UK business finance explained

Find the right route to fund what comes next.

Understand business loan options, the trade-offs between them and whether current government-backed support may be relevant to your plans.

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No obligation. No credit search to make an initial enquiry.

Featured route

70%

Government-backed guarantee to the lender

The Growth Guarantee Scheme can support facilities generally up to £2 million per business group. The borrower remains fully liable for the debt.

Understand the scheme

Business owners discussing funding with an adviser at an office table — Discuss the funding requirement before comparing finance routes.

Free planning tools

What could your business loan cost?

Calculate monthly repayments, compare terms and explore specialist tools for commercial mortgages, bridging finance and Start Up Loans.

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Different needs. Different structures.

Start with the problem the funding needs to solve.

Growth Guarantee Scheme

Government-backed support for accredited lenders considering viable UK businesses.

Working capital

Funding that can help bridge the gap between business costs and customer payments.

Asset finance

Spread the cost of machinery, equipment or vehicles used by the business.

Invoice finance

Release a proportion of the value tied up in unpaid customer invoices.

Machinist beside a CNC milling machine in an engineering workshop — Equipment investment is one use of business asset finance.

Business owner reviewing accounts with a laptop, calculator and notebook — Review cash flow alongside the cost of borrowing.

Built around your business

The amount, turnover and trading history all shape which routes may be realistic.

Compare the full cost

Rates matter, but so do fees, security, repayment profile and the effect on cash flow.

Clear before you commit

An initial enquiry is not an application. Review the lender's full terms before accepting finance.

News & practical guides

Keep up with the funding market.

View all news & guides

Government schemes

Growth Guarantee Scheme: what the 70% guarantee really means

13 September 2026

The scheme is open and an expansion has been announced. Here is what UK companies can apply for now, what is still changing and where the repayment risk sits.

Read the article

Regional funding

South East Investment Fund opens with loans from £25,000 to £2 million

9 September 2026

The £210 million regional fund is accepting applications. We look at the geography, the finance on offer and what a credible loan application needs to show.

Read the article

Rates & economy

New SME borrowing rates rise to 6.61%: what to do before taking a loan

2 September 2026

The latest Bank of England data show a rise in the effective rate on new SME loans. The useful response is not to predict rates, but to test whether the facility still works under pressure.

Read the article

Explore by funding need

Property finance and business cash advances.

Commercial property loans

Understand finance for business premises and investment property, then compare rates, deposits and application steps.

Business cash advances

Find out what a merchant cash advance means, how to apply and how its costs and deductions compare with a loan.

Could the Growth Guarantee Scheme improve your options?

Answer a few initial questions so the right funding routes can be considered.

Check funding available to you