Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SME) Credit Data Sharing Scheme

This scheme started on 1 April 2016. It aims to increase competition in the SME lending market and help businesses find the funding they need to grow. It does this by making it easier for finance companies to check the creditworthiness of potential businesses.

For more information about this scheme, you can visit these websites:

• Government data sharing scheme
• Government legislation

The scheme requires Northridge to share credit information about SME customers with credit reference agencies (CRAs).

The agencies we share information with are:

• Experian
• Equifax
• Creditsafe
• Dun & Bradstreet

The information we provide is recorded on your business credit report. Other finance providers can view your information when you give consent to complete a credit search.

What is a Business credit report?

A business credit report provides details of a business’s:

• borrowing history
• repayment behaviour
• overall financial health.

You can get a copy of this report, but there may be a cost.

What is a personal credit report?

A personal credit report typically holds the following information:

• Your past borrowing;
• missed or late payments
• Financial links; this includes details of anyone you may have taken out joint borrowing with previously, such as a joint credit card or loan.
• Public record information; such as County Court Judgements, house repossessions and bankruptcies.
• Personal information; this includes your name and date of birth as well as whether or not you are on the electoral roll.

CRA’s must give you a free copy of this report.

When a business applies for funding, we may view their business credit report and the personal credit report of linked individuals. The CRA we use is Experian. It’s a good idea to check your credit reports for any inaccurate or incomplete information.