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Which UK Lenders Work With Optometrists?
Optometrists need lenders that understand OCT units, refraction kit, practice buy-ins and domiciliary vans as well as ordinary SME cash flow. The right desk depends on whether you're funding equipment or the practice itself.
Start with business loans for optician practices, then compare asset finance and healthcare finance when the ticket is clinical kit.
We compare UK lenders used for optometry and optical practice funding. Every facility, term, rate and speed figure below comes from the Funding Agent lender database (checked on 6 November 2026). Lenders without a full published metric set are left out. Approval isn't guaranteed.
| Lender | Facility | Term | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Ultimate Finance | £10,000 to £10,000,000 | 1 to 84 months | 24 hours | Asset and invoice finance for clinics that need kit and cash-flow cover. |
 Aldermore Asset Finance | £1,000 to £10,000,000 | 12 to 84 months | 48 hours | Hire purchase and asset refinance across vans, plant and clinic equipment. |
 Close Brothers | £25,000 to £100,000,000 | 12 to 84 months | 24 hours | Larger asset and invoice facilities where turnover and security support mid-market tickets. |
 Bibby Financial Services | £10,000 to £5,000,000 | 12 to 84 months | 24 hours | Asset refinance and hire purchase plus invoice finance where debtors support cash flow. |
 Nationwide Finance | £10,000 to £500,000 | 12 to 60 months | 24 hours | Asset finance and refinance including contract hire where the asset fits. |
 Funding Circle | £10,000 to £750,000 | 1 to 24 months | 48 hours | Unsecured and term loans for established practices funding growth. |
 iwoca | £0 to £1,000,000 | 12 to 60 months | 24 hours | Flexible working capital including revolving credit for trading practices. |
 Fleximize | £10,000 to £500,000 | 3 to 60 months | 24 hours | Secured and unsecured loans where directors can support underwriting. |
 Shawbrook | £25,000 to £350,000 | 12 to 60 months | 2 days | Term loans for established SMEs where security or track record supports the case. |
 Tower Leasing | £5,000 to £1,000,000 | 24 to 60 months | 2 days | Asset finance for equipment and related tickets in its published band. |
What do optometrists usually finance?
Common funding needs include:
- Diagnostic kit: OCT, visual fields and related clinical systems on asset finance.
- Practice buy-in or fit-out: rooms, branding and partnership capital via practice or term loans.
- Cash flow: stock, locum cover and gaps between appointments and payment.
How should an optometrist approach lenders?
- Split clinical equipment from practice and stock funding.
- Collect supplier quotes and a simple asset list before you enquire.
- Decide whether you need a soft-quote term loan or a secured equipment agreement.
- Compare total cost and term, not only the monthly figure.
- Confirm whether a personal guarantee is required.
Related reading: business loans for optician practices, healthcare finance, asset finance, professional practice loans.
Funding Agent
Lender panel150+ lenders
Average time to funding48 hours
Why it is included: Optometry funding often mixes diagnostic kit with practice cash needs, so a panel view helps.
Funding Agent is a UK lender and a broker. It can lend directly and also works with a panel of 150+ lenders across business loans, asset finance and invoice finance, so one enquiry can reach several practice and equipment funders.
Best use case: When you want equipment and practice options compared without serial applications.
More info
Why it stands out
- A panel of 150+ lenders
- Business loans, asset finance and invoice finance
- An average of 48 hours to funding
Need to know
- Funding Agent is a UK lender and a broker.
- Where Funding Agent lends, it sets the rate, term, fees and decision. Where another lender provides the finance, that lender sets them.
- Approval isn't guaranteed.
Expert take
If the OCT quote and the buy-in capital are both live, comparing a few desks in one pass is usually cleaner than applying alone.
Ultimate Finance
Published facility range£10,000 to £10,000,000
Term1 to 84 months
Overview: Ultimate Finance is listed in the lender database with asset finance alongside invoice and trade products. Facility and term bands below come from that database.
Best next step: Match the facility to the asset invoice or debtor book you need to fund.
