Business loan declined: sub-12-month trading
Your Ltd company has been trading for less than 12 months. Most UK SMB lenders set 12 to 24 months as a minimum.
Why this triggers a decline
Underwriting models lean heavily on year-on-year trading patterns and seasonal trends. Without a full year, the data is too thin for mainstream credit decisions.
Alternatives that work
- Start Up Loan (government backed)
- iwoca (will engage at 12 months)
- MCA against established card flow
- Asset finance (asset is the security)
Lenders we route to
- Start Up Loans Company
- iwoca
- Capify (against 6+ months card history)
- Selected asset finance lenders
What to do first
- Wait until you cross the 12-month trading mark if the cash gap allows.
- Build card-machine history if you take card payments; some lenders accept 6 months card flow in lieu of trading time.
Not for
Pre-trading companies; companies dormant for most of the period.
Run the matcher
Tell us your sector, ticket size and trading time. We score each panel lender and surface the ones most likely to approve given the decline reason above.
Open matcher →Last reviewed: 2026-04-26.