Head to head
Close Brothers vs Haydock Finance: Which UK Business Finance Provider in 2026?
Side by side: what each lender offers UK limited companies and LLPs, and what each one publishes.
Free · 2 mins
Start here · What do you need?
What Close Brothers offers: asset finance, invoice finance, commercial loans. Ticket range: asset-based lending £1m to £65m; commercial mortgages £500k to £5m (its own figures); hire purchase and leasing ranges not published. Rate: bespoke, quoted at offer. What Haydock Finance offers: asset finance (hire purchase and lease). Close Brothers suits established SMEs needing asset or invoice finance. Haydock Finance suits hard-asset HP and lease. Neither publishes enough to compare like for like; the table shows what each one does publish, so ask both directly.
Source: FundBiz methodology. Editorial by Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).
Close Brothers, at a glance
- Product
- Asset finance, invoice finance, commercial loans
- FundBiz editorial view
- Best for established SMEs needing asset or invoice finance
Haydock Finance, at a glance
- Product
- Asset finance (hire purchase and lease)
- FundBiz editorial view
- Best for hard-asset HP and lease
Side-by-side
Full profiles: Close Brothers · Haydock Finance
| Compared on | Close Brothers | Haydock Finance |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Asset finance, invoice finance, commercial loans | Asset finance (hire purchase and lease) |
| Ticket range | Asset-based lending £1m to £65m; commercial mortgages £500k to £5m (its own figures); hire purchase and leasing ranges not published | Not published |
| Typical rate | Bespoke, quoted at offer | Quoted at offer |
Sources: Close Brothers's own site · Haydock Finance's own site. Figures change; confirm with the lender before you rely on one.
FundBiz enquiries are for limited companies, LLPs and partnerships with four or more partners. Some lenders on this page also accept other business types; we do not arrange those and do not recommend a lender on that basis.
When Close Brothers may fit
- Part of a banking group founded in 1878.
- Multiple product lines under one underwriter (asset, invoice, commercial loans).
- A PRA-authorised bank.
Best for
Established SMEs needing asset or invoice finance, Intermediary-introduced deals.
Watch outs
- Distributed through intermediaries, not self-serve.
- Headline rates not published; quoted at offer.
- No published decision time, and no online application.
Lender figures and criteria: Close Brothers's own site; full notes in our Close Brothers review.
When Haydock Finance may fit
- More than 40 years in asset finance, on its own site.
- Strong on hard assets: HGV, plant, manufacturing, agriculture.
- Offers refinance, which releases cash from assets the business already owns.
- Completed its fourth public securitisation in July 2026, according to its own news page, which adds funding capacity.
Best for
Hard-asset HP and lease, Asset refinance for cash release, Sub-prime to prime asset deals.
Watch outs
- No published rates; pricing comes through intermediaries.
- No retail unsecured business loans.
- Direct applicants typically routed to intermediary channel.
Lender figures and criteria: Haydock Finance's own site; full notes in our Haydock Finance review.
FAQ
Close Brothers or Haydock Finance: which is the better UK business finance provider in 2026?
Neither is better for every business. The 'When Close Brothers may fit' and 'When Haydock Finance may fit' sections above say who each one suits, and the side-by-side table shows what each lender publishes. Check each lender's own criteria before you apply.
Which is weakest for what?
Close Brothers is a poor fit for invoice finance for firms turning over under £750k. Haydock Finance is a poor fit for pure unsecured working capital. If either of those describes your business, look at the side-by-side table for the alternative, or read our other lender reviews.
Can FundBiz help with Close Brothers or Haydock Finance?
FundBiz is not a lender and is independent of both. This comparison and our lender reviews are editorial research to help you decide which to approach. FundBiz doesn't pass your enquiry to either lender. If you send an enquiry through FundBiz, we pass it to one of the finance partners we work with, who will contact you about your options.
Who can send an enquiry through FundBiz?
The FundBiz enquiry form is for limited companies, LLPs and partnerships with four or more partners. Eligibility for Close Brothers and Haydock Finance is set by each lender, and trading history requirements vary, so check each lender's own criteria.
How we ranked these lenders
Every lender is scored on the same four FundBiz criteria: pricing transparency, eligibility clarity, decision speed and treatment of declined applicants. Scores are our own desk-research assessment built from the FCA Register, Companies House filings and each lender's published product sheets, not customer reviews and not hands-on product testing. Each comparison shows the date it was last updated. Inclusion is never paid for, and FundBiz receives no commission from lenders. FundBiz is paid a fixed fee by one of the finance partners we work with for each enquiry we pass on. See our full methodology.
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