More info
Company stats
Eligibility
Facility and speed
Pricing notes
Benefits
- Listed products include Asset Finance
- Published facility range: £10,000 to £10,000,000
- Funding speed in the lender database: 24 hours
Need to know
- Figures come from the Funding Agent lender database and can change
- Approval is not guaranteed
- Confirm current criteria with the lender before you apply
Expert take
Ultimate Finance works when a practice needs both equipment finance and working capital options.
Aldermore Asset Finance
Published facility range£1,000 to £10,000,000
Term12 to 84 months
Overview: Aldermore Asset Finance is in the lender database with hire purchase, finance lease, asset finance and refinance. Metrics below are from that record.
Best next step: Ask for hire purchase or refinance terms against the asset and settlement figure.
More info
Company stats
Eligibility
Facility and speed
Pricing notes
Benefits
- Listed products include Asset Finance
- Published facility range: £1,000 to £10,000,000
- Funding speed in the lender database: 48 hours
Need to know
- Figures come from the Funding Agent lender database and can change
- Approval is not guaranteed
- Confirm current criteria with the lender before you apply
Expert take
Aldermore Asset Finance is a fit when the asset is clear and you want a specialist asset desk.
Source:https://www.aldermore.co.uk/business/business-finance/asset-finance/
Close Brothers
Published facility range£25,000 to £100,000,000
Term12 to 84 months
Overview: Close Brothers appears in the lender database with asset finance, refinance, hire purchase and invoice products. Metrics below are from that record.
Best next step: Prepare turnover and asset details before you ask for terms.
More info
Company stats
Eligibility
Facility and speed
Pricing notes
Benefits
- Listed products include Asset Finance
- Published facility range: £25,000 to £100,000,000
- Funding speed in the lender database: 24 hours
Need to know
- Figures come from the Funding Agent lender database and can change
- Approval is not guaranteed
- Confirm current criteria with the lender before you apply
Expert take
Close Brothers fits established practices seeking larger asset or invoice facilities.
Bibby Financial Services
Published facility range£10,000 to £5,000,000
Term12 to 84 months
Overview: Bibby Financial Services is in the lender database with asset finance, asset refinance, hire purchase and invoice products. Metrics below are from that record.
Best next step: Choose asset refinance or invoice finance based on whether the need is kit or debtors.
More info
Company stats
Eligibility
Facility and speed
Pricing notes
Benefits
- Listed products include Asset Finance
- Published facility range: £10,000 to £5,000,000
- Funding speed in the lender database: 24 hours
Need to know
- Figures come from the Funding Agent lender database and can change
- Approval is not guaranteed
- Confirm current criteria with the lender before you apply
Expert take
Bibby fits businesses that may need asset refinance alongside receivables finance.
Nationwide Finance
Published facility range£10,000 to £500,000
Term12 to 60 months
Overview: Nationwide Finance is in the lender database with asset finance, refinancing, contract hire and invoice products. Every facility, term, rate and speed figure on this card comes from that record.
Best next step: Share the asset schedule or settlement figure for an illustration.
More info
Company stats
Eligibility
Facility and speed
Pricing notes
Benefits
- Listed products include Asset Finance
- Published facility range: £10,000 to £500,000
- Funding speed in the lender database: 24 hours
Need to know
- Figures come from the Funding Agent lender database and can change
- Approval is not guaranteed
- Confirm current criteria with the lender before you apply
Expert take
Nationwide Finance suits businesses that need asset finance or refinance with published facility and term bands.
Funding Circle
Published facility range£10,000 to £750,000
Term1 to 24 months
Overview: Funding Circle is onboarded in the lender database with unsecured loans, term loans and revolving credit. Metrics below are from that record.
Best next step: Ask about a term loan or revolving facility against your filed accounts.
More info
Company stats
Eligibility
Facility and speed
Pricing notes
Benefits
- Listed products include Growth Guarantee Scheme Loan
- Published facility range: £10,000 to £750,000
- Funding speed in the lender database: 48 hours
Need to know
- Figures come from the Funding Agent lender database and can change
- Approval is not guaranteed
- Confirm current criteria with the lender before you apply
Expert take
Funding Circle fits practices that want a term loan rather than asset-backed finance.
iwoca
Published facility range£0 to £1,000,000
Term12 to 60 months
Overview: iwoca is onboarded in the lender database with unsecured loans, revolving credit and working capital products. Metrics below are from that record.
