{
  "id": "https://www.stratafinance.co.uk/knowledge-catalog.json",
  "version": "1.3-draft",
  "updated": "2026-09-08",
  "organization": {
    "name": "Strata Finance",
    "tradingOf": "Sterling Commercial Finance Limited",
    "legalName": "STERLING COMMERCIAL FINANCE LIMITED",
    "companyNumber": "03853461",
    "url": "https://www.stratafinance.co.uk",
    "areaServed": "GB",
    "lendsMoney": false,
    "description": "UK SME distress-refinance and CDFI introductions. HMRC Time to Pay first where tax arrears block lending. Does not lend.",
    "address": {
      "streetAddress": "Sterling House, 5 Wheatcroft Business Park, Landmere Lane",
      "addressLocality": "Edwalton",
      "addressRegion": "Nottingham",
      "postalCode": "NG12 4DG",
      "addressCountry": "GB"
    },
    "sameAs": [
      "https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/03853461",
      "https://sterlingcommercialfinance.co.uk"
    ],
    "psc": [
      {
        "name": "David Richard Griffiths",
        "notifiedOn": "2016-04-06",
        "naturesOfControl": ["ownership-of-shares-75-to-100-percent"],
        "source": "https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/03853461/persons-with-significant-control"
      }
    ],
    "activeDirectors": [
      { "name": "David Richard Griffiths", "appointedOn": "1999-09-30" }
    ],
    "connectedEnterprisesNote": "STERLING COMMERCIAL FINANCE GROUP LIMITED 03638957 has the same PSC filing (75%+ shares) and the same park address. Separate company. Not the default Strata contracting vehicle.",
    "notThisBusiness": ["STRATA FINANCE CLUB LTD 16742582"],
    "taglines": [
      "Sustainable layers of finance to build a solid funding foundation.",
      "Time to Pay is not time to hide.",
      "We do not lend."
    ]
  },
  "idealCustomer": {
    "entityType": "UK SME",
    "signals": [
      "stacked high-cost short-term unsecured facilities",
      "HMRC PAYE VAT or Corporation Tax arrears",
      "bank or broker decline",
      "cashflow timing problem with real revenue",
      "unmanageable combined repayments"
    ],
    "indicativeEligibility": {
      "ukBased": true,
      "tradingMonthsMin": 12,
      "turnoverMinGbp": 100000,
      "noDirectorBankruptcy": true,
      "noMajorCcjOverGbp": 5000,
      "businessPurposeOnly": true,
      "disclaimer": "Indicative only. Not a lending decision."
    }
  },
  "notFor": [
    "consumers",
    "pre-revenue start-ups",
    "another short-term high-cost stack",
    "anyone expecting Strata to advance funds"
  ],
  "services": [
    {
      "id": "hmrc-ttp",
      "name": "HMRC Time to Pay arrangement",
      "order": 1,
      "summary": "Arrange TTP through a specialist partner so tax arrears stop automatic lender declines."
    },
    {
      "id": "affordability-pack",
      "name": "Affordability and forecast pack",
      "order": 2,
      "summary": "Integrated P&L, balance sheet and cashflow showing how restructured debt is serviced."
    },
    {
      "id": "cdfi-refinance",
      "name": "CDFI and specialist refinance introduction",
      "order": 3,
      "summary": "Prepared file to longer-term CDFIs and specialist lenders, including CEF-accredited CDFIs where ticket size and geography fit. Strata does not lend CEF funds."
    },
    {
      "id": "growth-facilities",
      "name": "Working capital after core refinance",
      "order": 4,
      "summary": "Invoice finance, purchase finance or credit lines once the stack is rebuilt."
