Haydock Finance review: specialist asset finance for UK SMEs

Haydock Finance is a specialist asset finance lender with more than 40 years of experience funding vehicles, plant and equipment for UK SMEs, working through brokers and equipment suppliers rather than selling direct to the public. It is strongest in sectors such as agriculture, construction, transport and waste. Smart Funding Solutions is an independent broker, so we can compare a Haydock proposal with the rest of the asset finance market.

01About Haydock Finance

Haydock describes itself as a supportive business finance specialist and says it has been helping UK SMEs grow for more than 40 years. It reports gross receivables in excess of £900 million and works with a nationwide network of introducers and vendors. In July 2026 it announced a £365 million securitisation, a funding deal that supports its future lending capacity.

Haydock is a member of the Finance and Leasing Association and a patron member of the NACFB, the trade body for commercial finance brokers, and it refers to the SME Finance Charter on its site. Its business model is built around intermediaries, which is why most customers reach it through a broker or through the dealer selling the equipment.

02What Haydock Finance funds

Haydock is a pure asset finance lender. Its site lists five funding solutions:

Product	What it is for
Hire purchase	Spreading the cost of an asset you will own at the end of the agreement
Finance lease	Using an asset for a fixed period without taking ownership, with payments that can be tax efficient
Refinance	Releasing cash tied up in assets you already own
Chattel mortgage	A loan secured on a specific asset, with ownership staying with you
Growth Guarantee Scheme	Asset finance supported by the government-backed scheme

Assets range across vehicles, plant, technology, medical equipment, fit-outs, green energy equipment and even livestock. Hire purchase is the most common structure, but refinance can be valuable for an owner who bought kit outright and now needs working capital.

The Growth Guarantee Scheme option can help where a business is viable but lacks the security or track record a lender would normally want, because the government guarantee shares part of the risk.

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

Haydock lists nine sectors it specialises in:

• Agriculture
• Bus and coach, covered in our bus and coach finance guide
• Construction
• Engineering
• Materials handling
• Manufacturing
• Prestige vehicles
• Transport and logistics, including HGV finance
• Waste and recycling

It suits SMEs in those sectors buying new or used equipment, such as a groundworks contractor adding an excavator, a coach operator replacing a vehicle, or a recycling business funding a baler. Its long experience means it is comfortable with assets that generalist lenders sometimes find awkward. Our guide to plant finance covers the construction side in more detail.

It may be less suitable for very small purchases below its typical minimum, for businesses wanting unsecured cash rather than asset-backed funding, or for sectors outside its focus, where another lender may have more appetite.

04What Haydock Finance looks at

Haydock does not publish detailed criteria. For asset finance of this kind, lenders typically consider:

• The asset: type, age, value and resale market
• A supplier invoice or quote, or details of existing assets for refinance
• Recent accounts and business bank statements
• Trading history and the experience of the directors
• Any deposit or part exchange
• Credit checks on the business and its directors

A personal guarantee from directors is common for SME asset finance, particularly for younger companies.

05Pros and cons

Pros

• Long track record, with more than 40 years in asset finance
• Specialist knowledge across nine core sectors
• Full range of structures, including refinance and chattel mortgage
• Growth Guarantee Scheme option for viable businesses with less security
• Large funding base supports bigger deals

Cons

• Mainly accessed through brokers and vendors rather than direct
• Asset finance only, so it does not provide unsecured working capital
• Limited public detail on criteria and deal sizes

A personal guarantee from directors is common for SME asset finance, particularly for younger companies.

06Applying through a broker vs going direct

Haydock's model is built around introducers, so most businesses reach it through a broker or an equipment dealer. It pays to use someone who can compare it with other asset finance houses too, since appetite for a particular asset, age or sector varies widely. You can read more about the lender on Haydock Finance's website.

We search the market across 300+ lenders, present your asset and business clearly and help you compare deposit, term, balloon and total cost across offers. Smart Funding Solutions is an independent broker and is not part of Haydock Finance, which is one of the lenders on our panel. It is free to enquire; any broker fee is disclosed separately before you proceed. Get a feel for your options with our instant quotes tool.

07Alternatives to Haydock Finance

• Close Brothers: a major asset finance and refinance lender, worth comparing for established businesses with larger fleets.
• Davenham Asset Finance: offers asset finance and refinance, a useful second quote for plant and vehicles.
• Time Finance: combines asset finance with invoice finance, a better fit if you also need help with cash flow.