Launched this year, these awards celebrate the companies providing ‘more than finance’ to SMEs, innovating in financial services and breathing optimism into start-ups and established businesses.

By innovating their customer offering and providing advice and guidance, these lenders not only drive essential funding to SMEs, but they also make every penny of that capital count.

 

BUSINESS GROWTH ENABLER 

The Business Growth Enabler award celebrates an organisation within the growth finance industry that has made a demonstrable and widespread impact on SMEs over the past 12 months. This award can be entered independently or in partnership with a finance provider.

  • 365 Business Finance
  • Ask Inclusive Finance
  • Capital on Tap
  • Catalyst Business Finance
  • LendingCrowd
  • Merchant Money
  • Nucleus Commercial Finance
  • Triple Point

GROWTH FINANCE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

Our highest accolade for providers of growth finance. This Growth Finance Provider of the Year award will recognise an exemplary company, one that has a clear and demonstrable focus on delivering ‘more than finance’ to its customers and can evidence impact on UK businesses.

  • 365 Business Finance
  • ArchOver
  • Columbia Lake Partners
  • Cubefunder
  • Fleximize
  • Kreos Capital
  • PayPal Working Capital
  • Simply

INNOVATIVE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

The Innovative Product of the Year award is designed to recognise a growth finance product that has delivered clear and demonstrable innovation over the past 12 months. This product will have created outstanding results for an SME, a sector or the industry through innovation. The judges will be looking for clear differentiators including qualitative and quantitative evidence of innovation, impact on its business and the industry.

Finalists:

  • ArchOver
  • Innovate UK Loans Ltd
  • Kuflink
  • Tide Platform Limited

BEST FUND MANAGER
sponsored by Goji Investments

The Best Fund Manager award will be presented to the Fund Manager that can demonstrate a clear impact on SMEs through their debt-based, alternative credit or direct lending funds over the past 12 months. This could be a specific case study, project or innovation that has created outstanding results. The judges will be looking for clear differentiators including qualitative and quantitative evidence of growth, innovation, customer satisfaction, feedback, and business/industry impact.

Finalists:

  • CORDET
  • Downing
  • Kreos Capital
  • RM Funds
  • Triple Point

BEST P2P BUSINESS LENDER
sponsored by Quantuma

The Best P2P Business Lender award will be presented to the P2P lender providing a growth finance product or service that has delivered a clear and demonstrable business impact to SMEs over the past 12 months. The platform will demonstrate a best-in-class digital platform, transparency, as well as ample resources for both borrowers and lenders. The judges will be looking for clear differentiators including qualitative and quantitative evidence of customer growth, innovation, customer satisfaction, feedback, and impact on the business or industry.

Finalists:

  • Assetz Capital
  • Blend Network
  • Crowd2Fund
  • CrowdProperty
  • Formax Credit
  • Kuflink
  • LendingCrowd

SPECIALIST LENDER OF THE YEAR

The Specialist Lender of the Year award recognises the creative use of finance to businesses in a specific sector, or in a specialist or niche way that has delivered a clear and demonstrable business impact over the past 12 months. This could be a specific case study, a project or a wide-reaching service that has created results worthy of recognition. The judges will be looking for clear differentiators including qualitative and quantitative evidence of customer growth, innovation, customer satisfaction, feedback, and impact on the business, sector or industry.

Finalists:

  • Amberside Capital
  • Ask Inclusive Finance
  • Blend Network
  • Catalyst Business Finance
  • Downing
  • Kreos Capital
  • Triple Point
  • Woodsford RxBridge

VENTURE DEBT PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

The Venture Debt Provider of the Year award will be presented to a provider of venture debt that has delivered a clear and demonstrable impact over the past 12 months. This could be a specific case study, a project or a wide-reaching service that has created business results worthy or recognition. The judges will be looking for clear differentiators including qualitative and quantitative evidence of customer growth, innovation, customer satisfaction, feedback, and impact on the business and/or industry.

Finalists:

  • Barclays
  • Columbia Lake Partners
  • Finstock Capital
  • Shawbrook Bank

BEST INVOICE FINANCE PROVIDER

The Best Invoice Finance Provider award will be presented to an invoice finance provider that has delivered a clear and demonstrable business impact over the past 12 months. This could be a specific case study, project or a wide-reaching service or innovation that has created outstanding results. The judges will be looking for clear differentiators including qualitative and quantitative evidence of customer growth, innovation, customer satisfaction, feedback, and impact on the business and/or industry.

Finalists:

  • Banking Circle
  • MarketInvoice
  • Satago Financial Solutions
  • Ultimate Finance

BEST CHALLENGER BANK

The Best Challenger Bank award will be presented to the bank providing service that has delivered a clear and demonstrable business impact over the past 12 months. This could be a specific case study project, a wide-reaching service or innovation that has created outstanding results. The judges will be looking for clear differentiators including qualitative and quantitative evidence of customer growth, innovation, customer satisfaction, feedback, and impact on the business and/or industry.

Finalists:

  • OakNorth
  • Redwood Bank
  • Tandem Bank
  • Wyelands Bank

DIGITAL LENDER OF THE YEAR

The Digital Lender of the Year award recognises the all-important digital experience, crucial in breaking down the barriers to finance. This award recognises digital innovation that has enhanced the borrower experience, providing information in a frictionless way. The judges will be looking for clear differentiators including qualitative and quantitative evidence of customer growth, innovation, customer satisfaction, feedback, and impact on the business and/or industry.

Finalists:

  • Capital on Tap
  • CORDET
  • LendingCrowd
  • TradeRiver UK Ltd

DIRECT LENDING PLATFORM OF THE YEAR
sponsored by RW Blears Solicitors

The Direct Lending Platform of the Year award will be presented to the platform providing a growth finance product or service that has delivered a clear and demonstrable business impact over the past 12 months. This could be a specific case study, a project or a wide-reaching service offering that has created results worthy of recognition. The judges will be looking for clear differentiators including qualitative and quantitative evidence of customer growth, innovation, customer satisfaction, feedback, and impact on the business and/or industry.

Finalists:

  • 365 Business Finance
  • ArchOver
  • CORDET
  • Invocap
  • TradeRiver UK Ltd

BEST MARKETING CAMPAIGN

The Best Marketing Campaign Award will be presented to a company that has delivered an outstanding and impactful marketing campaign to the SME market over the past 12 months. Measures taken into account include: reach, impact, creative execution, innovation and customer feedback.

Finalists:

  • Barclays
  • Funding Options
  • Henry Howard Finance
  • Wyelands Bank

BEST CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

The Best Customer Experience award recognises a company delivering a consistent brand experience to UK SMEs, challenging behaviours and assumptions of business lending. Measures taken into account include: service standards, net promoter score, customer surveys and feedback.

Finalists:

  • Barclays Eagle Labs
  • Growthdeck
  • Henry Howard Finance
  • Just Cash Flow PLC
  • Simply

BEST PLACE TO WORK

The Best Place to Work award will be presented to a provider of growth finance with a clear and demonstrable focus on the employee experience. The award recognises a company’s diversity and inclusion, training and development, glassdoor ratings, employee benefits, and employee engagement.

Finalists:

  • Cubefunder
  • Growthdeck
  • Henry Howard Finance
  • Redwood Bank

BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY

The Best use of Technology award will be presented to a provider of growth finance using technology to enhance the experience of its customers, empowering self-service, improving performance of the business and processes and user experience.

Finalists:

  • Crowd for Angels
  • Henry Howard Finance
  • Simply
  • Tide Platform Limited

 

2019 FINALISTS

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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