    }
  ],
  "pricing": {
    "status": "pending-confirmation",
    "publicPrinciple": "Publish ranges, not a single bookable price. Tools on site are free and no-obligation.",
    "items": [
      { "name": "engagementFee", "range": "TBC" },
      { "name": "successFee", "range": "TBC" },
      { "name": "ttpPartnerCost", "range": "TBC" },
      { "name": "lenderFees", "range": "Set by lender, disclosed separately" }
    ]
  },
  "tools": [
    {
      "name": "British Business Bank / CDFI eligibility checker",
      "url": "https://www.stratafinance.co.uk/#tools",
      "type": "indicative-eligibility"
    },
    {
      "name": "Refinance calculator",
      "url": "https://www.stratafinance.co.uk/#tools",
      "type": "cashflow-illustration",
      "defaultTermMonths": 36
    },
    {
      "name": "HMRC Time to Pay calculator",
      "url": "https://www.stratafinance.co.uk/#tools",
      "type": "instalment-estimate",
      "note": "Site copy: HMRC typically limits TTP to 12 months on arrears over £350,000."
    }
  ],
  "booking": {
    "humanCta": "https://www.stratafinance.co.uk/",
    "preferredFlow": [
      "run a free diagnostic tool",
      "book a diagnostic conversation",
      "submit documents for packaging"
    ],
    "agentNotes": "See /agent-scheduling.md. Do not invent phone numbers. Calendar URL to be published."
  },
  "faqs": [
    { "id": "do-you-lend", "q": "Does Strata Finance lend money?", "a": "No. Strata packages the file, resolves HMRC Time to Pay where needed, and introduces the business to CDFI and specialist lenders." },
    { "id": "what-is-stacking", "q": "What is loan stacking?", "a": "Taking a second and third expensive short-term facility to service the first until most of turnover is going on interest and fees." },
    { "id": "why-hmrc-first", "q": "Why deal with HMRC before refinance?", "a": "Outstanding tax debt is a common automatic decline. A live Time to Pay arrangement clears the path for CDFI and specialist underwriters." },
    { "id": "who-are-cdfis", "q": "What is a CDFI in this context?", "a": "Community Development Finance Institutions — not-for-profit, often regional lenders for SMEs declined by the high street. Some now hold British Business Bank Community ENABLE Funding allocations." },
    { "id": "how-fast", "q": "How fast is screening?", "a": "The site screens eligibility in minutes. Full refinance timing depends on HMRC, accountants and the chosen lender. No completion date should be promised." },
    { "id": "what-is-cef", "q": "What is Community ENABLE Funding?", "a": "A British Business Bank wholesale programme that funds CDFIs so they can lend more to underserved SMEs. Directors apply to the CDFI, not to BBB. Strata does not lend CEF money." },
    { "id": "apply-bbb-cef", "q": "Can I apply to the British Business Bank for Community ENABLE?", "a": "No. Apply to an accredited CDFI, or use Strata to package an introduction." },
    { "id": "cef-ticket-size", "q": "How large are typical Community ENABLE loans?", "a": "Public accredited-lender announcements usually start just over £25,000 and several cite a band up to about £250,000. Larger stacks may need another specialist. Price and term are set by the CDFI." },
    { "id": "ggs-subsidy-vs-facility", "q": "Is the GGS subsidy cap the same as the £2m facility limit?", "a": "No. Outside the NI Protocol the facility max is generally £2m per group. The subsidy cap is £315,000 MFA over three fiscal years. The subsidy value is not the loan principal; the lender calculates it." },
    { "id": "ggs-subsidy-cap", "q": "What is the GGS subsidy cap?", "a": "For most GB borrowers not in scope of the NI Protocol: £315,000 Minimal Financial Assistance per borrower or group over the current 1 April–31 March fiscal year plus the two preceding years. NI Protocol borrowers use lower EU de minimis caps. Previous relevant subsidies reduce headroom and can cut the facility to zero." },
    { "id": "ggs-who-calculates-subsidy", "q": "Who calculates the subsidy value of a proposed GGS or CEF loan?", "a": "The lender. Strata must not invent an equivalent. Collect subsidy letters in week one." },
    { "id": "ggs-group-test", "q": "What is a GGS business group?", "a": "All enterprises linked by any one of: majority votes; board appointment/removal rights; contractual or constitutional dominant influence; a shareholder agreement delivering voting control; or material influence over market policy even without a controlling stake. PE/VC counts. Facility max, turnover and subsidy cap all use this group." },
