European banking services
Writing a business plan for a European bank
If you are a business based in the UK and are writing a business plan in order to apply for financing from a European bank, you should ideally write the plan in the language of the country in which you are applying. It may be simplest to first write it in English, or your first language, and then have it translated.
It may help to seek local professional advice before completing your plan. This would help you set out the document in the best way and ensure that the translation is adequate for the bank's needs.
There are fundamental elements that every business plan requires to improve the chances of success, such as:
- executive and company summary
- detailed breakdown of start-up costs
- marketing and sales strategy
- financial plan
See write a business plan: step-by-step.
Alternative funding for business in Europe
The European Investment Fund (EIF) has been established to improve the financial environment for small to medium enterprises (SMEs). To achieve this, the EIF works with a wide range of financial bodies who can offer direct funding for business development.
The EIF has two main areas of activity:
- venture capital - equity investments that support SMEs
- providing guarantees to financial institutions that cover credits to SMEs - including banks that invest in SMEs