HSBC UK is committed to working with the Government through the Business Finance Council (BFC) to provide expertise and insight to ensure the industry supports viable SMEs. As signatories to the SME Finance Charter, we make the following commitments to our customers:
We’re open for business and ready to lend.
- Open for credit: Since the launch of our SME fund in 2014, we have committed more than £75bn to UK SMEs to help British businesses innovate, evolve and grow.
- Open for the whole of the UK: Access to our SME fund, and our conventional products and services, are available across the UK. We are proud to support all regions.
- Open internationally: As a leading international bank, we provide our customers access to global markets. Our expertise is available to help your business grow. Our SME Fund also has £2bn ring-fenced to help businesses to trade internationally.
- Open sustainably: We are committed to achieving Net Zero carbon emissions of our portfolio of customers by 2050 or sooner. We understand the challenges and want to support our customers with their own green ambitions. Our Green SME Fund is designed to make investing in sustainable solutions more accessible for small businesses.
- Open responsibly: We are committed to responsible lending throughout our customers’ journeys with us.
We’ll help you build back better after Covid-19.
- Here to support: We have supported our customers throughout the pandemic with finance and forbearance.
- Preparing to help: As we look to the future, we are committed to helping our customers to grow. We have many resources available including multimedia information about our products and services.
- Our website and Insights Hub offers an extensive source of information for businesses. This includes tools, tips and articles to help businesses reach their ambitions and fuel their growth
We’ll support your application and signpost other options if needed.
- We will lend to legitimate viable businesses. Our application process is centred on how we can meet customer needs effectively and responsibly.
- Support before applying: You can read our Guide to Borrowing. This gives information around what we will need in a lending application.
- Support with applying: We currently approve over 90% of lending applications. Where we are unable to we will signpost you to alternatives including making referrals to Government designated portals via the Bank Referral Scheme.
We’ll treat you fairly at all times.
- Treating you fairly :Through our actions and behaviour, we aim to deliver fair outcomes for our customers. We are a signatory to the Standards of Lending Practice for business customers.
- We also have existing tools available to support businesses facing challenging conditions, including repayment holidays and term extensions. These will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- If our customers are concerned about any situation which they think may affect their ability to trade or meet their financial commitments, they should get in touch.
We’ll work with the government-owned British Business Bank (BBB) to support SMEs
- We work closely with the BBB to support our customers.
- Further information on finance options can be found on the BBB’s Finance Hub and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales’ Business Finance Guide.