Best next step: Use a soft quote path first if you want to test affordability before a hard check.
More info
Company stats
Eligibility
Facility and speed
Pricing notes
Benefits
- Listed products include Ecommerce Funding Working Capital Loan
- Published facility range: £0 to £1,000,000
- Funding speed in the lender database: 24 hours
Need to know
- Figures come from the Funding Agent lender database and can change
- Approval is not guaranteed
- Confirm current criteria with the lender before you apply
Expert take
iwoca suits practices that need speed and a revolving or short-term facility.
Source:https://www.iwoca.co.uk/
Fleximize
Published facility range£10,000 to £500,000
Term3 to 60 months
Overview: Fleximize is onboarded in the lender database with secured and unsecured business loans. Metrics below are from that record.
Best next step: Confirm homeowner and trading history criteria before you apply.
More info
Company stats
Eligibility
Facility and speed
Pricing notes
Benefits
- Listed products include Secured
- Published facility range: £10,000 to £500,000
- Funding speed in the lender database: 24 hours
Need to know
- Figures come from the Funding Agent lender database and can change
- Approval is not guaranteed
- Confirm current criteria with the lender before you apply
Expert take
Fleximize fits practices open to secured or unsecured term structures.
Source:https://fleximize.com/
Shawbrook
Published facility range£25,000 to £350,000
Term12 to 60 months
Overview: Shawbrook is onboarded in the lender database with term loans and unsecured business loans. Metrics below are from that record.
Best next step: Check term loan criteria against your accounts and security position.
More info
Company stats
Eligibility
Facility and speed
Pricing notes
Benefits
- Listed products include Term Loan
- Published facility range: £25,000 to £350,000
- Funding speed in the lender database: 2 days
Need to know
- Figures come from the Funding Agent lender database and can change
- Approval is not guaranteed
- Confirm current criteria with the lender before you apply
Expert take
Shawbrook suits professional practices seeking a specialist bank term loan.
Tower Leasing
Published facility range£5,000 to £1,000,000
Term24 to 60 months
Overview: Tower Leasing is in the lender database with asset finance. Every facility, term, rate and speed figure on this card comes from that record.
Best next step: Ask for an asset finance illustration against the supplier quote.
More info
Company stats
Eligibility
Facility and speed
Pricing notes
Benefits
- Listed products include Asset Finance
- Published facility range: £5,000 to £1,000,000
- Funding speed in the lender database: 2 days
Need to know
- Figures come from the Funding Agent lender database and can change
- Approval is not guaranteed
- Confirm current criteria with the lender before you apply
Expert take
Tower Leasing fits equipment tickets that sit inside its published facility range.
How do you choose a lender as an optometrist?
Use these checks before you sign:
- Kit versus practice: use asset finance for OCT and clinical systems; use term loans for buy-in or cash flow.
- Speed: if the supplier needs a fast PO, pick desks that publish quick funding messaging.
- Trading history: Funding Circle and similar term lenders often want at least 12 months' trading.
- Docs: keep accounts, bank statements and GOS or private income evidence tidy.
Who do these lenders suit?
- Optometrists buying diagnostic equipment for an independent practice.
- Practitioners funding a buy-in, relocation or shop fit.
- Clinics that need short working capital between busy seasons.
They suit less well if there is no trading history and no clear asset or repayment plan.
Conclusion
Asset desks with fully published metrics include Ultimate Finance, Aldermore Asset Finance, Close Brothers, Bibby Financial Services, Nationwide Finance and Tower Leasing. Term and working-capital options with fully published metrics include Funding Circle, iwoca, Fleximize and Shawbrook. Only lenders with a complete metric set in the Funding Agent lender database are listed for optometrists.
Funding Agent is a UK lender and a broker with a panel of 150+ lenders and an average of 48 hours to funding. Compare complete terms before you commit.
This article is for information only and isn't financial advice. Lender metrics were taken from the Funding Agent lender database on 6 November 2026 and can change. Approval isn't guaranteed.
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