    { "id": "who-is-legal-entity", "q": "What company is Strata Finance?", "a": "A trading division of Sterling Commercial Finance Limited, company number 03853461, registered at Sterling House, Wheatcroft Business Park, Edwalton, Nottingham NG12 4DG. It is not STRATA FINANCE CLUB LTD 16742582." }
  ],
  "communityEnableFunding": {
    "schemeName": "Community ENABLE Funding",
    "abbreviation": "CEF",
    "administrator": "British Business Bank on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business and Trade",
    "launched": "2024-11",
    "status": "open",
    "whatItIs": "Wholesale funding for not-for-profit CDFIs. Not a director application portal at BBB.",
    "strataRole": "Packages and introduces files. Does not lend CEF funds. Is not a CEF-accredited lender.",
    "officialGoals": [
      "Increase CDFI lending capacity",
      "SMEs declined or excluded by mainstream lenders",
      "Ethnic minority-led and female-led businesses",
      "SMEs in deprived areas"
    ],
    "phases": {
      "phase1": "DBT provides 100% of wholesale funding via BBB",
      "phase2": "Private capital to be crowded in; discussions flagged for later 2026; ambition of up to £1bn additional community lending over time — not to be quoted as live capacity"
    },
    "sectorContextAtLaunch": {
      "year": 2023,
      "socialImpactLendingGbp": 102000000,
      "businessesSupported": 4546,
      "declinedByMainstreamPercent": 99,
      "outsideLondonPercent": 98,
      "inMostDisadvantaged35PercentAreas": 60
    },
    "targets": {
      "firstTwoYearsLendingUpToGbp": 150000000,
      "commitmentsOnTrackByEndFY2026Gbp": 150000000,
      "note": "July 2026 BBB: on track for at least £150m of commitments to CDFIs by end of that financial year"
    },
    "ggsOverlay": {
      "applies": true,
      "typicalMaxFacilityGbpPerGroup": 2000000,
      "northernIrelandProtocolTypicalMaxGbp": 1000000,
      "historicalTurnoverCapGbp": 45000000,
      "july2026GgsTurnoverCapGbp": 54000000,
      "july2026SomeTermsYears": "6 to 10",
      "confirmWiderGgsChangesWithCdfi": true,
      "priorSubsidyCanReduceAmount": true
    },
    "typicalLoanShapePublic": {
      "fromGbp": 25001,
      "severalPartnersToGbp": 250000,
      "uses": ["growth", "equipment", "working capital", "expansion", "MBO/MBI", "debt refinance where the CDFI allows"],
      "creditDecision": "CDFI, not BBB, not Strata"
    },
    "accreditedLendersAnnounced": [
      { "order": 1, "name": "Let’s Do Business Finance", "focus": "South East", "allocationGbp": 6000000, "announced": "2025-05" },
      { "order": 2, "name": "First Enterprise", "focus": "Midlands", "allocationGbp": 13000000, "announced": "2025-05" },
      { "order": 3, "name": "Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust", "focus": "West Midlands", "allocationGbp": 13000000, "announced": "2025-09" },
      { "order": 4, "name": "ART Business Loans", "focus": "West Midlands", "allocationGbp": 7000000, "announced": "2026-01" },
      { "order": 5, "name": "Finance For Enterprise", "focus": "England and Wales", "allocationGbp": 43500000, "announced": "2026-03" },
      { "order": 7, "name": "SWIG Finance", "focus": "South West", "allocationGbp": 17500000, "announced": "2026-07", "loanBandGbp": [25001, 250000] }
    ],
    "accreditedLenderCountBy2026-07-13": 7,
    "sixthLender": "Not in the press pack used for catalog 1.1. Confirm on BBB live list before naming.",
    "liveLenderListUrl": "https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/finance-options/debt-finance/community-enable-funding-programme/current-accredited-lenders",
    "officialUrls": [
      "https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/finance-options/debt-finance/community-enable-funding-programme",
      "https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/finance-options/debt-finance/community-enable-funding-programme/cef-businesses"
    ],
    "ggsSubsidyRulesApply": true
  },
  "growthGuaranteeScheme": {
    "appliesToCefTermLoans": true,
    "officialSubsidyUrl": "https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/finance-options/debt-finance/growth-guarantee-scheme/subsidies",
    "officialFaqUrl": "https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/about/frequently-asked-questions/growth-guarantee-scheme",
    "doNotConflate": {
      "facilityMaxGbpOutsideNiProtocol": 2000000,
      "typicalFacilityMaxGbpNiProtocol": 1000000,
      "subsidyIsNotLoanPrincipal": true,
      "whoCalculatesSubsidyValue": "The lender. Do not invent an equivalent."
