Funding Scanner

Funding Scanner and the UK business finance comparison model

Funding Scanner is a UK-facing service built around a single idea: a business owner should be able to understand which finance routes might suit them before committing to a full application with one provider. The site describes the starting point as a short eligibility check of around two minutes, after which the user receives an indication of relevant finance types and potential partner criteria. The company states that no obligation to proceed exists at that stage.

The service is presented as an introduction layer rather than a lender. Funding Scanner does not make the lending decision; it identifies possible routes and partners, and the provider sets the terms. The site also states that Funding Scanner does not charge customers directly for the introduction service and may receive a commission or referral fee from a broker, lender or provider if a user goes on to take a product.

Finance routes covered

The catalogue of options presented on the site spans six main categories, each with an indicative funding range. The company notes that these ranges are indicative and depend on the route, the business circumstances and the criteria of the relevant broker, lender or provider.

• Business loans, from £10k to £1m, described as flexible capital for stock, growth, refurbishment, hiring or working capital, repaid over an agreed term.
• Invoice finance, from £20k to £5m, aimed at releasing cash tied up in unpaid invoices to smooth cash flow while customers take time to pay.
• Asset finance, from £1k to £5m, for spreading the cost of vehicles, equipment and machinery while preserving cash for day-to-day operations.
• Bridging finance, from £25k, presented as short-term property funding for purchases, auction deadlines, chain breaks, refinance or light refurbishment.
• Development finance, from £250k, for ground-up developments, conversions and substantial refurbishment schemes.
• Merchant cash advance, from £5k to £500k, an advance linked to card sales with repayments that can move in line with eligible card takings.

How the eligibility check works

The process is set out in three steps. First, the user shares a funding goal, an amount and some details about how the business trades. Second, the answers are used to identify finance types and potential partner criteria that could match the circumstances. Third, the user reviews the route forward, can ask questions and decides whether to continue.

The site states that no hard credit search is carried out simply to start the eligibility check. A broker, lender or provider may later use a soft search to assess eligibility, and a fuller credit search may be required if the user decides to proceed; where a hard search is needed, the relevant firm should explain this beforehand. The site also notes that an eligibility check does not guarantee that funding will be available.

Business situations the service addresses

Funding Scanner frames its use cases around concrete business goals rather than products. The site lists buying stock ahead of seasonal demand or to fulfil a large order, protecting working capital during short-term cash-flow gaps, upgrading tools, machinery, vehicles or technology, and funding growth such as a new location, key recruitment, refurbishment or marketing.

A separate guidance tool, described as a funding fit finder, maps common situations to a route to explore. The example given is slow customer payment, which points towards invoice finance as a possible way to release cash tied up in eligible unpaid invoices. The site is explicit that this guide is not financial advice or an approval decision.

Positioning against going direct to a single provider

The company contrasts its approach with applying directly to one provider, where a full application may be completed before the business knows whether the provider's criteria suit it. Funding Scanner presents its own route as one focused first step, a view across multiple finance types and a decision point that remains with the business owner. It also states that human help is available when needed without taking control away from the owner.

The site describes the underlying principle as starting with the business need rather than the product, and communicating the next step in plain English. It states that comparisons must be kept fair, balanced and evidence-based.

Company details and customer feedback

The site identifies the operator as Experts Lend-In Limited, with the registration reference ZB610853, and links to the ICO register. It also states that funding introductions can be arranged within 24 hours.

Three customer reviews are displayed, each attributed to a business owner and rated five stars: a construction business owner who needed funding for materials and wages while waiting on a large invoice, a retail owner seeking stock funding ahead of a busy period, and a healthcare owner funding new equipment and clinic growth. The site notes that these describe individual experiences and do not guarantee that funding will be available or that an application will be approved.