Finance for Children’s Care & Education Providers

We provide flexible funding structures for established providers across the children's sector, from nursery and early years groups to children's residential and foster care and special education needs (SEN) providers. Our specialist team supports acquisitions, new site development and portfolio growth, helping operators expand while maintaining high standards of care and education.

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Why children’s care & education businesses choose Shawbrook

    • Specialist sector expertise - We understand the operational, regulatory and funding models of nurseries, children’s residential and foster care and SEN providers.
    • Funding that supports growth - Flexible funding structures to help you grow, create more places and continue delivering high-quality care and education.
    • A proven track record - From a £22.5m facility backing new Fennies Nurseries sites to the acquisition of children’s homes in Scotland, we’ve funded operators across the sector at scale.

Funding your next stage of growth

    We support children’s care and education providers with funding for:

    • M&A - Buying another nursery, children’s home or education provider, or funding a bolt-on acquisition. 
    • Growth & expansion - Committed facilities for acquisitions and site fit-outs, including development finance for new-builds and conversions.
    • Refinancing - Releasing capital from existing sites or replacing existing finance to support your next move or growth.
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    Finance for children’s care & education businesses

      We structure finance around your business and growth plans, with solutions including Corporate Leverage Finance, Development Finance and Unitranche.

      • Facilities from £1m to £35m
      • Terms of up to 5 years, with an initial interest-only period available
      • Secured by cashflow, debentures, and where applicable freehold or leasehold property

      Security may be required. Any property or asset used as security may be at risk if you do not repay any debt secured on it. Our healthcare finance products are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority or the Prudential Regulation Authority.

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      Meet our Healthcare Finance team

      Dasos Kirtsides has led Shawbrook’s Healthcare Finance team since it was formed in 2018.  With nearly three decades in corporate banking, including over 20 years focused on healthcare, he has built a reputation with the team for creating innovative, flexible finance solutions that support growth and investment across the healthcare sector.

      Together, the team has completed over 150 transactions, providing more than £550m in funding to healthcare providers across the UK.

      Submit an enquiry Meet the team
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      Children's care & education finance case studies

      Featured case study

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        Case Study

        Shawbrook supports long-term growth for Fennies Nurseries

        Family-run childcare business set to expand footprint across London and South East, with £22.5m funding facility provided by Shawbrook, as part of a £45m club facility.

        Read the case study
        A teacher and two young children sit at a round table playing with colorful wooden toys, while two other children play at a separate table in a bright classroom.

        National nursery group

        A term loan for the acquisition of a large operational nursery, plus a committed acquisition facility to support a pipeline of 10 further opportunities across a 20-site portfolio.

        A smiling child sits at a table with a birthday cake while three adults around them clap and laugh, celebrating together in a bright room.

        Children's residential care group

        A five-year, multimillion-pound Commercial Healthcare Loan, including a large accordion facility for future growth, to fund the acquisition of 10 children's homes in Scotland and complete a 100% shareholder buy-out.

        A teacher holding up a paper with a large letter “A” and pictures of an apple and leaf, sitting at a table with a smiling child in a classroom setting.

        Specialist education provider

        An £8.5m term loan to support a children's residential care provider's acquisition and phased development of a new SEN school.

        Children's care & education finance FAQs

          Yes. We provide funding for established operators across all three: nursery and early years groups, children's residential care providers, and specialist or SEN education providers, including operators that span more than one of these areas.

          We assess each business individually, but there are some general criteria, whether you're enquiring directly or on behalf of a client:

          • UK-based operators – We provide finance to businesses operating in the UK.
          • Established businesses – Most businesses we support have at least 3 years of trading history. Start-ups are typically not eligible.
          • Financial strength – Our minimum funding of £1m is generally suited to established businesses.
          • Regulated providers – Operators must comply with the relevant UK regulatory framework for their sector.

          No. While many of the operators we support are multi-site groups, we also fund single, larger-scale acquisitions. Our £1m minimum funding level means our solutions best suit established businesses undertaking significant growth or investment, rather than smaller-scale, single-site upgrades.

          Our business

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          About Shawbrook

          Shawbrook provides finance to a wide range of customers who value the premium experience, flexibility and certainty we deliver.  We are a purpose-led organisation, with a focus on delivering long-term sustainable value for all our stakeholders.

          More about Shawbrook
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          Sustainability

          Our sustainability strategy is designed to create value for our customers, colleagues, communities, suppliers and shareholders, while having a positive impact on society and the wider environment. 

          Our sustainability strategy
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          Sponsorship Programme

          As official banking partner of Saracens Rugby Club and lead partner of London Mavericks netball, we are proud to champion inclusive elite sport and the opportunities it can bring for all participants, both on & off the field & court.

          Sponsorship