Arkle Finance review: business, marine and aviation asset finance

Arkle Finance is an asset finance company based in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. It is known for funding a wider mix of assets than many equipment lenders: standard business kit, but also boats, light aircraft and prestige cars. Arkle Finance is one of the lenders on our panel, and as an independent broker we can set its terms alongside the rest of the market before you commit.

01About Arkle Finance

Arkle Finance says it has provided asset finance to businesses and individuals since 1997. It is a limited company registered in England and Wales and describes itself as a direct lender that occasionally acts as a credit broker. It works with a large network of introducers, including brokers, consultants, manufacturers and vendors, and says it has over 150 of them across the UK.

The firm's main selling point is its underwriting style. Arkle says every request is looked at case by case by an experienced underwriter, and that it looks for reasons to support a proposal rather than reasons to turn it down. For business asset enquiries it aims to respond within one working day.

02What Arkle Finance funds

Arkle groups its work into specialisms: business, marine, aviation, leisure and prestige cars. The core products behind them are familiar asset finance agreements.

On the business side, Arkle lists examples such as catering equipment and EPOS systems, industrial machinery, green energy assets like solar PV, biomass boilers and heat pumps, and technology for schools. That last point is worth noting: Arkle says it supports educational institutions as well as small and medium sized businesses, which suits schools and training providers looking at education sector finance.

Its marine pages cover leisure vessels and commercial boats, with commercial deals quoted in a range of roughly £100,000 to £750,000. Arkle also lists the government backed Growth Guarantee Scheme among its products. Our guide to the Growth Guarantee Scheme explains how it works.

03Who Arkle Finance suits (and who it may not)

Arkle tends to fit:

• Established small and medium sized businesses buying equipment in the £15,000 to £500,000 bracket.
• Owners of specialist assets that mainstream lenders find awkward, such as boats used commercially or light aircraft.
• Schools, colleges and green energy projects with a clear asset to fund.
• Applicants who want a human underwriter to weigh up the story behind the numbers.

It may be less suitable if:

• You need a small ticket below its business minimum. Many lenders fund lower amounts.
• You want working capital rather than an asset. Look at a cash flow product instead.
• Your aircraft is not UK based and registered, or your vessel falls outside the types it lists.

Arkle groups its work into specialisms: business, marine, aviation, leisure and prestige cars.

04What Arkle Finance looks at

Arkle does not publish a fixed checklist, which fits its case by case approach. For asset finance of this kind, lenders typically ask for:

• Details of the asset: supplier quote or invoice, age, condition and expected working life.
• Recent business bank statements and the latest filed accounts, plus management figures for larger deals.
• Information about the directors or owners, with permission for credit searches.
• For marine and aviation deals, registration details, intended use and where the asset will be kept.

Expect the lender to think about how well the asset holds its value, because that shapes the deposit, term and any balloon payment it will offer.

05Pros and cons

Pros

• Funds an unusually broad range of assets, from catering kit to boats and aircraft.
• Individual underwriting rather than a scorecard only decision.
• Options such as balloon payments on marine and aviation mortgages can lower regular repayments.
• Long trading history in asset finance.

Cons

• Business asset minimum of £15,000 rules out smaller purchases.
• Focused on assets, so it will not cover general working capital.
• Specialist assets can mean more questions and documents than a simple equipment deal.

06Applying through a broker vs going direct

You can approach Arkle through its introducer network, but going to one lender only shows you one answer. The same asset can be funded on hire purchase, a lease or a loan, and lenders differ on deposit, term and how they treat balloon payments. We search the market, present your case properly the first time and approach suitable lenders with one set of documents, so you can compare offers side by side. It is free to enquire; any broker fee is disclosed separately before you proceed.

To see what is available for your asset, start with our Instant Quotes tool and compare lenders in minutes. Smart Funding Solutions is an independent broker and is not part of Arkle Finance. You can read more about Arkle directly on its own website.

07Alternatives to Arkle Finance

• Close Brothers is a larger bank backed lender with wide equipment appetite, often a good fit for bigger or repeat purchases.
• Asset Advantage covers a similar deal size range and also funds fit outs and soft costs, useful where the purchase is not all hard kit.
• Time Finance may suit businesses that want asset finance alongside other facilities from the same provider.

If you are still weighing up structures, our asset finance guide compares the main options in plain English.