Lending by sector

Yes. An accountancy or bookkeeping practice can borrow from Credicorp as long as it is constituted as a UK limited company or LLP and the funds are used for business purposes. We do not lend to individuals or sole-trader practices, and we lend directly as the lender rather than acting as a broker.

Why practices borrow

Accountancy is a seasonal business. Workload and cash concentrate around year-end, self-assessment and corporation-tax deadlines, then thin out. Borrowing can carry the practice through quieter months or fund growth that the busy season alone will not pay for in time.

• Hiring or training staff ahead of filing season
• Buying or upgrading practice and tax software, or moving to the cloud
• Funding the acquisition of a client book or a smaller practice
• Smoothing your own PAYE, VAT and corporation-tax payments

What to expect

You can choose between Credicorp Flex and Credicorp Slice depending on how you want to draw and repay. The loan sits with the company or LLP, not with the partners personally, and we take no personal guarantees. The rate, fees and term are those set out in your offer.

As an exempt business lender, Credicorp operates outside the consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS cover do not apply to this borrowing. Your account team can explain the documents before you commit.

See also: What is a business loan?, Funding for tech startups without personal guarantees, Funding for management and IT consultancies.

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Across construction, trades, manufacturing and wholesale, one need comes up again and again: you have to buy materials or stock before the revenue they generate arrives. Sometimes that is to fulfil a confirmed order, sometimes to secure a better price by buying in volume. Either way it ties up cash. Credicorp lends to incorporated businesses to fund these purchases.

Why bulk buying creates pressure

Suppliers often want payment up front or on short terms, while your own customers pay on longer terms. The bigger the order, the wider that gap. Funding lets you place the purchase without draining the cash you need for payroll and day-to-day running.

How the products apply

• Credicorp Flex lets you draw against a facility as materials orders come up, useful when buying is frequent and irregular
• Credicorp Slice provides a single amount for one defined purchase
• The rate and term are those set out in your offer

Buy with the order in view

The strongest reason to finance a purchase is a confirmed order or clear demand behind it. Funding stock that may not sell quickly carries more risk, because the cost of the facility runs while the stock sits.

Eligibility and protections

We lend to UK limited companies and LLPs only, never to sole traders or individuals, and we take no personal guarantees from directors. This is business lending outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply.

See also: Funding stock purchases ahead of a busy period, Funding equipment and plant costs and Funding for UK manufacturing companies.

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A fit-out or refurbishment is one of the larger lumps of spending a retail, hospitality, or leisure company faces. Shelving, lighting, flooring, signage, kitchen kit, or a full rebrand all cost money before the improved space earns anything back. Credicorp lends to UK limited companies and LLPs to spread that cost over a term that matches the payback.

Why a refit suits funding

The benefit of a refit — more covers, better flow, higher spend per customer — arrives gradually. Paying for it in one hit can strip your working capital just when you need to trade your way into the new space. Funding lets the improvement and the repayment run alongside each other.

What it can cover

• Builders, fitters, and trade contractors
• Fixtures, fittings, and display equipment
• Commercial kitchen or bar installation
• Branding, signage, and external works

Choosing a term

We try to set a term that reflects how long the improvement should keep earning. The rate and term appear in your offer; please read them before you accept.

The lending basics

The agreement is with your company, with no personal guarantee from directors. Credicorp is an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply.

See also: Funding equipment for a café, kitchen, or bar, Funding a refit or refurbishment of your premises, How can a retailer fund seasonal stock?.

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Equipment is the backbone of physical-sector businesses. Construction needs plant, trades need tools and test gear, manufacturers need machinery, and transport firms need vehicles. These are large, lumpy costs, and they often need replacing or repairing at the least convenient moment. Credicorp lends to incorporated businesses for these purposes.

Planned and unplanned costs

Some equipment spend you can see coming, such as adding a machine to meet new demand. Other costs arrive without warning, like a critical breakdown that halts a job. Both can strain cash, and both are valid reasons a company looks for funding.

How the products help

• Credicorp Flex lets you draw for an urgent repair or a planned upgrade as the need arises
• Credicorp Slice provides a single amount for one defined equipment cost
• The rate and term are those set out in your offer

A note on what we are

Credicorp provides funding you can use for equipment-related business costs; we are the lender, not an equipment supplier or an asset-finance broker. How you use an approved facility within your business is your decision.

Eligibility

We lend to UK limited companies and LLPs only, never to sole traders or individuals, and we take no personal guarantees from directors. This is business lending outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so FOS and FSCS do not apply.

See also: Funding for transport and logistics companies, Can I use a loan to buy new equipment for my company? and Financing materials and stock purchases.

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Commercial equipment fails at the worst possible moment, and replacing it can't wait. An espresso machine, a combi oven, a cellar cooler, or a dishwasher is a serious cost for a food, drink, or hospitality company — but downtime costs more. Credicorp lends to UK limited companies and LLPs to spread these costs sensibly.

Why equipment suits funding

A good piece of kit earns its keep over years, so paying for it in one hit can be the wrong shape for your cash flow. Funding lets the equipment and the repayments run alongside each other, keeping working capital free for stock and wages.

What it can cover

• Cooking, refrigeration, and food-prep equipment
• Coffee machines, bar systems, and cellar kit
• Replacing failed equipment quickly to avoid lost trade
• Adding capacity as the business grows

Choosing a term

We aim to match the term to how long the equipment should keep earning. The rate and term are shown in your offer, which you should read in full before accepting.

The basics

The agreement is with your company, with no personal guarantee from directors. As an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply.

See also: Funding an MOT bay or fleet servicing equipment, Funding for restaurants and cafés and Flex or Slice for funding an asset purchase?.

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Farming runs on a clock that rarely lines up with when the money arrives. You buy seed, feed, fertiliser, fuel and stock months before a crop is sold or an animal is ready, and income often lands in a few concentrated payments at harvest or sale. Credicorp lends to UK limited companies and LLPs that farm or trade in agriculture for genuine business purposes — including farm businesses that have incorporated as a limited company.

The seasonal cash-flow gap

Most agricultural businesses earn unevenly across the year. An arable farm may take the bulk of its revenue at harvest; a livestock operation around sale or finishing dates; a dairy on a monthly milk cheque that still has to cover heavy input costs in between. The result is long stretches where money goes out steadily and comes in rarely. Short-term business finance is built for exactly that timing mismatch — covering a genuine, planned gap rather than propping up a loss-making position.

What funding can support

• Buying seed, feed, fertiliser, fuel and other inputs ahead of a season
• Funding livestock purchases or a larger finishing batch
• Bridging the gap between input costs and harvest or sale income
• Plant, machinery and equipment — tractors, handling kit, irrigation, storage and processing capacity
• Carrying fixed costs through a known quiet spell between income events

If your spend is mainly on stock and materials, our notes on financing materials and stock purchases and equipment and plant costs for incorporated firms go into more detail on each use.

How we assess farm businesses

We look at your trading cycle, your order book or contracts, and your trading history — not a single snapshot. A farm with a clear seasonal pattern and a realistic plan for the income that repays a facility is exactly the shape of business this kind of lending suits. We know agricultural income arrives in lumps, so we assess affordability against your real calendar. The rate and term are set out in your offer and reflect your own company's profile.

Related to food and drink production

Many farms also process or sell their own produce, and the cash-flow realities overlap closely with on-farm and artisan producers. If that's you, our guidance on funding for food and drink producers covers stockholding, lead times and trade payment terms. For the wider principle of planning around peaks and troughs, see managing cash flow in a seasonal business.

The basics

The facility is to your company, with no personal guarantee from directors. We lend to incorporated businesses for a reason — our note on why we lend to companies, not sole traders explains the position, so a farm trading as a sole trader or partnership wouldn't qualify until it incorporates. Credicorp is an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, How do we fund a large new contract?, Funding a shop fit-out or refurbishment.

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Architecture and engineering practices bill against design stages and project milestones, which means cash can lag months behind the work that produced it. Planning delays, client approvals and phased construction all stretch the gap. Credicorp lends to these practices where they are UK limited companies or LLPs, for business purposes.

Cash flow across project stages

A practice can be fully booked and still cash-constrained if several projects sit between stages or await client sign-off. Borrowing can cover the working-capital trough so the practice keeps delivering and keeps its team intact.

• Bridging stage-payment and milestone billing on live projects
• Funding the team during planning or approval delays
• Investing in BIM, CAD or environmental-modelling software and hardware
• Supporting pursuit costs on competitions and large tenders

What we offer

Credicorp Flex and Credicorp Slice are both available to eligible firms. Flex suits practices with uneven, project-driven cash; Slice suits those wanting a more defined repayment shape. Your account team can talk through which fits.

The loan is to the company or LLP, with no personal guarantees from principals. Your rate and term are set out in your offer. As an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, Credicorp is not covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service or FSCS.

See also: Funding for law firms and legal practices, Funding for management and IT consultancies and Funding for dental practices.

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A salon or barbershop is a business of small, frequent costs that add up fast. A new styling station, a colour bar, salon-grade chairs, a wash unit, or a fresh round of retail stock each cost money before the extra capacity earns anything back. Credicorp lends to UK limited companies and LLPs in the beauty trade so you can spread that spend over a term that matches how the work pays off.

The cash-flow shape of a salon

Beauty businesses run on a tight, repeating cycle: stock goes out, services come in, and the busy weeks rarely line up with the bills. December, wedding season, and the run-up to big local events can swamp you with bookings, while quieter months still carry the rent, the wages, and the product order. Funding lets you fit out and stock up ahead of demand without draining the working capital you need to trade through the slow weeks.

What it can cover

• Chairs, styling stations, wash units, and salon furniture
• Treatment beds, lasers, and beauty or aesthetics equipment
• Colour, retail product, and consumable stock ahead of a busy season
• A fit-out, rebrand, or extra chairs to add capacity

Buying stock and kit ahead of demand

If your peak is coming and you need product on the shelf or a station ready before it lands, the same thinking applies as for any seasonal trade. You can read more in managing cash flow in a seasonal business and financing materials and stock purchases. If the spend is a larger one-off — a full refit or a new chair count — funding a shop fit-out or refurbishment covers how to spread a refit over the time it keeps earning.

Choosing a term

We try to set a term that reflects how the spend pays back — a quick stock order is a shorter commitment than a full fit-out. The rate and term appear in your offer, and you should read them in full before you accept.

Who we can lend to

Credicorp lends to the incorporated business — a limited company or an LLP — not to a person. That means a salon trading as a sole trader or as you in your own name cannot borrow from us directly; the borrower has to be the company. We explain the reasoning in why we lend to companies, not sole traders.

The lending basics

The agreement is with your company, with no personal guarantee from directors. Credicorp is an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply. If you would like to talk through whether funding fits your salon, you can reach us through contact.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, Funding equipment and plant costs, How do we fund a large new contract?.

