The UK Government’s Small and Medium Sized Businesses Credit Data Sharing Scheme

The Government’s small and medium sized businesses (SME) credit data sharing scheme went live on 1 April 2016.

The scheme aims to increase competition in the SME lending market and to help more businesses find the funding they need to grow, by making it easier to check the credit worthiness of potential business customers.

The scheme requires Bank of Ireland UK, as one of nine Government designated banks, to share the credit information they hold on SME customers with designated credit reference agencies (Experian, Equifax, Creditsafe and Dun and Bradstreet). This information can only be accessed by other finance providers if they have your consent to complete a credit search.

Further information is available on the following Government websites:

• www.gov.uk/government/news/boost-for-small-businesses-seeking-finance-thanks-to-government-data-sharing-scheme
• www.gov.uk/government/collections/small-business-enterprise-and-employment-bill