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Customer Terms of Business

Enterprise Loans East Midlands (ELEM)

  • Applies to: Customers and clients engaging with Enterprise Loans East Midlands for business lending, Start Up Loans support, or related business support services.

  • Important: These Terms of Business explain our service standards and the basis on which we engage with customers. They do not replace any loan agreement, scheme terms, privacy notice, guarantee, security document or other formal legal documentation issued as part of an application or loan facility.

1. About us

Enterprise Loans East Midlands (ELEM) provides access to finance and business support services to new and existing businesses.

 

We work with customers to understand their funding requirements, assess eligibility for available products and support them through the relevant application process. Where we act as a Business Support Partner or delivery partner for a funded programme, our role may be to support the application journey rather than to act as the lender.


Our aim is to deliver a professional, fair and responsive service that helps businesses start, sustain and grow.

2. Purpose of these Terms

These Terms of Business set out what customers can expect from us, what we expect from customers, and how we manage customer information, service standards, complaints and referrals.


They apply when you engage with us for business lending, Start Up Loans support, business support, or related services.

3. Our commitment to you

  • We will treat you fairly, respectfully and professionally.

  • We will provide clear and accurate information about our products, services and application processes.

  • We will explain what information we need from you and why we need it.

  • We will communicate with you in a timely and practical way.

  • We will keep your information confidential, subject to the data sharing and legal requirements set out in this document and our Privacy Notice.

  • We will comply with relevant legal, regulatory and funder requirements.

  • We will signpost or refer you to alternative support where it is appropriate and where you have given any required permission.

4. What we expect from you

  • You agree to provide complete, accurate and truthful information.

  • You agree to respond to reasonable requests for information within a reasonable timeframe.

  • You agree to tell us promptly if anything material changes during your application or while you have an active loan facility.

  • You agree to provide supporting documents when requested, including identification, financial information, business plans, forecasts, bank statements and other evidence relevant to your application.

  • You agree to co-operate with due diligence, fraud prevention, anti-money laundering, credit, identity and affordability checks where required.

  • You agree to treat our staff with courtesy and respect.

5. Applications and funding decisions

All applications are assessed individually against the eligibility criteria, lending policy, funder requirements and information available at the time of assessment.


Submitting an application does not guarantee that funding will be approved.


We may request additional information, decline an application, apply conditions to an offer, or withdraw an offer before completion if circumstances materially change or required checks are not completed satisfactorily.


Any funding offer is subject to completion of all required checks, approvals and formal documentation.

6. Start Up Loans and programme-funded services 

Where we support customers through the Start Up Loans scheme or another funded programme, we will explain our role in the process as clearly as possible.


Programme rules, funder requirements, eligibility criteria and loan documentation may be set by the relevant scheme owner, funder or lender.


Nothing in these Terms overrides any separate terms, declarations, consents or loan agreements issued by the scheme owner, funder or lender.

7. Business support and guidance

We may provide business support, guidance, feedback or signposting as part of our service.


Business support is provided in good faith based on the information available to us at the time.


You remain responsible for your own business decisions and should seek independent professional advice where appropriate, including legal, tax, accounting, insurance or regulated financial advice.

 8. Fees, charges and loan documentation

Any fees, charges, interest rates, repayment terms, security requirements or other financial terms will be set out in the relevant offer, loan agreement or scheme documentation.


You should read all formal documentation carefully before signing. If anything is unclear, you should ask us or seek independent advice before proceeding.

9. Data protection and privacy

We collect, use and store personal and business information in accordance with applicable data protection legislation and our Privacy Notice.


Information may be used to assess applications, deliver support services, manage customer relationships, complete fraud prevention and anti-money laundering checks, monitor outcomes, report to funders, and meet legal or regulatory obligations.


Where consent is required for a particular use of your information, we will seek that consent through the relevant application, declaration or other customer journey.

10. Sharing information 

Where required for the delivery, administration or monitoring of funding or support services, we may share information with funders, programme managers, lenders, credit reference agencies, fraud prevention agencies, professional advisers, service providers, auditors, regulators or government bodies.
Information sharing will be limited to what is necessary and will be carried out in line with our legal obligations, funder requirements and privacy documentation.

11. Confidentiality

We will treat customer information as confidential except where disclosure is required or permitted by law, required for the administration of funding or support services, required by a funder or programme owner, or made with your consent.


Customers should also treat commercially sensitive information provided by us as confidential.

12. Communication and service standards 

We aim to communicate in a clear, practical and timely way.


We will acknowledge written correspondence within a reasonable timeframe and will keep you updated where a full response takes longer because further review or information is required.


Where meetings or appointments are arranged, customers should attend at the agreed time or let us know as soon as possible if they need to rearrange.


We may be unable to continue providing support where appointments are repeatedly missed, information is not provided, or our staff are treated unreasonably.

13. Complaints and feedback

We aim to provide a high-quality service. If you are unhappy with any aspect of our service, please contact us so that we can investigate and seek to resolve the issue.


A copy of our Complaints Policy is available on request.


We also welcome feedback where things have gone well or where customers have suggestions about how our service could be improved.

14. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms of Business from time to time.


The latest version will be made available through our normal customer communication channels or upon request.

15. Contact details

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