RAF’s £120 million deal makes global headlines!

Rural Asset Finance’s new government partnership to unlock £120million for British farmers has been making headline news around the world.

Since the British Business Bank announced us as its exclusive partner to deliver new loans and equipment finance to UK farmers, the story has been featured in Farmers Guide, Farmers Weekly, asset finance publications including Asset Finance Connect and finance journals and newspapers including Business Money, Broker World and even across the pond in Yahoo! Finance USA. 

The state-owned British Business Bank had announced Rural Asset Finance as only its 13th delivery partner and lender in over 10 years to be approved for its ENABLE Guarantee Scheme, set up to help smaller businesses access fair finance by providing specialist lenders with a government-backed guarantee.

 It means we can help even more farmers needing money to enhance or add value to their UK food production or diversify into alternative revenue streams.

The new wholesale funding deal will enable us to loan £120m of additional funds provided by NatWest Bank and BCI Capital, with the British Business Bank guaranteeing the majority of NatWest’s portion. This guarantee significantly reduces the price of the overall risk, which in turn enables RAF to offer farmers more competitive finance agreements.

“This will open up so many more opportunities for agricultural businesses to boost their income with a new source competitive funding, maximise new opportunities and future-proof their business,” said our CEO Matthew Smart.

“But this is about far more than the money. It shows the government’s commitment to support British farming in new, innovative ways – and their faith in us as the perfect partner to help them do that.”