A structured, eight-section business plan template formatted for UK bank loan and Start Up Loan applications. Copy, paste, and replace the bracketed placeholders with your own details.
Last updated May 2026Reviewed against UK gov.uk sources
This template follows the structure that UK banks, the British Business Bank's Start Up Loans scheme, and most angel investors expect to see. It is deliberately plain — the words in the brackets are yours to write, not ours to fill in for you. A business plan that sounds like you is more convincing than one that sounds like a template.
Direct answer
A structured, eight-section business plan template formatted for UK bank loan and Start Up Loan applications. Copy, paste, and replace the bracketed placeholders with your own details. Use the key facts, step list and official source links on this page to confirm the decision before you spend money or register anything.
Sections
8 + appendix
Format
Plain text — copy and paste
Start Up Loans
Formatted for scheme requirements
Cashflow
Separate template available
Business plan template — copy and paste
BUSINESS PLAN
[Business Name]
[Trading Name, if different]
[Legal Structure: Sole Trader / Limited Company / Partnership]
[Registered Address]
[Website] · [Email] · [Phone]
Prepared by: [Your Name]
Date: [Month Year]
Version: 1.0
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SECTION 1 — EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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[Write this section last. Keep to one page.]
Business overview:
[One or two sentences describing what the business does and who it
serves. Example: "Oak Digital is a web design studio serving
independent retailers in the East Midlands."]
The problem we solve:
[What problem does your customer have that you solve?]
Our solution:
[How do you solve it, and why is your approach better than
existing alternatives?]
Market opportunity:
[Brief summary of market size and your target customer segment.]
Funding required:
[Amount sought, what it will be used for, and proposed repayment
terms if applicable.]
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SECTION 2 — BUSINESS DESCRIPTION
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Legal structure: [Sole trader / Limited company / Partnership]
Registered name: [Legal name]
Trading name: [If different]
Company number: [If limited company]
UTR: [If sole trader / partnership]
VAT number: [If VAT-registered]
Registered address: [Address]
Trading address: [If different]
Date established: [Or proposed start date]
Business sector: [SIC code / industry description]
Founder background:
[2–3 sentences on your relevant experience, skills, and why you
are the right person to run this business. Be specific.]
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SECTION 3 — PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
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What we sell:
[Describe your products or services clearly. Avoid jargon.]
Pricing:
Product / Service 1: [Name] — £[Price] [per unit/hour/day/month]
Product / Service 2: [Name] — £[Price]
Product / Service 3: [Name] — £[Price]
Pricing rationale:
[Why have you set these prices? Cost-plus, value-based, or
market-rate? How do they compare to competitors?]
Unique selling proposition:
[What makes your offering different from competitors? Be specific
and honest — avoid generic claims like "great customer service".]
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SECTION 4 — MARKET ANALYSIS
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Target customer:
[Describe your ideal customer in specific terms. Age, location,
income, occupation, buying behaviour. The more specific, the
more credible your plan.]
Market size:
[Estimate the size of your addressable market with a source.
Example: "There are approximately 5,800 independent florists
in the UK (IBISWorld, 2025)."]
Market trends:
[What trends are driving demand for your product or service?
What evidence do you have?]
Customer research:
[What have you done to validate demand? Customer interviews,
surveys, pilot sales, letters of intent? Include specific
evidence — quotes, numbers, or signed commitments.]
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SECTION 5 — COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
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Competitor 1: [Name] — [What they offer] — [Their weakness]
Competitor 2: [Name] — [What they offer] — [Their weakness]
Competitor 3: [Name] — [What they offer] — [Their weakness]
Our competitive advantage:
[Why will customers choose you over the above? Be specific.
Price, quality, speed, location, specialisation, relationships?]
Barriers to entry:
[What would make it difficult for a new competitor to replicate
what you do? Qualifications, relationships, IP, location?]
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SECTION 6 — MARKETING AND SALES STRATEGY
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How we will acquire customers:
Channel 1: [e.g. Google Search / SEO] — [Expected cost / volume]
Channel 2: [e.g. Instagram / social] — [Expected cost / volume]
Channel 3: [e.g. Referrals / word of mouth]
Sales process:
[How does a lead become a paying customer? What are the steps,
and how long does the process typically take?]
Customer acquisition cost (estimated):
[How much will it cost to acquire one new customer?]
Customer lifetime value (estimated):
[How much will the average customer spend over their relationship
with your business?]
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SECTION 7 — OPERATIONS PLAN
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Premises:
[Home-based / rented office / retail unit / workshop. Address
and monthly cost if applicable.]
Equipment and technology:
[Key equipment, software, and tools required. Estimated cost.]
Suppliers:
[Key suppliers, their location, and any dependency risks.]
Staff:
[Current: [Number and roles]. Planned: [When and why].]
Key operational risks and mitigations:
Risk 1: [Description] — Mitigation: [How you will manage it]
Risk 2: [Description] — Mitigation: [How you will manage it]
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SECTION 8 — FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS
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[Attach a separate 12-month cashflow forecast spreadsheet.
The summary below should be consistent with that document.]
Year 1 summary (projected):
Total revenue: £[Amount]
Total direct costs: £[Amount]
Gross profit: £[Amount] ([X]% margin)
Total overheads: £[Amount]
Net profit before tax: £[Amount] ([X]% margin)
Key assumptions:
Average revenue per customer: £[Amount]
Number of customers (Year 1): [Number]
Average order frequency: [X] times per year
Monthly fixed costs: £[Amount]
Break-even point:
Monthly revenue needed to break even: £[Amount]
Estimated month of break-even: Month [X]
Funding required:
Amount: £[Amount]
Purpose: [Itemised list — equipment £X, working capital £X]
Repayment: [How and when you will repay]
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APPENDIX
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[ ] 12-month cashflow forecast (separate spreadsheet)
[ ] CV / founder background
[ ] Market research evidence (survey results, customer quotes)
[ ] Letters of intent or pre-orders (if any)
[ ] Quotes for major equipment or premises
[ ] Any relevant qualifications or licences
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DECLARATION
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I confirm that the information in this business plan is accurate
and complete to the best of my knowledge.
Name: [Your full name]
Signature: ___________________________
Date: [Date]
Section 01
How to use this template
Copy the template below and paste it into a Word document, Google Doc, or any text editor. Replace every item in square brackets with your own information. Delete any sections that are not relevant to your business. The executive summary should be written last — once you have completed all other sections.
Section 1 (Executive Summary): Write this last. It should summarise the whole plan in one page.
Section 3 (Products and Services): Be specific about what you sell and why customers will pay for it.
Section 4 (Market Analysis): Include real evidence of customer demand — not just market size statistics.
Section 8 (Financial Projections): Attach a separate 12-month cashflow forecast spreadsheet. Use our free cashflow template.
Appendix: Include your CV, any customer letters of intent, and quotes for major purchases.
Section 02
What Start Up Loan assessors look for
Realistic, conservative financial projections — not optimistic best-case scenarios.
Specific evidence of market research — customer quotes, survey results, or pilot sales.
A clear explanation of how the loan will be spent, line by line.
A credible founder background — not necessarily sector experience, but relevant skills.
A repayment plan that shows the business can service the 6% loan repayments from cashflow.
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