New businesses with completed B2B invoices
Invoice Finance · UK limited companies
Invoice Finance for Start-Ups
A start-up may be considered for invoice finance where it has genuine B2B sales and suitable customers even though the company has limited trading history.
NBS Finance is a broker and introducer, not a lender. An enquiry does not guarantee an offer.
Separate the first contract from the first eligible invoice
- Before trading: show founder experience, signed client work, margin, setup costs and the cash needed to deliver. An order or forecast is not completed invoice debt.
- After delivery: match accepted work, timesheets or PODs to invoices and contractual payment terms. The provider assesses eligibility, customers and business controls.
- Before customer receipt: compare actual availability after reserves, customer limits and charges with wages and suppliers still due.
Hypothetical first-client cycle: £12,000 setup and labour costs fall due before a £20,000 completed-work invoice. If an assumed 80% advance applies after acceptance, gross funding is £16,000 before other deductions. It does not retrospectively remove the need to pay the first £12,000; the business needs a credible cash source before drawdown. Model approval delay and the first client paying late.
Provider minimums, new-company appetite, guarantees and concentration limits vary. Prepare experience, forecasts, contracts, payment evidence and reporting/credit-control arrangements. Recruitment needs accepted timesheets and a payroll cycle; construction needs specialist assessment of document status. Compare eligibility and pre-invoice startup requirements.
Quick answer
When this may be worth discussing
Experienced founders moving contracts into a new company
Growth that creates a payroll or supplier gap
Provider assessment
Information that helps produce a useful answer
Providers set their own rates, charges, fees, security and terms. Clear evidence helps distinguish a viable route from an unsuitable application.
- Customer contracts and debtor quality
- Sample invoices and proof of delivery
- Director experience, forecast and ledger controls
Important:
Provider appetite and minimum operating requirements vary, so availability is not guaranteed.
NBS Finance is a broker and introducer, not a lender. NBS does not charge the client a separate broker fee. Providers set costs and terms and may carry out business or director credit checks; ask which searches will be made before a full application. An enquiry does not guarantee an offer.
Startup invoice-finance questions
Can a signed future contract be financed as an invoice?
Not simply because it is signed. Separate future work and mobilisation from debt for completed, eligible performance.
Must a startup have several clients?
No universal rule is stated. A dominant first client needs provider assessment of concentration, credit and evidence; approval is not assured.
Are there universal turnover minimums?
Requirements vary by provider and structure. Give current and forecast invoicing accurately rather than assuming a quoted market threshold applies.
Will good clients remove company checks?
No. Provider assessment can still cover founders, credit, controls, business viability, guarantees and security.
Further reading and scope
This page is general commercial-finance information, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Read the relevant official guidance at www.british-business-bank.co.uk.
NBS Finance primarily supports UK limited companies. NBS Finance is not incorporated as a limited company and is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Where applicable, NBS works with lenders and intermediaries that are FCA-authorised for their own regulated activities; their status does not make NBS Finance FCA-authorised.
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