",
      "value": "18.3",
      "unit": "GBP billion",
      "geo": "UK",
      "period": "2025",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/sites/g/files/sovrnj166/files/2026-03/report-small-business-finance-markets-2026.pdf"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Median months between funding rounds at seed stage",
      "value": "14.4",
      "unit": "months",
      "geo": "UK",
      "period": "2025",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/sites/g/files/sovrnj166/files/2026-06/report-small-business-equity-tracker-2026.pdf"
    },
    {
      "metric": "UK median equity deal size, seed stage",
      "value": "0.6",
      "unit": "GBP million",
      "geo": "UK",
      "period": "2025",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/sites/g/files/sovrnj166/files/2026-06/report-small-business-equity-tracker-2026.pdf"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Gross flow of new bank lending to UK SMEs, 2025",
      "value": "67.7",
      "unit": "GBP billion",
      "geo": "UK",
      "period": "2025",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/sites/g/files/sovrnj166/files/2026-03/report-small-business-finance-markets-2026.pdf"
    },
    {
      "metric": "UK businesses avoiding specific customers because of their payment behaviour",
      "value": "15",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "UK",
      "period": "2024–2025 (year before fieldwork 15 January–7 February 2025)",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/688a089a6478525675738ff9/late_payments_research_impact_on_uk_economy.pdf"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Share of UK SME employers using some form of external finance",
      "value": "72",
      "unit": "% of SME employers",
      "geo": "UK",
      "period": "2024",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/small-business-survey-2024-businesses-with-employees/longitudinal-small-business-survey-2024-sme-employers-businesses-with-1-to-249-employees"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Amount paid by UK non-employer businesses for strategic advice",
      "value": "1000",
      "unit": "GBP median paid for strategic advice amo",
      "geo": "England, Wales and Northern Ireland",
      "period": "2024",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/small-business-survey-2024-businesses-with-no-employees/longitudinal-small-business-survey-2024-businesses-with-no-employees"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Share of UK SME employers using credit cards as external finance (most-used instrument)",
      "value": "38",
      "unit": "% of SME employers",
      "geo": "UK",
      "period": "2024",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/small-business-survey-2024-businesses-with-employees/longitudinal-small-business-survey-2024-sme-employers-businesses-with-1-to-249-employees"
    },
    {
      "metric": "Share of UK SME employers that sought external finance in the preceding 12 months",
      "value": "15",
      "unit": "% of SME employers",
      "geo": "UK",
      "period": "2024",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/small-business-survey-2024-businesses-with-employees/longitudinal-small-business-survey-2024-sme-employers-businesses-with-1-to-249-employees"
    },
    {
      "metric": "UK non-employer businesses liable for income tax self-assessment using record keeping software",
      "value": "32",
      "unit": "percent",
      "geo": "UK",
      "period": "2024",
      "tier": 1,
      "status": "ready",
      "url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/small-business-survey-2024-businesses-with-no-employees/longitudinal-small-business-survey-2024-businesses-with-no-employees"
    }
  ],
  "note": "status: ready = two or more independent sources or an official series; proxy = one source; context = macro background, not a validation figure."
}