SME Research 2025 Report

We surveyed 2,000 UK SMEs on business confidence, growth challenges and appetite for finance. The research covers two critical areas: sentiment on the economic environment and government policy, and uptake and barriers to external funding.

Key findings:

You can download the full report here

Access to capital drives growth

At ThinCats, we've seen firsthand how borrowing fuels business growth. Our Growth Lens analysis shows that mid-sized firms borrowing over £5 million are sixteen times more likely to hit 'super growth' (50% growth above inflation) than they are to face insolvency. When capital flows, so does business growth.

As one of the UK's leading backers of ambitious mid-sized SMEs, we're dedicated to providing the vital funding that helps businesses realise their ambitions - particularly when traditional lenders fall short.