Start Up LoanBorrower Rights

Why this site exists.

Who this site is for

This site is primarily aimed at people who:

  • Took out a Start Up Loan in their personal name — whether to fund a limited company or as a sole trader
  • Had their loan administered by GC Business Finance as a delivery partner
  • Experienced a period of little or no contact, a sudden default, or are dealing with the December 2024 remediation correspondence
  • Have been told by FOS that it cannot investigate their complaint, or are uncertain whether FOS applies to them

Who this site may not apply to

Sole traders may have different FOS eligibility to limited company borrowers — see the FOS Gap page for the distinction.

Borrowers with other delivery partners (not GC Business Finance) may find some content useful but should check which firm administers their loan.

Different loan years may have different patterns of contact and remediation. The 2020 cohort is specifically documented here — earlier or later loans may differ.

This site does not cover Bounce Back Loans, CBILS, or other Covid business lending schemes, which have different terms and different regulators.

The short version

This site was built by borrowers who went through it.

Start Up Loans, taken out in good faith. A lender who stopped making contact. Defaults that appeared without warning. A discovery that the Financial Ombudsman Service — the safety net most borrowers assume exists — simply doesn't apply.

And then the longer process of finding out what rights actually exist, what routes are actually available, and how to use them.

This site is the resource that should have existed at the beginning.

What this site is

A factual, independent resource for borrowers who took out Start Up Loans held in personal names.

  • It does not represent any organisation, law firm, or campaign group
  • It has no commercial interest
  • It accepts no advertising or sponsorship
  • It exists solely to provide accurate information and connect people in similar situations

Every piece of information on this site is either publicly available, drawn from FCA published guidance, or based on direct personal experience of the borrower journey.

What this site is not

This site is not legal advice. It is not affiliated with Start Up Loans, GC Business Finance, the British Business Bank, or any government body. It does not make claims about specific individuals or employees.

If you require legal advice specific to your situation, please consult a qualified solicitor or contact Citizens Advice.

Get in touch

If you have information, experience, or resources that would help other borrowers, please get in touch via the contact address below. All correspondence is treated confidentially.

Contact: startuploans@proton.me

To share your experience with the site in a structured way, please use the Share Your Experience form. For general correspondence, use the contact address above.