The Regional Venture Capital Funds (RVCFs)
The RVCFs were established to focus on investing in the equity gap. Each of the nine regions of England has its own RVCF. All RVCFs have similar rules: they must invest in SMEs in their region, they must be the first institutional investor, their initial investments are limited to £250,000 and they can follow on after 6 months or more with a further £250,000. Each fund can also invest in a company at subsequent rounds to prevent dilution.
- The South West Ventures Fund
- This fund covers Gloucestershire, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Wiltshire, Dorset and the four unitary authorities that comprised the former County of Avon (City of Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, and Bath and North East Somerset).
- www.southwestventuresfund.co.uk
- The Capital Fund
- This fund covers the 32 London Boroughs and the City of London.
- www.thecapitalfund.co.uk
- South East Growth Fund
- This fund covers Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent.
- www.segrowthfund.co.uk
- East Of England Fund
- This fund covers Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk.
- www.createpartners.com/Overview.htm
- Advantage Growth Fund WM
- Covers Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire or the Metropolitan Borough of the West Midlands (Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country).
- www.midven.com/about_the_fund.htm
- East Midlands Regional Venture Capital Fund
- This fund covers Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.
- www.catapult-vm.co.uk/funds.asp
- Yorkshire And Humber Equity Fund
- This fund covers Yorkshire and The Humber (including North and North East Lincolnshire).
- www.yfmventurefinance.co.uk
- Capital North East
- This fund covers Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and part of North Yorkshire (including Middlesbrough).
- www.nel.co.uk/insight/
- North West Fund
- This fund covers Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and Cheshire.
- www.nwef.co.uk
Funding in other regions is also available from the YFM Group.