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Kent and Medway Business Fund Loan

About the loan

The KMBF offers 0% loans between £100,000 and £500,000.

The application is open to small and medium sized businesses (SME) in Kent and Medway. The loan is available to those in the eligible sectors, including start-ups.

It can help to develop new or expand existing products, services or processes. This in turn can lead to new jobs, deliver business growth and improve productivity.

For more information please read our:

If, after reading the Guidelines, you have any additional questions please email KMBF@kent.gov.uk.

Application dates

The Kent and Medway Business Fund (KMBF) Loan scheme opened to pre-applications on 29 October 2021 and will close when funds are exhausted.

The loan terms are:

  • A 5% administrative charge is applied on payment of funds.
  • It must be at least 50% match funded from private sources such as business reserves and bank loans
  • Security will normally be required to cover the full value of the loan. Personal guarantees may also be requested
  • All eligible businesses can have a loan repayment period of 5 years or less.

You can apply for a loan if you:

  • are a sole trader, partnership, limited company or a not-for-profit business
  • are based or looking to locate to Kent (including Medway)
  • are seeking between £100,000 and £500,000
  • are creating or protecting sustainable jobs
  • currently have fewer than 250 employees
  • are currently viable, not in difficulty and not subject to collections or collective insolvency proceedings
  • are developing or expanding products, services, or processes that will lead to new jobs, deliver business growth and improve productivity
  • can provide security and/or personal guarantees for at least a value equal to the loan capital and administrative charges over the term of the loan
  • are able to obtain match funding equivalent to the value of the loan from private sources.

Please note due to the loan being over £100,000, security or personal guarantees will automatically be required.

Who cannot apply

You cannot apply if your business is in the following sectors:

  • coal and steel production
  • defence sector activities
  • energy generation
  • fisheries and aquaculture
  • franchises
  • hospital, medical services and publicly and privately-owned nursing homes, or care related
  • hostel or residential activities
  • organisations engaged in political activity or lobbying at any level
  • activity of an exclusively religious nature
  • primary production and processing of agricultural products
  • professional services e.g. accountants, legal, financial, insurance
  • schools (including state, free schools and private)
  • shipbuilding
  • synthetic fibres.

Following advice from the UK Government, we have closed the Kent & Medway Business Fund to new applicants until further notice.

Questions about your application

If you have any questions about your application please email kmbf@kent.gov.uk.

General business advice

Kent and Medway Growth Hub is a government funded service provided by Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce that provides help and support to new and existing local businesses.

Find land or premises

Locate in Kent offers a range of free services including commercial property searches and business finance assistance to help businesses expand in or relocate to Kent and Medway.

Support from your bank

Why not speak to your local bank about the support they can give you?  The following banks are working in partnership with us to support this initiative:

Support from your district council

Contact your district council for additional support and advice about services available in your district area.

Alternatively, please contact Medway Council if you are in Medway.