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Residential care homes, nursing homes and supported-living providers run some of the most cost-heavy, tightly regulated operations in the country. Rotas have to be staffed around the clock to meet safe-staffing levels, the building and its equipment have to satisfy inspection, and a large share of your income arrives weeks after the care has been delivered. Credicorp lends to care providers that are UK limited companies or LLPs, for business purposes. We do not lend to individuals or to providers trading in a personal capacity.

Why the cash flow is difficult

The economics of care are unusually front-loaded. Your largest cost — qualified and registered staff — is fixed by your occupancy and your duty of care, not by when money comes in. Local-authority and NHS-funded placements are often paid in arrears or on extended terms, fee uplifts can lag well behind rising wage and energy costs, and occupancy moves as residents come and go. That leaves a steady, predictable gap between when you spend and when you are paid, on top of the lumpy one-off costs that running a registered service brings.

• Bridging the gap between weekly or monthly payroll and fees that settle in arrears
• Covering agency cover, recruitment and onboarding when a vacancy or sickness spike hits the rota
• Replacing or upgrading care equipment — beds, hoists, mobility aids, call systems and laundry
• Funding refurbishment, fire-safety work or accessibility improvements ahead of an inspection
• Smoothing energy, insurance and food costs through a quieter occupancy period
• Covering deposit and first costs when opening or acquiring an additional home

Compliance and capital projects

Maintaining registration with your regulator is not optional, and the spending it drives rarely lines up with your cash position. A required upgrade — new flooring, a redesigned bathroom, an improved call or sprinkler system, or works flagged by an inspection — is a one-off cost with a long-term benefit. Borrowing lets you put the work in place when it is needed rather than deferring it until retained profit catches up. The same is true of opening or acquiring a new home, where you commit to the premises, the fit-out and a full staffing rota before a single new bed is filled.

Equipment ahead of demand

Care equipment wears, and resident needs change. A new wing, a higher-dependency admission or an ageing fleet of beds and hoists can all force investment before the associated fees arrive. Spreading that cost over a structured facility keeps the kit current without draining the working capital your rota depends on — our guide to equipment and plant costs for incorporated firms looks at how this works for capital purchases.

How we lend

We assess the company's affordability and trading prospects, not the personal finances of any director or registered manager. The borrowing sits with the company or LLP and we take no personal guarantees from directors. Because so much of the strain in care is the timing gap between paying staff and being paid by commissioners, it helps to plan around your billing cycle — funding payroll between customer payments looks specifically at the wage-timing gap that defines this sector. If you also run clinical or treatment services, funding for private healthcare and clinics covers the kit and fit-out side in more depth.

Credicorp Flex and Credicorp Slice are both available. A revolving facility can suit the in-and-out rhythm of funded placements, while a structured plan can suit a one-off refurbishment or acquisition, and your account team can help you choose. Your rate and term are those shown in your offer.

Lending to a company rather than to its owners is deliberate; you can read why we lend to companies, not sole traders for the reasoning. As an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, Credicorp is a lender, not a broker, and is not covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service or FSCS.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, Financing materials and stock purchases, How do we fund a large new contract?.

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Running coaches and buses is not the same business as general transport or haulage. A passenger-service vehicle (PSV) operator carries people, not freight, and that brings its own cost shape: a high-value fleet that must be kept roadworthy and presentable, a maintenance and inspection regime tied to your operator's licence, and revenue that arrives in waves — school terms, tourism seasons, private hire and contract work — rather than evenly through the year. The bills for fuel, drivers, insurance and servicing land continuously, while school contracts, local-authority work and tour bookings often pay on terms or in arrears. Credicorp lends to UK coach and bus limited companies and LLPs for these business purposes.

Who we lend to

We lend to incorporated operators only — limited companies and LLPs — not to individual owner-drivers trading as sole traders. The loan sits with the company, directors are not asked to give personal guarantees, and the facility is assessed on the business itself. If you want the reasoning behind that, why we lend to companies, not sole traders sets it out.

What coach and bus operators typically fund

• Driver wages, fuel and insurance between the work being done and a school, council or tour operator settling
• Scheduled maintenance, MOT, PSV safety inspections and repairs needed to keep vehicles roadworthy and compliant
• Adding a coach or minibus to take on a new school-run or contract route that needs capacity from day one
• Carrying fixed costs — depot, finance, standing insurance — through a quiet spell such as the school summer holidays
• Refurbishment, retrofit or livery work to keep an ageing fleet presentable and competitive for private hire and tours

How this differs from generic transport funding

A freight or logistics business thinks in loads, routes and tonnes; a passenger operator thinks in seats, schedules and service reliability, and carries the extra weight of carrying the public safely. The maintenance and inspection demands attached to an operator's licence are heavier and less discretionary than for a van fleet, and the seasonal swing — termtime contracts and summer tourism — is sharper. If your work spans both passenger and freight, our wider page on funding for transport and logistics companies covers the heavier-freight side, while this page is aimed at coach and bus economics specifically.

Fleet, maintenance and O-licence spend

Vehicles and the cost of keeping them compliant are usually what trigger funding. Whether you are buying a single coach or minibus or growing several at once for a new contract, it pays to plan the outlay properly — see financing a commercial vehicle for the single-vehicle case and expanding a fleet for adding capacity across several vehicles. Because an operator's licence depends on maintaining a fit fleet, servicing and inspection spend cannot simply be deferred; funding an MOT bay or fleet servicing equipment covers bringing that work in-house or smoothing its cost.

Choosing a product

Credicorp Flex suits operators whose costs and income move unevenly through the year — you draw what you need as fuel, wages and seasonal demand fluctuate, then repay as contract and tour income arrives. Credicorp Slice provides a single amount for one defined cost, such as a planned vehicle purchase or a major fleet overhaul tied to a new contract. The rate and term that apply are the ones set out in your offer.

Before you apply

This is business lending to companies, outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS protections do not apply. It is worth matching any facility to your contract calendar, termtime patterns and payment terms first — our team can talk it through and weigh a facility against your booking pipeline.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, Funding equipment and plant costs, Financing materials and stock purchases.

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Specialty coffee is a capital-hungry trade. A roastery sinks money into a drum roaster, a destoner, and bagging kit long before a single retail bag ships; a growing café group fits out one espresso bar after another, each with a multi-thousand-pound machine and grinder at its heart. Credicorp lends to UK limited companies and LLPs in coffee for genuine business purposes — never to individuals or sole traders. This is a deliberately narrower picture than our general guide to funding for restaurants and cafés, aimed at the bean-buying and roasting side of the business.

What makes coffee different

The economics sit on two pressures that arrive together. Green coffee is bought as a crop, often in sacks or by the pallet, sometimes with a deposit to reserve a lot from an importer months ahead of landing. Meanwhile the equipment that turns those beans into revenue — roaster, espresso machines, grinders, water treatment — is expensive, long-lived, and unforgiving when it breaks. Paying for both out of day-to-day takings squeezes the cash you need for wages, rent, and the next delivery.

Common uses of funding

• Buying or upgrading a roaster, afterburner, destoner, or packaging line
• Fitting out a new espresso bar — machine, grinders, water filtration, and counter
• Securing a green-bean lot with a supplier deposit, or buying a harvest in volume for a better price
• Building working capital to carry a quieter season, such as the summer dip in hot-drink footfall
• Replacing a failed machine quickly so a site keeps trading

Stock buys and supplier deposits

Green coffee ties up cash from the moment you commit. You may pay a deposit to hold a microlot, settle on landing, then wait while it roasts, sells through wholesale or your own counters, and finally gets paid on trade terms. Funding lets you take a good lot when it is available rather than when your bank balance happens to allow it — the same logic we set out in financing materials and stock purchases. The strongest case is a confirmed wholesale order or steady retail demand behind the buy; speculative stock carries more risk, because the cost of the facility runs while the beans sit.

Equipment and fit-outs

A roaster or a flagship espresso machine should earn its keep for years, so paying for it in one hit is often the wrong shape for your cash flow. Spreading the cost lets the kit and the repayments run side by side. The same applies when you open a second or third site — see funding equipment for a café, kitchen, or bar. We aim to match the term to how long the equipment should keep working.

Seasonal footfall

Coffee demand swings across the year — strong autumn and winter trade, a softer summer on hot drinks — and wholesale accounts have their own rhythms. Funding works best as a planned bridge through a known quiet spell rather than an emergency patch. Our guide to managing cash flow in a seasonal business covers how to map your real calendar so the troughs don't undo the peaks.

How we assess coffee companies

We look at your trading history, order book, and how the funding fits your plans. The rate and term are confirmed in your offer and reflect your company's own profile, so there are no figures quoted here. Read the offer in full before accepting.

The basics

The agreement is with your company, and we take no director personal guarantees. As an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, Funding equipment and plant costs, How do we fund a large new contract?.

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Commercial cleaning is one of the most labour-heavy sectors there is. Whether you run office contracts, retail and facilities cleaning, an industrial or hygiene operation, or specialist work such as window and washroom services, most of your cost is people. Cleaners, supervisors and mobile teams are paid weekly or fortnightly, while the clients they serve pay on 30, 60 or even 90-day terms. That mismatch sits at the centre of how the sector is funded.

The payroll-before-payment squeeze

Payroll has no give in it. Your teams turn up and clean every night and weekend, and they expect to be paid on the agreed date regardless of whether a facilities manager has approved last month's invoice. Because labour is such a large share of a cleaning company's outgoings, even a profitable, well-run firm can be short on payday purely because of timing. This is the single most common reason cleaning companies look for short-term funding, and it is covered in more detail in our note on funding payroll between customer payments.

Winning a bigger contract

The other pinch point is growth. Land a large new site or a multi-building facilities contract and your costs jump straight away: you recruit and train extra cleaners, buy in machines and chemicals, and put supervisors on the ground, all weeks before the first invoice is paid. Scaling up for a contract win is exactly where cash runs thin, and we look at the mobilisation phase in how we fund a large new contract.

Equipment and consumables

Cleaning is also equipment-driven. Scrubber-dryers, vacuum systems, pressure washers, vans for mobile teams and a steady flow of chemicals and consumables all cost money before a new contract starts paying for itself. A facility can cover that outlay without draining the cash you need for wages. Our guide to equipment and plant costs for incorporated firms walks through the principle of matching the borrowing to the asset.

Which product fits

• Credicorp Flex works well for the uneven cleaning cycle: draw to cover a wage run or a contract mobilisation, then repay as client payments land, and draw again next cycle
• Credicorp Slice provides a single, sized amount for a defined cost, such as a batch of machines or one large recruitment push
• The rate and term that apply are always the ones shown in your offer, not a figure quoted here

If you are weighing the two, choosing between Flex and Slice sets out how each one behaves.

Use it as a bridge

Funding the gap between a fixed wage run and slower client payments is sensible cash-flow management. Leaning on a facility every cycle to pay wages you are not actually earning is a signal to tighten pricing or chase collections, and our team is happy to talk that through.

