Mainstream funding
Mainstream funding covers the high street banks and established commercial lenders most buyers think of first: term loans, standard debt facilities and conventional acquisition finance. It's often the cheapest route on paper and a natural starting point for any funding conversation. But mainstream lenders can be conservative on sector, structure or gearing, and a proposition that doesn't fit their criteria neatly can stall even when the underlying business is sound.
Alternative funding
Alternative funding covers everything outside the high street: asset-based lending, invoice and cash flow finance, private debt funds and specialist acquisition lenders who move faster and flex further on structure. It tends to cost more, but it can unlock deals mainstream lenders won't touch, particularly where the target has strong assets or receivables but doesn't fit a conventional credit box. A no from one route isn't necessarily a dead end, it's often just the wrong lender.
Types of funding
Mainstream, alternative, or usually both.
Funding an acquisition rarely comes from a single source. Getting this right often decides whether a deal completes at all, since terms that look attractive on paper can unravel once serviceability is tested against the real numbers. Our role is to introduce buyers to the funders best placed to say yes, then compare enough options to be sure the structure actually holds up.
01 We map the full market
We introduce every relevant form of funding, direct from mainstream banks and alternative funders alike, so nothing suitable gets missed.
02 We structure debt and equity
Where a deal needs both, we help shape a blend of debt and equity that fits the target's cash flow and the buyer's own position.
03 We use assets and cash flow
Asset-based lending, cash flow funding and commercial property mortgages are brought in wherever they strengthen the overall package.
04 We compare at least two offers
We don't stop at the first yes. Every proposition is taken to at least two funders, so terms can be properly compared before you commit.
how we fund
Four steps, one funding package.
Why two offers, not one
The first offer is rarely the best one.
A single funder has no competition to price against, and terms that look reasonable in isolation often move once there's a genuine alternative on the table.
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Running two propositions side by side, structure against structure, rate against rate, is what actually surfaces the better deal, rather than the first one offered.