START UP LOANS

Apply for a Start Up Loan to kick-start your business

Open a free business account with Tide and apply for funding to help grow your business.

Get a government-backed loan to get your idea off the ground

Borrow up to £25,000 at just 6% interest per year

See if you could be eligible for a Start Up Loan and apply online

Tide has joined forces with Funding Options, becoming the largest credit marketplace in the UK.

Providing over £750 million in funding to more than 16,000 businesses, we’re on a mission to help business owners grow with confidence.

What is a Start Up Loan?

A Start Up Loan is a government-backed personal loan designed to help you launch or grow your new business.

You can borrow between £500 and £25,000 to help cover the initial costs of things like equipment and stock, premises, and marketing.

Co-own your business? Your partners can apply to borrow up to £25,000 too, up to a maximum of £100,000 for the business.

Join Tide and connect your business bank account to see if you’re eligible.

How Start Up Loans work

Start Up Loans are unsecured, personal loans. They’re designed to provide finance and support to owners of new businesses who often struggle to access other forms of finance.

£25,000 limit

Borrow up to £25k, up to £100k per business (if you have co-owners).

1-5 years

Choose your repayment schedule, and repay early without being charged.

6% interest

Annual interest rate of 6% is fixed for the lifetime of the loan.

12 months

Get a year’s worth of free business mentoring with your loan.

Apply today to see if you are eligible.

Open an account

Tide Member, Kate, from Loud Architects sitting at her desk.

How is a Start Up Loan different to a business loan? 

Start Up Loans are designed for brand-new businesses, and are only available for those that have been trading for less than 36 months. Traditional business loans can be harder to obtain without at least a few months of trading history.

While traditional business loans often require collateral or a personal guarantee, the government backing allows lenders to offer Start Up Loans as unsecured personal loans.

Applying for a Start Up Loan also allows you to access free business support, from help putting together your business plan during the application process to free 1:1 mentoring if your application is successful.

What can the loan be used for?

Start Up Loans can be used for whatever your business needs to get off to a flying start, whether that’s securing new premises, app development, buying specialist equipment or administrative costs.

You must describe your intentions before you obtain the Start Up Loan, and explain how it will help you start your business.

You cannot use a Start Up Loan for:

Debt repayment

Training qualifications

Education programmes

Investment opportunities

Please visit the British Business Bank website for the full eligibility criteria.

Who can apply for a Start Up Loan?

Start Up Loans are specially designed for owners of new businesses. Certain types of businesses and activities are not eligible, but you may be able to apply for a Start Up Loan if:

you are aged 18 or over

you are a UK resident

you have the right to work in the UK

your business is no older than 36 months

your business is based in the UK

Open a Tide account and apply for funding in the app

Applying for a Start Up loan is simple. With access to over 120 lenders, Tide will find a lender tailored to your business needs.

Download the app On Play Store or Apple Store

Tell us about your company What’s your company name and industry?

Upload your ID and take a selfie We’ll securely verify who you are

Get your current account approved in minutes We may ask for additional information if required

Apply for a Start Up loan Once your business account is approved, head to our Business Loans section to see what funding you're eligible for

Open an account

Boost your business credit score with Tide

Use our Credit Builder tool to improve your business credit score over 12 months and get access to more credit options.

Make monthly payments into a locked account and build a positive repayment history – at the end of the 12 months, you’ll get your payments back minus the interest.

Learn more

Start Up Loan FAQs

I’m a sole trader. Can I apply for a Start Up Loan?

Yes. Start Up Loans are available to sole traders as well as owners of limited companies.

Can I have more than one Start Up Loan at a time?

Yes. As long as you haven’t already borrowed the £25,000 maximum amount and you’ve made more than 6 full repayments, you can apply for another Start Up Loan.

My previous application for a Start Up Loan was rejected. Can I re-apply?

Yes. If you meet the eligibility criteria and at least 6 months have passed since your last unsuccessful application, you can re-apply.

What’s the difference between a Start Up Loan and a business loan?

A traditional business loan is made to the business itself, rather than the owner, and is typically secured (something of value is used as collateral to secure the loan). Business loans are also not generally restricted to businesses of a specific age.

Start Up Loans are only open to owners of businesses that have been trading for less than 36 months. It is an unsecured, personal loan to the owner of the business.

What is Tide’s role in the Start Up Loans programme?

We’re acting as a referrer only. We run pre-eligibility checks to see if we think you could be eligible to apply for a Start Up Loan, and we let you know in-app if we think you are.

If you’re eligible and you choose to apply, your application will be made with the Start Up Loans Company (a part of the British Business Bank).

If your application is successful, your loan agreement and loan funds will be provided to you by one of the Start Up Loans Company business support or finance partners.

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