Business funding in Belfast and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is the thinnest part of any UK lender panel, ours included. 21 of our 55 unsecured lenders and 13 of 38 asset finance lenders cover NI; on property it drops to 11 commercial mortgage lenders and 11 bridging lenders. The counts are on this page so a Belfast business knows what is real before it enquires.
We introduce limited companies and LLPs to the lenders that lend in Northern Ireland and whose criteria your business fits. Free to you, and nothing goes anywhere without your say-so.
The Northern Ireland panel, product by product
Distinct lenders on our panel with a live product that covers Northern Ireland.
21
of 55 unsecured lenders lend in NI
13
of 38 asset finance lenders lend in NI
8
of 20 invoice finance lenders lend in NI
11
of 45 commercial mortgage lenders lend in NI
13
of 28 buy-to-let lenders lend in NI
11
of 53 bridging lenders lend in NI
7
of 51 development lenders lend in NI
4
of 19 secured loan lenders lend in NI
Counts are distinct lenders on our panel with at least one live product matching the criterion, checked September 2026. Panel composition changes over time, and meeting a criterion is not an offer: every case is subject to the lender's own checks.
What is different about an NI case
Coverage first
The first filter is not your credit file or your accounts, it is whether the lender operates in Northern Ireland at all. We apply that before anything else, so no time is lost on a lender that was never going to say yes.
Property and solicitors
NI property lending needs NI-panel solicitors and valuers. The lenders that cover NI have them; the process is the same as Great Britain but the list of lenders is a quarter of the size.
Unsecured and asset are the depth
For working capital, vehicles, plant and equipment the NI field is reasonable. Card-based advances underwrite the takings, not the postcode, and most asset lenders that cover NI treat it like any other region.
Cross-border trade
Businesses trading into the Republic can have invoices in euro and customers outside the UK. Invoice finance lenders differ on whether they will fund those debtors, so tell us the split.
A note on who we take on
We currently work with UK limited companies and LLPs only, for business and commercial purposes. We complete non-regulated introductions and are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.
The panel behind this page
NI cases go only to the lenders on our panel that cover Northern Ireland: 21 unsecured, 13 asset finance, 11 commercial mortgage and 11 bridging lenders, part of 200+ lenders across all products. That range matters more than any single rate: the lender that suits a five-year-old limited company with clean accounts is rarely the one that suits a seasonal business or a director with a past blip, and a broker with a shallow panel has to force your case into whichever box it holds.
Names you may recognise on the panel
Examples from our panel as at September 2026, not an endorsement of any lender and not the full list. We check criteria first and put your case only to lenders whose requirements you fit. The full panel by product is in our lender directory, and how we choose is set out on our how we work page.
Frequently asked questions
How many of your lenders lend in Northern Ireland?▼
Fewer than in Great Britain, and we would rather you knew that before you enquired. 21 of our 55 unsecured lenders, 13 of 38 asset finance lenders, 11 of 45 commercial mortgage lenders, 13 of 28 buy-to-let lenders and 11 of 53 bridging lenders cover Northern Ireland. Figures checked September 2026; panel composition changes over time.
Why do fewer lenders cover NI?▼
Mostly property law and logistics. Northern Ireland has its own Land Registry and conveyancing practice, so property lenders need NI panel solicitors and valuers, and many smaller funds never set that up. Unsecured and asset lenders have fewer reasons to exclude NI, which is why those counts are healthier than the property ones.
Does an NI-registered company go through the same process?▼
Yes. A company registered at Companies House with an NI-prefixed number is treated the same as one registered in Cardiff or London by every lender that covers Northern Ireland. The check we make first is simply whether the lender does cover NI, so the case never goes to one that does not.
Do you work with sole traders in Northern Ireland?▼
Not currently. We work with UK limited companies and LLPs only. If you are a sole trader, your accountant can advise on whether incorporating makes sense for your business, and you can register your interest with us for when that changes.
Can I get a commercial mortgage or bridging loan on a Belfast property?▼
Yes, from a shorter list. 11 commercial mortgage lenders and 11 bridging lenders on our panel lend on NI property, and 7 development lenders will fund a build. Because the list is short, timing and the choice of NI solicitor matter more than they would in England, and we say which lenders are realistic before anything is submitted.
Is business funding in Northern Ireland regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority?▼
The same rules apply across the UK: lending to a limited company or LLP for business purposes is generally unregulated commercial lending. CapExpand introduces limited companies and LLPs on a non-regulated basis and is not an FCA-authorised firm.
Related guides
Important information
CapExpand Ltd is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and can only complete non-regulated introductions. We work with UK limited companies and LLPs only, for business and commercial purposes. We are not a lender and we do not provide financial, tax or legal advice. We work with a panel of lenders whose particulars are available on request, and we receive commission from the lender if a deal completes, at no cost to you. All lending is subject to status, valuation where applicable and the lender's own checks.
We do not arrange regulated residential mortgages or lending secured on a home someone lives in. Coverage counts are drawn from lender product criteria and are a guide, not a promise that a given lender will accept a given case.
Registered office: Pure Offices, Lake View Drive, Annesley, Nottingham, NG15 0DT. Company No. 14433858.
Tell us about the business
What you need, how long you have traded, and whether property is involved. We come back with the lenders that cover Northern Ireland and whose criteria you fit.