The basics

We lend to UK limited companies and LLPs only. We cannot lend to a sole trader or an individual, even one running a cleaning round, and we take no personal guarantees from directors. This is business lending outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS protections do not apply. You can reach us through the General Support Enquiry form before you commit.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, Financing materials and stock purchases, Funding a shop fit-out or refurbishment.

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Community pharmacies sit in an unusual cash-flow position. You dispense medicines and provide services now, but a large share of the income for NHS dispensing arrives later through the monthly reimbursement cycle — often a month or more after the drugs have left your shelves and been paid for. That gap between paying your wholesaler and being reimbursed is the single biggest funding pressure most pharmacies face. Credicorp lends to pharmacy businesses that are UK limited companies or LLPs, for business purposes. We do not lend to individual pharmacists in a personal capacity.

Why reimbursement lag ties up cash

Wholesalers and the drug tariff expect prompt payment, while reimbursement for what you have dispensed catches up later. When prescription volumes rise, or when the price of a category-M or short-supply line jumps, the amount of working capital locked in your dispensary rises with it. Funding lets you keep buying stock and paying staff without waiting on the reimbursement run to land.

• Bridging the timing between paying wholesalers and NHS reimbursement
• Holding extra stock through price spikes, shortages or flu and vaccination season
• Funding dispensing and automation equipment — robots, blister-packing and monitored-dosage systems, fridges and consultation-room fit-outs
• Smoothing payroll across the month while income arrives in a lump

Stock and equipment, not just the gap

Beyond bridging reimbursement, pharmacies invest to grow — adding a robot to free up pharmacist time, fitting a private consultation room for the new clinical services, or buying a second branch at company level. Because that spend is front-loaded and the return builds over time, it is well suited to business borrowing rather than draining the cash you need to trade. Our notes on equipment and plant costs for incorporated firms and on financing materials and stock purchases set out how this works in practice.

How the products apply

Credicorp Flex lets you draw against a facility as buying and reimbursement timing shift through the month, which suits the revolving nature of dispensary stock. Credicorp Slice provides a single amount for one defined purchase, such as an automation system or a branch acquisition. Your account team can help you choose, and your rate and term are those set out in your offer. If your pressure is mainly the wages run between income arriving, see funding payroll between customer payments.

Eligibility and protections

We lend to UK limited companies and LLPs only — never to sole traders or individuals — and we take no personal guarantees from the directors or superintendent pharmacist. The borrowing sits with the company. This is business lending outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply. For more on why the borrower has to be a company, see why we lend to companies, not sole traders, or get in touch through our contact page or the General Support Enquiry form.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, How do we fund a large new contract?, Funding a shop fit-out or refurbishment.

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Courier and last-mile delivery is its own kind of business. Unlike a broad haulage or freight operation, a last-mile firm runs a high volume of small, time-critical drops — parcels, groceries, pharmacy and same-day work — where the cost of each delivery lands today but the platform, retailer or contract customer pays on terms. That gap between paying drivers and fuel now and being paid weeks later is where working capital matters most. Credicorp lends to UK courier and last-mile delivery limited companies and LLPs for these business purposes.

Who we lend to

We lend to incorporated courier operators only — limited companies and LLPs — not to individual owner-drivers or self-employed riders trading as sole traders. The loan sits with the company, directors are not asked to give personal guarantees, and the facility is assessed on the business itself. If you are weighing up why we structure it this way, why we lend to companies, not sole traders explains the reasoning.

What courier firms typically fund

• Driver and rider wages between the work being done and the customer settling
• Fuel, charging and insurance costs that recur daily across the fleet
• Vans, e-bikes and tracking or routing kit to add delivery capacity
• Onboarding a new platform contract or retail client that needs vehicles from day one
• Peak-season cover when parcel volumes spike faster than cash comes in

How this differs from broad logistics funding

A general transport business tends to think in loads and long-haul routes; a last-mile firm thinks in drops per hour, density per round and driver utilisation. The cost base is more about people and many smaller vehicles than a handful of large trucks. If your operation spans both worlds, our wider page on funding for transport and logistics companies covers the heavier-fleet side, while this page is aimed squarely at courier and last-mile economics.

Vehicles and fleet growth

Adding capacity is often the trigger for funding. Whether you are buying a single van outright or scaling a round of e-bikes and drivers for a new contract, it helps to plan the cost properly. See financing a commercial vehicle for the single-vehicle case and expanding a delivery fleet for growing several vehicles at once.

Choosing a product

Credicorp Flex suits courier firms whose costs and income move unevenly week to week — you draw what you need as wages, fuel and volumes fluctuate. Credicorp Slice provides a single amount for one defined cost, such as a planned vehicle purchase or a fleet outlay tied to a new contract. The rate and term that apply are the ones set out in your offer.

Before you apply

This is business lending to companies, outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS protections do not apply. It is worth matching any facility to your contract pipeline and payment terms first — our team can talk it through. When you are ready, start a conversation through contact us and tell us about your routes, fleet and customers.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, Funding equipment and plant costs, Financing materials and stock purchases.

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Dental practices carry high fixed costs — surgeries, chairs, imaging and sterilisation equipment — alongside a mix of NHS contract income and private fees. Credicorp lends to dental businesses that are UK limited companies or LLPs, for business purposes. We do not lend to individual dentists in a personal capacity.

Where funding fits

Dental capital expenditure is lumpy and significant, while income arrives steadily through the month. Borrowing lets a practice invest in equipment or premises without draining the working capital it needs day to day.

• Replacing or adding a surgery, chair or CBCT/imaging unit
• Refurbishing or fitting out new premises
• Funding the purchase of a practice or an associate buy-in at corporate level
• Bridging the timing between NHS contract payments and outgoings

How we lend

Credicorp Flex and Credicorp Slice are both available. The right choice depends on whether you want flexible access to funds or a structured repayment over your agreed term. Your account team can help you decide.

The borrowing sits with the company or LLP and we take no personal guarantees from the dentists or directors. Your rate and term are those shown in your offer. As an exempt business lender outside the consumer-credit regime, Credicorp is not covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service or FSCS.

See also: Funding for community pharmacies, Funding for architecture and engineering firms and Funding for gyms and fitness studios.

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Online retail moves fast, but the cash often doesn't keep pace. Credicorp lends to UK limited companies and LLPs trading through their own sites, marketplaces, or both, for genuine business purposes such as inventory, marketing, and operations.

Where the cash gets stuck

An e-commerce company typically pays for stock and shipping up front, then waits — for goods to arrive, for marketplace payouts to settle, and for marketing to convert into orders. Growth makes this worse, not better, because every extra sale needs more stock bought ahead of it.

Common uses

• Buying inventory ahead of a launch or peak
• Funding paid acquisition while it scales
• Bridging marketplace and payment-processor settlement delays
• Investing in warehousing, fulfilment, or your platform

How we assess online sellers

We look at your trading data, order patterns, and the channels you sell through. Steady, repeatable sales help us understand the shape of your business. The rate and term you're offered reflect your own profile and are shown in your offer.

The basics

The facility is to your company; we take no director personal guarantees. As an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply. Credicorp Flex and Credicorp Slice suit different rhythms of online trade.

See also: Funding for hospitality businesses, Funding for wholesale and distribution companies and Business lending in Glasgow.

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Events and production is a sector that spends heavily before it gets paid. An agency staging a conference, a live-event producer, an AV and rigging firm, an exhibition contractor or a touring-support company commits to crew, equipment hire and supplier deposits in the run-up to a show — sometimes months ahead — while the client invoice settles weeks after the get-out. Credicorp lends to UK events and production businesses constituted as limited companies or LLPs, where the borrowing is for genuine business purposes.

The deposit-to-invoice gap

This is different from the steady-demand pattern of a leisure venue. A production company's costs cluster sharply around the build week: freelance crew day-rates, kit sub-hire, transport, power, structures and stand-build all fall due before or during the event. A booking deposit rarely covers them in full, and the balance often arrives 30, 60 or even 90 days after the event closes. The bigger and more prestigious the booking, the wider that gap tends to be — and winning two large jobs that overlap can stretch working capital further than either would alone.

Where funding tends to help

• Paying freelance and casual crew across the build, show and de-rig before the client settles
• Funding sub-hire of staging, lighting, sound, LED and rigging you do not own outright
• Covering supplier and venue deposits committed long before the event date
• Bridging the balance of a large invoice that pays well after the get-out
• Buying owned kit — flightcases, control surfaces, a vehicle — where it is cheaper than perpetual hire

Matching the product to the booking

Two products tend to suit this sector in different ways. For a single defined cost — the upfront delivery of one large contract, or a specific equipment purchase — Credicorp Slice provides one amount repaid over set instalments, and where it is funding a supplier invoice it can pay that supplier directly. For a calendar of back-to-back jobs, where you fund each build and recover it as the client settles, Credicorp Flex works as a revolving facility: you draw for a show, repay as the invoice clears, and the limit frees up for the next one. Many production firms use Slice for owned kit and Flex for the per-event crew-and-hire cycle.

The pure timing problems behind this are covered in two related guides: funding a large new contract looks at the single big booking where outlay lands well before payment, and funding payroll between customer payments covers the crew-wage mismatch that defines a labour-heavy show.

Owned kit and seasonal peaks

Some production spend is capital rather than cash-flow — buying a console, an LED wall or a van instead of hiring it every job. Where that purchase is a defined cost, our notes on equipment and plant costs for incorporated firms set out how that tends to be funded. Events work is also strongly seasonal, clustering around conference season, summer festivals and the year-end party run, with quieter months in between; if your year has that shape, see managing cash flow in a seasonal business.

Who qualifies

We lend to incorporated businesses only. Sole traders and individuals are not eligible. The borrowing is the company's, and we take no personal guarantees from directors, so your home and personal savings do not stand behind the facility. For the reasoning, see why we lend to companies, not sole traders.

What we are, and what we are not

Credicorp provides funding you can use for events and production business costs; we are the lender, not an equipment-hire house or a production-finance broker. How you use an approved facility within your business is your decision, and the rate and term are those set out in your offer — agreed before you commit, never a figure we publish in advance.

A note on protections

Because this is business lending that sits outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, neither the Financial Ombudsman Service nor FSCS applies. We still hold ourselves to clear, fair dealing, and our team can help you map a facility onto a production calendar before you apply.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, Financing materials and stock purchases, Funding a shop fit-out or refurbishment.

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Making food and drink at scale ties up money long before a single unit is sold. Ingredients, packaging, production runs, and ageing or maturing stock all need funding up front. Credicorp lends to UK limited companies and LLPs that produce food and drink for genuine business purposes.

The producer's cash-flow challenge

A producer often buys raw materials in bulk, runs a batch, then waits weeks or months for it to ship, sell through retail or wholesale, and get paid on trade terms. Brewers, distillers, and ambient-product makers may also hold maturing stock that earns nothing until it's ready.

