RAF deal is one of NatWest’s ‘highlights of the year’!
RURAL Asset Finance’s partnership with NatWest Banking Group has this week been named by the bank as one of its standout success stories of 2025.
NatWest’s Climate Transition Plan Report celebrates providing RAF with a senior Sustainability Linked Loan, supporting us to loan up to £100million to farmers and contractors.
A section of the report headed “Adaptation and nature finance” highlights the bank’s most successful sustainability projects, adding: “NatWest’s Sustainable Finance Advisory offers expertise to help customers reduce their broader environmental footprint.
“With the support of the British Business Bank, we executed a £20 million Sustainability Linked Loan (with the flexibility of an £80 million accordion facility) for Rural Asset Finance, a UK-based lender supporting agricultural and rural businesses. The deal included performance targets linked to low-carbon energy and the adoption of regenerative agriculture.”
This recognition follows us being named last summer as just the 12th lender in any industry to be approved for the state-owned British Business Bank’s ENABLE Guarantee Scheme, which was set up to help smaller businesses access fair finance by providing lenders with a government-backed guarantee. The deal increases our lending firepower by a total of £120m of new funds jointly provided by NatWest and BCI Capital, with the British Business Bank guaranteeing NatWest’s portion.
“We’re delighted NatWest Banking Group has chosen to give us a special mention in its latest report,” says Rural Asset Finance CEO Matthew Smart. “It underlines their commitment not just to us, but also the farmers and contractors we support to grow, expand and sustain their businesses in these evolving times for the sector.”
