SME Finance Monitor

Latest published SME Finance Monitor reports
- The latest full report is to Q2 2018 and was published on 02 October 2018.
- A summary slide pack, presented at a recent 'Breakfast & Brainfood with Vested' session, can be downloaded here.
- Between full reports, we publish key data each month based on the previous 3 months rolling data. The latest period is the 3 months to the end of December 2018.
- The 2017 annual report, providing data for 2017 on the regions and devolved nations was published in August 2018.
Scaleups - helping fast growing SMEs
The SME Finance Monitor is increasingly being used to help Government and private and public sector bodies better understand not just the overall SME market but key groups of interest. We recently worked with the Scaleup Institute to highlight the key challenges faced by fast growing businesses. Their report, launched at the Stock Exchange, can be downloaded here from the Scaleup Institute. SME Finance Monitor data is freely available to all interested parties, so if you’d like to discuss how it might help inform your organisation, please get in touch.
The SME Finance Monitor has been providing robust and respected data on access to finance amongst SMEs for over five years, since 2011. These independent reports are used by banks, government, the Bank of England MPC and industry bodies to inform the debate on this key issue.
More than 100,000 interviews have now been conducted by BVA BDRC (4,500 interviews each quarter), building into a considerable data set on SME sentiment around past and future finance needs.
The Monitor is vital for understanding how SMEs are thinking on key financial issues and the business environment. For example, we explore how many SMEs have applied for external finance, what their experience was, and what (if anything) stopped those who did not apply from doing so.
We also explore the extent to which they are aware of the various forms of support and advice available to them when accessing finance. Looking forward, we track how many are planning to grow and the key barriers to running the business as they would wish.
Starting in early 2017 we will be publishing monthly mini-reports, tracking changes in behaviour and sentiment as preparations for Brexit develop.
Both the report and underlying data are made available free to all interested parties, and the quarterly results are widely quoted in the media. Latest coverage/usage: the SME Finance Monitor is cited in the Bank of England's Credit Conditions Review also used in British Business Bank's the Small Business Finance Markets Report 2015/16
Background
- UKFinance, 'A question of SME finance demand'
- Specialist Banking, '85% of SME Finance Applications Successful'
- Business Insider, 'SMES opt for self-funding'
Latest press
The SME Finance Monitor reports:
2018
SME Finance Monitor Q2 2018 - published 02 October 2018.
Individual chapters:
Ch 5: Financial context - How are SMEs funding themselves? (Part 1)
Ch 6: Financial context - how are SMEs funding themselves? (Part 2)
Ch 8: An overview of borrowing events
Ch 9: Borrowing events in more detail
Ch 10: Outcome of Type 1 applications
Ch 11: Why were SMEs not looking to borrow in the previous 12 months?
2018
2017
Annual Report 2017 (published August 2018)
SME Finance Monitor Q4 2017 - published 15 March 2018.
Individual chapters:
Ch 5: The financial context - How are SMEs funding themselves? (Part 1)
Ch 6: The financial context - How are SMEs funding themselves? (Part 2)
Ch 7: An initial summary of all overdraft and loan events
Ch 8: The build up to applications for overdrafts and loans
Ch 9: The outcome of the application/renewal
Ch 10: The impact of the application/renewal process
Ch 11: Rates and fees - Type 1 events
Ch 12: Why were SMEs not looking to borrow in the previous 12 months?
Ch 14: Awareness of Taskforce and other initiatives
Ch 15: Selected charts and graphs
SME Finance Monitor Q2 2017 - published 14 September 2017.
Individual chapters:
Ch 5: The financial context - How are SMEs funding themselves?
Ch 6: An initial summary of all overdraft and loan events
Ch 7: The build up to applications for overdrafts and loans
Ch 8: The outcome of the application/renewal
Ch 9: The impact of the application/renewal process
Ch 10: Rates and fees - Type 1 events
Ch 11: Why were SMEs not looking to borrow in the previous 12 months?
2017
2016
Annual Report 2016 (published 22 June 2017)
SME Finance Monitor Q4 2016 (published Thursday 9 March 2017)
Q4 2016 SME Finance Monitor Management summary
Ethnic Minority Business Report Q2 2016.
2016
2015
Women-Led Businesses - Analysis from the SME Finance Monitor YEQ4 2015. Download the report
Q4 2015 SME Finance Monitor Full Report
Q3 2015 SME Finance Monitor Management Summary
Q3 2015 SME Finance Monitor Charts
Listen to BVA BDRC Director Shiona Davies discuss the Q2 SME Finance Monitor on Share Radio
Q2 2015 SME Finance Monitor Management Summary
Q2 2015 SME Finance Monitor Full Report
Q1 2015 SME Finance Monitor Management Summary
Q1 2015 SME Finance Monitor Charts
Ethnic Minority Business Report - view the infographic.
2015
2014
2014 Annual Report- (published July 2015).
Q3 2014 SME Finance Monitor Management Summary
Q1 2014 SME Finance Monitor (charts only)
Women-led Businesses Report - view the infographic.
2014
2013
2013
2012
2012
2011
2011