Use invoice finance tounlock the funds you need to grow

Unpaid invoices can cause real problems. But we can help ease any cash flow concerns or fund your future growth plans immediately with Nucleus Invoice Finance. Borrow anywhere from £100K up to £50M for whatever you need.

Get Invoice Finance
£100K to £50M
Dedicated relationship manager
Fund invoices up to 100%

What is Invoice Financing?

Customers are the lifeblood of any business. Even if someone only buys from you once, it's one more sale than you started with. In time, strong relationships can form with the customers who keep coming back to you. The more sales you make, the better – right? Sadly, UK SMEs are at risk from invoices that are either paid late or not at all. It can mean cash flow dries up, resources become squeezed, or growth plans stall. Either way, having money tied up in unpaid invoices can be damaging. And that's where invoice finance can prove so effective. An invoice finance facility is a revolving credit line that's based on the value of your outstanding invoices. It means businesses can access much-needed funding against its debtor book – which is generally your major asset. Cash is then made available as soon as the invoices are raised to be reinvested or used to run the business.

Invoice finance is an extremely popular alternative to other commercial financial products. This is because it's taken out against the value of your unpaid invoices. Instead of waiting weeks or months to receive money, this type of funding can offer access to funds almost instantly. So, if your business is looking to unlock some of the money owed by customers, why not speak to a reputable invoice finance provider such as Nucleus? Let our tailored financial solutions help you move forward – not back. Apply for invoice finance with us today and get approved for free.

The different types of invoice financing in the UK

In the UK, a business can choose from two main types of invoice financing. It essentially means that you have options within an option – depending on the level of control you want to retain. It is also worth remembering that lenders won't necessarily offer you both choices.

Invoice Factoring
The lender lets you borrow up to a certain share of the value of your unpaid invoices. You'll also pass over the management of your sales ledger and credit control. Your lender will then receive payment direct from your customers. After costs are deducted, you get the remaining balance. This the type of invoice financing that Nucleus offers, up to £50m depending on the value of your outstanding invoices. It can also leave you free to concentrate on growing your business – rather than running around chasing your unpaid invoices.

Invoice Discounting
Unlike invoice factoring, invoice discounting means you'll keep the credit control responsibilities. You'll pay a fee to your lender, as well as a discount charge. In some respects, this makes it not unlike an overdraft. It may be an option open to specific or more established companies though.

What can Invoice Finance be used for?

SME invoice finance can offer an effective solution to a range of everyday business challenges. Here are just some of the various ways in which your invoice finance can be put to good use:

Enhance cash flow

When unpaid invoices cause bottlenecks in your cash flow, invoice lending can help. 

Combat late payments

Win the ongoing battle against late payments by always remaining one step ahead.

Growth

Unlock your true potential and grow astronomically with the financial support you need.

Avoid rasing equity

Keep control of your business by leveraging your invoices to raise funds.

Peace of mind

Rest easy knowing your business has access to the finance it needs.

Unexpected bills

Handle whatever life throws at your business without needing to change course.

To learn more about Invoice Finance, download our factsheet

How invoice financing works

The wait to be paid by customers can be a frustrating one. But it doesn't have to be. Invoice financing unlocks the value tied up in what you're still owed. And we'll help you access it. So, you get the funding you need quicker – and Nucleus will collect the payments on your behalf.

The Nucleus Invoice Finance process

1

Start using your unpaid invoices

We'll arrange an initial meeting with you to get the ball rolling.

2

We layout
our terms

We'll issue our indicative terms based on your needs.

3

Survey
time

We'll visit to complete an onsite survey and asset valuations.

4

Your
offer arrives

Get your offer and all important documentation.

5

Funds are
with you

Accelerate growth plans to get exactly where you need to be.

How to apply for Invoice Finance

Eligibility

  • B2B with credit terms
  • Contractual debt included
  • Registered in England or Wales

We help thousands of UK businesses achieve their goals every year

Get approved for free*Applying does not affect your credit score

Should you be facing any business challenges, our invoice finance solutions can provide you with the support you need. You can use invoice-based lending as you see fit. The main thing that we ask is that it'll benefit your business. Some examples include:

Expanding your business

Got grand plans for expansion? Have an opportunity you can't afford to miss? Opt for invoice financing and you can access funding to grow your business, hire more staff, or embark on a brand-new long-term project.

