£175K Invoice Finance for a UK Surveying Business: Case Study
Manager · 22 July 2026 · 5 min read
In this article
- How a UK asset surveying business secured a £175,000 invoice finance facility
- Why invoice finance suits firms invoicing facilities management clients on credit terms
- How accounts that are not fully up to date need not rule out working capital
A UK asset surveying business serving the facilities management sector, trading for more than 3 years, secured a £175,000 invoice finance facility through Spark Finance in the West Midlands to support its working capital. The business needed reliable access to the cash tied up in its unpaid invoices while it waited for facilities management clients to pay.
For surveying and inspection firms that invoice on extended terms, a receivables facility can release earned income without waiting weeks or months for payment to arrive.
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Background
Asset surveying businesses carry out condition surveys, asset data capture and compliance inspections for clients in the facilities management sector, helping them understand and maintain the buildings and equipment they run. The work is typically delivered on a project or contract basis and invoiced on credit terms.
This business provided surveying services to facilities management clients and was growing its contract base. Its income arrived through client invoices that could take weeks or months to be paid, which left working capital tied up in completed work even when the order book was strong.
The Challenge
The business needed working capital to keep pace with its growing contract base, without waiting for facilities management clients to settle their invoices.
- Income tied up in invoices that could take weeks or months to be paid
- A growing contract base placing demands on day-to-day working capital
- Accounts that were not fully up to date at Companies House
- A need for funding that scaled with its client invoicing
"In surveying, the work is often signed off long before the invoice is paid. The right receivables facility lets a business use what it has already earned to take on the next contract."
- Kyrelos Khir, Manager, Spark Finance
Our Approach
- Reviewed the business's sales ledger and client invoicing profile
- Presented the growing contract base to the lender in context
- Matched the business with a lender comfortable with the facilities management sector
- Structured an invoice finance facility that scaled with its invoicing
Outcome
The business successfully secured a £175,000 invoice finance facility, giving it reliable access to working capital against its invoices rather than waiting on client payment terms.
This allowed the business to:
- Draw working capital against its unpaid invoices as they were raised
- Keep pace with a growing base of facilities management contracts
- Manage cashflow around extended client payment terms
The client cited Spark Finance's understanding of the business and its knowledge of the product as key reasons for proceeding. This case demonstrates that an asset surveying business serving the facilities management sector can access invoice finance through a specialist FCA-authorised broker, even where its accounts are not fully up to date.
What is Invoice Finance?
Invoice finance is a form of commercial finance that lets a business raise working capital against the value of its unpaid invoices, rather than waiting for customers to pay. A lender advances a proportion of each invoice, with the balance released once the invoice is settled.
- Funding is linked to the value of unpaid invoices rather than a fixed loan amount
- The facility can grow as the sales ledger grows
- Approval considers the receivables and the wider trading position
- Suited to businesses that invoice other businesses on credit terms
Invoice finance can suit surveying and inspection firms that invoice facilities management clients on extended terms and need funding to keep pace with their contract base.
Looking for Surveying Finance in the West Midlands?
Spark Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 958123). Spark Finance works with 100+ UK lenders to find the most appropriate facility for each business, regardless of trading history or sector complexity.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can a surveying business raise through invoice finance?
Invoice finance is linked to the value of a business's unpaid invoices rather than a fixed figure, so facilities can scale as the sales ledger grows. In this case Spark Finance arranged a £175,000 invoice finance facility, and lenders can consider a wide range of facility sizes.
How does invoice finance help a business invoicing on credit terms?
Instead of waiting weeks or months for clients to pay, a business can draw a proportion of each invoice as it is raised, with the balance released once the invoice is settled. This releases working capital that would otherwise be tied up in completed work.
How quickly can an invoice finance facility be set up?
Timescales vary with the size of the facility and the checks involved, which can include reviewing the sales ledger and verifying invoices. Once a facility is agreed, a business can typically draw against approved invoices as they are raised.
Can a surveying business with out-of-date accounts still get invoice finance?
Often, yes. Where filed accounts are not fully current, lenders on a broker's panel may still consider an application if the sales ledger and wider trading position are clear. Presenting the up-to-date position in context can make the difference.
The bottom line
For surveying businesses serving facilities management, growth can be limited by how long clients take to pay. With a panel of over 100 UK lenders, Spark Finance can source invoice finance facilities of £175,000 and more that release the cash a business has already earned.
Spark Finance case studies are based on real client transactions; certain details, including location and amounts, have been changed to protect client confidentiality.
Check your eligibilityAbout the author
Kyrelos Khir
Manager
Kyrelos is a finance manager at Spark Finance with a focus on invoice finance and working capital solutions for UK businesses. He helps businesses in professional services, recruitment, and manufacturing unlock cash tied up in their debtor books through factoring and discounting facilities.