Snap Fitness boosts franchise support as NatWest becomes approved finance provider

Leading gym franchise Snap Fitness has increased the funding options for its UK & Ireland franchisees following a new agreement with NatWest.

The leading high street bank will now be an approved finance provider for the brand, with the potential to lend up to 70% of total start-up costs for opening a new Snap Fitness gym.

Financing with NatWest will be accessible to both new and existing franchisees and as well as funding for new club openings, NatWest will support with gym refurbishments and investments in existing locations.

The agreement has been reached following close collaboration between Rene Swart, Director of Finance at Snap Fitness EMEA and NatWest, with Snap Fitness showing its consistent, strong profitability and growth.

“This is a really significant agreement for Snap Fitness and we’re delighted to be working with NatWest,” said Kevin Yates, CEO of Snap Fitness EMEA. “The fitness industry is thriving right now and having another funding path for potential franchisees is great for making our franchise opportunity more accessible.

“It’s testament to everyone that we’ve been able to make this happen. The continued performance of our clubs has given the NatWest team incredible confidence in our brand and we’re really looking forward to working with them.”

With the fitness industry at record market value and membership levels (2025 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report), this partnership will provide ambitious entrepreneurs with a wider range of competitive funding options and the experience of a high street bank that has a track record in financing successful franchises.

“We’re really looking forward to working with the team at Snap Fitness,” said Tom Barnes, Franchise Development Manager at NatWest. “The fitness industry is in a great place at the moment and we’ve been really impressed at how Snap Fitness has performed over recent years. They’ve developed a strong track record of supporting franchisees to operate and sustain profitable businesses and we hope we can play a part in their ambitious growth plans.”

Snap Fitness currently has 107 locations across the UK & Ireland and are set to open as many as 20 new locations over the next 12 months. Alongside their existing financing available through HSBC UK and leading brokers, having access to further funding options will be key to fuelling their growth.