Paul Breen

Paul is the Director of Business Finance at the Growth Company. He is responsible for developing and implementing an effective business finance approach across Greater Manchester and supporting disadvantaged small-medium sized enterprises across the UK.    

Paul has built and led one of the UK’s leading publicly backed alternative finance providers, GC Business Finance (GCBF) – an FCA-regulated impact lender delivering a range of loan and early-stage equity services from £500 to £500,000, together with major UK portfolio and back office services for government agencies and major third sector bodies.  

GCBF has 45 colleagues and is responsible for over £800million of public capital under management. In his role, Paul has developed a range of innovative and effective alternative finance products and services that meet the needs of business, the local economy and wider government priorities.  

Meeting clients’ business finance needs and responding to the priorities of Greater Manchester’s economic strategy, Paul controls a strong team of experienced debt and equity professionals that ensure effective use of publicly funded resources, robust lending and investment decisions, and appropriate responses to local needs and national policy.  

Paul comes from a commercial raising funds in disadvantaged areas, and has 20 years of Fund Manager experience in the responsible finance sector. During his time leading GCBF, the business has successfully delivered a wide range of investment capital to become a UK market-leading finance provider in its sector. 

His investment track record includes: 

2011 DWP New Enterprise Allowance Loans (£12m) 
2012 Start Up Loans – first DP to be appointed, (£56m) 
2012 RGF 2 – Manchester Loan Fund (£7.2) 
2013 Start Up Loans Finance Partner (£680m) 
2014 NW Micro Fund (£3m)  
2015 EIF Progress Facility (£3m) 
2016 RGF 6 – Export Fund (£5,3m) 
2017 NPIF Micro Fund (£15m) 
2018 Innovate UK – Innovation Loans (£160m) 
2019 Rosebud (c £11m) 
2020 CBILS – GM Loan £1.3m  
2020 BBLS –GM Bounce Back Loan Fund Loan £5.9m 
2021 RLS – First Responsible Finance member to be admitted to scheme