Specialist commercial funding for established UK businessesA service from NBS Finance
PLANT HIRE

Plant-hire funding.
Assets that earn their keep.

Plant purchases create long commitments against income that depends on utilisation, maintenance and customer payment. Build the finance case around the working asset fleet.

Discuss your industry requirementSee the finance options for your industry ↓
Illustrative commercial operating environment
SUBSTANTIAL FUNDING / ESTABLISHED COMPANIES
FINANCE OPTIONS FOR PLANT HIRE

Which finance could
help your business?

Start with the product and the job it needs to do. Different parts of the same growth plan may need different funding structures.

01£250k+ plant programme focus

Plant and machinery asset finance

Add or replace income-producing hire equipment.

WHY IT HELPS THIS INDUSTRY

Spread the cost of eligible excavators, access equipment, forklifts or other hire plant. Plan purchases around utilisation, maintenance downtime and the working life of the fleet.

WHAT NEEDS CHECKING

Hire use must be accepted by the provider. Compare the contribution, total payments, insurance duties and any final balloon.

02Existing-plant review

Asset refinance

Explore cash tied up in existing owned plant.

WHY IT HELPS THIS INDUSTRY

A mature hire fleet may have accepted value above its current settlements. A refinance can be explored for a defined investment while keeping productive assets working.

WHAT NEEDS CHECKING

Book value is not a cash offer. Ownership, condition, serial numbers, valuation and existing debt must be checked.

03£500k+ facility focus

Invoice finance

Release cash from eligible business hire invoices.

WHY IT HELPS THIS INDUSTRY

Hire charges may be billed before customers settle. Funding accepted receivables can help meet maintenance, transport and payroll costs while the business waits for payment.

WHAT NEEDS CHECKING

Contract terms, off-hire disputes, damage deductions and the party owing the money affect eligibility. Not every hire balance will be accepted.

04£200k+ borrowing focus

Business loans

Fund a defined wider expansion requirement.

WHY IT HELPS THIS INDUSTRY

A depot move, workshop investment or planned growth project may involve costs beyond the plant purchase itself. A loan should fit the project and the hire business’s cash generation.

WHAT NEEDS CHECKING

Test repayments against seasonal utilisation and repair costs. Asset finance and a loan address different parts of the same expansion.

Our main focus is £500k+ invoice facilities, £250k+ asset programmes and £200k+ business loans. These are marketing focus amounts, not fixed minimums or evidence of available capacity. Provider assessment and terms determine what can be arranged.

01 / THE COMMERCIAL DETAIL

Test utilisation before committing to capacity

Distinguish replacement of reliable income-producing equipment from speculative fleet expansion. Use utilisation records, hire rates, maintenance history and transport costs to test whether added plant can support its repayments.

Include off-hire periods, inspection, repairs and collection delays. A machine can be on the balance sheet without being available to earn revenue. A lower monthly payment over a longer term may outlast the period of dependable utilisation.

02 / THE COMMERCIAL DETAIL

Explain the hire receivable and the asset separately

Separate the machine from the hire debt
ASSET

Ownership and value

Read
Owned, financed, leased or cross-hired plant
Check
Accepted valuation and existing debt
RECEIVABLE

Hire income

Read
Debtor, hire contract and billing
Check
Damage, off-hire and disputed charges

Identify the actual debtor, contract, billing frequency and treatment of damage, loss, off-hire or service disputes. A provider may need to understand whether charges are unconditional and evidenced before accepting invoices.

Separate owned hire stock from leased equipment, cross-hired plant and assets already subject to finance. Book values do not establish free security or an available refinance release.

03 / THE COMMERCIAL DETAIL

Make fleet refresh a cash-flow plan

New plant may require supplier deposits while existing assets need settlement or refurbishment before sale. Retaining sale proceeds for operating resilience may matter as much as the new purchase price.

For a broader refinance, examine valuation, asset identification and security priority. The remaining term and debt should fit the equipment’s condition and likely useful working life.

HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE / NOT A CLIENT CASE

Twenty assets with seasonal utilisation

Hypothetical / 20 units × £30k, excluding VAT
Contribution£120k
Equipment finance£480k

Test an assumed utilisation fall from 75% to 55% while scheduled repayments remain fixed.

Hypothetical illustration only. Not a client case, quote, lender policy or funding commitment.

Assume a hypothetical business buys 20 units at £30k each: £600k excluding VAT. A 20% contribution is £120k, leaving £480k before fees and VAT treatment. If utilisation falls from an assumed 75% to 55%, revenue-supported capacity changes while scheduled repayments may stay fixed. The review should test that downside rather than treating a purchase approval as proof that expansion pays.

Illustrative assumptions only. Not a quote, provider policy or funding commitment.
COSTS, SECURITY & PRACTICAL CONSTRAINTS

Know the cash.
Know the commitment.

Compare deposit, term, interest, fees, balloon and settlement terms with asset wear and resale assumptions. Examine insurance, permitted use and location, asset security, guarantees and other lender consents.

Understand facility fees and costs ↗

For the next stage of assessment

  • Asset register, ownership, serial numbers and current finance
  • Hire rates, utilisation, maintenance and disposal information
  • Supplier quotations and purchase schedule
  • Hire contracts, aged debt and management forecast

The brief enquiry does not require these documents. Agree the purpose, permissions and appropriate sharing route first.

BEFORE YOU PROCEED

The questions
worth settling.

Can already-financed plant be refinanced?

Potentially, if acceptable value remains after settlement and the provider accepts the asset and purpose. It is not an automatic equity release.

Will all hire invoices be eligible?

No. Contract rights, disputes, supporting evidence, customer quality and payment obligations need assessment.

PRODUCT CONTEXT / FURTHER READINGBritish Business Bank: purchasing a major asset ↗British Business Bank: invoice finance ↗

These external sources explain product features. They do not establish an NBS agreement, current lender appetite or terms available to your business. Content reviewed 24 October 2026.

A CLEAR BRIEF IS THE START

A substantial requirement.
A useful conversation.

Discuss your industry requirement

Start with a brief enquiry.
No financial documents needed to begin.