Business Loan Network

Prior to closing to new business, BLN offered secured business loans crowdfunded by investors through its P2P platform. As of the firm's wind-down and liquidation, it ceased offering new investment products and closed the secondary market facility. The company's Terms and Conditions (January 2021) explicitly state it was no longer accepting new lending and that capital is at risk.

Why this matters: there is no opportunity to open new positions on the platform, and previously marketed features (e.g., secondary market) are no longer available, reducing investor options for exiting positions.

Historically: individual and institutional investors prepared to accept the risk of capital loss by lending to SMEs secured against assets. Such P2P investments were not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

Currently: the platform is relevant only to existing lenders/creditors awaiting recovery and distribution under the liquidation process.

Why this matters: FSCS does not protect P2P business loan investments, so lenders must rely on collateral recovery and the insolvency process to recoup funds — outcomes can be partial and slow.

Strengths (historical and contextual):

• Direct FCA authorisation while operating (FRN 724062) provided regulatory oversight during trading.
• Focus on secured loans could provide recovery value from collateral in default scenarios.

Key risks and present issues:

• Insolvency: BLN is in liquidation; it cannot accept new business and investor recoveries are subject to the Liquidators' process, timescale and priority of creditor claims.
• No FSCS protection for P2P lending — capital at risk and claimants must rely on collateral and insolvency distributions.
• Secondary market closed: restricted liquidity for lenders wanting to exit positions.
• Limited public disclosure of historical fees, aggregate AUM or default rates, reducing transparency for assessing past performance.

Primary red flag: BLN is in liquidation following administration, the most significant indicator that the platform is no longer a functioning lender or marketplace. Existing investors should expect a protracted recovery process and possible partial loss of capital.

Other watch points:

• The company closed to new business on 9 December 2019 and never resumed operations.
• Company filings were delayed historically (accounts for company number 07248014 noted as overdue in some sources), indicating past governance or reporting issues.
• The most recent substantive official updates about the wind-down date from 2023–2024, and there is limited transparent historical performance data publicly available.

If you are a creditor, use the Liquidators' contact channels for case-specific queries.

FCA status: BLN was a directly authorised P2P firm (FCA FRN 724062) while operating. It is not an appointed representative; the firm itself held authorisation when active. Direct authorisation means regulatory responsibility rested with the firm rather than with a principal firm.

FSCS: P2P business loan investments are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Lenders cannot rely on FSCS cover; recoveries depend on collateral realisation and insolvency distributions. Absence of FSCS means greater investor risk compared with FSCS-covered products.

If you are a lender or creditor, contact the Joint Liquidators or the BLN Case Team for case-specific queries: support@businessloannetwork.co.uk and BLN Case Team, c/o Kroll, 32 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9SG.

Check the company website for official liquidators' notices and the Portal for updates; rely on formal communications from the Liquidators rather than unverified third-party sites. Direct contact with the Liquidators is the appropriate channel for submitting claims and obtaining the latest progress reports.

Unlock full platform information

• How it worked (historical)
• What they offered
• Who it was for / who remains affected
• Strengths & risks
• Red flags & watch points
• Regulatory details & consumer protections
• Contact & next steps for lenders/creditors

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