Acquisition finance is funding to buy all or part of a business. It usually combines a loan from a specialist lender with your own money and, often, part of the price paid to the seller over time. bizbritain arranges acquisition finance from £25,000 to £10 million.
The deals it funds
- Trade purchase: buying an established business outright, as a share or asset deal.
- Management buy-out (MBO): the management team buys the business it already runs. See MBO finance: how is a management buyout funded?.
- Management buy-in (MBI): an outside operator buys a business to run. See What is a management buy-in (MBI)? Can I get finance as an outside buyer?.
- Partner or shareholder buy-out: buying out a co-founder or shareholder.
- Franchise purchase: a single unit, multi-unit or master franchise.
- Buy-and-build: a platform business plus bolt-on acquisitions.
How it's funded
Most deals are cash-flow-led, sized on the profits of the business you're buying. Some are asset-backed, and some include a government-guaranteed layer. Deals are usually built in layers rather than from one loan. See How is buying a business usually funded? The capital stack.
Why the profits matter
Lenders lend against the cash the business generates, because that's what repays the debt. A profitable, well-run target is the starting point. See How profitable does the business I'm buying need to be?.
For more, read How acquisition finance works, or visit our acquisition finance page.
Last reviewed: 8 October 2026