What funding supports

• Buying ingredients and packaging in cost-effective volumes
• Funding a larger production run for a new listing
• Bridging wholesale and retail payment terms
• Investing in plant, machinery, or capacity

How we assess producers

We look at your production cycle, order book, and trading history. The rate and term are set out in your offer and reflect your own profile.

The basics

The facility is to your company, with no personal guarantee from directors. Credicorp is an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply.

See also: Funding equipment and plant costs, Business lending in Bradford and Business lending in Sheffield.

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A gym or fitness studio is one of the most equipment-heavy businesses there is. The kit on the floor is your product, the space it sits in is your brand, and both cost real money to put right. Credicorp lends to UK limited companies and LLPs running gyms, studios, and fitness facilities for genuine business purposes — to fit out a site, refresh tired equipment, or carry the costs that come with a seasonal membership cycle.

The fitness cash-flow pattern

Membership income is famously seasonal. January and the early spring bring a surge of new sign-ups; late summer and the run-up to Christmas tend to be quieter. Your fixed costs — rent, equipment servicing, instructors, and utilities — run steadily through all of it. That mismatch between lumpy revenue and level costs is the pressure point most operators know well, and it is exactly where short-term funding can smooth things out. Our note on managing cash flow in a seasonal business walks through the wider pattern.

What funding can help with

• Fitting out a new site or refurbishing an existing one
• Refreshing cardio and resistance equipment as it wears or dates
• Building capacity ahead of the January demand spike — more machines, more studio space, more class slots
• Covering fixed costs through a quieter off-peak stretch
• Marketing and onboarding ahead of a key membership season

A planned equipment buy with Slice

When the spend is a specific, planned purchase — a rack of new treadmills, a functional-training rig, or a full studio refit — Credicorp Slice is usually the better fit. Slice settles the cost in fixed instalments over a set term, so the equipment and the repayments run alongside each other and your working capital stays free for wages and rent. Slice can pay your supplier directly, which keeps a large equipment order moving without draining the account. For an ongoing, dip-in-and-out facility instead — handy for absorbing seasonal swings rather than one purchase — Credicorp Flex is the revolving option. If you are weighing the two, see Credicorp Flex vs Credicorp Slice.

How we assess fitness operators

We look at how your business trades across the full year — the seasonal shape, not just a single month — and how the funding fits your plan. The rate and term are confirmed in your offer and reflect your company's own profile, so read the offer in full before you accept it. If a fit-out is what you are weighing, our guide to funding a fit-out or refurbishment covers how we approach that kind of project.

The basics

The agreement is with your company, with no director personal guarantees. We lend to limited companies and LLPs, not to sole traders or individuals — see who we lend to for the detail. Credicorp is the lender, not a broker. As an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, the Financial Ombudsman Service and the FSCS do not apply. We will help you choose between Credicorp Flex and Credicorp Slice for the job in front of you.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, Funding equipment and plant costs, Financing materials and stock purchases.

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Hospitality runs on busy nights, quiet weeks, and large fixed costs that don't pause when trade is slow. Credicorp lends to UK limited companies and LLPs in hospitality — hotels, pubs, bars, venues, and accommodation providers — for genuine business purposes.

The hospitality cash-flow picture

Rent, staff, utilities, and stock all need paying whether the room is full or empty. Trade is uneven across the week and the year, so even a healthy business can hit a short cash squeeze between peaks.

What funding is used for

• Stocking up ahead of a busy season or event period
• Refurbishing rooms, bars, or guest areas
• Covering payroll and fixed costs through a quiet patch
• Investing in booking systems or energy efficiency

How we assess hospitality companies

We look at your trading patterns and how the funding supports your plan, mindful that hospitality revenue swings with the calendar. Your rate and term are shown in your offer and reflect your own profile.

The basics

The facility is to your company, with no personal guarantee from directors. Credicorp is an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply. We'll help you choose between Credicorp Flex and Credicorp Slice. Read more about lending to hospitality businesses.

See also: Funding for e-commerce businesses, Funding for professional services firms and How do I manage cash flow in a seasonal business?.

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Import and export companies live in the gap between two currencies and two payment clocks. You commit cash to an overseas supplier — often a deposit up front and the balance before goods even ship — then carry freight, marine insurance, customs duty and import VAT at the border, all weeks or months before a UK customer settles their invoice. On the export side the squeeze runs the other way: you fund production and shipping here, then wait on an overseas buyer who pays on their own terms. That long cash cycle is where working capital matters most, and it is what Credicorp business lending is built to bridge. We lend to UK import and export limited companies and LLPs for these business purposes.

Who we lend to

We lend to incorporated cross-border traders only — limited companies and LLPs — not to individuals or sole traders importing on the side. The borrowing sits with the company, the facility is assessed on the business itself, and we do not ask directors for personal guarantees. If you want the reasoning behind that structure, why we lend to companies, not sole traders explains it.

What cross-border traders typically fund

• Supplier deposits and pre-shipment balance payments to overseas factories
• Freight, marine insurance, customs duty and import VAT due at the UK border
• The wait between paying for landed stock and selling it on to UK buyers
• Production and shipping costs on an export order before an overseas customer pays
• Holding extra stock to cover longer sea-freight lead times or a seasonal peak

Cost the landed price, not the invoice

The supplier's quote is only part of the real cost. Build a full landed figure that adds shipping, insurance, duty, import VAT and any port or handling charges, and remember currency can move between order and payment. Borrowing against the true total — rather than the headline invoice — avoids a shortfall when the goods clear customs. Matching repayments to when the stock is likely to sell keeps the facility working with your trade cycle, not against it.

The transactional side

This page is the sector view — who we lend to and how a facility fits a cross-border trading model. For the step-by-step on a single shipment, including landed-cost build and timing risk, see funding import orders, duties, and shipping. If you also hold and break bulk for trade customers, funding for wholesale and distribution companies covers the inventory side, and importers selling online will find funding for ecommerce businesses relevant too.

Choosing a product

Credicorp Flex suits traders running repeat import or export runs, letting you draw against the facility as each shipment cycles through and your costs and income move unevenly. Credicorp Slice provides a single amount for one defined outlay, such as a large one-off container or a major export order. The rate and term that apply are the ones set out in your offer, not quoted in advance.

Before you apply

This is business lending to companies, outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS protections do not apply. It is worth mapping any facility to your shipping lead times, supplier terms and customer payment dates first — our team is happy to talk it through and help match the funding to your trade cycle.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, Funding equipment and plant costs, Financing materials and stock purchases.

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Law firms carry a distinctive cash-flow burden: matters can run for months or years, disbursements are paid out long before they are recovered, and lock-up between work done and cash collected is often substantial. Credicorp lends to legal practices that are UK limited companies or LLPs, for business purposes only.

Where funding helps

The gap between effort and payment is the core challenge. Borrowing can fund that working-capital gap so the firm does not have to choose between taking on good matters and meeting its own outgoings.

• Funding disbursements and counsel fees ahead of recovery
• Carrying work in progress on long-running matters
• Investing in case management, e-disclosure or compliance technology
• Supporting lateral hires or a new practice area before it matures

Important boundaries

Credicorp does not provide litigation funding tied to the outcome of a case, and we do not lend against client-account monies. We provide ordinary business borrowing to the firm itself. Client money must remain handled under your regulatory obligations and is never part of our security.

Credicorp Flex and Credicorp Slice are both available. The loan is to the company or LLP with no personal guarantees from partners. As an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, we are not covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service or FSCS. Your agreed rate and term are shown in your offer.

See also: Funding for architecture and engineering firms, Funding for professional services firms and Funding for dental practices.

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Leisure businesses sell experiences, and those experiences usually need big upfront investment in space, equipment, and people. Credicorp lends to UK limited companies and LLPs across leisure and entertainment — gyms, soft-play centres, escape rooms, bowling, venues, and visitor attractions — for genuine business purposes.

The leisure cash-flow pattern

Demand often clusters around weekends, holidays, and the weather. Fixed costs — rent, equipment maintenance, staff — run steadily regardless. That mismatch is a familiar pressure point for operators.

What funding helps with

• Buying or refreshing equipment and attractions
• Fitting out or expanding a venue
• Covering fixed costs through an off-peak period
• Marketing ahead of a key season

How we assess leisure operators

We look at your trading patterns across the year and how the funding fits your plan. The rate and term are confirmed in your offer and reflect your company's own profile.

The basics

The agreement is with your company, with no director personal guarantees. As an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply. We'll help you choose between Credicorp Flex and Credicorp Slice.

See also: Funding for private healthcare and clinics, Funding equipment and plant costs and Funding for e-commerce businesses.

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Consulting firms — strategy, management, IT and engineering consultancies — turn billable time into revenue. The risk is the bench: people on payroll who are not yet assigned, or a large engagement that bills in arrears. Credicorp lends to consultancies that are UK limited companies or LLPs, for business purposes.

The utilisation gap

Growth in consulting usually means hiring before the revenue arrives, because clients want to see capacity before they commit. That creates a window where payroll outruns billing. Borrowing can fund that window so you can scale into demand rather than turning work away.

• Hiring consultants ahead of signed engagements
• Bridging milestone or arrears billing on large projects
• Funding bid and proposal costs for major tenders
• Investing in delivery tooling, accreditations or partner certifications

How it works

You can use Credicorp Flex for flexible drawdowns as project cash ebbs and flows, or Credicorp Slice for a more structured arrangement. The choice depends on how predictable your pipeline is. Your account team can help you weigh them.

The borrowing belongs to the company or LLP and we take no personal guarantees from directors. The rate and term are those in your offer. Because we are an exempt business lender outside the consumer-credit regime, the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS protection do not apply.

See also: Funding for architecture and engineering firms, Funding for law firms and legal practices and Funding for professional services firms.

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An MOT and vehicle testing station is an unusual business to fund: it carries a heavy load of approved, calibrated equipment, it operates under DVSA rules that dictate what you can install and how often it must be checked, and it earns through a regulated test fee topped up by the repair, retest and servicing work the bays pull through. Whether you run a single class 4 station bolted onto a repair garage or a multi-lane site testing class 7 vans and class 5 minibuses, the costs split into two halves — the big, planned kit purchases and the steadier day-to-day running costs. Credicorp lends to UK MOT and vehicle testing limited companies and LLPs for these business purposes.

Who we lend to

We lend to incorporated testing stations only — limited companies and LLPs — not to a sole trader running a garage in their own name. The loan sits with the company, directors are not asked to give personal guarantees, and we assess the business itself rather than the people behind it. Our page on why we lend to companies, not sole traders sets out the reasoning if you are weighing it up, and we are a lender rather than a broker, so you deal with us directly.

