Investment Fund for Northern Ireland IFNI – Whiterock Debt Finance Debt Finance from £25,000 to £2m
IFNI – Whiterock Debt Finance is part of the £70 million Investment Fund for Northern Ireland, one of a series of Nations and Regions Investment Funds launched by the British Business Bank which will deliver a £1.6 billion of new funding to businesses across the UK.
IFNI Debt aims to increase the supply and diversity of finance for businesses based across all regions of Northern Ireland.
The Fund will provide commercial loans of between £25k and £2m to fund growth. Loans will be provided on a flexible basis over a 2 to 7 year period. In addition, the fund will retain the ability to provide capital and/or interest moratoriums and partial bullet repayments to align with the cash-flows of the business.
Funding is complementary to existing sources of finance including banks, trade finance and equity.
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Eligibility Criteriaadd_circle
- Must be an SME (partnership or limited company) substantially based in Northern Ireland and have a proven business concept with commercial traction which can demonstrate growth potential or have a proven business concept with commercial traction.
- The fund is generally sector agnostic, however certain exclusions may apply.
- Businesses must be able to demonstrate ability to service loan repayments from projected cashflows.
- Require finance to invest in scaling up activities that will deliver growth.
- Informal approaches over the telephone (or in-person) are welcomed to discuss the loan proposal, but in due course a business plan will be required to progress a loan application.
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What We Doadd_circle
- Provide loans to businesses seeking access to growth finance. Whilst a positive trading history is desirable, where this is not evident businesses should be able to demonstrate a recent return to profitability with a clear plan to build on this.
- Loans will be provided between the range of £25k and £2m, on a 2-7 year term. Payment terms can be tailored to suit the cashflow needs of the business.
- Pricing will depend on risk assessment of each company.
- Loans provided are expected to be complementary to existing sources of finance including banks, trade finance sources and equity investors.
- Loans can be provided to support: Working capital needs, capital spend, sales & marketing spend, R&D spend, hiring new staff, new product development, expanding or moving premises, expanding into new markets.
