British Business Bank hails £2m Aberdeen funding 'milestone'

Aberdeen entrepreneurs have received a £2 million funding boost since the launch of the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme, new figures have revealed.

One young couple to benefit recently from the programme’s support is husband and wife team Glenn and Jen Bowen, who started board game rental business Rent Shuffle & Roll in 2022.

Since 2012, fledgling businesses in the Granite City have received an average of £10,583 to help get off the ground, as well as additional support delivered through the scheme in areas such as marketing, business development and business plan writing. Of the 189 loans offered to entrepreneurs in Aberdeen, more than one-third (34 per cent) have gone to female founders and 35 per cent to business owners under the age of 30.

Barry McCulloch, senior manager, UK network, Scotland at the British Business Bank, said: “Delivering nearly 200 loans and providing £2m of funding to smaller businesses in Aberdeen is a huge milestone for the Start Up Loans scheme. This reflects our ambition to unlock opportunities for Scottish businesses outside of the Central Belt, and it’s been a joy to see the benefits that the funding has brought to entrepreneurs and communities in the North-east. We’re incredibly proud of the success of the scheme since it was launched in 2012, and it’s fantastic to hear stories from people who’ve turned their dreams into reality.”

One young couple to benefit recently from the programme’s support is husband and wife team Glenn and Jen Bowen, who started board game rental business Rent Shuffle & Roll in 2022. The pair launched the business after developing a love for board games during their time at university. They recently received a £20,000 loan through the Start Up Loans scheme and DSL Business Finance to purchase a van, enabling them to take the business on the road.

Glenn Bowen said: “Our collection is growing constantly and we’ve almost reached 1,000 games - that’s 300 more than we had this time last year. We were asked to provide the whole gaming library for the UK Games Expo in June so the van was pivotal in transporting them all down to Birmingham. We’re grateful to the British Business Bank and DSL for helping us find our way at the beginning, and it’s great that they’ve reached this milestone.”