What testing stations typically fund

• An approved test lane or automated test lane (ATL): brake rollers, a play detector, a headlamp aim tester and an emissions analyser to the current DVSA specification
• Two-post, four-post or scissor ramps, plus the groundwork and installation a new bay needs
• DVSA approval and site-preparation costs when opening a new station or adding a vehicle class
• Recalibration, servicing contracts and replacement equipment as ageing kit reaches the end of its life
• Diagnostic gear, tyre changers and wheel balancers for the repair work that runs alongside testing
• Wages and consumables across quieter weeks, while the steady drip of test and repair income catches up

The capital kit versus the running costs

The two halves of the business suit different products. A test lane, a ramp or a full bay fit-out is normally a single, sized cost you can quote up front — equipment, installation, calibration and any approval work — so Credicorp Slice is usually the right shape: you draw one amount and repay over an agreed term. The running side of a station — wages, consumables, seasonal swings as MOT volumes rise and fall — moves unevenly, and that is where Credicorp Flex fits, letting you draw what you need as the work comes in. Many stations end up using both over time. The rate and term that apply are always the ones set out in your offer.

Opening a bay or adding a class

Adding a bay or a new vehicle class is the most common trigger for funding, and it is worth costing properly rather than budgeting for the headline equipment price alone. Factor in DVSA approval, the site requirements, calibration and staff training, and match the repayment term to the working life of the kit — a ramp or test lane should comfortably outlast the loan. Because fitting out a bay is a defined, mostly one-off purchase, our use-case guide on funding an MOT bay or fleet servicing equipment walks through that specific decision, and equipment and plant costs for incorporated firms covers the wider points that apply to any heavy workshop purchase.

Where this sits alongside the wider trade

A testing station often shares a roof with general servicing and repair, and the funding need overlaps. If your business leans more towards mechanical work, vans and fleet servicing than testing alone, funding for trades businesses and financing a commercial vehicle may be closer to the mark, while this page is aimed squarely at the equipment, approval and working-capital realities of running a test bay.

Before you apply

This is business lending to companies, outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS protections do not apply. It is worth matching any facility to your equipment plan and the seasonal pattern of your test and repair income before you commit — our team can talk it through. When you are ready, start a conversation through contact us and tell us about your bays, the classes you test and what you are looking to fund.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, Financing materials and stock purchases, How do we fund a large new contract?.

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Day nurseries, pre-schools and out-of-school childcare providers run premises-heavy, staff-heavy operations under tight regulation. Ofsted-required staff-to-child ratios mean payroll is largely fixed, while fees and funded-hours income arrive on cycles that rarely line up neatly with your costs. Credicorp lends to childcare businesses that are UK limited companies or LLPs, for business purposes. We do not lend to childminders or providers trading as individuals.

Why the cash flow is awkward

The economics of childcare are unusual. Your biggest cost — qualified staff — is set by the number of children on roll, not by when money comes in. Government funded-hours payments often land in arrears or in termly blocks, parent fees may dip over school holidays, and occupancy builds gradually as a new room or site fills. That leaves predictable gaps between when you spend and when you are paid.

• Bridging the gap between termly funded-hours payments and monthly payroll
• Covering staffing through quieter holiday periods or while occupancy builds
• Fitting out or refurbishing a room, garden or new nursery site
• Buying equipment, resources or safeguarding and security upgrades ahead of an Ofsted inspection
• Funding a deposit or first costs when opening or acquiring an additional setting

Premises and expansion

Opening a new room or a second site means committing to rent, fit-out and a staffing rota before a single new place is filled. Borrowing lets you put the premises and people in place ahead of demand, rather than waiting for retained profit to catch up. The same applies to one-off compliance work — replacing flooring, upgrading the kitchen, or improving access — where the spend is lumpy but the benefit is long-term.

How we lend

We assess the company's affordability and trading prospects, not the personal finances of any director. The borrowing sits with the company or LLP and we take no personal guarantees from directors. Because childcare income is genuinely seasonal, it helps to plan around your funded-hours and term calendar — our guide to managing cash flow in a seasonal business covers this, and funding payroll between customer payments looks specifically at the wage-timing gap that defines this sector.

Credicorp Flex and Credicorp Slice are both available. A revolving facility can suit the in-and-out rhythm of termly funding, while a structured plan can suit a one-off fit-out — Flex for seasonal businesses explains how a flexible limit works across busy and quiet periods, and your account team can help you choose. Your rate and term are those shown in your offer.

Lending to a company rather than to its owners is deliberate; you can read why we lend to companies, not sole traders for the reasoning. As an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, Credicorp is a lender, not a broker, and is not covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service or FSCS.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, Funding equipment and plant costs, Financing materials and stock purchases.

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An optician's practice is part clinic, part retail unit and part small lab. You run sight tests and clinical services in the consulting rooms, dispense and sell frames and lenses on the shop floor, and increasingly cut and finish lenses on site. Each of those carries real capital cost, and most of it has to be in place before the first patient walks in. Credicorp lends to opticians and eyecare practices that are UK limited companies or LLPs, for business purposes. We do not lend to individual optometrists or dispensing opticians in a personal capacity.

Where the costs sit

Eyecare spend is front-loaded and lumpy. A single test room fitted with modern equipment, or a lens-edging setup that lets you glaze in-house instead of sending work out, is a significant outlay that pays back gradually over years of trading. Borrowing lets you make that investment without draining the working capital you need to hold frame stock and meet payroll.

• Equipping a consulting or test room — slit lamps, autorefractors, phoropters, visual-field analysers and tonometers
• Adding OCT and retinal-imaging capability to support enhanced clinical services
• Installing or upgrading a lens-edging and glazing lab to finish work on site
• Fitting out or refurbishing the practice — dispensing benches, display walling and the retail frontage

Stock, services and growth

Beyond the kit, an optician's working capital is tied up in frame stock — designer ranges, sunglasses and the lens inventory behind them — which turns over through the year and spikes around new-season launches. Practices also invest to grow: opening a second branch at company level, bringing glazing in-house to cut lab turnaround, or adding clinical services such as dry-eye treatment or myopia management. Because that spend lands ahead of the income it generates, it suits business borrowing rather than draining day-to-day cash. Our notes on equipment and plant costs for incorporated firms and on funding a shop fit-out or refurbishment set out how this works in practice, and much of it mirrors the position in other clinical settings — see funding for dental practices.

How the products apply

Credicorp Flex lets you draw against a facility as buying and seasonal stock timing shift through the year, which suits the revolving nature of frame inventory. Credicorp Slice provides a single amount for one defined purchase, such as an edging lab, an OCT scanner or a branch fit-out. Your account team can help you choose, and your rate and term are those set out in your offer.

Eligibility and protections

We lend to UK limited companies and LLPs only — never to sole traders or individuals — and we take no personal guarantees from the directors or the resident optometrist. The borrowing sits with the company. This is business lending outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply. For more on why the borrower has to be a company, see why we lend to companies, not sole traders, or use the General Support Enquiry form.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, Financing materials and stock purchases, How do we fund a large new contract?.

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Print and signage is an equipment-heavy, materials-heavy trade. A digital press, a flatbed or roll-to-roll large-format printer, a laser cutter or a CNC router is a serious outlay, and on top of the kit you buy substrate, inks, vinyl, boards and finishing consumables — often in bulk, and often before a confirmed job has paid you a penny. Credicorp lends to UK print and signage limited companies and LLPs to help fund that cycle for genuine business purposes.

Who qualifies

We lend to incorporated businesses only. Sole traders and individuals are not eligible. The borrowing is the company’s, and we take no personal guarantees from directors. For the reasoning behind that, see why we lend to companies, not sole traders.

Where funding tends to help

• Buying or replacing a press, large-format printer, laminator, cutter or finishing line
• Stocking up on substrate, ink, vinyl and boards ahead of a large or rush order
• Covering materials and labour while you wait to invoice and be paid for a big contract
• Building stock and capacity before a seasonal peak, such as an election, exhibition season or retail rollout

Matching the product to the job

Two products tend to fit this sector in different ways. For a single, defined cost — a new press, a large-format machine or one substantial equipment purchase — Credicorp Slice provides one amount repaid over set instalments, and where it is funding a supplier invoice it can pay that supplier directly. For costs that come in waves — buying materials ahead of each big order, then drawing again for the next — Credicorp Flex lets you draw as the need arises and repay as jobs settle, freeing your limit for the next run. Many print firms use one for the kit and the other for the consumables that feed it.

Planned and unplanned costs

Some spend you can plan, such as adding a machine to take on a new line of work. Other costs arrive without warning — a press failure mid-run, or a sudden materials order to win a contract. Both can strain cash, and both are valid reasons a company looks for funding. You can read more in our notes on equipment and plant costs for incorporated firms and on financing materials and stock purchases.

What we are, and what we are not

Credicorp provides funding you can use for print and signage business costs; we are the lender, not an equipment supplier or an asset-finance broker. How you use an approved facility within your business is your decision, and the rate and term are those set out in your offer — never a figure we publish in advance.

A note on protections

Because this is business lending that sits outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, neither the Financial Ombudsman Service nor FSCS applies. We still hold ourselves to clear, fair dealing, and our team can help you think through how a facility maps onto your order book.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, How do we fund a large new contract?, Funding a shop fit-out or refurbishment.

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Private healthcare providers — clinics, physiotherapy and rehabilitation businesses, diagnostic centres, aesthetics and allied-health companies — combine high upfront investment with income that builds gradually as patient lists grow. Credicorp lends to these providers where they are UK limited companies or LLPs, for business purposes.

Investing ahead of demand

A new clinic or treatment line usually needs the equipment, room and staff in place before patients arrive. That front-loading is exactly the kind of working-capital gap business borrowing is designed to bridge.

• Equipping treatment rooms or a new clinic site
• Funding diagnostic, imaging or aesthetic equipment
• Hiring clinical and reception staff ahead of a new service launch
• Smoothing income while a patient base or insurer-referral pipeline builds

Responsible lending

We look at the company's affordability and prospects, not at any individual clinician's personal finances. The loan is to the company or LLP and we take no personal guarantees from directors.

Credicorp Flex and Credicorp Slice are both available, and your account team can help you pick the structure that suits your build-up period. Your rate and term are those in your offer. As an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, Credicorp is not covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service or FSCS.

See also: Funding for dental practices, Funding for leisure and entertainment businesses and Funding for veterinary practices.

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Professional services firms — accountants, solicitors, surveyors, consultancies and advisory practices — run lean balance sheets where the main asset is people and the main cost is payroll. Credicorp lends to these businesses where they are constituted as UK limited companies or LLPs and the borrowing is for business purposes.

The cash-flow shape we design around

Fee income in these firms is often lumpy: large engagements bill on milestones, retainers smooth but rarely cover peak months, and partner drawings compete with reinvestment. Borrowing can bridge the gap between work delivered and cash received, or fund a hire ahead of the revenue that hire will generate.

