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Trampoline park and indoor leisure finance

How trampoline parks, soft play, climbing and other indoor leisure sites fund fit-outs, equipment and second sites, and what lenders weigh before lending.

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In short

Trampoline parks and other indoor leisure sites usually fund their installed attractions with equipment finance, the building fit-out with a term loan or fit-out finance, and seasonal dips with a merchant cash advance or revolving facility. Because most sites are leased industrial units and the equipment has limited resale value once installed, lenders focus on trading history per site, safety and inspection records, insurance and the lease term remaining.

This page is for operators of trampoline parks, soft play centres, climbing and bouldering walls, ninja and obstacle courses, indoor karting, bowling, escape rooms and adventure golf. Smart Funding Solutions is a broker, not a lender: we search our panel of 300+ lenders for facilities from around £10,000 to £500,000+, with larger facilities available in suitable cases. This page is part of our SME loans sector guides; gym and fitness operators should see gym and fitness centre loans.

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The operating cycle

Where finance fits into your trampoline park

Cash leaves the business at every stage before it comes back. Each stage below is a point where the right facility can carry the gap.

01
Win work
Orders, contracts or customers secured.
02
Buy in
Stock, materials and equipment paid for up front.
Asset finance →
03
Pay people
Wages and suppliers paid on time.
Working capital →
04
Deliver
The work is done or the goods are sold.
05
Get paid
Customers pay, sometimes weeks later.
Invoice finance →
06
Tax
VAT and Corporation Tax fall due.
HMRC loans →
07
Invest
Growth, a new site or new equipment.
Business loans →

Funding needs

Funding options for trampoline parks

Choose the need, and we’ll show you how lenders usually structure it.

PayrollExplore →StockExplore →MachineryExplore →PremisesExplore →TaxExplore →Supplier gapsExplore →ContractsExplore →GrowthExplore →

Funding options

Equipment and attraction finance

Hire purchase or leasing spreads the cost of trampoline courts, play frames, climbing walls, bowling lanes or karts. Lenders are more comfortable with attractions from established manufacturers that can be dismantled and resold, such as karts or bowling equipment, than with fixed structures built into a specific unit. See business equipment financing.

Fit-out finance and term loans

Building works do not hold value as security, so fit-outs are usually funded with an unsecured or partly secured loan, often alongside a landlord contribution. Our page on fit-out and refurbishment finance explains how lenders treat these costs.

Merchant cash advance

Because most income is taken by card and online booking, a merchant cash advance can work for an established site: repayments are a share of card takings, so they fall in quiet weeks. In busy holidays the advance repays quickly, which can make the total cost higher than it first appears.

Growth and second-site finance

For a proven operator opening another site, lenders look at the first site's performance as the template. Growth finance and, for branded concepts, franchise loans can fund the expansion.

Illustration: an operator taking a second unit budgets £400,000, of which £220,000 is trampoline courts and a ninja course from an established manufacturer, £150,000 is building works and £30,000 is café equipment. A sensible package might put the attractions and café kit on asset finance, fund the works with a term loan sized to the first site's surplus, and use a landlord rent-free period to cover the opening months. The figures are hypothetical; the point is that each part is funded by the product that fits it.

How indoor leisure sites trade

Most indoor attractions occupy large leased units on retail or industrial parks: high ceilings, clear spans and plenty of parking, but expensive to heat and light. Revenue is front-loaded into weekends and school holidays, with weekday term time filled, if at all, by toddler sessions, school and club bookings and SEN sessions. Birthday parties are often the most profitable product, booked and paid in advance online. Secondary spend in the café, on grip socks or arcade machines can make the difference between a marginal and a healthy site.

The cost base is dominated by staff, rent, energy and insurance. Attractions also wear out: trampoline beds, pads, nets and foam blocks need regular replacement, climbing holds and auto-belays need servicing and inspection, and karts need constant maintenance. Operators who do not budget for that cycle end up borrowing for it in a hurry.

