Finance for science and technical businesses
Laboratory and testing equipment is expensive, specialised and slow to resell — which makes lender choice matter more here than almost anywhere else.
Request a callback- Commonly funded
- Analytical and test equipment
- Typical facilities
- Hire purchase, lease
- Lender focus
- Contracts and accreditation
This page describes what businesses in this sector typically fund and what lenders generally look for. It is not a recommendation, and what is available to you depends on your own circumstances.
About science & technical
Laboratory and technical equipment presents an awkward combination for funders: individually very expensive, highly specialised, and with a resale market that is thin and slow. A mass spectrometer is worth a great deal to the handful of buyers who need one and very little to anyone else.
That pushes the assessment back onto the business. Accreditation, contracted testing work, and income that recurs rather than arriving in lumps all count for a lot. Where those are in place the sector funds perfectly well, but it needs a lender who will look past the difficulty of reselling the kit.
What gets funded
- Analytical instruments, chromatography and spectrometry equipment.
- Testing rigs, environmental chambers and materials testing machines.
- Calibration, metrology and precision measurement equipment.
- Laboratory fit-out, fume cupboards, benching and clean room installation.
- Specialist IT, data capture and instrument control systems.
What strengthens the case
- UKAS or equivalent accreditation, which underpins the ability to trade at all.
- Long-term testing contracts, particularly with public bodies or large corporates.
- Recurring rather than project-based income.
- Manufacturer service and calibration agreements protecting equipment value.
- A clear link between the equipment and identifiable new revenue.
Frequently asked
Is specialist equipment harder to fund?
It narrows the panel rather than closing the door. Generalist funders often decline because they cannot value the asset; specialist lenders will proceed where the business itself is strong and the equipment clearly generates income.
Can lab fit-out be included?
Often, though fit-out is treated as a soft asset and assessed against your trading position rather than any recoverable value. Packaging it alongside fundable instruments sometimes produces a better overall result than funding it alone.
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We will tell you which funders lend into your industry, and roughly what they are likely to say.
