CBILS Funding
Lenders are currently overwhelmed with applications and it may well take several weeks before the relevant lending manager gets to look at your case and then assess your application. At Stewart Hindley & Partners we have direct access to your local r lending or relationship managers. By using an FCA approved broker such as ourselves you can dramatically reduce the amount of time your application will take, get the best interest rate available given your circumstances and clarification of your situation in the immediate future.
Not every accredited lender can provide every type of finance available under CBILS, and the amount of finance offered varies between lenders. As “whole of market brokers” we have access to a wide range of lenders and will be able to find you a loan solution even if the prime lenders have declined to help.
Stewart Hindley & Partners will do all the work for you all you need to provide is the relevant supporting information.
The British Business Bank has a lot of information available to small businesses to help them access funds during this unprecedented time a summary of which is below.
The lender makes a decision
The lender, not the British Business Bank has the authority to decide whether to offer you finance.
Under the scheme, lenders will not take personal guarantees of any form for facilities below £250,000.
For facilities above £250,000, personal guarantees may still be required, at a lender’s discretion, but:
- they exclude the Principal Private Residence (PPR), and
- recoveries under these are capped at a maximum of 20% of the outstanding balance of the CBILS facility after the proceeds of business assets have been applied
If the lender turns you down
If one lender turns you down, you can still approach other lenders within the scheme but this will be considered as “new to bank” and differing qualifying criteria may apply.
Access to the scheme has now been opened up to smaller businesses facing cashflow difficulties who previously would not have been eligible for CBILS because they met the requirements for a standard commercial facility.
You may therefore consider re-contacting your lender if you have previously been unsuccessful in securing funding.
Who is eligible
Your business must:
- Be UK-based in its business activity
- Have an annual turnover of no more than £45 million
- Have a borrowing proposal which the lender would consider viable, were it not for the current pandemic
- Self-certify that it has been adversely impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19).
View the British Bank Quick Eligibility Checklist
https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/CBILS-check-list-v10.pdf
Businesses from any sector can apply, except the following:
- Banks, insurers and reinsurers (but not insurance brokers)
- Public-sector bodies
- Further-education establishments, if they are grant-funded
- State-funded primary and secondary schools
View CBILS frequently asked questions for businesses
What lenders will need from you
When you apply for a business loan, most lenders will ask you for the following:
Details of the loan
- The amount you would like to borrow
- What the money is for — the lender will check that it’s a suitable business purpose and the right type of finance for your needs
- The period over which you will make the repayments — the lender will assess whether the loan is affordable for you
Supporting documents
You will need to provide certain evidence to show that you can afford to repay the loan. This is likely to include:
- Management accounts
- Cash flow forecast
- Business plan
- Historic accounts
- Details of assets
The above requirements will vary from lender to lender. If you do not have everything listed here, a CBILS loan could still be an option to provide finance to support your business.
Note: For many customers approaching their existing lenders for a smaller facility, the process may be automated and therefore may not require the same level of documentation.
To learn more about lenders’ requirements, see the Better Business Finance lending application checklist.
Here’s the link – https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/BBF_factsheet_-_lending_application_checklist.pdf