Funding Pulse: Your Guide to the Latest Irish SME Funding Market Trends
We’ve just launched something new – and we’re a little proud of it!
Funding Pulse is our brand-new quarterly report on what’s really happening in SME funding across Ireland. Created in partnership with the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI), it offers a clear, practical view of how Irish businesses are funding growth in a changing market.
Built using Central Bank data alongside insights from across lending, venture and M&A, Funding Pulse is designed for founders, finance leaders and advisors who want to understand what’s shifting – and what it means on the ground.
The first edition, Q3 2025, paints a picture of a market in motion:
- New lending is gathering pace. Gross new SME lending reached €1.15bn in Q3, with €4.5bn advanced over the last four quarters – the highest level since Q2 2020.
- Funding is getting a little cheaper. The average rate on new SME loan drawdowns fell to 4.98%, down 27 basis points on this time last year.
- Capital beyond the banks is thriving. €722m was raised in Q3 across 34 venture deals, with debt accounting for almost half of all funding, while M&A activity rose to 136 transactions.
In short, the funding landscape is changing. Traditional bank lending is recalibrating, new sources of capital are stepping in, and real momentum is building beneath the surface.
Whether you’re running a growing business, funding one, or advising those who do, Funding Pulse is built to give you clarity and confidence as you plan what’s next.