• Bridging work-in-progress that has been delivered but not yet billed or paid
• Funding a new fee-earner before they become billable
• Smoothing quarterly tax and VAT obligations against uneven receipts
• Investing in practice management or compliance systems

How we lend

Both Credicorp Flex and Credicorp Slice are available to eligible firms. The borrowing is to the company or LLP — we do not take personal guarantees from partners or directors. The rate and term are the ones shown in your offer, agreed up front.

Because Credicorp is an exempt business lender operating outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS protection do not apply. If anything is unclear, your account team can talk it through before you sign.

See also: Funding for law firms and legal practices, Business lending in Glasgow and Funding for e-commerce businesses.

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Property maintenance and facilities-management firms sit in an awkward spot. You are not a construction contractor building from the ground up, but you carry many of the same cash pressures: engineers and operatives on the payroll, materials bought in for each job, vehicles and tools to keep on the road, and clients who pay on 30, 60 or 90-day terms. Whether you run reactive and planned maintenance, hard or soft FM, or a mixed services contract across a portfolio of buildings, the money goes out well before it comes back in.

How this differs from a construction firm

A builder funds a project; an FM firm funds a service. The work is continuous and spread across many small jobs and call-outs rather than a few large valuations, so the squeeze is steadier and harder to see coming. You complete the work, raise the invoice, and then wait — often through a client’s slow approval chain. We cover the heavier project rhythm separately in our note on funding for UK construction companies, but the day-to-day pinch for maintenance firms is the wait between finishing a job and being paid for it.

The completion-to-payment gap

This is the core of it. Your operatives have been paid, the parts have been bought, the job is signed off — and the cash is still weeks away. Across dozens of live jobs and several contracts at once, that earned-but-unpaid balance becomes a large part of your working capital. A facility lets you keep mobilising the next job rather than waiting on the last one to clear.

Retention and held-back sums

Larger FM and fit-out-adjacent contracts often carry retention, the slice a client holds back until works are signed off and sometimes for a period afterwards. That is money you have already earned, paid for in labour and materials, sitting in someone else’s account. It works much the same way as it does for contractors, and our note on how retention payments affect construction cash flow explains the mechanics and how funding bridges the release dates.

Materials, fleet and tools

Maintenance is materials-hungry in small, constant amounts: parts, plant, consumables and the occasional larger spec item for a planned works package. Buying ahead of a client payment is exactly the kind of timing gap our note on financing materials and stock purchases addresses. Vehicles and equipment are the other standing cost — a mobile workforce needs vans, and our guide to equipment and plant costs for incorporated firms sets out the principle of matching the borrowing to the asset rather than draining your wage cash.

Scaling onto a bigger contract

Winning a multi-building or portfolio contract is the moment cash runs thinnest. You recruit engineers, kit out vehicles and stock materials weeks before the first invoice is approved. That mobilisation phase is where a facility earns its keep.

Which product fits

• Credicorp Flex suits the rolling maintenance cycle: draw to cover a wage run, a parts order or a contract mobilisation, then repay as client payments land, and draw again next cycle
• Credicorp Slice provides a single, sized amount for a defined cost, such as a batch of vans or one large planned-works package
• The rate and term that apply are always the ones shown in your offer, never a figure quoted here

The basics

We lend to UK limited companies and LLPs only. We cannot lend to a sole trader or an individual running a maintenance round, and we take no personal guarantees from directors — the reasons are set out in why we lend to companies, not sole traders. This is business lending outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS protections do not apply. You can reach us through the General Support Enquiry form or the contact page before you commit.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, How do we fund a large new contract?, Funding a shop fit-out or refurbishment.

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Recruitment is one of the clearest examples of a profitable business that can still run short of cash. If you place contractors or temps, you pay them weekly — sometimes daily — while the client who hired them pays your invoice on 30, 60 or even 90-day terms. Every new placement widens that gap before it ever earns you a margin. Credicorp lends to recruitment agencies constituted as UK limited companies or LLPs, where the borrowing is for business purposes.

The timing gap that defines the sector

The faster you grow, the harder the squeeze. Win a large new contract and you are funding several weeks of contractor wages, employer National Insurance and pension contributions up front, long before the first client invoice clears. Permanent-placement fees help, but they are lumpy and can be clawed back, so they rarely smooth the weekly payroll run on their own.

• Covering contractor and temp payroll before client invoices settle
• Funding the working-capital step-up when you take on a bigger account
• Smoothing employer NI, pension and PAYE obligations against uneven receipts
• Bridging the gap while a slow-paying client is chased

How funding bridges it

Two products suit the recruitment cash-flow shape. Credicorp Flex is a revolving facility: you draw to cover a payroll run, then repay as client payments arrive and the limit frees up again for the next cycle. That rolling pattern fits an agency that runs the same mismatch week after week. Credicorp Slice instead provides a single defined amount for a one-off shortfall, such as the upfront cost of staffing a single large contract. The rate and term that apply are the ones set out in your offer, agreed before you commit.

For a closer look at the pure wage-timing mismatch — the issue at the heart of agency funding — see funding payroll between customer payments.

No personal guarantee from directors

The loan is to the agency, not to you. Credicorp takes no personal guarantees from directors, so your home and personal savings do not stand behind the company's borrowing. We assess the company's affordability and prospects rather than your personal balance sheet. You can read how this works in is Flex secured or do I need a guarantee and in our guide to funding without personal guarantees.

Use it as a bridge, not a crutch

Funding payroll across a genuine timing gap is sensible working-capital management. Relying on it every cycle to cover margins you are not actually earning is a warning sign worth addressing through tighter contract pricing or faster client collection. If you are unsure which pattern your agency is in, our team can talk it through before you apply.

The basics

We lend to UK limited companies and LLPs only, never to sole traders or individuals. Credicorp is an exempt business lender operating outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS protection do not apply. If anything is unclear, your account team can talk it through before you sign.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, Funding equipment and plant costs, Financing materials and stock purchases.

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Running a restaurant or café means thin margins, daily fresh-stock buying, and expensive equipment that has to keep working. Credicorp lends to UK limited companies and LLPs in food service for genuine business purposes — never to individuals or sole traders.

Where the money goes

Food businesses pay for ingredients constantly, often daily, while wages, rent, and energy run in the background. A new oven, a walk-in fridge, or a front-of-house refit can be the difference between a struggling site and a profitable one — but each is a real upfront cost.

Common uses of funding

• Replacing or upgrading kitchen equipment
• Refurbishing the dining area or adding covers
• Building working capital for a quieter season
• Opening or fitting out a new site

How we look at it

We assess your trading history and how the funding fits your plans. The rate and term are confirmed in your offer and reflect your company's own profile, so there are no figures quoted here.

The basics

The agreement is with your company, and we take no director personal guarantees. As an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply.

See also: Funding an MOT bay or fleet servicing equipment, Funding equipment for a café, kitchen, or bar and Funding a refit or refurbishment of your premises.

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Software-as-a-service businesses have an unusual money shape: the cost of winning a customer is paid up front, but the revenue trickles in monthly or annually over the life of the subscription. That payback delay is the central tension in SaaS finance. Credicorp lends to software companies that are UK limited companies or LLPs, for business purposes.

Bridging the payback period

Healthy retention and recurring revenue make SaaS attractive, but growth consumes cash because you are constantly funding acquisition ahead of recognised revenue. Borrowing can extend your runway without diluting ownership.

• Funding sales and marketing to accelerate customer acquisition
• Bridging the gap between monthly billing and annual contract value
• Hiring engineering or customer-success staff ahead of revenue
• Investing in infrastructure, security accreditation or compliance work

How we lend

Credicorp Flex suits the variable, growth-driven cash flow typical of SaaS, while Credicorp Slice offers a structured alternative. Your account team can help you decide which fits your stage and burn profile.

The loan is to the company or LLP, with no personal guarantees from founders or directors. Your rate and term are those in your offer. As an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, Credicorp is not covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service or FSCS.

See also: Funding payroll between customer payments, Funding for architecture and engineering firms and Funding for e-commerce businesses.

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Few sectors are as labour-heavy as security and facilities. Whether you provide manned guarding, mobile patrols, door supervision, event and concierge cover, or a wider soft-FM bundle that wraps in reception, cleaning and grounds, almost all of your cost is people. Officers work shifts around the clock, are paid weekly or fortnightly, and the clients they protect pay on 30, 60 or even 90-day terms. That gap between a fixed wage run and slow contract payments sits at the centre of how the sector is funded.

The payroll-before-payment squeeze

Payroll in this sector has no give in it at all. A site needs cover every hour it is contracted for, so your officers turn up to guard, patrol and respond regardless of whether a facilities manager has approved last month's invoice. Because wages are such a large share of a security company's outgoings, even a profitable, well-run firm can be short on payday purely because of timing. This is the single most common reason security and facilities firms look for short-term funding, and it is covered in more detail in our note on funding payroll between customer payments.

Mobilising a new contract

The other pinch point is winning work. Land a new guarding contract or a multi-site facilities portfolio and your costs jump straight away: you recruit officers, run SIA licence checks and BS 7858 screening, issue uniforms and radios, and often inherit staff under TUPE — all weeks before the first invoice is paid. Where a contract transfers from another provider you may be funding a full team's wages from day one with nothing yet billed. Scaling up for a contract win is exactly where cash runs thin, and we look at the mobilisation phase in how we fund a large new contract.

Vetting, kit and vehicles

Security carries real set-up costs that land ahead of revenue. Screening and vetting take time and money, uniforms and body-worn cameras have to be bought in, and mobile patrol and key-holding work needs a fleet on the road. Control-room equipment and CCTV monitoring add a further capital layer for firms moving into electronic security. A facility lets you cover that outlay without draining the cash you need for the next wage run, and our guide to equipment and plant costs for incorporated firms walks through the principle of matching the borrowing to the asset.

Where facilities work overlaps

Many guarding firms have grown into broader facilities and building services, and many FM firms run a security line. The cash pattern is much the same either way — labour out now, payment in later — so if your work leans towards maintenance, cleaning and building services, our note on funding for property maintenance and facilities-management firms covers the completion-to-payment gap and retention exposure that come with it.

Which product fits

• Credicorp Flex works well for the rolling shift cycle: draw to cover a wage run or a contract mobilisation, then repay as client payments land, and draw again next cycle
• Credicorp Slice provides a single, sized amount for a defined cost, such as a fleet of patrol vehicles or one large recruitment and vetting push
• The rate and term that apply are always the ones shown in your offer, not a figure quoted here

Use it as a bridge

Funding the gap between a fixed wage run and slower client payments is sensible cash-flow management. Leaning on a facility every cycle to pay wages you are not actually earning is a signal to tighten pricing or chase collections, and our team is happy to talk that through.

