Both, in a sense. You say roughly how much you need; we assess what the company can responsibly afford; and the offer is where those two meet. You are never handed a figure with no say, and you never simply get whatever you type in — the offer reflects genuine affordability.
How the figure is formed
You indicate the amount for your purpose; we read the company's cash flow and set what it can comfortably support — what does assessing affordability mean. If your request sits within that, you are likely offered it; if it is above, the offer may be lower — how much your business can borrow, and for how long.
You can always take less than offered, and you can discuss the amount and term before accepting. Asking for a sensible figure improves the odds of getting it in full — does applying for a larger amount make a decline more likely.
Find your figure first
Use the affordability tool at Credicorp Tools to gauge what your cash flow supports, then request around that. It makes the offer more likely to match your ask.
Apply and see where your request and our assessment meet.
We lend only to UK limited companies and LLPs, the loan is to the company with no director personal guarantee, and this is business finance outside the consumer-credit regime — as an exempt lender under Article 60B of the Regulated Activities Order we sit outside FCA consumer-credit regulation, so the Financial Ombudsman Service and FSCS do not apply.
See also: How much your business can borrow, and for how long?, Can I change the amount or term after I get an offer?, Does applying for a larger amount make me more likely to be declined?.