Partnership Invoice Finance Review
Partnership Invoice Finance is an independent factor based in Paddock Wood, Kent, trading as a limited company since 2002. It offers recourse factoring and disclosed invoice discounting to start-ups and SMEs, with funding up to around £1,000,000, and publishes no minimum turnover, advance rate or fees. That makes it one to ask if you are below the published minimums of the larger funders.
What this page covers
This page covers
Partnership Invoice Finance products, published terms and fit for start-ups and small businesses
Not covered here
Mid-market and bank facilities (see /providers/), general invoice finance education (see /guides/), sector pages (see /industries/)
Key Facts
When Partnership Invoice Finance Fits
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Start-ups and small businesses below the big funders' minimums
Partnership says it works with start-ups as well as established SMEs and publishes no minimum turnover. Larger funders often publish minimums in the hundreds of thousands (NatWest £300,000, Close Brothers and Aldermore £750,000), so smaller businesses are where it can help most.
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Established SMEs in Kent, Sussex, and South East who value face-to-face service
Partnership's Kent base and track record since 2002 mean it understands regional supply chains and can meet clients in person, unlike remote-only platforms or distant bank divisions.
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Businesses previously rejected by larger providers due to size or complexity
Independent providers can assess cases individually rather than apply automated credit scoring. Its focus on start-ups and SMEs suggests a flexible, case-by-case approach suited to non-standard situations.
When to Look Elsewhere
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Turnover above £5m requiring multi-currency invoicing or export finance
Better fit: HSBC Invoice Finance. Banks offer integrated trade finance, foreign exchange hedging, and international credit insurance that small independents cannot match.
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Construction or recruitment firms needing specialist sector expertise and CIS handling
Better fit: Sonovate. Sonovate built platform-based services specifically for recruitment and contractor payroll, with automation Partnership's manual processes cannot replicate at scale.
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Confidential invoice discounting for businesses over £2m turnover wanting no client notification
Better fit: Close Brothers. Close Brothers offers confidential invoice discounting, whereas Partnership lists only recourse factoring and disclosed invoice discounting, where your customers know about the facility.
How Partnership Invoice Finance Compares
| Provider | Type | Min facility | Fee from | Advance to | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IGF Invoice Finance | both | £2m (£5m+ turnover) | Bespoke | 90% | 10 working days |
| Ultimate Finance | both | Not published | Not published | 95% | Within one week |
| Pulse Finance | both | £200k (£1m+ turnover) | Not published | 90% | 24 hours once live |
vs IGF Invoice Finance: IGF works at the other end of the market, funding businesses turning over £5m or more, while Partnership targets start-ups and SMEs with funding up to around £1m.
vs Ultimate Finance: Ultimate is a larger national independent with facilities to £10m and publishes no minimum turnover; Partnership is a smaller Kent team focused on start-ups and SMEs.
vs Pulse Finance: Pulse works on facilities of £200k to £5m for companies turning over £1m or more and pays up to 90% within 24 hours of an invoice upload; Partnership serves smaller businesses than Pulse's published floor.
Illustrative worked example
Hypothetical: A Maidstone printing company with £180k annual turnover
Not a real client. The charges are illustrative assumptions, not Partnership Invoice Finance's published rates; Partnership Invoice Finance quotes each facility individually. Monthly cost = £180 service charge (1.2% of £15,000) plus about £73 discount charge (7.25% a year on £12,000 drawn for a month, at the 3.75% Bank of England base rate).
Setting Up With Partnership Invoice Finance
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Initial assessment and documentation
Partnership reviews your last six months of invoices, debtor ledger, and Companies House filing. Because it works with start-ups and small businesses, expect a phone discussion about your customer base and payment terms.
- 2
Credit checks on your customers
Partnership runs credit checks on your main debtors to confirm they can advance against those invoices. For micro-businesses, concentrating sales with two or three customers is common, so diversification may not be required as strictly as larger providers demand.
- 3
Agreement signing and first drawdown
Once approved, you sign a facility agreement. Partnership does not publish its contract term or funding time, so ask for the initial term, notice period and how quickly the first advance is paid in writing.
FAQs
Does Partnership publish a minimum turnover or facility?
No. Its site says it works with start-ups, SMEs and businesses needing funding up to around £1,000,000, and gives no minimum. Larger funders often publish minimums in the hundreds of thousands, so if you are below those levels a small independent like Partnership is worth asking directly.
Does Partnership offer confidential invoice discounting or only factoring?
Its site lists recourse factoring, where Partnership collects payments from your customers, and disclosed invoice discounting, where you run collections but your customers are told about the facility. It does not list confidential invoice discounting. If you need confidential facilities, providers like Close Brothers or Lloyds Bank Invoice Finance are better suited (Lloyds publishes a minimum turnover of £100,000).
What sectors does Partnership typically work with in the South East?
Partnership's website does not list target sectors; its client testimonials include transport, electronics and gifts businesses. If you run a recruitment agency funding weekly contractor payroll, a recruitment specialist such as Sonovate may fit better.
How does Partnership's track record compare to newer platforms?
Partnership Invoice Finance Limited was incorporated in 2002 (Companies House 04365011), so it has traded through more than one credit cycle. It offers an online client login, but its site leads with phone contact and a named client manager, so expect more phone and email interaction than online-first providers like Hydr.
For businesses valuing personal relationships over technology, this can be an advantage. For fast-growing firms needing API integrations with Xero or instant drawdowns, newer platforms fit better.
Our Verdict
Partnership Invoice Finance is a small Kent independent that has traded since 2002 and works with start-ups and SMEs the larger funders often turn away. It publishes no rates or minimums and offers factoring and disclosed discounting only, so get a written quote and compare it with at least two others. A sensible call for small businesses that are happy for customers to know about the facility.
Sources: Partnership Invoice Finance (products, Paddock Wood office, funding up to around £1,000,000) · Companies House 04365011 (incorporated 1 February 2002)
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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