6 - Business Loans Scotland update November 24 - AM reviewed1
Renfrewshire Council · 5 November 2024
Back to Economy and Regeneration Policy Board — 5 November 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Page 1 of 6 ___________________________________________________________________ To: Economy and Regeneration Board On: 5th November 2024 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Chief Executive ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Business Loans Scotland Ltd Update ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 This is a report on Renfrewshire Council funds held by Business Loans Scotland Ltd and previously reported to Leadership Board on 19th June 2019. 1.2 At that time Board approved plans for the wind up of the West of Scotland Loan Fund (WSLF) in favour of the new Scotland-wide Business Loans Scotland (BLS) and the transfer of any excess funds back to Renfrewshire Council. At that point around £525k was transferred back to the Council for economic development uses. 1.3 The new BLS would continue to collect loan payments on behalf of the Council for loans via the previous West of Scotland Loan Fund. From 2019 Scottish Government became the sole funder of BLS. 1.4 All loans are now repaid and Renfrewshire Council has a balance figure of £393,607.49 with BLS. 1.5 This report updates Board on a recent options paper on the future of BLS and requests a Council decision on whether to reinvest the remaining funds or transfer back to the Council. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Board: a) Note the contents of the report and b) Agree that Option 3 for the future of BLS is preferred with the remaining Renfrewshire Council funds being returned to the Council for local business grant and loan support.
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Page 2 of 6 ___________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 The West of Scotland Loan Fund Ltd (WSLF) was a consortium of the twelve West of Scotland local authorities and was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee in June 1996, following local government reorganisation. The fund provided loan finance in individual amounts up to £100k and successfully operated across the West of Scotland as a loan fund for more than 18 years filling the funding gap to both new and growing, small and medium sized enterprises. 3.2 To support this activity, each participating local authority had an allocation of ring-fenced loan funding based on its individual budget commitment matched by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) monies. 3.3 In 2014, the Scottish Government indicated its desire to move away from regional loan funds (such as WSLF) to a national loan fund and advised that such a mechanism would be required to access any further EU resources. The Economy and Jobs Policy Board 28 January 2015 approved Renfrewshire Council’s support for a proposal to create a Scotland-wide local authority business loan fund. Business Loans Scotland Ltd (BLS) was created as the vehicle to take this forward. 3.4 Business Loans Scotland was formed with Scotland’s 32 local authorities (27 Full Members and 5 Associate Members), incorporated as a company limited by guarantee in March 2015 to provide loan finance up to £100,000 to both new and growing, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) across Scotland. 3.5 The WoSLF company was wound down in 2019 at which point Renfrewshire Council had combined assets of £723,795 in the fund. This was broken down as: • loan portfolio to the value of £86,236; • ring-fenced residual European Development Funding (ERDF) of £111,914; and • excess funds of £525,645. 3.6 The Council’s Leadership Board 19th June 2019 agreed to • Withdraw the excess funds of £525,645 and transfer to Invest in Renfrewshire to support local business development grants and loans. • Transfer the loan portfolio (£86,236) plus ring fenced ERDF (£111,914) to Business Loans Scotland to continue to administer on behalf of the council. The loan funding (once paid in full from loan recipients) could then be transferred back to the local authority at some point in the future. 3.7 From 2019 BLS were funded solely by the Scottish Government but were managing the previous portfolio of loans for Scottish local authorities.
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Page 3 of 6 3.8 BLS recently wrote to all local authority Chef Executives to indicate that, after 5 years of support, BLS was no longer receiving Scottish Government funding and that three options were being considered for its future. The Council was asked for a preference of the options which are outlined in section 4 below. 3.9 BLS also confirmed the finance levels (repaid loans) in their account for each local authority totaled around £10M and for Renfrewshire specifically this is £393,607.49 3.10 All Renfrewshire Council funded loans are now complete and the balance figure can be returned to the Council under one of the options presented by BLS or reinvested under the other two options. ___________________________________________________________________ 4. Business Loans Scotland Future Options 4.1 In a recent letter, to all local authority Chief Executives, Business Loans Scotland reported that the Scottish Government had decided not to recapitalise the BLS Scottish Growth Scheme for 2024 - 25 and currently there is no further lending by BLS to businesses for this financial year and potentially beyond. 4.2 BLS have provided 3 options to local authorities around their future lending capacity. Two of these options look for local authorities, once again, to reinvest funding for a new loan fund and the third looks at the “no further lending” option. 4.3 The three options are: Option 1- allocate 35% of all Council funding to be top sliced; thereby creating a £3.5 million fund to allow lending to continue to SMEs based in Scotland on a demand led, first come first served basis. Option 2 – leave local authority ringfenced cash within BLS to allow continued lending to SMEs in the Renfrewshire area. Option 3 – transfer the Council funding back to each Council for use locally for business development, BLS will cease any new lending to SMEs but continue until 2029 to manage the current loans funded via previous Scottish Government funding. ___________________________________________________________________ 5. Officers recommended way forward 5.1 There are now a better range of loan funds available to SMEs across Scotland. Not least the new £60M Investment Fund for Scotland (more information in Appendix 1) created earlier in 2024 for loans from £25k to £2M for Scottish businesses.
