Recovery Loan Scheme

The Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) is designed to support access to finance for UK businesses as they look to invest and grow.

About the scheme

The new iteration of the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) launched in August 2022 and is designed to support access to finance for UK businesses as they look to invest and grow.

Delivered by the British Business Bank, the scheme provides a government-backed (70%) guarantee to lenders to support viable applications against the outstanding balance of the facility after it has completed its normal recovery process.

The RLS aims to improve the terms on offer to businesses, but if a commercial loan on better terms can be offered, we will do so.

RLS-backed facilities are provided at the discretion of the lender. Lenders are required to undertake their standard credit and fraud checks for all applicants.

If you’re a business-to-business operation in the UK with an annual turnover above £2.5m, ABN AMRO Commercial Finance can help you access the RLS alongside our Receivables Finance solutions.

Scheme Features

Up to £2m facility per business (maximum £2m per group). Minimum facility sizes vary, starting at £1,000 for asset and invoice finance, and £25,001 for term loans and overdrafts.
Term Loans and asset finance facilities are available from three months for up to six years, with Invoice Finance available from three months for up to three years.
Businesses that have taken out a CBILS, CLBILS, BBLS or RLS facility before 30 June 2022 are also able to access the new scheme from August 2022. The amount borrowed under a previous scheme may in certain circumstances limit the amount borrowed under RLS.
The borrower always remains 100% liable for the debt.
Personal guarantees can be taken at the lender’s discretion, in line with their normal commercial lending practices. Principal Private Residences cannot be taken as security within the Scheme.
The assistance provided through RLS, like many Government-backed business support activities, is regarded as a subsidy and is deemed to benefit the borrower. There is a limit to the amount of subsidy that may be received by a borrower, and its wider group, over any rolling three-year period. Any previous subsidy may reduce the amount a business can borrow.

All borrowers in receipt of a subsidy from a publicly-funded programme should be provided with a written statement, confirming the level and type of aid received.

Borrowers will need to provide written confirmation that receipt of the RLS facility will not mean that the business exceeds the maximum amount of subsidy they are allowed to receive.
Northern Ireland Protocol: All borrowers will need to answer some questions to determine whether they are inside or outside the scope of the Northern Ireland Protocol, to determine the relevant subsidy limit and hence the potential maximum amount they can borrow under RLS.

Eligibility Criteria

The scheme is available to our clients, or interested businesses, alongside our Receivables Finance offering.
The borrower must be carrying out trading activity in the UK.
The lender will consider that the borrower has a viable business proposition, but may disregard any concerns over its short-to-medium term business performance due to the uncertainty and impact of Covid-19.
The borrower must not be a business in difficulty, including not being in relevant insolvency proceedings.
Credit and fraud checks for all applicants apply.
Business turnover limit not exceeding £45m per annum (on a group basis, where part of a group).
The facility must be used to support trading in the UK and cannot be used to support certain export related activities. There are certain restrictions on the use of proceeds of facilities in the agriculture, fisheries and aquiculture, and road freight transport sectors for borrowers impacted by the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Contact Us

To find out more, please contact our team.

About the British Business Bank

The Recovery Loan Scheme is managed by the British Business Bank on behalf of, and with the financial backing of, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. British Business Bank plc is a development bank wholly owned by HM Government. It is not authorised or regulated by the PRA or the FCA. Visit http://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/recovery-loan-scheme

The British Business Bank has a range of guidance and resources available to all businesses, including content on managing your cashflow and a list of independent advice services: https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/finance-hub/