HALF of the money in the £5 million Northern Ireland Small Business Loan Fund has been distributed, less than two years after it opened.
The fund provides access to finance for small firms, sole traders and partnerships finding it difficult through traditional sources.
The pot is managed by Ulster Community Investment (UCI) for Invest NI and delivered with Enterprise Northern Ireland. UCI finance director Barry Connolly said: "Since setting up the fund in 2013 we have approved 120 loans totalling £2.5m. The Fund has helped support companies from a very wide range of sectors including IT, food processing, construction, leisure, tourism and many others."