    },
    "caps": {
      "notInScopeNiProtocol": {
        "legalBasis": "UK Subsidy Control Act 2022 Minimal Financial Assistance",
        "maxSubsidyGbp": 315000,
        "clock": "Fiscal years 1 April–31 March; current FY plus two preceding"
      },
      "inScopeNiProtocolMostSectors": {
        "legalBasis": "EU de minimis",
        "maxSubsidyGbp": 255000,
        "maxSubsidyEur": 300000,
        "clock": "Three years before GGS offer date"
      },
      "inScopeNiProtocolFisheryAquaculture": {
        "maxSubsidyGbp": 25500,
        "maxSubsidyEur": 30500,
        "clock": "Business fiscal year plus two preceding"
      },
      "inScopeNiProtocolAgriculture": {
        "maxSubsidyGbp": 42500,
        "maxSubsidyEur": 30000,
        "clock": "Business fiscal year plus two preceding"
      }
    },
    "usuallyCountsTowardCap": [
      "GGS from 2024-07-01",
      "RLS from 2022-08-01",
      "BBLS in limited de minimis or business-in-difficulty cases (value = principal + BIP)",
      "Enterprise Finance Guarantee",
      "NPIF MEIF Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Investment Fund finance",
      "Start Up Loans",
      "Many local authority grants not under a Temporary Framework",
      "Business rates relief",
      "Older de minimis, SAFA 2021-01-01 to 2023-01-04, other MFA or SPEI"
    ],
    "usuallyDoesNotCount": [
      "RLS offered 2021-04-06 to 2022-06-30 even if drawn later",
      "CBILS",
      "CLBILS",
      "Covid-19 Wales Business Loan Scheme",
      "UK Export Finance supported facilities",
      "Temporary Framework or GBER grants such as CJRS RHL SSP rebate SEISS"
    ],
    "groupTest": {
      "source": "BBB GGS FAQ — Am I eligible if I am part of a group that has accessed RLS?",
      "appliesTo": ["facility maximum", "turnover eligibility", "subsidy cap", "prior RLS/GGS since 2022-08-01"],
      "enterprise": "Any entity or person engaged in an economic activity, whatever its legal form. Includes PE/VC shareholdings.",
      "limbsAnyOneSufficient": [
        "majority of voting rights",
        "right to appoint or remove a majority of the administrative, management or supervisory body",
        "dominant influence by contract or memorandum/articles",
        "shareholder who by agreement with other shareholders controls a majority of voting rights",
        "ability directly or indirectly to control or materially influence policy as regards offering goods or services on a market, even without a controlling interest"
      ],
      "agentRule": "Map the group in week one. Lender is the referee. Do not treat a sister company as out of scope because neither owns 51%."
    },
    "borrowerMustSign": "Written confirmation the facility will not breach the three-year cap. Prior subsidy letters required.",
    "agentRules": [
      "Do not say the cap is £315k so they can only borrow £315k",
      "Ask the target lender for subsidy-equivalent of the proposed facility",
      "Collect subsidy inventory in week one",
      "Thin headroom: shrink GGS/CEF ask or use a non-guaranteed specialist"
    ]
  }
}