When operators look for funding

Fitting out a new site, including flooring, mezzanines, toilets, café and fire safety works
Installing or replacing trampoline courts, ninja courses, soft play frames or climbing walls
Adding a new attraction to lift repeat visits, such as a ninja course, interactive play wall or augmented climbing
Opening a second site, or taking on a franchise territory
Bridging the quiet months between the summer holidays and Christmas party season
Reducing energy costs with LED lighting, heat recovery or rooftop solar

Risks to think through

Installed attractions lose most of their value once bolted into a unit, so a lender that finances them will rely on your trading and your personal guarantee rather than the kit. A lease shorter than the finance term is a warning sign for both of you. Safety is a commercial risk as well as a legal one: the HSE's guidance on fairgrounds and amusement devices and on play inflatables applies to many attractions, and a serious incident can close a site and affect insurance.

Weigh whether a new attraction will lift repeat visits enough to repay its cost, and whether a landlord incentive, a supplier payment plan or reinvesting peak-season cash would do the job without borrowing. Our guide to seasonal business finance covers planning for quiet months.

Underwriting

Lender considerations for trampoline parks and attractions

Site-level trading

visitor numbers, party bookings and revenue per visitor, ideally over two or more years per site.

Safety record

accident logs, reportable incidents and how they were handled. Trampoline parks drew close scrutiny after injury reports, and lenders ask.

Inspection and maintenance

independent annual inspections, daily checks, and compliance with the relevant equipment standard.

Insurance

public liability limits, claims history and whether cover is easy to renew.

Lease

years remaining, break clauses and rent reviews compared with the finance term.

Novelty fade

how revenue moved after the first year, and the plan to refresh attractions.

Checklist

Documents lenders request

Two years' accounts and current management accounts, split by site where possible
Booking system reports showing visitors, parties and seasonality
Card processing statements for the last six to twelve months
Lease, any landlord consents and planning use confirmation
Recent inspection reports, risk assessments and accident log summary
Insurance schedule and claims history
Supplier quotes for attractions or fit-out works

How we help leisure operators

We look at your site figures, seasonality and what you want to fund.
We separate kit that can be asset financed from works that need a loan.
We approach lenders on our panel that fund leisure and hospitality businesses.
We compare offers with you, including guarantees and repayment profiles.
We manage the application through to completion; the lender decides.

It is free to enquire; any broker fee is disclosed separately before you proceed. Outdoor operators can see outdoor activity business finance, and our guide to sports business funding covers clubs and facilities.

FAQs

Questions clients ask

Can I get finance to open my first trampoline park?

It is difficult without a trading record, because lenders cannot test visitor numbers. Experienced leisure operators, franchisees of established brands and founders putting in a substantial contribution have better prospects. Equipment suppliers sometimes arrange finance for their own attractions.

Do lenders finance second-hand trampoline courts or play frames?

Some will, if the equipment comes from a recognised manufacturer, has inspection records and is being installed by a competent contractor. Our page on used equipment finance explains the approach.

Can I refinance expensive short-term debt taken on during a fit-out?

Often, once the site has traded for a year or more and the figures support it. See refinancing business loans.

Do trampoline park finance lenders need a personal guarantee?

Usually, yes. Because most trampoline parks occupy leased units and much of the fit-out has little resale value, lenders typically ask directors for a personal guarantee on unsecured loans and often on equipment finance too. Strong trading history and good bank conduct can improve terms. Check how much you are guaranteeing. Our page on personal guarantee insurance explains one way directors manage the risk.

What do lenders look at for trampoline park finance?

Lenders offering trampoline park finance look mainly at trading history, weekend and holiday takings, party bookings, lease length and the owners' credit records. They also check safety inspection and insurance arrangements, because attractions wear out and need regular replacement. A clear maintenance budget and evidence of steady secondary spend strengthen an application. Our article on how lenders assess business loan applications covers the wider process.

Keep exploring

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