The basics

We lend to UK limited companies and LLPs only. We cannot lend to a sole trader or an individual working as a guard, and we take no personal guarantees from directors — the reasons are set out in why we lend to companies, not sole traders. This is business lending outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS protections do not apply. You can reach us through the General Support Enquiry form or the contact page before you commit.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, Financing materials and stock purchases, Funding a shop fit-out or refurbishment.

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Green-install work is one of the fastest-growing trades in the UK, and it has a cash-flow shape all of its own. Whether you fit domestic solar PV and battery storage, install air-source or ground-source heat pumps, or roll out EV chargers for homes and commercial sites, you almost always pay for the kit, the scaffolding and the labour well before the money comes back. Credicorp lends to incorporated installers to bridge that gap.

Why the green-install gap is wide

The outlay on a renewables job lands early and all at once. Panels, inverters, batteries, heat-pump units and charge points are bought from a wholesaler on short terms, often before you have a penny from the customer, and on top of the hardware you carry scaffolding hire, plant and a skilled crew on site. The income arrives late: a homeowner may pay a deposit and settle the balance only on sign-off, a commercial client works to 30 or 60-day terms, and any grant or scheme contribution is reconciled after the work is certified. That front-loaded cost against back-loaded payment is the squeeze almost every installer feels as they grow.

Grant and scheme timing

A lot of renewables work is supported by grants or government schemes, and the value is real, but the timing rarely matches your supplier's. You commission the system, submit the paperwork, wait for certification and then wait again for the contribution to be reconciled, all while you have already paid for the equipment and the crew. Short-term funding lets you carry the cost of the job through to the point the scheme money and the customer balance both land, rather than turning down the next booking because your cash is tied up in the last one.

Stock, scaffolding and the busy-season ramp

Demand for installs runs in waves, and the busy months reward firms that can buy ahead. Securing a pallet of panels or a batch of heat-pump units at a good price, or booking scaffolding and crews before the diary fills, all costs money up front. Buying materials and stock ahead of payment is a common reason trade companies seek funding, and we cover the principle in our note on financing materials and stock purchases. The same applies to the tools and vans the work depends on: our guide to equipment and plant costs for incorporated firms walks through matching the borrowing to the asset.

Paying the crew between jobs

A qualified roofer, electrician or MCS-certified fitter expects to be paid on schedule whether or not the last client has settled. Because labour and subcontractor costs fall due on a fixed cycle while job income arrives late, even a profitable installer can be short purely on timing. We look at that specific mismatch in funding payroll between customer payments.

Which product fits

• Credicorp Flex suits the uneven install cycle: draw to cover a kit order or a scaffolding-and-labour push, repay as the customer balance and any scheme contribution land, then draw again for the next job
• Credicorp Slice provides a single, sized amount for a defined cost, such as a bulk panel order or one large fleet of charge points
• The rate and term that apply are always the ones shown in your offer, never a figure quoted here

If you are weighing the two, choosing between Flex and Slice sets out how each one behaves.

Use it as a bridge, not a crutch

Funding the gap between an early outlay and a confirmed, certified payment is sensible cash-flow management, especially when a grant or a customer balance is what you are waiting on. Leaning on a facility to cover speculative stock with no booking behind it carries more risk, because the cost runs while the kit sits in the unit.

Eligibility and protections

We lend to UK limited companies and LLPs only. We cannot lend to a sole trader or an individual, even one running a one-van install business, and we take no personal guarantees from directors. This is business lending outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS protections do not apply. You can reach us through the General Support Enquiry form before you commit.

See also: Can an accountancy practice borrow from Credicorp?, How do we fund a large new contract?, Funding a shop fit-out or refurbishment.

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Many founders are wary of debt because traditional facilities can put a personal guarantee on the line — your home or savings standing behind the company's borrowing. Credicorp takes no personal guarantees from directors. The loan is to the company, and that is a deliberate part of how we work with technology businesses.

What no personal guarantee means

It means the obligation to repay sits with the limited company or LLP that borrows, not with you as an individual. We assess the company's affordability and prospects, not your personal balance sheet. If you have only ever seen guarantee-backed lending, this is a genuinely different footing.

• Funding product development, hires or go-to-market spend
• Extending runway between funding rounds
• Smoothing cash while early revenue stabilises
• Investing in infrastructure or security work needed to win larger customers

The trade-off to understand

Because we lend to the company on the company's merits, we look carefully at affordability before we offer. That protects you from borrowing the business cannot sustain. Credicorp Flex and Credicorp Slice are both available, with the rate and term set out in your offer.

Credicorp is an exempt business lender outside the consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS protection do not apply. We lend only to UK limited companies and LLPs, never to individuals.

See also: Funding for SaaS and subscription businesses, Funding for trades businesses run through a limited company, Funding for UK manufacturing companies.

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Many established trades businesses run through a limited company, whether that is an electrical contractor, a plumbing and heating firm, a roofing outfit or a multi-trade maintenance company. If your business is incorporated, Credicorp may be able to lend to it for business purposes.

The eligibility line

We lend to UK limited companies and LLPs only. We cannot lend to a sole trader or an individual, even where that person runs a trade. The loan is to the company, and we do not ask directors to give personal guarantees.

Common uses in the trades

• Stocking up on materials at the start of a bigger contract
• Replacing or upgrading tools, test equipment and vans
• Covering wages and subcontractor costs while invoices are outstanding
• Taking on a larger job than your current cash position would normally allow

Which product fits

If your work comes in waves and you want to draw funds as each job lands, Credicorp Flex gives you that flexibility. If you have a single, sized cost in mind, Credicorp Slice provides one amount. Either way, the rate and the term are the ones shown in your offer.

Worth knowing

This is business lending outside the FCA consumer-credit regime. That means the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS protections do not apply. Our support team can walk you through what a facility would mean for your company before you commit.

See also: Funding equipment and plant costs, Funding for UK manufacturing companies, Funding for e-commerce businesses.

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Transport and logistics is a high-cost, thin-margin sector where money goes out daily but comes in on terms. Fuel, driver wages, tolls, insurance and maintenance all land before a customer settles an invoice. Credicorp lends to UK transport and logistics limited companies and LLPs for these business purposes.

Eligibility

We lend to incorporated businesses only, not to individual owner-drivers operating as sole traders. The loan sits with the company, and directors are not asked to give personal guarantees.

Typical funding needs

• Smoothing fuel and wage costs while customer invoices are on terms
• Fleet maintenance, tyres and unexpected repairs that cannot wait
• Taking on a new contract that needs extra capacity from day one
• Bridging seasonal swings in freight volumes

Choosing a product

Credicorp Flex suits operators whose costs and revenue move unevenly through the month, letting you draw as needed. Credicorp Slice provides a single amount for a defined cost, such as a planned fleet outlay. The rate and term that apply are those in your offer.

Before you apply

This is business lending outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply. Our team can help you weigh a facility against your contract pipeline and payment terms.

See also: Funding equipment and plant costs, Funding payroll between customer payments and Funding for import and export companies.

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Construction is one of the sectors where cash flow and project timing rarely line up. You pay for labour, plant hire and materials long before a valuation is certified or a retention is released. Credicorp lends to UK limited companies and limited liability partnerships working in construction to bridge those gaps for genuine business purposes.

Who we can lend to

We lend only to incorporated businesses, never to individuals or sole traders. If you trade as a limited company or an LLP, you may be eligible. The borrowing sits with the company, and we do not take personal guarantees from directors.

What construction firms use funding for

• Buying materials ahead of a stage payment or certified valuation
• Covering payroll and subcontractor invoices between drawdowns
• Plant and equipment hire for a specific contract
• Mobilising a new project before the first payment lands

Our two products

Credicorp Flex gives you a facility you can draw against as project costs arise, which suits the stop-start rhythm of site work. Credicorp Slice provides a single amount for a defined cost. The rate and term that apply are the ones set out in your offer, not a figure we quote in advance.

Important to know

Because this is business lending outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply. We still aim to be clear and fair, and our team can talk through whether a facility fits your project pipeline. Read more about lending to construction businesses.

See also: Funding for UK retail companies, Why we lend to companies, not sole traders, Funding for wholesale and distribution companies.

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Manufacturing ties up cash at every stage. You buy raw materials, convert them through a production run, hold work in progress, then carry finished stock until it ships and is paid for. Credicorp lends to UK manufacturing limited companies and LLPs to help fund that cycle for genuine business purposes.

Who qualifies

We lend to incorporated businesses only. Sole traders and individuals are not eligible. The borrowing is the company's, and we take no personal guarantees from directors.

Where funding tends to help

• Buying raw materials in volume, sometimes to secure a better supplier price
• Funding a large production run against a confirmed customer order
• Bridging the gap between paying suppliers and being paid by customers
• Building stock ahead of a seasonal peak

Matching the product to the cycle

Credicorp Flex works well for manufacturers whose costs come in waves across production runs, because you draw as you need. Credicorp Slice suits a defined cost such as a single bulk materials order. The rate and term are those set out in your offer, never a figure we publish in advance.

The protections point

Because this sits outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, neither the Financial Ombudsman Service nor FSCS applies. We still hold ourselves to clear, fair dealing, and our team can help you think through how a facility maps onto your order book.

See also: Financing materials and stock purchases, Business lending in Bradford and Funding for print and signage companies.

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Credicorp lends to UK limited companies and LLPs that run retail operations, from single high-street stores to multi-site chains. We are the lender, not a broker, and the facility is granted to the company for genuine business purposes such as stock, fit-out, or working capital.

What retail businesses use funding for

Retail trades on the rhythm of buying stock, selling it, and replacing it. Funding is most often used to smooth that cycle rather than to cover a one-off gap.

• Buying seasonal or bulk stock ahead of a busy trading period
• Refitting or refreshing a shop floor
• Bridging the gap between supplier payment terms and customer sales
• Investing in point-of-sale, stock systems, or e-commerce

What we look at

We assess the company's trading history, sales patterns, and how the funding fits your plan. Because retail revenue can be seasonal, we look at the shape of your year, not just a single month. The rate and term you are offered are shown in your offer, and you should read them in full before accepting.

Important to know

Because Credicorp is an exempt business lender operating outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply, and we do not take personal guarantees from directors. The agreement is with your company. We choose products together: Credicorp Flex and Credicorp Slice each suit different trading patterns. Read more about lending to retail businesses.

See also: How Credicorp decides whether to lend to your company, Funding for e-commerce businesses and Funding for UK construction companies.

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Veterinary practices run something close to a small hospital: theatres, anaesthesia, diagnostic imaging, laboratory equipment and often out-of-hours cover. The capital demands are high and recurring. Credicorp lends to veterinary businesses that are UK limited companies or LLPs, for business purposes.

Why practices borrow

Equipment ages, services expand, and acquiring or merging practices is common in the sector. Each of these needs funding that does not strip the practice of its everyday working capital.

