Barclays has announced a £14bn lending fund to help small businesses cope with Brexit.
The initiative includes business loans and overdrafts as well as a series of seminars across the country to give advice to small and medium sized enterprises.
Barclays said it wanted to help firms prepare for leaving the EU, including exporting goods and staffing issues.
Group chief executive Jes Staley said: "Barclays stands ready to help local businesses in towns, cities and rural communities, up and down the country, during this period of uncertainty.
"Today’s £14bn* fund, along with our broader package of support, shows our commitment to the local businesses that are the backbone of the UK economy – we are here to help them plan for the future and invest for growth.”
“It is the entrepreneurs, the farmers, the manufacturers, the house-builders, the new tech firms, and countless other businesses, that will help the country deal with – and capitalise on – this period of change.Barclays is here to help SMEs to do exactly that.”
Bob Long of WSBL, a north west manufacturer of noise insulation materials for the building and automotive industries, said: “It’s really important for WSBL to be ready to leverage new opportunities and markets, and as such we welcome this commitment from Barclays.
"They really understand our business, which provides real confidence for the future.”
