Nations & Regions – North West England

This report has been produced by the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association to highlight the public value of the industry in the United Kingdom and how, in 2021, it can help address a range of policy challenges and opportunities.

This is the first of a series of publications that follow on from our New Horizons report, where we will take a deeper look at activity within the nations and regions of the United Kingdom. In this initial edition, our focus is on the North West.

With a significant presence in the UK, developed over the past 30 years, private equity and venture capital provide companies with the finance and know-how to deliver sustainable business growth. Active ownership, over the medium to long term, delivers economic and social value to those involved in these businesses (from employees, management and owners on the one hand to customers and suppliers on the other) and to a wide group of stakeholders (from local communities and local and regional economies to national policy makers focused on issues such as climate change, diversity and inclusion (D&I) and social justice).

Both private equity and venture capital are focused on delivering sustainable growth for the companies in which they invest: venture capital firms typically support early stage and younger companies, holding minority stakes in the businesses, while private equity firms typically acquire controlling stakes in more established businesses.

Part one of this report provides an overview of how the industry operates; part two looks at the statistics and data from the North West, to demonstrate the value of private equity and venture capital to the region and the importance of the region to the industry. Part three offers further insights into the contributions made by private equity and venture capital though a series of case studies, featuring some fantastic businesses backed by BVCA members.