Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II completes first deal in Hull and East Yorkshire
BEF delivers first NPIF II Deal in Hull, empowering youth support business, Wild Intervention.
Shaun Connell
Marketing Executive
14th October 2024
Hull-based Wild Intervention, a business that delivers all-encompassing support to young people aged 16 and over, has secured a loan from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II), following the launch of the Fund earlier this year.
The loan marks the first deal for NPIF II – BEF Smaller Loans in Hull and East Yorkshire, which is managed by Business Enterprise Fund (BEF) as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II.
After leaving a career in the navy in 2016, Caine Wild set up Wild Intervention in 2020 with the aim of bringing the benefits of outdoor education to young people and to support children by providing safe, nurturing outdoor activity programmes to develop self-confidence, improve wellbeing and learn essential life skills. The company also provides Supported Living services to ages over 16, as well as alternative education and outreach services to young people both at primary and secondary age.
During the last year, Wild Intervention began working with young people who have been excluded from school by helping them complete their Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans. Wild Intervention will use the funding from NPIF II to develop an app, called Sapling, that can accurately store, monitor, and track each person’s progress through their EHC plan.
The funding will also help Wild Intervention free up cash flow to offer more community activities through the other arm of its business, Wild Opportunities. Wild Opportunities offers educational, employment, and community support, with discounted and free activities for young people's growth
Since launching in 2020, the business has grown rapidly and currently employs 64 members of staff who work directly with 48 young people.
“Young people are the future of our country, which is why it’s so important we’re able to continue successfully supporting as many children as we can. This round of funding plays a central role in this aim by allowing us to develop the technology that will help young people gain the right level of support they need to thrive in the school environment. Working with NPIF II and BEF helped us access the finance we needed quickly to support our fast growth, and we are now looking to launch the app by the end of September. There are just over half-a-million children with an EHC plan, and we’re excited to support as many youngsters as we can, with this funding supporting us on this journey.”
Caine Wild, managing director and founder of Wild Interventions
"Wild Intervention is an inspiring business with a strong social mission that transforms the lives of children and young people in the local community. Despite this, the business was unable to secure the finance it needed to enable growth, create new jobs, and increase the support it provides. Thankfully, NPIF II Smaller Loans is designed to support businesses like Wild Intervention. Our investment in Wild Intervention represents a significant milestone for BEF as it is our first NPIF II – Smaller Loan delivered in Hull and East Yorkshire. This investment not only reflects our dedication to fostering local businesses and innovation but also highlights the positive impact that targeted financial support can have on businesses addressing significant social needs."
Duane Walker, Investment Manager at BEF
“Access to finance plays a transformational role in the growth journeys of small companies, and it is fantastic to see this loan used to address an important social cause. Caine has identified a technological gap in his company that the loan will help address to take his business to the next level. As a region that is full of ambition, this is a great first deal in Hull and East Yorkshire and we’re excited to see more complete.”
Simon Cunnington, Director at the British Business Bank
The £660m Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIFII) covers the entire North of England and provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.
The purpose of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the North of England. The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for the North’s smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and help to break down barriers in access to finance.