A holding company registered at Companies House as a UK limited company or LLP is eligible to apply. In practice, most holding companies exist to own shares rather than to trade directly, so our assessment focuses on the substance behind the application: the operating subsidiaries, consolidated accounts, and how the funds will actually be deployed.
What we need to see from a holding company
Because a pure holding company may have little standalone revenue, we typically ask for consolidated group accounts or management information that shows the trading performance of the wider group. We also want to understand the cashflow route — how the holding company will service repayments if its income is dividends or inter-company loan receipts from subsidiaries.
Group structures and intra-group lending
If the intention is to on-lend the funds to an operating subsidiary, tell us at the outset. We will assess whether that structure works within our credit framework. Alternatively, the operating subsidiary itself may be a stronger applicant in its own right — we are happy to discuss which entity best fits the application.
Products that suit holding-company needs
- Business Loan — suited to a defined one-off purpose, such as funding a subsidiary investment or acquisition cost.
- Credicorp Flex — a revolving facility useful where the holding company manages working capital across the group on a seasonal or cyclical basis.
We lend only to UK limited companies and LLPs, and the loan is to the company with no director personal guarantee. As business finance outside the consumer-credit regime, it is not covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service or FSCS.
See also: Can a group of companies apply for business finance?, Can an LLP apply for a business loan or credit facility?.