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Get my 3 quotes →Market Invoice compares the UK providers that fit this need, and you can get 3 free quotes through eCapital, our introduction partner. UK specialty contract manufacturers (aerospace, defence, medical devices, marine, precision engineering) run long production cycles with milestone billing and heavy tier-1 customer concentration. IGF Invoice Finance underwrites this sector profile natively, with work-in-progress treatment as a separate sub-line, a £5m+ turnover requirement, and asset-based lending against stock and plant as well as debtors.
IGF Invoice Finance is a UK specialist for contract manufacturing in aerospace, defence, medical devices, marine, and precision engineering, for businesses over £5m turnover. Asset-based lending against receivables (up to 90%), stock (up to 85%) and plant (up to 75%); pricing quoted per facility. More detail + scope
This page covers
IGF specialty contract manufacturing, work-in-progress structuring, tier-1 prime customer relationships, £5m+ turnover positioning
Not covered here
Provider review across all sectors (see /providers/igf/), specialty manufacturing finance via other providers, asset finance for manufacturing equipment specifically
Sector-Specific Customer Comfort
Specialty contract manufacturers often run high-value low-volume customer books, three or four named tier-1 primes representing 80%+ of revenue. Standard invoice finance providers apply single-debtor concentration limits that can shut this profile out. An asset-based lender that also lends against stock and plant, such as IGF, has more room to structure around the concentration, though it does not publish which customers it will fund.
Typical IGF Specialty Manufacturing Facility
| Element | IGF Specialty Manufacturing Pricing |
|---|---|
| Service charge | Not published (quoted per facility) |
| Discount charge | Not published (margin over base rate, quoted per facility) |
| Advance rate (receivables) | Up to 90% of trade debtor value |
| Advance rate (stock / plant) | Up to 85% of eligible stock; up to 75% of plant and machinery |
| Min turnover | Over £5m annual turnover |
| Setup time | Not published; structured asset-based facilities take longer than standard invoice finance |
When IGF Wins
- Specialty manufacturer over £5m turnover with strong tier-1 customer mix
- Heavy tier-1 prime concentration that mainstream lenders cap out of
- Long production cycles with milestone billing rather than completed delivery
- Aerospace, defence, medical devices, marine, precision engineering sub-sectors
- Specialist files needing sector-aware contract review
When to Look Elsewhere
- Cost-critical larger manufacturer (£10m+ turnover), get a Close Brothers quote to compare
- High-volume commodity manufacturing, Ultimate Finance (advances up to 95%) is worth a quote
- Food manufacturing with supermarket concentration, compare Bibby, which offers invoice, stock and asset finance
- Cross-border specialty manufacturing, Accelerated Payments for international receivables
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IGF Specialty Manufacturing FAQ
What's specialty contract manufacturing in this context?
Specialty contract manufacturing covers UK businesses producing custom or low-volume high-spec components to customer-defined specifications, typically in aerospace, defence, medical devices, marine, energy, and precision engineering. The economic profile differs from volume manufacturing: long production cycles (3-12 months per contract), milestone billing rather than completed-delivery invoices, tier-1/tier-2 customer concentration, and certification overhead (Nadcap, AS9100, ISO 13485 depending on sector). Generalist UK invoice finance models struggle with this; IGF underwrites it as a core competency.
How does IGF handle long production cycles?
As an asset-based lender, IGF looks at the wider balance sheet rather than invoices alone: it publishes advances of up to 90% of trade debtor value, up to 85% of eligible stock and up to 75% of plant and machinery. It does not publish a work-in-progress advance rate, so ask how WIP and milestone billing would be treated. The split avoids the all-or-nothing structure that catches generalist providers: they either decline the file because completed invoices are sparse, or apply blanket conservative advance rates that don't reflect the actual underlying receivable strength.
What turnover does IGF require?
IGF works with UK businesses with over £5m annual turnover, well above other providers' published floors (Skipton £100k, Close Brothers and Aldermore £750k; Bibby publishes none). It offers asset-based lending, with receivables up to 90% of trade debtor value and inventory up to 85%. Small specialty contract manufacturers (e.g. a precision engineering shop with £30k turnover servicing two named aerospace tier-1 customers) are outside IGF's range and should compare lower-threshold providers.
Which tier-1 customer relationships does IGF underwrite cleanly?
IGF does not publish a list of approved debtors, so we cannot say which named customers it will fund. Large aerospace, defence and automotive primes are strong credits for any lender. The application question for IGF is the underlying contract structure (volume vs spot, milestone billing terms, change-order handling) rather than the customer's creditworthiness.
What's IGF's pricing for specialty manufacturing?
IGF does not publish its pricing: service and discount charges are quoted per facility. It publishes advances of up to 90% of trade debtor value, up to 85% of eligible stock and up to 75% of plant and machinery. Compare quotes on the same balance sheet.
Who is IGF specialty manufacturing best for?
UK specialty contract manufacturers across aerospace, defence, medical devices, marine, energy, and precision engineering. IGF works with businesses over £5m turnover, and is particularly strong for files with heavy tier-1 customer concentration that mainstream lenders cap out of, or where inventory needs funding alongside receivables. Above £10m, Close Brothers (individually priced) is worth a comparison quote.