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Policy

On advisory deals, we’re paid by you, not by lenders.

bizbritain finance limited accepts zero introducer commission, procuration fees, or arrangement income from any lender on any advisory transaction. Two kinds of deal work differently: simple deals that need no advice, where a lender may pay us and we charge you nothing, and the Start Up Loan scheme's fixed payment. Both are explained below.

Why it matters

Independence you can verify.

The moment we take a commission from a lender on a deal we're advising on, our advice is no longer independent. We would have a financial interest in the outcome that is separate from, and potentially in conflict with, your interest. We have decided that is not the firm we want to be.

Every client can ask us at any point: "Are you receiving any commission on this deal?" On an advisory deal the answer is always no. On a simple deal where a lender pays us, you'll already have it in writing, with the amount, and you pay us nothing. On a Start Up Loan, we'll explain the scheme's fixed payment and why it is different from advisory commission.

The capitalisation problem

Commission is rarely free to you.

When a lender adds an arrangement or admin fee to the loan to fund a broker's commission, the stated rate understates the true cost: you pay interest on that fee across the term.

Illustrative admin fee added to a £150,000 facility
Admin fee rate Fee added to loanbefore any interest
3% £4,500
5% £7,500
7% £10,500
10% £15,000

Illustrative, on a £150,000 facility. A 10% fee adds £15,000 to the loan before any interest; the interest on top depends on the actual rate, repayment profile and term. bizbritain will not participate in that model. On advisory deals, where a lender would pay us commission, we decline it and ask the lender to pass the equivalent saving to you instead, disclosed in writing before you sign.

Where a lender may pay us

Simple deals and the scheme payment.

Simple deals

Some start-up and growth deals need no advice or structuring, such as a straightforward unsecured loan, a credit card or invoice finance. Before we approach lenders, we tell you in writing which route your deal is on. On these simple deals a lender may pay us a commission. You pay us no retainer, success fee or abort fee, and we tell you about the commission in writing, including the amount, before you proceed.

If a simple deal turns out to need advice, we tell you in writing, and no fee is payable unless you agree to our engagement letter. We don't take commission on a deal we're advising on.

The Start Up Loan scheme payment

The British Business Bank's Start Up Loan scheme pays a fixed £524 to the Business Support Partner on each completed application. This is a scheme-defined commercial term, not a commission in the advisory sense: it is the same fixed amount on every loan regardless of which lender or product is involved, so it cannot influence our advice. The client pays £0 for it. We disclose it plainly, and it is entirely separate from our advisory fees.

If the deal aborts

Proportionate, capped, and only if you pull out.

Acquisition mandates carry an abort fee. Solicitors and accountants charge regardless of outcome. We charge proportionately, and only if you've signed our engagement letter and decide not to proceed after a lender has issued a credit-approved offer. Start-up and growth finance carry no abort fees.

bizbritain acquisition finance abort-fee schedule
Stage Trigger Abort fee Cap
0 No AIP, or AIP issued but engagement letter not signed Nothing to pay N/A
1 Engagement letter signed, no credit-approved offer yet Retainer retained only N/A
2 You decide not to proceed after the first credit-approved term sheet is issued 0.5% of credit-backed facility 33% of success fee
3 You decide not to proceed with the deal in legal phase (post-Heads of Terms) 1.0% of credit-backed facility 50% of success fee

Caps apply to the percentage charge. The retainer is payable in addition.

Worked example

On a £1,000,000 acquisition (success fee £23,750, retainer £2,500):

  • If the deal completes, you pay £23,750 total (success fee, with the £2,500 retainer credited).
  • If you decide not to proceed at Stage 2, you pay £7,500 total (retainer + 0.5% of facility).
  • If you decide not to proceed at Stage 3, you pay £12,500 total (retainer + 1.0% of facility).
  • If no lender issues an AIP, or you don't sign the engagement letter, you pay nothing.
  • If you've signed but no credit-approved offer follows, you pay the retainer only (£2,500).
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Commission Policy Statement · Version 2.0 · October 2026