Giant Finance+ Recruitment Finance
Giant Finance+ is a specialist recruitment-only invoice finance provider based in Cheltenham, part of Giant Group, which says it has over 30 years of experience providing software and support services to recruitment businesses. It stands out for offering up to 100% advance rates, accepting startup agencies, and providing full back-office support including payroll, credit control, and contractor management.
Giant Finance+ charges a percentage of your billing with no minimum fees, credit-checks your end clients and includes bad-debt protection, with funds often released within 24 hours of an approved invoice. More detail + scope
This page covers
Giant Finance+ recruitment invoice finance, advance rate, startup acceptance and back-office support
Not covered here
General invoice finance education (see /guides/), non-recruitment sectors (see /industries/), the full provider directory (see /providers/)
Key Facts
When Giant Finance+ Recruitment Finance Fits
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Startup recruitment agencies (0-12 months trading) with £50k-£500k turnover
Giant Finance+ says it supports agencies that are just starting out as well as established ones, offering up to 100% advance to solve the cash flow gap inherent in paying contractors before receiving client payment.
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Growing recruitment agencies (£500k-£5m turnover) needing full back-office support
Their full back-office service includes payroll, credit control, contractor management, and compliance, removing administrative burden so agency owners can focus on placement activity rather than chasing invoices or processing timesheets.
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Specialist or niche recruitment agencies (IT, healthcare, construction) requiring sector knowledge
Because Giant Finance+ works only with recruitment agencies, it is built around contractor engagement models, umbrella company interactions and timesheet-driven billing, rather than a general-purpose ledger facility.
When to Look Elsewhere
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Non-recruitment businesses requiring invoice finance
Better fit: Close Brothers. Giant Finance+ only serves recruitment agencies, so any business outside this sector needs a generalist provider.
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Large recruitment agencies (£10m+ turnover) seeking lowest headline rates
Better fit: Lloyds Bank Invoice Finance. High-street bank invoice finance typically offers keener pricing for established large agencies, though with less flexible terms and slower underwriting.
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Agencies wanting confidential invoice discounting without client notification
Better fit: Sonovate. Giant Finance+'s model involves taking over credit control, so it's visible to clients; Sonovate offers confidential facilities where the agency retains control of collections.
How Giant Finance+ Recruitment Finance Compares
| Provider | Type | Min facility | Fee from | Advance to | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonovate | both | No minimum | 2% to 4% blended | 100% | 2 days |
| Ultimate Finance | factoring | Not published | Not published | 95% | 7 days |
| Pulse Finance | factoring | £100k | 1.8% | 95% | 10 days |
| Time Finance | both | £250k | Not published | 85% | 14 days |
vs Sonovate: Sonovate offers confidential invoice discounting where the agency keeps credit control, whereas Giant Finance+ takes over collections as part of full back-office support.
vs Ultimate Finance: Ultimate Finance serves multiple sectors including recruitment and advances up to 95%, against Giant Finance+'s up to 100%, without a recruitment-only back office.
vs Pulse Finance: Pulse Finance funds the sales ledger rather than payroll directly, and treats credit control as an optional add-on rather than the core service.
vs Time Finance: Time Finance offers invoice finance across sectors with competitive rates but requires established trading history and doesn't typically advance 100% or provide full back-office services.
Illustrative worked example
Hypothetical: an IT recruitment start-up with £300k projected first-year turnover
Not a real client. The charges are illustrative assumptions, not Giant Finance+'s published rates; Giant Finance+ quotes each facility individually. Monthly cost = £625 service charge (2.5% of £25,000) plus about £143 discount charge (7.25% a year on £23,750 drawn for a month, at the 3.75% Bank of England base rate).
Setting Up With Giant Finance+ Recruitment Finance
- 1
Initial consultation
Contact Giant Finance+ with your forecast invoicing volumes and contractor numbers. Because they specialise exclusively in recruitment, they can quote for new agencies on the strength of a business plan and client pipeline.
- 2
Due diligence and onboarding
Provide director ID, company formation documents, and details of client contracts. For startups, Giant Finance+ focuses on quality of client base rather than historical accounts. Giant Finance+ credit-checks your end clients before funding.
- 3
Back-office integration
Giant Finance+ integrates with your recruitment software (Bullhorn, Vincere, etc.) to handle timesheet processing, invoice generation, contractor payroll, and client collections. You submit approved timesheets, they fund contractors and chase payment, and Giant says funds are often released within 24 hours of an approved invoice.
FAQs
Why does Giant Finance+ offer 100% advance when most providers cap at 85-90%?
Giant Finance+ credit-checks each end client before funding and builds trade credit insurance into the facility, which is how it justifies advancing up to 100% of the invoice value. It also runs credit control itself, so it controls collections.
Can Giant Finance+ handle umbrella company and limited company contractors simultaneously?
Yes, their back-office system manages mixed contractor models. They fund umbrella invoices directly to the umbrella company and limited company contractors via their own payment systems, ensuring compliance with IR35 regulations and maintaining proper audit trails for each engagement type.
What happens if a client disputes an invoice or refuses to pay?
Giant Finance+ manages the dispute resolution process as part of their service. Its facility includes built-in bad-debt protection for end clients that can't pay. A genuine dispute over the work (rather than insolvency) is a different matter, so check in the facility agreement how disputed invoices are treated.
How does pricing compare to a traditional business loan for recruitment agencies?
Giant Finance+ charges a percentage of your billing with no minimum fees; it doesn't publish the percentage, so get a quote. A term loan may be cheaper if you can secure one, but high-street banks are often reluctant to lend to recruitment start-ups, and the Giant fee also covers payroll, credit control and the back-office system you would otherwise pay for separately.
Our Verdict
Giant Finance+ is a strong choice for recruitment agencies, particularly startups that need funding from day one. The up to 100% advance rate is among the highest in the market, and the full back-office support means new agency owners can focus on winning clients rather than chasing payments. Its recruitment-only focus and the wider Giant Group's recruitment software background give it real sector depth.
Official site: Giant Finance+
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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