Improving your cash flow

As you won't need to wait for all those unpaid invoices to be fulfilled, you'll have cash at your disposal for a range of reasons – such as putting money back into your business.

Overcoming late payments

Invoice finance is a means of ensuring that payment deadlines are met. After all, you have invoices and bills of your own to pay. And missing them could incur extra charges.

Avoid raising equity

If you use invoice finance services for funding, you won't need to seek support using other means – such as taking on loans or any other form of debt financing.

Gaining extra peace of mind

With the support that our invoice finance solutions can provide, you'll get that all-important peace of mind knowing that your business is covered now and into the future.

More than 40,000 companies benefited from business invoice finance and asset-based lending in 2019. Here are just some reasons why so many continue to choose this form of finance:

Suitable for many businesses

Ideal for companies of any size or industry, invoice finance can provide you with the cash that you need – no matter what you need it for. You can use it to cover gaps in cash flow, drive on with growth plans, or fund substantial new projects. There are no restrictions on your industry, size, or ambition.

Provides a fast funding source

An invoice finance facility can be set up fairly quickly. Once all your documents are approved and you're onboarded, funding can typically be released from an invoice within 24 hours of it being issued to a customer.

Allows you to manage cash flow

If you are looking for a safety net, invoice finance will provide you with the cash to invest in your business. This can be used to hire more staff, buy bigger premises, or produce more stock that you can then sell on to customers. The possibilities are endless!

We want to see your company flourish. It's the reason we've already funded businesses across the UK to the value of well over £2 billion. You can be next – and here are some key reasons why we're seen as a leading invoice finance provider:

Range of funding

We can offer invoice finance worth between £100k and £50m to help you grow your company.

Dedicated support team

When you come to us for invoice finance, you’ll get your own relationship manager. You'll be able to call on them with any questions you have, at any time.

Flexible invoice finance solutions

Our repayment periods start at three months and go up to seven years – depending on the amount you borrow.

Human touch

Our team are friendly, approachable and honest. They will be happy to guide you throughout the process in a calm and easy-to-understand way. Got any questions about invoice financing? We'll give you the answers you need.

Trusted

It's one thing to take our word for it, but what about the opinions of the people we've helped? We're proud to be rated 'Excellent' based on independent Trustpilot reviews we receive from past customers.

Regulated

Nucleus is fully authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to provide the support and funding you need. And we believe our invoice finance solutions can help you transform your business. 

FAQs

An invoice finance facility could be an effective way to access funding if your business is owed money from unpaid invoices. You may be the supplier of consumer goods to other companies. Or perhaps you contract services to firms on bigger projects. Either way, if there's money tied up that you can't get at, we may be able to help.

It's worth noting, however, that no form of funding is risk-free. There are certain factors that you'll need to consider – such as whether invoice financing costs are worth it. And you should also make sure you're eligible. For some lenders, that means having a minimum invoice value or company turnover

As effective as invoice finance can be, there are unique restrictions to be aware of. First and foremost, you won't qualify if invoices are issued to consumers – not other businesses.

You'll also need to consider your customer relationships. If your invoice finance company will take on responsibility for collecting your payments, they'll be the ones who interact with your customers. And that can sometimes have an impact on how they interact with your business.

No form of commercial funding is entirely risk-free, but that shouldn't put you off. As long as you're aware of the risks, you can make a fully informed decision about your next step.

−       A credit check will be run when you apply for invoice financing. Even if it's a "no", any checks can leave a mark on your credit report that could have an impact in future.

−       You'll need to consider the long-term fees involved with your invoice finance facility. It could seem like a great short-term option. But what about over time?

−       The all-important question is whether your customer does eventually pay what they owe. If not, your lender could make it your responsibility for any non-payment of an invoice.

