"We've been trading eight months and the bank says come back at two years." It's the most common call we take. The bank isn't wrong for itself — but the market is wider than the bank, and age is only one of the things lenders price.
The honest ladder by trading age
| Trading age | What's realistically available |
|---|---|
| 0–3 months | Asset finance on specific purchases (the asset secures the loan), director-supported facilities, invoice finance if you're billing creditworthy B2B customers. |
| 4–6 months | Revenue-based finance / merchant cash advance from some lenders, if card or invoice turnover is consistent. Small unsecured facilities begin to appear. |
| 6–12 months | Small unsecured loans (£10k–£50k typical), revenue-based finance widely available. Our minimum: 6 months + £10k monthly turnover. |
| 12–24 months | Standard unsecured term loans from most of the panel; amounts scale with turnover. |
| 2 years+ | Full panel including larger facilities and better pricing on filed accounts. |
What a young company is actually judged on
- Bank statements, not accounts — with no filed accounts yet, 3–6 months of statements do the underwriting. Consistency beats size.
- Director credit files — for a company with no history, you are the history. See our CCJ guide if yours is imperfect.
- Companies House hygiene — filings current, registered details right. Trivial to fix, embarrassing to decline on.
- Personal guarantee — expect one; structure it properly (see our guarantee guide).
The strategy that works: take a small facility early (even £15k), repay it cleanly for 6–9 months, and refinance at scale on better terms. A payment history is the single fastest builder of lender trust — it's worth paying slightly over the odds for the first facility to create it.
Three questions to answer before applying
- How much do you actually need? Run the working capital calculation — young companies overborrow because the maximum is flattering.
- Is the need for survival or growth? Survival gaps in a young company deserve honesty: funding delays a reckoning, it doesn't cancel one.
- Can the repayment survive a slow month? Lenders will model it; model it first yourself.
How Solvo Funding helps young companies
We start from 6 months of trading and £10k+ monthly turnover. One application goes to the UK lenders whose criteria actually fit a company of your age and shape — you learn what's possible without dents to your credit file from scattergun applications. £10k–£500k across the panel, indicative decision typically within 24 hours, no cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
Can a company under 12 months old get a business loan?
Yes — from ~6 months with £10k+ monthly turnover, smaller unsecured facilities and revenue-based finance are available. Under 6 months: asset finance or invoice finance are the realistic routes.
What's the minimum trading time lenders require?
Standard unsecured: 12–24 months. Revenue-based: 4–6 months. Asset finance: sometimes day one. Invoice finance: from the first creditworthy invoice.
Do pre-revenue startups have options?
Very few debt options — savings, director loans, equity, government-backed schemes and grants. Our lenders fund trading companies.
What documents does a young company need?
Bank statements (3–6 months) carry the underwriting, plus current Companies House filings and VAT returns if registered.
Last updated: 22 August 2026. Minimum criteria vary by lender; meeting them starts the conversation rather than guaranteeing an outcome.