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Time for your next big business move? Bridge the gap, today

When seasonal volatility hits or that big stock purchase comes around, you may need quick access to capital to keep your momentum going. Our shorter-term finance frees you up to pay the costs that can’t wait, then seize opportunities. All without any upfront fee.

Apply without affecting your credit score

  • Borrow £10,000 to £750,000

  • Zero fee to take out the loan when you apply directly

  • Only pay interest for the time you borrow

  • Overpay or settle early for no fee

  • Get a decision instantly (up to £250,000)

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Funding Circle has worked with the British Business Bank since 2013, supporting thousands of businesses as one of the largest providers of Government-backed loans including through the Growth Guarantee Scheme.

Why choose our 6 or 12-month business loan?

Plug unexpected invoices

If suppliers’ 30, 60, or 90-day payment terms stall your plans, finance of up to 12 months with us can help you bridge that invoice gap. Boost your capital to cover overheads and kick off your next project. With no completion fee, this type of finance could even work out cheaper than a standard Funding Circle business loan.

Purchase property or equipment

Found the perfect new premises or vital piece of kit, but waiting for other funds to clear? Secure the asset now so you don’t miss out to a competitor. You’ll have the freedom to overpay or settle your loan fully whenever you like. As interest only builds on your principal loan amount, overpaying could help you pay the sum off quicker.

Get ahead of tax season

Looming VAT or HMRC deadlines shouldn't drain your working capital. Keep your cash flow running smoothly all year round, without slow processes holding you up. Our simple 7-minute application form comes with an instant decision for loan amounts of up to £250,000.

Check your eligibility in 30 seconds with our online form without affecting your credit score

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You could use a shorter term loan to…
  1. Plug unexpected cash flow gaps
  2. Pay bills and invoices at short notice
  3. Cover late invoice payments
  4. Boost your capital
  5. Take advantage of opportunities

We’ve helped over 125,000 UK businesses borrow £17 billion to take their business further.

£17 billion

Lent to UK businesses

A specialist, FCA-regulated lender

With an ‘Excellent’ Trustpilot rating and 4.6 out of 5 customers recommending us, we’ve spent over 15 years backing UK small businesses. We’re here to help you say ‘yes’ when new opportunities arise. So don’t wait weeks to hear from your bank. From seasonal shifts to building a financial buffer, we’ll aim to keep your momentum going. 

So you can bridge unexpected costs with:

So you can bridge unexpected costs with:

  • No completion fee to worry about
  • Zero anxious waits or ‘slow no’s’
  • Instant decisions up to £250,000

And the sooner you pay, the more you save.

Applying for a shorter term loan is quick and easy

Get a decision in minutes with no impact on your credit score

Funding Circle customer
  1. 1
    Check if you qualify in 30 seconds

    See if you’re eligible without affecting your credit score

  2. 2
    Apply online in 7 minutes

    Complete our simple form with your details, and we’ll only ask for supporting documents if we need them

  3. 3
    Get approved in as little as 1 hour

    If approved, you’ll receive no-obligation offer with your personalised rate

  4. 4
    Get your funds in a couple of days

    Once you accept your offer, we’ll deposit the money into your account — typically within 48 hours

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Here to help if you need us

Contact our UK-based team if you have any questions

Boost your current loan with a top-up

We may be able to lend you more without any need to re-apply from scratch. If we offer you a top-up on your existing loan agreement, we’ll be in touch with any additional amount we can offer. 

The extra funds could give you even more freedom to invest in new stock, grow your business, or smoothen your cash flow, exactly when you need to. There’s no hidden fees and you’ll be able to pay through one simple direct debit.

You’ll see some key frequently asked questions below, but feel free to visit our dedicated support page for more information.

We offer top-ups on a pre-selected basis only. This means that as you repay your loan, we’ll regularly assess your credit position and may be able to offer additional funds in a fast, flexible way.

There’s no minimum repayment period to be met before you’re seen as eligible for a top-up. Your top-up eligibility will be partly determined by the outcome of an affordability assessment and your repayment behaviour.

If you’re pre-selected for a top-up, we’ll let you know by email or via your online account.

You’ll only be able to apply for a top-up if and when you get pre-selected. If you’re pre-selected for a top-up, we’ll let you know by email or via your online account. The same applies if you went through a broker for your original shorter term loan.

When you took a shorter term loan with us, part of your credit agreement stated that you may be eligible to ‘top-up’ your loan amount at a later date. This means that you’ll keep your existing credit agreement, while being able to borrow more and extend your term once you’ve been pre-selected.  

Frequently asked questions

The interest rate your business pays is determined by several factors. Our credit assessment process looks at the information you provide us, alongside publicly available data, for example from credit bureaus. The outcome of this process, along with the length of repayment term and the amount you are borrowing helps to determine what your interest rate will be.

Your loan offer depends on your situation and we take a number of factors into account. We’ll complete an affordability assessment and never lend you more than you can afford. This means we may offer you a smaller amount or less time than you originally applied for.

If you’re offered a loan of up to 12 months, this comes with no upfront fee so you can pay it back as quickly as possible. Please note that this is referred to as a ‘Flexible Loan’ in your loan contract and legal documentation.

To discuss your offer, please get in touch with your Account Manager.

Yes, you can make an overpayment (more than your contractual monthly amount) on any Funding Circle business loan, or settle your loan early in full with no fee.

If your loan has a term of up to 12 months (referred to in your contract as a ‘Flexible Loan’), interest accrues only on the remaining balance. So, when you overpay, you’ll shorten your loan term and reduce the total interest paid. This means you could pay off your loan faster.

If you make overpayments on a loan with a longer term of 24 months or more (referred to in your contract as a ‘Funding Circle Business Loan’), your overpayments will reduce your future repayment amounts but not affect the outstanding loan term. You’ll pay less over the same number of fixed repayments.

The only loans we’re unable to offer overpayments on are Bounce Back Loans (BBLS) and a small number of loans from 2019. You can still settle these loans early in full, for no fee.

Yes! You can settle your loan early at any time for no fee.

Yes, if you’re approved for a Funding Circle bridging loan, a personal guarantee may be required by one or more shareholders to secure your obligations under your loan contract. You’ll need to ensure that the shareholder(s) in question have read, understood and signed the terms of our personal guarantee before we release any funds.

Please note that different rules may apply for personal guarantees for loans entered into under the government’s Recovery Loan Scheme or Growth Guarantee Scheme.

If you’re borrowing for less than 24 months and your loan contract states that your loan is a ‘Flexible Loan’, you’ll notice that the limit of the personal guarantee is for twice the amount of your initial loan amount. For example, if you get a loan of £50,000 over 6 months, the personal guarantee will be up to a limit of £100,000.

A personal guarantee with a higher limit allows for greater flexibility if we offer you a ‘top up’ of your loan enabling you to borrow more in the future without re-applying. It does not affect your repayments, or the total amount you owe.

We now offer top-ups for certain loans which could allow you to borrow more without re-applying. If we offer you a top up, we’ll send you a separate top-up offer setting out any additional amount we can offer, the terms for repayment and the interest rate.

If we've not been able to answer your question above, you can find out how to contact us on our support homepage.

FlexiPay

See how you could benefit from an interest-free line of credit

Learn more about FlexiPay

Tips & Guides

Find guides, tips and more in our dedicated resource centre for business owners.

Learn more