Invoice finance can be offered on your entire sales ledger – or just the invoices that you pick and choose. In the case of the latter, this is known as 'selective' invoice financing. It offers a more flexible approach where you can choose the specific invoices you want to forward-fund.

It won't always be available to your business, but can be an option worth considering.

The benefit of selective invoice financing is that you can use it to secure a specific amount of money. At the same time, you keep control of your sales ledger and deal with all those other invoices as normal. 

Our invoice finance facilities start from £100,000. Based on your business size, sales ledger and needs, you could be able to borrow up to £50m against your unpaid invoices.

There are different factors that will determine your invoice financing costs. It can depend on your chosen lender, the agreement signed, how much you borrow, or total ledger value.

At Nucleus, our invoice finance facilities are typically priced at 0.1% to 2% of your turnover. Your price will always be bespoke, however, and that's something you'll find out as you talk with a member of our team. Apply today to find out more.

It is often the case that, with invoice finance, the invoices themselves act as an asset that can be used as collateral. So, we take a charge called a debenture [PH1] as security over them. Depending on the size of your facility and your individual business, more security may be required. This is something that will be bespoke to your situation, however. And it's something that we can talk about as part of the application and onboarding process.

 [PH1]Add link to new debenture supporting page.

If you take out an invoice finance facility with Nucleus, you get your own dedicated relationship manager. Their role is to support you for as long as you're our customer; helping you make the most of your funding and grow your business. You can ask them any questions you might have, and they'll be more than happy to answer. They can also offer expert business finance advice.

By choosing an invoice financing provider, you'll no longer be the one chasing up payment of an unpaid invoice. It falls to the provider, which means that your customers now have a third party to deal with. But it doesn't need to be a problem. The Nucleus team has a wealth of experience acting on behalf of our clients to collect invoice payments – and we're always conscious of maintaining the strong relationships you've built up over the years. 

The non-payment of an invoice is one of the worst things that can happen as a business owner. It means you're out of pocket for products/services you supplied to a customer in good faith. It can be frustrating and demoralising, but what happens when you're funded on the basis of that payment? Well, there are ways to protect yourself.

Yes – if you're a start-up that sends out invoices in the initial stages of your business journey, it can be possible to offer invoice finance. Nucleus can help start-ups through to established companies. As long as you're eligible and meet our criteria, the option is there for you. If not, why not consider one of our other commercial finance products?

If you'd like to hear first-hand from one of our existing invoice financing clients, we'd be happy to put you in touch. To do so, please just contact our team and they'll arrange it.

Typically, it takes around one month to complete the process.

It'll sometimes be faster than that, but it can be slower at other times. The main hold up when putting an invoice finance facility in place is often due to getting access to documents.

If you choose Nucleus for our invoice finance solutions, please make sure you are transparent with our team. We also ask that you have all your documents readily available to ensure we're able to be as efficient as we can be.

Once onboarded, you'll have access to your funding line within 24 hours. 

At Nucleus, we take the time to understand a business' story – and that can include turnaround situations. We're highly experienced in helping companies to recover and understand that – for any business – life isn't always smooth sailing. The best thing to do is to be totally honest.

We can work closely with you and your insolvency practitioner. If we feel it is viable and that a sound recovery strategy is being proposed, we will offer a tailored funding solution. After all, it is our aim to support your business move towards a more positive future.

One of our experts will give you an initial call to see if Nucleus can support you. After this, we'll arrange a convenient time for us to come to your business for a site visit.

This isn't just a great chance for us to get to know you and your business. It also gives you the opportunity to ask any questions that you have about invoice finance. At the same time, we can learn how you operate and look at your relevant documents.

Yes – Nucleus is fully authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as is any reputable invoice finance company in the UK. If you borrow from an unregistered lender, you could be at risk if things go wrong.

Invoice finance is just one of the commercial funding products we offer. Other options include a Business Cash Advance, which is secured against your future card takings. Or we have finance designed for specific sectors like construction. Either way, explore our full product suite and find the right funding solution for you. Why not get in touch to see how we can help?

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