Reparo Finance review: secured loans and revolving credit for UK SMEs

Reparo Finance is a specialist UK commercial lender for small and medium sized businesses, known for taking on loans that do not fit neatly into a bank's criteria. It offers secured business loans and revolving credit facilities, and it has a particular interest in smaller SMEs that it believes the wider market overlooks. Smart Funding Solutions is an independent broker, so we can compare Reparo with other secured and working capital lenders for your situation.

01About Reparo Finance

Reparo Finance launched with a focus on the northern SME market, offering fast secured loans backed by business assets. Its profile on a lending platform describes a personal, rather than automated, approach: one point of contact to get a loan completed quickly, and a willingness to look at cases that are complex, challenging or urgent. It says its lending model draws on decades of experience in business finance.

In 2024, trade press reported that Reparo had reshaped its range around revolving credit. Its commercial director said that SMEs with turnover under £1 million are often overlooked, and that around £50,000 was often the "magic number" for working capital. The company had previously offered secured interest-only loans, which were restructured into revolving facilities.

Reparo Finance is one of the lenders on our panel. Smart Funding Solutions is an independent broker and is not part of Reparo Finance.

02What Reparo Finance funds

Product	What it is for	Typical size	Typical term
Unsecured revolving credit facility	Working capital you can draw on and repay, aimed at businesses under £1 million turnover	£25,000 to £75,000	Up to 12 months
Secured revolving credit facility	Larger flexible working capital backed by security	£100,000 up to around £1 million	Up to 24 months
Secured business loan	A lump sum for growth, refinancing or a one off need, secured on business assets	Case by case	Case by case

The unsecured revolving credit facility has a minimum first drawdown of £25,000, allows up to two further drawdowns a month, and calculates interest daily with monthly payments. Reported uses include hiring staff, taking on new premises, buying equipment and fulfilling large contracts.

For larger amounts, Reparo lends on a secured basis. Our guide to secured business loans explains how security, valuations and personal guarantees typically work.

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

• Smaller SMEs needing flexible working capital: businesses turning over less than £1 million that want a facility they can dip into, rather than a fixed loan.
• Businesses with a complicated story: a recent dip in trading, a restructure, or a deal the bank has declined. See our page on what to do when a business loan is declined.
• Owners needing a decision quickly on an urgent opportunity or cash pressure, where a named contact helps.
• Companies refinancing existing debt into a more manageable structure.

Reparo may not suit businesses looking for very long repayment terms, large facilities well above £1 million, or the lowest possible cost of borrowing. Specialist lenders that take on complex cases generally price for that extra risk, so a business with clean accounts and strong security may find cheaper options elsewhere. Directors should also expect personal guarantees on most SME lending of this kind.

04What Reparo Finance looks at

Reparo emphasises understanding the business behind the application. For secured loans and revolving facilities, lenders of this type typically review:

• Recent filed accounts and up to date management accounts.
• Business bank statements, usually covering the last several months.
• Details of existing borrowing and any charges registered against the company.
• For secured lending, details and valuations of the assets or property offered.
• A short explanation of why the funding is needed and how it will be repaid.
• Director background, credit history and willingness to give a personal guarantee.

If something in the history needs explaining, such as a bad year or a past arrears problem, it is better to set it out clearly at the start than to have it found during underwriting.

05Pros and cons

• Pro: revolving facilities let you draw and repay as cash needs change.
• Pro: an unsecured option aimed at smaller SMEs, a group many lenders overlook.
• Pro: willing to consider complex, challenging or urgent cases.
• Pro: a personal approach with a single point of contact.

• Con: short facility terms of 12 to 24 months mean regular renewals.
• Con: specialist lending usually costs more than mainstream bank finance.
• Con: larger amounts require security, putting assets at risk.
• Con: less information is published online than with some larger lenders, so it pays to ask questions.

06Applying through a broker vs going direct

For businesses with a straightforward case, Reparo may be one of several lenders willing to help, and the best deal could easily be elsewhere. For businesses with a more complicated history, how the application is presented can be the difference between a yes and a no.

We gather your information once, search the market and approach suitable lenders, then help you compare offers on cost, flexibility, security and guarantees. It is free to enquire; any broker fee is disclosed separately before you proceed. For a fast first look, try our instant quotes tool to compare lenders in minutes.

07Alternatives to Reparo Finance

• Momenta Finance: offers secured business loans into seven figures, a useful comparison for larger secured borrowing.
• Accredo: provides secured loans on both repayment and interest only bases, worth comparing if you want a fixed term loan rather than a revolving facility.
• Capify: offers unsecured and secured funding for smaller businesses and can suit those wanting a quick working capital decision.

For businesses with a straightforward case, Reparo may be one of several lenders willing to help, and the best deal could easily be elsewhere.