LONDON, 19 July 2019 –  Business advisory firm Quantuma is supporting a new initiative shining a spotlight on the UK’s leading lenders to SMEs by sponsoring one of its prestigious awards categories. Seven stand-out finalists are in the running for this prestigious award

The Growth Finance Awards launched this year in order to celebrate the companies providing “more than finance” to the UK’s growing businesses. It’s the first event of its kind, celebrating the innovative organisations breathing optimism into all regions of the UK by helping ambitious SMEs to scale new heights. These growth champions provide the vital capital inflows – around £79.7 billion last year – that help thousands of businesses to scale-up, boost productivity and create new jobs up and down the country.

Peer-to-peer lenders have become an increasingly important part of the funding mix for fast-growing SMEs. Last year saw £2.33 billion of P2P business lending flows, according to the British Business Bank, which is more than ten times the volume in 2013.

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.

Seven impressive finalists are now in the running: LendingCrowd, Blend Network, Kuflink, Formax Credit, Assetz Capital, CrowdProperty and Crowd2Fund. 

Commenting on the inaugural Growth Finance Awards, partner Simon Bonney says: “These awards recognise the increasing significance of peer-to-peer lenders for SMEs. It’s a fast-changing sector that has thrown up challenges and opportunities as new technology fundamentally changes the way finance works.”

The winner of this award will be announced at an exclusive black-tie dinner hosted by Claudia Winkleman for 400 guests on Wednesday 11 September at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London.

“We launched the Growth Finance Awards in order to recognise the champions of small business finance. We’re celebrating 45 companies who are playing a vital role in the UK’s start-up and scale-up up ecosystem, championing and providing finance so that companies can realise their growth ambitions and reach their full potential,” says Guy Tolhurst, Managing Director of Intelligent Partnership, the company behind the awards.

He adds: “I look forward to shining a much-needed spotlight on all of these providers on 11 September at the Royal Lancaster Hotel. To reach the finalist stage among such a stand-out set of entrants is a huge achievement.”

The finalists will now go on to a second round of judging by a panel of 28 independent and expert judges drawn from across the industry. The full list of categories can be viewed here.

For further information please visit growthfinanceawards.com

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