LDC, which is part of Lloyds Banking Group, is the largest provider of private equity funding to the ‘mid-market’, where the enterprise value of a business is typically between £5million and £250million. Last year, it invested almost £200million in 14 companies.

As part of a wider UK strategy to further improve SMEs’ access to growth capital, LDC has committed £100million over the next three years to back locally-based businesses requiring £10million of equity funding or less. 

The launch, says Kevan Leggett, Managing Director of LDC in the South, is designed to help unlock the potential of the region’s vast number of quality businesses and ambitious management teams.  

He said: “Since its inception almost 30 years ago, LDC from its regional base has supported hundreds of small and mid-sized companies, providing equity investment to assist their growth aspirations. 

“There is a highly entrepreneurial landscape in the region and, with the prospects of economic recovery, management teams need to refocus their sights on expansion. Providing access to the necessary funding and expertise to help businesses achieve their potential is a key mandate for LDC.” 

Last month, LDC Bristol provided £9 million of development funding for Frimley-based Speed Check Services, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of traffic management solutions, to accelerate its expansion strategy. 

Six of the 14 transactions LDC supported in 2009 required £10million or less of equity funding.

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3.    LDC back ambitious management teams from UK-based companies seeking between £2m and £100m of equity for management buy-outs, institutional buy-outs or development capital transactions.
    
4.     For further information, visit www.ldc.co.uk