Cash for the gap between raw materials and paid orders
You buy materials and machine time months before finished goods turn back into money. Compare offers from funders who understand production cycles; the first check is soft and your credit score doesn’t move.
A machine earns for years. It should not be paid for in one week.
Manufacturing is capital-intensive by design. Machines, tooling, production lines and the building they sit in are expensive, and demand rarely arrives in neat, even amounts. A single large order can require you to scale materials and shifts faster than the bank balance comfortably allows.
Financing the asset against itself is the natural answer here, because the thing being bought is also the security. That is what makes equipment finance one of the more straightforward routes open to a workshop, and why so many owners start there.
A LONG LIFE, PAID FOR OVER IT.Every part of the run has a shape built for it.
No single product suits every situation, which is exactly why comparing works here. The right answer usually depends on whether you are buying an asset, bridging a payment gap, or simply want a flexible buffer behind the floor.
Materials have to be in before anything is made
Steel, components, power and labour are paid for long before a finished item exists. Working capital or a drawable business line of credit funds that front end, and where the inputs are bought from overseas suppliers trade & import finance is built for exactly that leg of the journey.
A large order arrives faster than the cash can
Winning a big order can mean buying materials and adding a second shift well before the customer pays. Purchase order and inventory funding, or a short working capital facility, is what lets you take the work instead of starving the rest of the business to fund it.
The invoice is raised, then the terms begin
Most manufacturers sell on terms, so the reward for finishing the job is another wait. Invoice finance releases a large part of an invoice as soon as it is raised rather than sitting out the customer’s payment cycle.
The machine is the thing that changes capacity
New machinery, additional tooling or automation raises what the floor can produce without proportionally more labour. Equipment & asset finance spreads that across the working life of the asset, and the asset itself typically serves as the security.
The step up needs more than a machine
Larger premises, a new product line in production, or a planned capacity expansion is a fixed, known cost repaid out of what it creates. Business term loan is usually the shape that fits, and borrowing against the equipment already on your floor is a route worth putting on the same table.
Most manufacturers end up combining two of these rather than choosing one, and one request can put several in front of you at the same time. They sit alongside every other funding type Capvant covers, with the decision and the terms always resting with the funding partner, subject to approval.
You do not have to guess which funder reads your business correctly. One request is assessed by several, and looking is a soft search.
On a factory floor they read further than the accounts.
Being able to say what the money is for, a specific machine, a specific order, a specific gap, tends to produce better matched options than a general request for more cash. Recent accounts, bank statements and a clear view of the order book are what keep the process moving.
The order book, not one month
Funders try to read the rhythm of the business: how long you have traded, revenue and margins, and the health of the order book. Forward contracts and repeat customers are reassuring, because they point at predictable future income rather than a single good quarter.
FORWARD WORKHow concentrated the customers are
A workshop that depends on one large buyer is read differently from one with a spread of accounts. Neither is disqualifying, but concentration shapes the offer, so it is better explained up front than discovered later.
WHO BUYSWhat is already on the floor
Because so much of a manufacturer value sits in physical assets and unpaid invoices, those things tend to work in your favour. Equipment can serve as security and a strong receivables ledger can support invoice-based funding even when headline profit is modest.
ASSETS AND LEDGERThe full path from first question to funds in the account is set out on how Capvant works.
Most requests cluster around three moments.
Whatever the trigger, the useful question is not whether you can borrow. It is which structure fits this particular need, and that is what comparing real offers is designed to answer.
Buying or upgrading machinery
A new machine, additional tooling, or automation that raises output without proportionally more labour. It usually pays for itself in capacity or unit cost, which is why it is such a common entry point.
CAPACITYBridging a won order
Materials and a second shift bought well before the customer settles. Working capital, a drawable facility, or funding against the order and the invoice covers the stretch between paying suppliers and being paid.
TIMINGRoom to grow into
Larger premises, a new product line, or simply a cash cushion so one slow-paying customer never threatens payroll. The useful question is not whether you can borrow, but which structure fits this particular need.
