The lender map · by sector and place
Which UK lenders finance manufacturing businesses?
The answer
40 lenders in Solon's directory name manufacturing or engineering among the sectors they lend to. By type, they are 6 clearing banks, 14 asset-based and asset-finance lenders, 10 challenger and specialist banks, 1 regional or government-backed fund, 8 private-credit funds and 1 property-backed lender. A further 2 lend at sizes above the lower mid-market: Barings and Pricoa Private Capital (PGIM Private Capital).
Answered by Solon Corporate Finance from the lenders’ own published terms · Last reviewed 27 September 2026
How this list is drawn
A lender appears here when the sectors on its profile name manufacturing or engineering.
What to know
Manufacturers carry the assets lenders like to lend against (receivables, stock and plant), so asset-based and asset finance lenders are as prominent here as banks. Cash-flow lenders look at the resilience of margins, concentration among customers and the capital spending the business needs to stand still.
The guide to financing a manufacturing business works through the structures and what lenders scrutinise.
The lenders40
Clearing & relationship banks6
| Lender | Type | What they lend | Published range | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIB (NI) | TypeClearing banks · Clearing & relationship | LendsTerm loans, commercial real estate investment finance, development finance | RangeNot published | ReviewedSep 2026 |
| Barclays | TypeClearing banks · Clearing & relationship | LendsSenior term loan, Revolving credit facility (RCF), Asset-based lending (ABL) | Rangefrom £3m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Lloyds Bank | TypeClearing banks · Clearing & relationship | LendsSenior term loan, revolving credit facility, acquisition / capex facilities | Rangefrom £5m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| NatWest | TypeClearing banks · Clearing & relationship | LendsBilateral term loan, Revolving credit facility (RCF), senior syndicated / club loan | Range£1m–£30m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Santander UK | TypeClearing banks · Clearing & relationship | LendsSenior term debt, revolving credit / working-capital facilities, invoice finance | Rangefrom £3m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Ulster Bank | TypeClearing banks · Clearing & relationship | LendsTerm loans, acquisition finance, real estate investment and development finance | RangeNot published | ReviewedSep 2026 |
Asset-based & asset-finance lenders14
| Lender | Type | What they lend | Published range | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accelerated Payments | TypeAsset-based · Invoice finance | LendsSelective invoice finance | Range£250k–£10m | ReviewedAug 2026 |
| Bibby Financial Services | TypeAsset-based · Invoice finance | LendsInvoice discounting, invoice factoring, Asset-based lending (ABL) | Rangeup to £50m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Close Brothers Invoice Finance | TypeAsset-based · Asset finance & leasing | LendsInvoice discounting, factoring, asset-based lending (multi-asset revolving) | Range£350k–£3m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Haydock Finance | TypeAsset-based · Asset finance & leasing | LendsHire purchase, finance lease, refinance / sale & hp-back / chattel mortgage | Rangefrom £500k | ReviewedAug 2026 |
| Leumi ABL | TypeAsset-based · Asset-based lending | LendsAsset-based lending (combined/structured), invoice discounting / receivables finance, stock / inventory finance | Range£3m–£100m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| PEAC Solutions UK | TypeAsset-based · Asset finance & leasing | LendsHard-asset equipment finance | Rangefrom £1k | ReviewedAug 2026 |
| PNC Business Credit | TypeAsset-based · Asset-based lending | LendsABL revolving line of credit, secured term loan, cash flow term loan | Range£5m–£250m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Praetura Asset Finance | TypeAsset-based · Asset finance & leasing | LendsHire purchase, finance lease, asset refinance | Rangeup to £5m | ReviewedAug 2026 |
| Praetura Commercial Finance | TypeAsset-based · Asset-based lending | LendsConfidential invoice discounting, stock revolver, plant and machinery term loan | Range£350k–£35m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Pulse Finance (formerly Pulse Cashflow Finance) | TypeAsset-based · Invoice finance | LendsInvoice factoring, invoice discounting, trade finance | Rangeup to £5m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Reward Finance Group | TypeAsset-based · Asset-based lending | LendsAsset-based lending (multi-asset), revolving credit facility, short-term property bridging (first and second charge) | Rangeup to £5m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance | TypeAsset-based · Asset-based lending | LendsInvoice discounting / invoice finance (receivables), stock and inventory finance, plant, machinery and vehicle finance | Range£5m–£50m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Time Finance plc | TypeAsset-based · Invoice finance | LendsInvoice factoring, confidential invoice discounting, hire purchase | Rangeup to £3.5m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| White Oak UK | TypeAsset-based · Asset-based lending | LendsAsset-based lending, UK senior-secured private credit / direct lending strategy | Range£5m–£50m | ReviewedJun 2026 |
