A range of farm business funding options

Direct access to over 100 lenders

Need funding of between €26k to €250m to purchase land or renovate and repurpose existing buildings on your farm?

Or do you wish to erect a new building on your land and you need finance to pay for the building work?

Alternatively, are you looking for immediate funding to pay a forthcoming tax or VAT bill?

Whatever you need money for quickly, we can arrange a bridging loan or development loan secured against the land or property you own or wish to purchase.

The funds could arrive in your bank account within the next 3 to 10 working days.

Get in touch with us and let us know how much you need to borrow as well as details of the land or property you'll be providing to your lender as security.

Our in-house secured finance team works with over 100 different lenders ranging from high street banks to family offices to specialist alternative finance providers.

As soon as we have your application, we'll then only approach the lenders on our panel most likely to approve your application with a competitive interest rate and on the most favourable lending terms.

To start your application, get in touch with our team by clicking the Start Here button on this page.

Fund a new tractor or new milk production machinery

As well as providing the funding needed for farm businesses to purchase property and land, our bridging loans have also been used to buy:

• Anaerobic digesters
• Balers
• Biomass boilers
• Combine harvesters
• Crop sprayers
• Dairy and milking equipment (including dairy herds)
• Equestrian equipment
• Hydro power equipment
• Farm shop equipment finance
• Farm vehicles
• Forestry machinery
• Grain silos
• Ground maintenance equipment
• Ground source heat pumps
• Horse boxes
• Horticultural equipment
• Ploughs
• Solar panels
• Tractors
• Wind turbines
• Wood chippers

Our clients have also used our bridging loans to access credit for the following situations:

• Halting bankruptcy or repossession proceedings
• Providing a boost to cashflow
• Debt consolidation
• Settlement of creditor arrears
• Payment of tax/VAT to the Office of the Revenue Commissioners
• Issues surrounding inheritance and probate

Property and development funding for farm businesses

We have helped farmers find the funding they need to:

• Build new structures on their land (to improve productivity or for farm income diversification purposes)
• Develop unused or underused buildings into retail premises
• Develop unused or underused buildings into holiday accommodation for guest
• Develop unused or underused buildings into business premises for rental income
• Purchase adjacent land to their farms at auction for development

Farming sector funding FAQ

Why choose a bridging loan or development loan over other types of financial products?

You can borrow between €26k to €250m with a bridging loan or development loan but why choose those options over other forms of funding?

Standard mortgage and re-mortgages are often not the most suitable products if you intend to purchase new land or renovate existing properties on your farm.

Lenders don't like to advance cash to use at auctions to purchase land, especially when the land has no planning permission.

Likewise, they like to approve mortgages on watertight, completed buildings but they rarely approve funding for renovation projects, no matter how much value those renovations will add.

Time is also a factor.

Standard mortgages can take up to 3 months to arrange. Mortgage lenders are also likely to charge punitive rates of interest to borrowers with bad credit.

Early redemption penalties are a consideration too with a traditional mortgage whereas, with bridging loans and development loans, there is often no penalty if you repay early.

How do you repay a bridging loan or development loan?

Instead of making monthly repayments as you would with a traditional mortgage, most borrowers will repay a bridging or development loan in full at the end of term in one lump sum payment.

When arranging your loan, we'll ask you if you want an open or closed loan. With a closed loan, you commit to making repayment in full on an agreed date. On most closed loans, there is no extra charge if you decide to repay early.

With an open loan, you choose the date you repay subject to a maximum term of 24 months.

When we apply to relevant lenders on your behalf, they'll want an exit plan from you. Your exit plan describes how you'll repay your loan in full.

For example, if you decide to convert unused or underused buildings on your farm into holiday accommodation, the standard way to exit or pay off your loan is by arranging a holiday cottage mortgage.

Alternatively, if you decide to convert an unused or underused building into a retail outlet like a farmer's shop, a standard exit would be arranging a commercial owner-occupier mortgage on the building.

Speak to our in-house finance team to discuss the best exit plan for you.

Do you offer a competitive interest rate on your bridging loans and development finance?

Our interest rates start from 0.44% per month.

A bridging loan or development loan is a fixed rate credit facility meaning that, even if the ECB base rates vary, the interest rate you're charged on your borrowing remains the same.

What types of security are required for a bridging loan or development finance application?

Lenders consider the following types of security acceptable: commercial, residential, or mixed-use property in Ireland or the United Kingdom

My business has a poor credit rating. Does that matter?

The main factor affecting lenders' decisions on whether to offer a bridge loan or development finance is your exit plan. The more viable they believe your plan is, the more likely your application will be approved.

In addition, because your loan will be secured on loan, property, or both, loan providers know that, if you fail to repay your facility, then they can sell it to a third party to recover their money.

If you or your farm business has a poor credit rating, lenders may ask to see recants bank statements for your business accounts and business cards.

Which institutions are on your panel of lenders?

Our panel includes well-known banks like the Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank, and the AIB whose activities are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and the Prudential Regulation Authority in the UK.

In addition and where appropriate, we may present your finance proposal to private lenders, family offices, and alternative funding providers.

Who can apply for farm finance?

The following types of company may apply for bridging finance or a development loan through us:

• Private Company Limited by Shares (LTD)
• Designated Activity Company (DAC)
• Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG)
• Public Limited Company (PLC)
• Limited Partnership (LP)
• Societas Europaea Company (SE)

We currently do not offer bridging loans or development finance to individuals based in Ireland.

Applying for finance for your farm or agri business

Get in touch with our in-house team of lending experts. We've helped farmers across Ireland secure agri loans with the most competitive interest rates on the most favourable lending terms.

Please click the Start Here button below and that will take you direct to our enquiry form. We'll be able to give you a say day decision in principle and you could receive the full amount requested within as few as 3 to 14 working days.