THE NEXT STEPPick the range the machine or the order needs and see what comes back, with no hard check while you look.
Frequently asked questions
Can a manufacturer raise funding against machinery it already owns?
Asset-based routes let you borrow against equipment already on the floor as well as against a machine you are buying, and a strong receivables ledger can support invoice-based funding alongside it. Which routes are open to you, and on what terms, is decided by each funding partner and subject to approval.
Can my manufacturing business get funding through Capvant?
Yes. Capvant works with funding partners that fund manufacturing businesses across the United Kingdom. One request matches you with the partners most likely to say yes.
What funding suits manufacturing businesses?
It depends on your goal, common options include equipment & asset finance, working capital, invoice finance, business term loan. Compare them side by side and pick what fits.
Will checking my options affect my credit score?
No. Seeing your options through Capvant is a soft search, so it leaves no mark on your credit file. A lender only runs a full credit check if you decide to accept an offer.
Is Capvant a lender?
No. Capvant is a funding marketplace, we match you with funding partners and you choose the offer that suits you. Funding decisions, rates and terms are set by the lender, subject to approval.
How fast can I get funded?
Once you accept an offer, many businesses receive funds within a few working days, some products fund same day.
Take the order. Fund the run.
One request puts your business in front of a network of funding partners. Comparing what comes back costs nothing and leaves your credit score exactly where it is.
No obligation. Checking your offers won’t affect your credit score.
Disclaimers & footnotes
- 1Capvant is a funding marketplace, not a lender. We match business owners with third-party funding partners; we do not make credit decisions, lend money, or set rates or terms. All funding decisions, rates, terms and approvals are made solely by the lenders in our network, subject to their criteria.
- 2Checking your options through Capvant does not affect your credit score. A lender may carry out a soft or hard credit search depending on the product, stage and your consent. A full hard credit check is only carried out where required by a lender before you proceed.
- 3Funding speed, including any reference to funding in as little as 24 hours, is typical for some products and lenders and is not guaranteed. Actual timescales depend on the lender, the product, and how quickly requested information and documents are provided.
- 4Funding amounts and ranges are indicative only and vary with your business profile, trading history, the lender and the market. Figures shown are not an offer of finance and do not guarantee any particular amount, rate or approval.
- 5Any offers, rates or repayment figures shown in illustrations or examples are for demonstration only and are not real quotes. Your actual offers, if any, are provided by lenders and are subject to approval.
- 6Product availability varies by market. Some products are only available in certain countries. Capvant currently serves businesses in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Capvant is not a lender and does not make credit decisions, we introduce businesses to third-party funding providers. Capvant is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Capvant does not compare every lender, broker, funding product or offer available in the market. We only show options from funding partners in our network that may be relevant based on the information you provide.
Capvant may receive compensation from lenders, brokers, funding partners or referral partners when a customer is introduced, approved, funded or takes another qualifying action. This compensation does not guarantee that any lender will approve an application or offer specific terms. Capvant does not charge business owners a fee to compare funding options unless clearly stated otherwise.
If you access Capvant through a partner, introducer or embedded funding page, that partner may receive a referral fee or commission if your request results in funding. This does not increase your cost unless expressly disclosed.
Capvant is intended for business-purpose funding only. Eligibility may depend on entity type, location, trading history, revenue, industry and lender criteria. In the UK, Capvant currently focuses on limited companies, LLPs and plcs, and does not currently support sole traders or ordinary partnerships.
Information on Capvant is general information only and is not financial, legal, tax or accounting advice. You should consider whether funding is suitable for your business and seek professional advice where appropriate.
Calculators, eligibility checkers and funding-readiness tools are estimates only. They are based on limited information and assumptions, and do not represent a credit decision, quote, approval or recommendation.
Company information may be sourced from public registers such as Companies House, or from information you provide. Public register data may be incomplete, delayed or inaccurate and should not be treated as a full credit assessment.
The Business Credit Score by Capvant is an independent statistical assessment based on public register data. It is not provided by a credit reference agency and may differ from scores used by individual lenders.
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