• Buying or replacing surgical, dental or imaging equipment
• Fitting out a new branch or refurbishing existing premises
• Funding a practice acquisition or partner buy-in at company level
• Investing in laboratory or referral-service capability

How we lend

Credicorp Flex gives flexible access to funds for practices with variable cash flow, while Credicorp Slice offers a more structured repayment over your agreed term. Your account team can help you choose.

The borrowing belongs to the company or LLP, and we take no personal guarantees from the vets or directors. Your rate and term are those shown in your offer. Because Credicorp is an exempt business lender outside the consumer-credit regime, the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS protection do not apply to this lending.

See also: Funding for private healthcare and clinics, Business lending in Scotland and Funding for architecture and engineering firms.

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Wholesale and distribution is a working-capital business. You buy stock in bulk, hold it in a warehouse, then sell it on to trade customers who often pay on terms. The gap between paying your suppliers and collecting from your buyers is where cash gets tight. Credicorp lends to UK wholesale and distribution limited companies and LLPs for these business purposes.

Who we lend to

We lend to incorporated businesses only, never to individuals or sole traders. The borrowing is the company's, and we do not take personal guarantees from directors.

Where funding helps wholesalers

• Buying inventory in volume, sometimes to lock in a supplier discount
• Funding a large order from a key customer before they pay
• Building stock ahead of a seasonal surge in demand
• Bridging the lag between settling suppliers and collecting receivables

Product fit

Credicorp Flex suits the rolling nature of inventory purchasing, letting you draw against the facility as stock cycles through. Credicorp Slice provides a single amount for a defined purchase. The rate and term that apply are set out in your offer, not quoted in advance.

Important context

This is business lending outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS protections do not apply. Our team is happy to talk through how a facility maps onto your buying and selling cycle.

See also: Funding stock purchases ahead of a busy period, Funding for e-commerce businesses and Business lending in Glasgow.

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Payroll is one of the few costs with no flexibility. Staff, drivers and subcontractors expect to be paid on the agreed date, every cycle, whether or not your customers have settled. In labour-heavy sectors such as construction, trades and logistics, that mismatch between fixed wage dates and variable customer payments is a frequent source of stress.

Why the timing rarely lines up

Customers pay on their own terms, and large invoices can be delayed by valuations, sign-offs or simple slowness. Meanwhile your wage run is non-negotiable. Even a profitable company can find itself short on payday purely because of timing.

How funding bridges it

• Credicorp Flex lets you draw to cover a wage run, then repay as customer payments arrive, suiting an uneven cycle
• Credicorp Slice provides a single amount for a defined shortfall
• The rate and term that apply are those shown in your offer

Use it as a bridge, not a crutch

Funding payroll across a timing gap is sensible. Relying on it every cycle to cover wages you are not actually earning is a warning sign worth addressing with tighter pricing or collection. Our team can talk through which pattern you are in.

The basics

We lend to UK limited companies and LLPs only, with no personal guarantees from directors. This is business lending outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, so FOS and FSCS protections do not apply.

See also: Funding for recruitment agencies, Funding for transport and logistics companies and Funding for SaaS and subscription businesses.

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Most retail companies buy heavily ahead of a peak — Christmas, summer, a back-to-school run — and only recover the cash once the goods sell. That timing mismatch is one of the most common reasons a UK limited company or LLP approaches us for funding.

The seasonal cash-flow problem

Your suppliers want paying on their terms, often before your customers have bought anything. The bigger the season, the larger the order, and the longer your money sits in stock on shelves or in a warehouse rather than in your bank account.

How funding helps

• Place a larger order without draining your reserves
• Take advantage of early-payment or bulk discounts from suppliers
• Keep day-to-day working capital free while stock is tied up
• Repay as the season's sales come in

Matching the product to your season

Credicorp Flex and Credicorp Slice behave differently over a trading cycle, and we'll talk through which fits the way your peak unwinds. The rate and term are set out in your offer — there are no figures quoted here because every business is priced on its own profile.

The basics

The facility is to your company, not to you personally; we take no director personal guarantees. As an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply.

See also: Funding stock for a brand-new product line, Marketplace payout delays and how funding bridges them and Funding stock purchases ahead of a busy period.

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Seasonal trade — busy summers, manic Christmases, dead Januaries — is normal in retail, hospitality, leisure, and food businesses. The skill is planning so the quiet months don't undo the busy ones. Credicorp lends to UK limited companies and LLPs, and funding is one tool among several for smoothing the year.

Plan around your real calendar

Map your revenue and costs month by month, not as an annual average. The average hides the months where you're paying out far more than you take in.

• Build a reserve during the peak to carry the trough
• Negotiate supplier terms that line up with your sales, not against them
• Watch stock — overbuying for a peak ties up cash you'll need later
• Keep fixed costs reviewed; they're what bite hardest when trade slows

Where funding fits

Funding works best as a planned bridge — buying peak stock, or carrying fixed costs through a known quiet spell — rather than an emergency patch. Credicorp Flex and Credicorp Slice behave differently across a cycle, and we'll talk through which suits your shape of year. The rate and term are shown in your offer.

The basics

Any facility is to your company, with no director personal guarantee. As an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply.

See also: Funding for e-commerce businesses, Funding for hospitality businesses and Funding a quarterly rent or business rates bill.

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Winning a contract larger than your usual work is good news that comes with a problem: the upfront cost. You may need to hire more labour, buy materials, take on plant or add capacity well before the first payment lands. For a growing limited company, that mobilisation phase is exactly where cash runs thin.

The growth squeeze

Bigger contracts often have longer payment cycles, more stages and more retention held back. Your costs scale up immediately while your income arrives later and in pieces. This is a common reason healthy, profitable companies seek funding.

How a facility supports the win

• Cover mobilisation costs before the first valuation or payment
• Buy materials and hire the labour the contract requires
• Keep your existing work running while the new job ramps up

Which product

Credicorp Flex suits a contract that draws costs in stages, because you take funds as each phase needs them. Credicorp Slice provides a single amount for a defined upfront cost. The rate and term are those set out in your offer.

Plan against the contract

Map the contract's payment schedule against its costs before you commit. Funding works best when you can see how and when the contract will repay it. We lend to UK limited companies and LLPs only, take no personal guarantees, and operate outside the FCA consumer regime, so FOS and FSCS do not apply.

See also: How can a retailer fund seasonal stock?, Funding the fit-out of a new business location, Funding payroll between customer payments.

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Retention is the slice of each payment a client holds back until the works are signed off, and often a further period after practical completion. For a construction limited company, that money is earned but sitting in someone else's account, sometimes for a long stretch across two release points.

Why retentions strain working capital

You have already paid for the labour and materials that produced the work being retained. Across several contracts at once, held-back sums add up and can quietly become a large part of what you are owed. If a client is slow to release, or disputes the snagging, that money is delayed further.

How funding helps

A Credicorp facility lets your company keep trading while retentions sit uncollected. Rather than waiting on release dates to start the next job, you can mobilise, buy materials and meet payroll. The borrowing is to the company, and we take no personal guarantees from directors.

• Credicorp Flex suits firms juggling several retention release dates, letting you draw as you need
• Credicorp Slice suits a one-off gap you can size now
• The rate and term are those set out in your offer

Good housekeeping

Track every retention by contract, its release trigger and its date. Chase releases promptly. Funding bridges the wait, but it works best alongside tight collection of what you are owed. Note that this business lending is outside the FCA consumer regime, so FOS and FSCS do not apply.

See also: Funding for recruitment agencies, Funding payroll between customer payments and Managing seasonal cash flow in construction and trades.

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Construction and trades work rarely flows evenly across the year. Winter weather slows external work, the festive period stalls payments, and project starts cluster around budget cycles. For a limited company, that means stretches where outgoings continue but income dips.

Plan around the pattern

The first step is recognising your own pattern. Look back over a couple of years and mark the months where cash typically tightens. Knowing a quiet January is coming lets you prepare rather than scramble.

• Keep a rolling forecast of money in and money out
• Bring forward maintenance and admin into quiet weeks
• Invoice promptly and chase early so payments land before the slow period
• Hold a buffer where you can, rather than spending every busy-month surplus

Where funding fits

A Credicorp facility can smooth the dip so payroll and supplier payments stay on time through a quiet stretch. Credicorp Flex is well suited to seasonal swings because you draw only what you need, when you need it. Credicorp Slice covers a single defined cost. The rate and term are those in your offer.

One caveat

Funding bridges seasonality; it does not fix a business that loses money year-round. Used alongside good forecasting it is a genuine help. Remember this is business lending outside the FCA consumer regime, so FOS and FSCS do not apply, and the loan is to your company with no director guarantees.

See also: Managing repayments when your business is seasonal, Funding for architecture and engineering firms and Funding for law firms and legal practices.

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If your company sells through online marketplaces, you'll know the frustration: the customer has paid, but the money is held by the platform on its own settlement schedule. Meanwhile you've already bought the stock, paid to ship it, and may owe the platform fees. Credicorp lends to UK limited companies and LLPs to bridge exactly this kind of timing gap.

Why payouts lag

Marketplaces hold funds to cover returns, disputes, and risk. New or fast-growing sellers often face longer reserves. The result is a business that is profitable on paper but short of cash to buy the next batch of stock.

How funding closes the gap

• Reorder stock without waiting for the last batch to settle
• Keep cash free for fees, shipping, and returns
• Smooth out reserve holds across multiple platforms
• Repay as payouts land in your account

What we look at

We consider your settled sales history and the platforms you trade on. The rate and term are set out in your offer and reflect your company's own profile — we don't quote figures up front.

The basics

The agreement is with your company, not you personally, and we take no director personal guarantees. As an exempt business lender outside the FCA consumer-credit regime, the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply.

See also: How can a retailer fund seasonal stock?, Funding import orders, duties, and shipping and Funding raw materials to fulfil a large order.

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Plenty of skilled people in construction, trades, transport and other sectors operate as sole traders. We are often asked why Credicorp cannot lend to them. The short answer is that we are an exempt business lender that lends only to UK limited companies and limited liability partnerships, for business purposes.

What the distinction means

A sole trader and their business are the same legal person. A limited company or LLP is a separate legal entity. Credicorp lends to that entity, the company itself, rather than to any individual. This keeps our lending firmly in the business-to-business space and outside the FCA consumer-credit regime that governs lending to individuals.

Why this matters to you

• The borrowing sits with the company, not with you personally
• We do not take personal guarantees from directors
• Because it is not consumer credit, the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply

If you are currently a sole trader

We cannot lend to you in that form. Some sole traders choose to incorporate as a limited company for a range of business reasons, after which they may become eligible. Whether incorporating is right for you is a decision for you and your accountant; it is not something we advise on.

Already incorporated?

If your trades or construction business already runs as a limited company or LLP, you may be eligible. Our team can talk you through Credicorp Flex and Credicorp Slice and how each works.

See also: Why we only lend to limited companies and LLPs, Does Credicorp lend to sole traders or individuals?, Funding for UK construction companies.

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