Confidence 'quietly returning' to West Midlands businesses as deal volumes rise
Confidence appears to be returning to small businesses in the West Midlands after the region was only one of two which saw an uptick in equity finance deals.
The number of deals rose by six per cent in the first three quarters of last year to a total of 37.
The West Midlands was one of only two English regions to see a year-on-year increase, with an overall value of £209 million across the 37 transactions.
This is in contrast to the wider UK picture, which saw equity deals decrease by 23 per cent overall during the same period in 2025, according to new data in the British Business Bank's Small Business Finance Markets report for 2025/26.
The West Midlands' growing confidence is matched nationally, with gross SME bank lending increasing by nine per cent to £68 billion - the second highest level in the past 13 years after 2020's Covid peak, as credit conditions eased gradually through the year.
