Cambridge & Counties Bank review: asset finance for UK businesses

Cambridge & Counties Bank is a specialist UK bank known for relationship based lending to established businesses, with an asset finance team that funds the kind of hard-working equipment farms, contractors, hauliers and manufacturers depend on. Cambridge & Counties Bank is one of the lenders on our panel, and as an independent broker we can set its offer side by side with the rest of the market before you commit.

01About Cambridge & Counties Bank

The bank opened in June 2012 and is headquartered in Leicester. It has an unusual ownership structure for a UK bank: it is owned by Trinity Hall, a college of the University of Cambridge, and the Cambridgeshire Local Government Pension Fund. That gives it patient, long term shareholders rather than a stock market listing.

Cambridge & Counties describes itself as a responsible, expert banking specialist that blends traditional banking with modern lending. Alongside asset finance it offers business savings accounts, commercial property loans and residential property finance such as bridging, buy to let and development lending. The bank passed £1 billion in customer deposits in 2021, gained B Corp certification in 2023 and opened an office in Reading in 2025.

Smart Funding Solutions is an independent broker and is not part of Cambridge & Counties Bank.

02What Cambridge & Counties Bank funds

The bank's asset finance is built around two familiar structures, set out on its asset finance pages:

Its published product guide says it can lend up to £1.5 million per single asset, over terms of up to seven years, with balloon payments considered. It can fund up to the full cost of the asset, and assets can be up to ten years old at the end of the agreement, so good quality used equipment is in scope. The bank also runs a faster lane for smaller deals of up to £150,000.

The asset types it highlights include:

• Agriculture: tractors, balers, sprayers, combines and front loaders.
• Construction: excavators, dumpers, loaders, telehandlers, access platforms, generators and cranes.
• Commercial vehicles: HGVs, trailers, light commercials, tankers and recovery vehicles.
• Machinery and materials handling: forklifts, pallet trucks, CNC machinery, packaging lines and waste equipment such as shredders and compactors.

A smaller but distinctive part of the business is specialist car finance for classic, vintage, racing and sports cars. Other assets are considered on their merits.

03Who Cambridge & Counties Bank suits (and who it may not)

The bank is a natural fit for established businesses buying equipment with a clear resale value: a farm replacing a combine, a plant hire firm adding excavators, or a haulier expanding its fleet. Because it funds older assets and larger tickets, it can work well where a mainstream lender's online process is too rigid.

It is likely to be a weaker fit if you need a small, quick ticket for office kit or software, if you are a very new business without accounts, or if you are a sole trader or small partnership looking for a modest amount, as the bank's asset finance is geared to larger business deals. Soft assets such as IT, and very specialist kit with little second-hand market, are usually better placed with lenders that focus on them.

A smaller but distinctive part of the business is specialist car finance for classic, vintage, racing and sports cars.

04What Cambridge & Counties Bank looks at

As with most specialist asset lenders, expect the underwriter to consider:

• The asset itself: type, age, supplier, and how easily it could be resold.
• Trading history and recent filed accounts, plus management accounts for larger requests.
• Business bank statements showing the repayments are affordable.
• The directors' or owners' credit history, and whether a personal guarantee is appropriate.
• A supplier invoice or quote, and for used assets, details of age and condition.

These are typical requirements for this type of lending rather than a published checklist, so the exact list depends on the deal.

05Pros and cons

Pros

• Bank lender with long term, non listed ownership and a relationship based approach.
• Large single asset limit and terms up to seven years.
• Can fund up to the full asset cost, and older used equipment is considered.
• Strong appetite for agricultural, construction, transport and materials handling kit.

Cons

• Geared to established businesses, so start ups may struggle.
• Less suited to small, low value or soft asset purchases.
• Some sole traders and small partnerships may find a better fit elsewhere.

06Applying through a broker vs going direct

You can approach the bank yourself, but one lender's answer tells you nothing about whether a better structure is available elsewhere. When we arrange asset finance, we search the market, prepare the case once and approach the lenders most likely to say yes on sensible terms. That may be Cambridge & Counties, or it may be a lender with a sharper appetite for your exact asset.

We also help you choose between hire purchase and a finance lease, which affects ownership, VAT and how the kit sits on your balance sheet. It is free to enquire; any broker fee is disclosed separately before you proceed. To see what is available, start with Instant Quotes and compare lenders in minutes.

07Alternatives to Cambridge & Counties Bank

• Close Brothers: a long established asset lender with very wide sector coverage, useful for larger or more complex fleets and machinery deals.
• Davenham Asset Finance: an independent Manchester lender that can suit businesses needing refinance or a more flexible view after a difficult period.
• Aldermore: another specialist bank that can be worth comparing for mainstream equipment and vehicle purchases.

If your purchase is farm machinery specifically, our guide to agricultural equipment finance explains seasonal repayment options and what farm lenders look for.