May 2026 – Deal of the Month
£110,000 Business Cash Advance – Motor Trade Industry
As we moved further into Q2, many dealerships began preparing for increased demand ahead of the summer trading period. One established car dealership approached us seeking £110,000 to expand vehicle stock levels and take advantage of several time-sensitive purchasing opportunities.
Whilst the business demonstrated strong trading performance overall, the funding requirement needed to be delivered quickly to ensure the client could secure additional inventory before market conditions shifted.
Using Open Banking and a full review of the business’s trading activity, our underwriting team gained a comprehensive understanding of the dealership’s cashflow, stock turnover, and seasonal sales patterns. This allowed us to assess the business based on its real trading behaviour and structure funding around its operational requirements.
The result:
- £110,000 approved to support vehicle stock acquisition.
- Decision issued within hours of receiving the application.
- Fully funded within 24 hours.
- Client able to secure additional stock ahead of peak trading activity.
- Funding structured around the business’s trading profile.
This case demonstrates how access to real-time financial data continues to improve outcomes for SMEs requiring larger funding facilities.
By looking beyond headline figures and understanding the full trading picture, we can deliver fast, flexible solutions that support business growth.
Credit Corner
Behind the Scenes with the Credit Team – May Update
May saw the Credit Team continue to build momentum, with a clear shift towards more complex, growth-led funding requirements.
The focus has remained on maintaining speed while adapting to increasingly involved deal structures and evolving client needs.
Here’s what’s been happening:
- Average time to offer: 2 hours 51 minutes across core products, maintaining strong performance.
- Increased proportion of more complex cases, requiring deeper review and tailored structuring.
- Improved alignment with introducers at an earlier stage, helping deals progress more smoothly.
- Continued strength in repeat business, supporting quicker turnaround on familiar clients and scenarios.
A standout example this month saw the team support a growing operator in the children’s leisure sector, providing funding to enable expansion into a new site. It’s a strong example of funding being used to back ambitious operators and support real, on-the-ground growth.
Sectors showing strong momentum:
- Hospitality & Leisure – expansion activity and site investment.
- Construction suppliers – increased demand driven by a busy trading period.
- Retail – seasonal stocking ahead of summer demand.
- Automotive – continued funding to support vehicle stock acquisition and turnover.
Broker of the Month
Mills Commercial!
This month’s recognition goes to a broker at Mills Commercial!
She has consistently demonstrated exceptional professionalism, attention to detail, and a strong commitment to delivering positive outcomes for her clients. Her ability to fully understand each client’s objectives and present well-structured submissions enables our underwriting and operations teams to work efficiently and provide quick decisions.
What particularly stands out is her proactive communication and willingness to go the extra mile throughout every transaction. This collaborative approach continues to result in smooth completions, excellent client experiences, and strong funding outcomes.
We’re delighted to recognise her contribution this month and look forward to continuing our successful partnership throughout the remainder of 2026.
From the Desk of our CEO, Serge Santos…
“May has been an exciting month for Funding Alternative as we continue to strengthen our position within the UK SME funding market.”
“Whilst businesses continue to navigate economic pressures, we are seeing increasing levels of confidence from both brokers and business owners who are actively exploring opportunities for growth rather than simply managing challenges. More businesses are approaching finance strategically, using funding to invest in expansion, stock, equipment, recruitment, and new opportunities.”
“Innovation remains at the heart of everything we do. By continuing to invest in people, technology, and product development, we’re ensuring we can deliver faster decisions, stronger service, and broader funding options for brokers and businesses alike.”
“The second half of the year promises to be an exciting period for Funding Alternative, and we’re looking forward to sharing more updates in the coming months!”
UK SME Funding | May Insights
Confidence Returning Across Key SME Sectors
Whilst economic uncertainty remains a consideration for many business owners, recent activity suggests growing confidence across several SME sectors. Businesses are increasingly looking beyond short-term challenges and focusing on growth initiatives, investment opportunities, and strategic expansion.
Motor trade, professional services, construction, logistics, and manufacturing businesses have all shown increased demand for working capital and growth funding throughout May.
Many SMEs are choosing to access funding earlier in their growth cycle, allowing them to secure opportunities, manage cashflow proactively, and maintain momentum in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
As funding requirements continue to evolve, speed of decision-making and flexibility of funding structures remain key priorities for businesses seeking finance solutions.
Inside Funding Alternative
As Funding Alternative continues to grow, significant focus remains on strengthening the foundations that will support the next phase of our business.
Alongside ongoing enhancements to our broker portal and internal systems, we’re actively working on plans for future fundraising initiatives that will help accelerate growth across several areas of the business, including technology, operations, and product expansion.
One of the most exciting developments currently underway is the creation of a new funding product designed to broaden the options available to brokers and their clients. The product is being developed with flexibility, speed, and accessibility at its core and aims to provide additional solutions for businesses that may not fit traditional funding criteria.
Current areas of focus include:
- Development of new funding products and lending solutions.
- Strategic fundraising plans to support future growth.
- Continued improvements to broker portal functionality.
- Enhanced underwriting technology and automation.
- Faster document processing and case progression.
- Greater visibility and communication throughout the deal lifecycle.
- Expanding internal resources to support increasing deal volumes.
Our objective remains unchanged: to make business funding faster, simpler, and more accessible whilst providing brokers with the tools and solutions they need to support their clients effectively.
As we move into the second half of Q2, we’re excited about what’s ahead and look forward to sharing further developments with our broker network in the coming months.