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Page 4 of 6 5.2 The proposal from BLS to establish a new fund (whether national or by individual local authority -L/A- area) is difficult to justify. Initially the L/A funded loan funds were not commercial and there was a justification for local authority intervention on the grounds of risk, local need and gaps in the market. This is no longer seen to be the case. 5.3 In addition to the comments on the need for a new loan fund: • Option 1 (national approach) would mean only some L/As contributing funds to be distributed across Scotland. • Option 2 (local approach) would mean programmes only being delivered in some L/As and (mostly) at a relatively small scale. Neither of these options are particularly strong and officer opinion is that an additional business loan fund (at this time) is not required. 5.3 The recommendation would therefore be Option C, no further lending, and to withdraw Renfrewshire Council’s ring fenced funds of £393,607.49 and use them to support the creation, growth and sustainability of local businesses in Renfrewshire through council grants and loans. 5.4 It should be noted that the previous loan funds have been well managed and there is no criticism at all regarding BLS in this recommendation. _________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – the report requires a decision on £393,607.49 of Council funds which can either be reinvested to form a new loan fund or can be returned to Renfrewshire Council. 2. HR & Organisational Development –no impact 3. Community/Council Planning –none 4. Legal – None. 5. Property/Assets – None. 6. Information Technology – None. 7. Equality & Human Rights - The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. 8. Health & Safety – None. 9. Procurement – None.
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Page 5 of 6 10. Risk – None. 11. Privacy Impact - None. 12. Childrens Rights - None 13. COSLA Policy Position – Not Applicable. 14. Climate Risk – Not Applicable. __________________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers Leadership Board, 19th June 2019 “West of Scotland Loan Fund (WSLF) and Business Loans Scotland (BLS)” ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Ruth Cooper, Economic Development Manager; Email: ruth.cooper@renfrewshire.gov.uk
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Page 6 of 6 Appendix 1: New Loan Funds for Scotland launched in the last year Investment Fund for Scotland (Smaller Loan Fund) The British Business Bank appointed DSL Business Finance Ltd in October 2023 as the Fund Manager to deliver the £20 million allocation within the Investment Fund for Scotland for “smaller loans”. • Loans from £25,000 to £100,000 • Interest rate from 10% to 14% (average expected to be 12%) • Repayment period up to 5 years • Arrangement Fee of 2% • Expect to leverage 25% from the private sector • Security – minimum of a Personal Guarantee and a Bond and Floating Charge (B&FC). Investment Fund for Scotland (Debt Fund) The British Business Bank appointed The FSE Group Ltd in October 2023 as the Fund Manager to deliver the £40 million allocation within the Investment Fund for Scotland for the “Debt Fund”. • Loans from £100,000 to £2 million (average loan likely to be £250k - £500k) • Interest rate Base plus 7% to 14% • Repayment period up to 5 years • Arrangement Fee of 2.5% • Leverage - can provide 100% finance for “right” client • Security – Personal Guarantee, Bond and Floating Charge (B&FC) and assignation of assignation of Key Person cover • Legal costs from £795 - £1,600 depending on complexity Growth Guarantee Scheme The British Business Bank launched the Growth Guarantee Scheme on 1 July 2024. This replaced the Recovery Loan Scheme and is offered by various accredited lenders. • Growth Guarantee Scheme covers asset finance, invoice finance, asset based lending, term loans & overdrafts • Loans up to £2 million • Repayment period from 3 months to 6 years • Interest rate varies and is at lenders discretion • Arrangement Fee • Security - scheme provides lender with 70% government backed guarantee. Personal guarantee at discretion of lender