Revive Clean: Expanding a Growing Cleaning Business with NPIF II Support

Background

Revive Clean is a Leigh‑based cleaning business specialising in student accommodation, residential and commercial cleaning. Founded by partners Shannon Donoghue and Tom Jackson, the company has grown from a two‑person operation into a fast expanding provider serving customers across Wigan, Greater Manchester and beyond.

The pair met in Manchester and previously worked within Tom’s family cleaning business before launching Revive Clean. The business was created to offer a flexible, year‑round cleaning solution, with summer peaks driven by student accommodation changeovers and winter operations focused on communal areas, serviced accommodation, and carpet and hard‑floor cleaning.

The Challenge

In its early years, Revive Clean took on subcontracting roles before securing direct student accommodation contracts. However, long payment cycles, rising staff costs and the need for upfront investment made cashflow increasingly challenging as the business grew.

After meeting Alison Darkes from GC Business Finance at a local business event, Shannon and Tom began exploring funding options to help stabilise the business and support further growth.

The Solution

Revive Clean secured a £25,000 NPIF II- GC Business Finance & River Capital Smaller Loan, managed by GC Business Finance on behalf of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II). This followed an additional £10,000 Start Up Loan, also from GC Business Finance, marking the business’s first experience of external funding.

The NPIF II loan enabled the business to:

• Invest in advertising

• Secure year‑round staff

• Build capacity to take on larger projects

Results

The funding has strengthened Revive Clean’s cashflow, allowing the business to retain staff throughout the year and confidently take on bigger opportunities. The company now plans to expand its commercial cleaning portfolio, target larger contracts in Manchester and Liverpool, and secure more year‑round work to support local job creation.

Shannon Donoghue said: “Last year was incredibly stressful for us as a small business. We were growing quickly but didn’t have the cashflow to match it, especially across the summer season when we take on lots of staff. Working with Alison made such a difference – she really took the time to understand our situation, and once we started the process with her, everything felt straightforward and supportive. The NPIF II funding has been vital. It allowed us to keep our team in place, invest in marketing and make sure we always had enough work coming in. It’s taken a huge pressure off and given us the confidence to grow.”

Alison Darkes, Investment Manager at GC Business Finance, said: “Shannon and Tom have built Revive Clean from the ground up and their commitment to their community and their staff really stands out. The business is ambitious, resilient and rooted in the local area. It’s great that NPIF II funding has helped them secure new contracts, expand their services and continue creating job opportunities for local people.”

Sue Barnard, Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank, added: “It’s encouraging to see a young North West business using NPIF II funding to scale up sustainably. Access to early-stage finance can be critical for small firms navigating rapid growth, and Revive Clean is a great example of how this support helps create jobs, stimulate local economies and break down barriers to finance."

About the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II 

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.

• Operated by the British Business Bank, NPIF II provides a mix of debt and equity funding.  NPIF II will offer a range of commercial finance options with smaller loans from £25k to £100k, debt finance from £100k to £2m and equity investment up to £5 million. It works alongside the Combined Authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), and Growth Hubs, as well as local intermediaries such as accountants, fund managers and banks, to support the North’s smaller businesses at all stages of their development.  

• The funds in which the NPIF II invests are open to businesses with material operations, or planning to open material operations, in: Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire & Warrington, Cumbria, Liverpool City Region, Leeds City Region, South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority, York & North Yorkshire, Humber and East Yorkshire, Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne & Wear 

Supported by Nations and Regions Investments Limited, a subsidiary of British Business Bank plc, the Bank is a development bank wholly owned by HM Government. Neither Nations and Regions Investments Limited nor British Business Bank plc are authorised or regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) or the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Find out how NPIF II can support your business — explore funding options here.