Challenger & specialist banks10
| Lender | Type | What they lend | Published range | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldermore Bank | TypeChallenger & specialist · Challenger banks | LendsAsset-based lending (ABL), invoice finance / receivables discounting, asset finance — hire purchase | Rangeup to £50m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Allica Bank | TypeChallenger & specialist · Challenger banks | LendsOwner-occupied commercial mortgage, investment commercial mortgage, bridging finance | Rangeup to £15m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Arbuthnot Latham | TypeChallenger & specialist · Private & merchant banks | LendsAsset-based lending (invoice discounting core), stock / inventory finance, plant-and-machinery finance | Range£1m–£35m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Close Brothers | TypeChallenger & specialist · Challenger banks | LendsAsset-based lending (ABL), invoice finance (factoring & discounting), asset/equipment finance (hire purchase, finance & operating lease, refinance) | Range£3m–£65m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Cynergy Bank | TypeChallenger & specialist · Challenger banks | LendsCommercial mortgage / investment & owner-occupier property lending, professional buy-to-let and mixed-use property finance, asset-based lending (receivables, inventory, plant & machinery, property) | Rangeup to £40m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Habib Bank Zurich | TypeChallenger & specialist · Specialist & niche banks | LendsIncome generating property loan — residential BTL, income generating property loan — commercial, Sirat Islamic income generating property finance | Rangefrom £1m | ReviewedAug 2026 |
| OakNorth Bank | TypeChallenger & specialist · Challenger banks | LendsSenior term loan (amortising and non-amortising), acquisition / management-buyout finance, working-capital facilities | Range£1m–£50m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Paragon Bank | TypeChallenger & specialist · Challenger banks | LendsAsset finance — hire purchase, finance lease, Sale-and-leaseback / sale-and-HP-back | Range£1m–£60m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Secure Trust Bank | TypeChallenger & specialist · Challenger banks | LendsAsset-based lending (multi-asset), invoice finance / invoice discounting, stock & inventory finance | Range£3m–£50m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Shawbrook Bank | TypeChallenger & specialist · Challenger banks | LendsSenior cashflow leverage (term loan, EBITDA-multiple sized), unitranche (sponsor-backed), Asset-based lending (ABL) | Range£3m–£50m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
Regional & government-anchored funds1
| Lender | Type | What they lend | Published range | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Manchester Business Investment Fund | TypeRegional funds · Regional & government-anchored funds | LendsBusiness investment fund - loan, business investment fund - equity | Range£250k–£5m | ReviewedAug 2026 |
Private-credit & direct-lending funds8
| Lender | Type | What they lend | Published range | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beach Point Capital | TypePrivate credit · Unitranche & senior direct | LendsEuropean lending solutions | Range£2m–£5m | ReviewedAug 2026 |
| Beechbrook Capital | TypePrivate credit · Unitranche & senior direct | LendsSenior secured, unitranche, subordinated / junior debt | Range£5m–£25m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Caple | TypePrivate credit · Unitranche & senior direct | LendsSenior unsecured | Range£500k–£5m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| DunPort Capital Management | TypePrivate credit · Unitranche & senior direct | LendsUnitranche / senior secured direct lending, junior / subordinated & holdco capital | Range£3m–£15m | ReviewedAug 2026 |
| Hilco Capital | TypePrivate credit · Mezzanine & special situations | LendsAsset-based lending, special situations investment | Range£1m–£10m | ReviewedAug 2026 |
| Kartesia | TypePrivate credit · Unitranche & senior direct | LendsSenior secured (first lien), unitranche, subordinated / junior | Range£8.5m–£60m | ReviewedJul 2026 |
| Palatine Growth Credit | TypePrivate credit · Growth & venture debt | LendsGrowth credit | Rangefrom £2m | ReviewedAug 2026 |
| Salica Investments | TypePrivate credit · Growth & venture debt | LendsSalica growth debt | Range£2m–£15m | ReviewedAug 2026 |
Property-backed lenders1
| Lender | Type | What they lend | Published range | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiduciam | TypeProperty-backed · Bridging & development | LendsBusiness bridge, bridging & refurbishment, ground-up development finance | Range£1m–£35m | ReviewedAug 2026 |
Above the lower mid-market
A reference list drawn from each lender’s published material, informational and not a ranking or a recommendation. Each name links to the lender’s profile, where the sources are listed.