Independent ranking
Best UK business acquisition and MBO finance
Independent UK lender rankings from desk research, post-decline options included. FundBiz does not run a credit check. Typical decision times vary by product and lender and are stated in the ranking below.
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OakNorth lends from £1 million and funds acquisitions among other uses. ThinCats, part of Shawbrook Group since September 2025, has a strong record on management buyouts, acquisitions and growth capital in the £1m to £30m band (its own range). Caple runs unsecured acquisition and MBO lending from £500k to £5m, and Growth Lending covers growth and asset-based lending from £1m, where mainstream banks often demand security. This FundBiz ranking assesses 4 UK lenders for "best uk business acquisition and mbo finance", weighting primarily on acquisition and mbo underwriting depth (30%), ticket-size capacity (20%), transparency (15%) (see the full weighted criteria below). Scores are our own desk-research assessment built from the FCA Register, Companies House filings and each lender's published product criteria, not customer reviews and not paid placement. Lenders don't pay for inclusion or rankings. If you send an enquiry, we pass it to a business finance broker, who pays us a fixed fee; you pay nothing.
Source: FundBiz methodology. Editorial by Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).
Founder & Managing Director, Muswell Rose, FundBiz
Adam is the founder and managing director of Muswell Rose and a founder of Best Business Loans Ltd, the company behind FundBiz. His background runs through commercial finance, mortgages and fintech, including as managing director of an invoice finance business. He oversees FundBiz's guides and lender reviews.
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SME term loan + bridging · £1m to tens of millions · Typically funds within weeks (OakNorth's own wording)
Names acquisition finance directly; proprietary credit modelling picks up cases mainstream banks refuse.
Our assessment: Post-decline acceptance: strong · Transparency: average · Speed relative to category: average (typically funds within weeks (OakNorth's own wording)).
Read full OakNorth review → -
Mid-market SME term loans (now part of Shawbrook Group) · £1m to £30m · 2 to 6 weeks
Strong record on management buyouts, acquisitions and growth capital from £1m to £30m, now part of Shawbrook Group.
Our assessment: Post-decline acceptance: strong · Transparency: strong · Speed relative to category: below average (2 to 6 weeks).
Read full ThinCats review → -
Unsecured SME growth loan · £500k to £5m · 4 to 8 weeks
Unsecured acquisition and MBO lending of £500k to £5m over 5 to 8 years, with no personal guarantees; available only through its partner network.
Our assessment: Post-decline acceptance: average · Transparency: average · Speed relative to category: below average (4 to 8 weeks).
Read full Caple review → -
Growth term loan + asset-based + recovery finance · £1m to £25m · 4 to 8 weeks
Growth, asset-based and recovery finance for mid-market acquisitions from £1m.
Our assessment: Post-decline acceptance: strong · Transparency: average · Speed relative to category: below average (4 to 8 weeks).
Read full Growth Lending review →
Side-by-side comparison
| Lender | Typical rate | Ticket | Decision | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OakNorth | Bespoke | £1m to tens of millions | Typically funds within weeks (OakNorth's own wording) | £1m+ tickets backed by clear acquisition, growth or property story |
| ThinCats | Bespoke, quoted at offer | £1m to £30m | 2 to 6 weeks | Mid-market SMEs £1m+ |
| Caple | Bespoke | £500k to £5m | 4 to 8 weeks | Established mid-market Ltd companies |
| Growth Lending | Bespoke | £1m to £25m | 4 to 8 weeks | Scale-up Ltd companies |
Sources: each lender's own published product pages: OakNorth · ThinCats · Caple · Growth Lending. Figures change; confirm with the lender before you rely on one.
What is the best UK business acquisition or MBO finance provider?
OakNorth lends from £1m, including for acquisitions. ThinCats, part of Shawbrook Group since September 2025, has a strong record on management buyouts. Caple runs unsecured acquisition and MBO lending from £500k to £5m, and Growth Lending lends from £1m.
What is acquisition or MBO finance?
Debt used to fund buying another business or a management buyout of an existing one, structured against the combined entity's cashflow and assets rather than a single piece of security. It typically needs a longer underwriting cycle than a standard term loan.
What does UK acquisition finance cost?
All four lenders on this list quote bespoke, case by case, rather than publishing a headline rate. Pricing depends on the target's cashflow strength, sponsor experience and deal structure.
How long does a UK acquisition finance application take?
As recorded in our lender reviews: OakNorth: typically funds within weeks (OakNorth's own wording). ThinCats: 2 to 6 weeks. Caple: 4 to 8 weeks. Growth Lending: 4 to 8 weeks. Timings are the lenders' own or typical figures and depend on how complete your application is.
What acquisition finance cases get declined?
Sub-£500k tickets fall below the minimum of most lenders on this list. Weak target cashflow, an inexperienced management team, and an unclear integration plan are the most common reasons a case is declined or delayed.
How we ranked these
We weight acquisition and mbo underwriting depth (30%), ticket-size capacity (20%), transparency (15%), speed relative to category (15%), post-decline acceptance (20%). Rankings reflect our published editorial methodology, not any commercial arrangement. See our /methodology/ for the full basis.
Methodology weights
Weights specific to "Best UK business acquisition and MBO finance":
- Acquisition and MBO underwriting depth30%
- Ticket-size capacity20%
- Transparency15%
- Speed relative to category15%
- Post-decline acceptance20%
Read the full methodology for how we score and rank the lenders we review.
Also considered
- Shard Credit Partners (sponsor-backed buyouts £5m+)
- SME Capital (lower-mid-market acquisition loans; verify the operating entity before signing)
Not for
Sub-£500k acquisition tickets; applicants needing a decision inside 2 weeks.
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