FGI Finance
FGI Finance is a specialist invoice finance provider with facilities starting from around £100,000. They focus on delivering tailored receivables finance solutions, working with businesses that may have complex requirements or circumstances that generalist providers struggle to accommodate.
FGI Finance is a specialist UK invoice finance provider offering facilities from around £100,000, with advance rates around 85% and service charges from 0.8%. More detail + scope
This page covers
FGI Finance invoice finance minimum facility, advance rate, pricing and specialist positioning
Not covered here
General invoice finance education (see /guides/), sector pages (see /industries/), the full provider directory (see /providers/)
Key Facts
When FGI Finance Fits
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Manufacturing or distribution firms with £500k-£5m turnover needing flexible funding without high-street banking relationships
FGI specialises in mid-market businesses with complex ledgers or cross-sector trading patterns where mainstream banks often struggle to price risk appropriately.
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Professional services firms (recruitment, IT contractors) with invoice values £10k+ requiring confidential facilities
FGI offers confidential invoice discounting that preserves client relationships while funding high-value invoices, typical in B2B services where cash flow mismatches cause growth constraints.
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Companies emerging from restructuring or with recent CCJs needing specialist underwriting
FGI's underwriting looks beyond credit scores to assess debtor quality and trading momentum, making them accessible when Lloyds Bank or Barclays Invoice Finance decline on automated credit scoring.
When to Look Elsewhere
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Construction subcontractors needing same-day spot factoring on retention-heavy invoices
Better fit: Ultimate Finance. Ultimate Finance specialises in construction cash flow with retention release products and 24-hour decisions, addressing sector-specific payment terms FGI doesn't emphasise.
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High-street retailers or hospitality businesses with minimal B2B invoicing
Better fit: IGF Invoice Finance. IGF works with larger businesses (over £5m turnover) and can lend against inventory as well as receivables, whereas FGI focuses on B2B invoice-led businesses with substantial ledgers.
How FGI Finance Compares
| Provider | Type | Min facility | Fee from | Advance to | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bibby Financial Services | both | £50k | Not published | 90% | 5-7 days |
| Close Brothers | both | Not published | Not published | 85% | 7-10 days |
| Pulse Finance | both | £50k | 0.6% | 90% | 3-5 days |
| Time Finance | both | £25k | Not published | 85% | 5-7 days |
vs Bibby Financial Services: Bibby publishes no minimum turnover and offers export finance across a wide range of overseas markets, whereas FGI focuses on UK-centric mid-market deals with deeper sector underwriting.
vs Close Brothers: Close Brothers provides asset-based lending alongside invoice finance for property-backed businesses, while FGI remains pure receivables specialist without requiring additional security.
vs Pulse Finance: Pulse Finance offers a dedicated account manager per client and facilities from \u00a3200k to \u00a35m, whereas FGI provides relationship-led underwriting for complex trading histories.
vs Time Finance: Time Finance combines invoice finance with asset finance and working capital loans in hybrid structures, while FGI maintains pure invoice finance focus without cross-selling other products.
Illustrative worked example
Hypothetical: A Nottingham engineering components manufacturer with £1.2m turnover supplying automotive tier-one contractors
Not a real client. The charges are illustrative assumptions, not FGI Finance's published rates; FGI Finance quotes each facility individually. Monthly cost = £800 service charge (0.8% of £100,000) plus about £514 discount charge (7.25% a year on £85,000 drawn for a month, at the 3.75% Bank of England base rate).
Setting Up With FGI Finance
- 1
Initial enquiry and ledger review
FGI requests three months' aged debtor reports and recent management accounts. Their underwriters assess debtor concentration, payment patterns and sector risk, typically providing indicative terms within 3-4 working days for straightforward cases.
- 2
Proposal and due diligence
Once terms agreed, FGI conducts legal due diligence on debtor contracts and director searches. They may require verification calls with top five debtors to confirm trading relationships and dispute history, adding 5-7 days to the process.
- 3
Documentation and first drawdown
Legal documentation covers the receivables assignment and security arrangements. FGI coordinates with your solicitor for execution, then sets up the trust account for collections. First funds typically arrive 2-3 days post-signature once initial invoices are approved.
FAQs
Does FGI Finance report to credit bureaus or notify my customers?
FGI offers both disclosed factoring (where they collect directly and customers know) and confidential discounting (where you retain collections and customers remain unaware). Confidential facilities don't involve credit bureau reporting or customer notification, preserving existing trading relationships while accessing working capital.
What happens if a customer disputes an invoice after I've been advanced funds?
The advance is repayable if the invoice becomes invalid due to goods returned, services disputed, or delivery issues. FGI typically reserves 10-15% of invoice value as a retention buffer to cover such scenarios. Frequent disputes may trigger facility reviews or lower advance rates, so maintaining invoice quality is essential.
Can FGI accommodate seasonal businesses with fluctuating invoice volumes?
Yes, FGI structures facilities to flex with your ledger size. You only pay service charges on invoices financed, not the total facility limit. This suits businesses like agricultural suppliers or holiday sector manufacturers where monthly invoicing may range from £50k to £200k across the year without penalty.
How long does FGI typically take to approve and fund new invoices once the facility is live?
After the facility opens, FGI can approve pre-vetted debtor invoices and release funds within 24 hours of invoice upload. New debtor approval requires credit checks and may take 2-3 days initially. Most businesses see routine funding within same or next working day once trading patterns are established.
Our Verdict
FGI Finance is worth exploring if you have a more complex invoice finance requirement that mainstream providers have struggled with. Their specialist approach means they are willing to look at deals that others might decline, making them a useful option to have on your shortlist alongside more conventional providers.
Founder & Managing Director, Muswell Rose, founder and PSC of Best Business Loans Ltd
Adam is the founder and managing director of Muswell Rose and a founder of Best Business Loans Ltd, the company behind Market Invoice. He spent over three years as managing director of Penny, a UK invoice finance business, and his career runs through insurance, mortgages, commercial finance and fintech lending. He writes the Market Invoice library.
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