Responsible finance provider BCRS Business Loans has appointed a new business development manager to deliver funds to support companies in delivering their growth plans.
Gareth Evans has joined Wolverhampton-based BCRS Business Loans to focus on funding opportunities in Solihull, Warwickshire and the surrounding areas.
Gareth brings 16 years of experience from Lloyds Banking Group, offering extensive industry insight and a strong understanding of business finance that will enable BCRS Business Loans to deliver in its mission to support viable businesses across the Midlands and Wales.
Stephen Deakin, Chief Executive of BCRS Business Loans, said:
“We are delighted to welcome Gareth Evans to our team. His strong experience of business finance for small to medium sized enterprises will be invaluable in our mission of ensuring no viable business goes unsupported.”
Gareth Evans said:
“I am pleased to join BCRS Business Loans at such an exciting time for the company as it continues to provide access to the funding which businesses need to grow and thrive. Their impressive track record of supporting SMEs that traditional lenders often overlook aligns perfectly with my passion for helping local businesses to succeed.”
The appointment comes on the back of the lender’s strong performance in the 2024-25 financial year, one of its most successful to date, which saw £9,900,502 provided to 124 businesses, a 68% increase in the number of SMEs supported from the previous year.
The funding safeguarded 889 jobs and created 317 new roles while adding £51.2 million to the economy of the West Midlands, surrounding regions and Wales. In total, 34.6% of the funding was directed to the UK’s most disadvantaged areas.
BCRS Business Loans was recently named as a finalist for small business of the year at the Express & Star Business Awards 2025, organised by the leading news brand to honour the business success stories of the Black Country and Staffordshire.
The lender delivers the Community Investment Enterprise Fund (CIEF), with loans ranging from £25,000 to £250,000. BCRS Business Loans recently celebrated reaching £5 million in CIEF loans delivered to 62 businesses, creating 160 jobs and protecting a further 613 while generating £32.5 million in economic impact.
The £62 million CIEF is funded by Lloyds, along with social impact investor Better Society Capital, and managed by responsible finance provider Social Investment Scotland, with contributions from the three participating Community Development Finance Institutions, BCRS Business Loans, Business Enterprise Fund and Finance for Enterprise.
BCRS Business Loans delivers parts of two British Business Bank-backed funds as fund manager for the small funds pot of the first £130 million Investment Fund for Wales and for the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II, which will deliver a £400 million commitment of new funding for businesses across the Midlands.
