UKEF teams up with Finance for Forces to put veteran-led exporters on the global map

"UK Export Finance (UKEF), the government's export credit agency, has today unveiled a partnership with specialist broker Finance for Forces designed to plug an awkward gap that has long frustrated former service personnel turning their hand to enterprise: getting the right finance, at the right moment, to chase orders overseas."

"Under the new arrangement, Finance for Forces, founded by Russell Lewis MC and Paul Goodman, will be able to introduce qualifying clients to UKEF's suite of short-term products for smaller exporters, including working capital guarantees, bond support guarantees and export insurance policies. UKEF, in turn, will refer veteran-led firms back the other way where the fit is right."

"The collaboration is explicitly designed to support the Government's Veterans Strategy, launched in November 2025, which framed the ex-service community as a national economic asset rather than a welfare line item, citing the leadership, discipline and operational nous that translate, with surprising frequency, into commercially robust SMEs."

"Beyond the referrals plumbing, the two organisations will run information sessions and networking events aimed at demystifying export finance, an area that even seasoned founders can find labyrinthine. For veteran entrepreneurs, many of whom are scaling for the first time, that hand-holding is likely to matter as much as the products themselves."

UK Export Finance (UKEF) has partnered with Finance for Forces to make international trade finance easier for veteran-led small businesses. The partnership targets a long-standing problem: obtaining the right finance at the right moment to pursue overseas orders. Finance for Forces will introduce qualifying clients to UKEF’s short-term products for smaller exporters, including working capital guarantees, bond support guarantees, and export insurance policies. UKEF will refer veteran-led firms back when the fit is appropriate. The collaboration supports the Government’s Veterans Strategy, which frames veterans as a national economic asset. The partners will also hold information sessions and networking events to demystify export finance for entrepreneurs.

Read at Business Matters