Start a commercial finance brokerage with CoreFi
CoreFi lets you launch a commercial finance brokerage with access to a curated lender panel, a deal CRM, a lender-matching engine, document handling and broker training. There is no franchise fee. Broking unregulated commercial finance to limited companies does not require FCA authorisation, so most brokers start placing deals and earning from their first funded deal without an FCA application.
Commercial finance broking to limited companies is one of the few financial services businesses where the regulatory barrier to entry is genuinely low. There is no FCA application for the core model, no franchise fee, no mandatory qualification. What actually holds new brokers back is product knowledge and lender access, and CoreFi supplies both.
We place commercial finance on behalf of SME borrowers every week. The lender panel, the deal tooling, the training and the commission structure come from running this as a live business. You join as an independent broker under your own limited company, use the platform to run your deals from first enquiry to funded, and earn a share of the lender commission from deal one.
- 1
Set up your limited company
Incorporate a limited company at Companies House, typically done within a day via a formation agent for around £100. Operating as a limited company is the foundation of the unregulated commercial finance route and gives a clean separation between you and the business from day one.
- 2
Apply to join CoreFi as a broker agent
Complete the CoreFi broker application. You go through identity verification, a compliance review and a seven-step onboarding process covering your background, the products you plan to place and your target market.
- 3
Complete broker training
Work through CoreFi's broker training before placing your first deal. It covers the core product types, lender selection, deal packaging, borrower due diligence and the regulatory boundaries you need to hold.
- 4
Sign the introducer agreement
Sign CoreFi's introducer agreement, which sets out your commission terms, compliance obligations and the rules governing how you represent lenders and CoreFi to borrowers. This is the point at which you are cleared to place deals on the panel.
- 5
Source your first deal and use the matching engine
Bring your first enquiry into the deal CRM. Enter the borrower's key details and requirements, run the lender-matching engine to find the best-fit lenders, package the submission and send it to your borrower for sign-off before it goes to the lender.
- 6
Get funded and earn commission
Once the lender funds the deal, your commission is recorded in the platform and paid on the standard CoreFi schedule. As your lifetime funded volume grows you move through the tier structure, increasing your commission rate on subsequent deals.
Why commercial finance broking, and why now
UK high-street banks have cut relationship managers and tightened credit criteria. A large share of SME lending volume now flows to specialist lenders who depend on intermediaries to source and package deals. As an independent broker you sit in that gap. You earn a lender commission on every funded deal, typically 1% to 2% of the facility value, with no volume cap and no employer above you.
Broking unregulated commercial finance to limited companies does not require FCA authorisation. That covers the products most SMEs actually need: unsecured business loans, asset finance, invoice finance, bridging and development finance. You register a limited company, complete CoreFi's broker training, sign the introducer agreement, and you are ready to place. Unregulated does not mean unaccountable. You still keep clean records, deal fairly with borrowers, and describe each lender's terms accurately, just without FCA authorisation behind you.
What CoreFi gives you
CoreFi is a broker and a platform, not a franchise. There is no joining fee, no territory licence, no royalty.
Lender panel. A curated panel of specialist lenders across unsecured lending, asset finance, invoice finance, bridging and development finance. Direct BDM contacts and per-product criteria are built into the platform, so you place through an established panel instead of spending months chasing lenders for a slot..
Deal CRM. A pipeline built for commercial finance. Stage history, bottleneck analytics and a Today action queue mean you always know what needs doing on each deal. No spreadsheets.
Lender-matching engine. Enter a deal's key parameters and the engine scores your panel against lender appetite, product criteria and borrower profile. You go to the right lender first, which keeps your client's credit file clean and lifts your conversion rate.
Document handling. Borrowers complete a single digital onboarding pack. You review it and submit to the lender. No printing, no chasing attachments.
Broker training. Products, deal packaging, lender selection and compliance obligations. Commercial finance does not require CeMAP; that is a residential mortgage qualification and has nothing to do with this market. What you do need is solid product knowledge and a clear understanding of which deals need regulatory care.
Commission structure: earn from deal one
CoreFi agents earn a share of the lender commission on every funded deal. Four tiers based on lifetime funded volume, starting at Associate (55%) and rising to Partner (70%) once you have placed £2.5 million in funded deals.
| Tier | Your share | Threshold | |---|---|---| | Associate | 55% | From day one | | Broker | 60% | £50,000 funded | | Senior | 65% | £1,000,000 funded | | Partner | 70% | £2,500,000 funded |
There is no franchise fee to recoup before you start earning. Franchise-model competitors in this space typically charge £6,000 to £30,000 upfront. CoreFi charges nothing. You earn from your first funded deal, and your split climbs as you place more.
Who this is for
People who want to run their own commercial finance business, not join a franchise or become an employee.
Career changers from banking, lending or accountancy who already understand credit and client relationships and want to apply that independently. Existing introducers or accountants who refer clients to lenders informally and want to formalise that into a structured income stream. Entrepreneurs who want a service business with low overheads, no stock and no premises. And experienced brokers who want better tooling, a stronger panel and a platform that handles the operational side.
You operate as a limited company. The unregulated commercial finance route works cleanly for limited company borrowers. If you want to serve sole traders, partnerships, or place regulated products, there are additional considerations, and the spoke guides below go into the detail.
What the regulated boundary actually means for you
This is the question most new brokers get wrong.
Broking unregulated commercial finance to limited companies does not require FCA authorisation. That is the core rule, and it covers the majority of SME lending products and the majority of SME borrowers.
Where it gets more complex: broking to sole traders or partnerships can require FCA permission even for otherwise-exempt business loans, under Article 36A(4) of the Regulated Activities Order. Regulated products including consumer credit, residential mortgages and Start Up Loans (personal loans up to £25,000 to individuals, administered via the British Business Bank) always require FCA authorisation or an appointed-representative arrangement, whatever the borrower type.
The honest rule: unregulated commercial finance to limited companies needs no FCA authorisation; regulated products, or lending to individuals and sole traders, requires FCA permission. CoreFi's training and compliance guidance helps you identify which deals fall where. The dedicated spoke guide sets out the full regulatory picture.
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Commercial finance brokerage business plan (free template)
Frequently asked questions
Do I need FCA authorisation to start a commercial finance brokerage?
Not for the core model. Broking unregulated commercial finance to limited companies does not require FCA authorisation. If you want to serve sole traders or partnerships, or place regulated products such as consumer credit or residential mortgages, additional regulatory permissions can apply under Article 36A(4) of the Regulated Activities Order and FSMA. CoreFi's training covers the boundary, and there is a dedicated guide in this cluster.
Do I need CeMAP or any other qualification?
No. CeMAP is a qualification for residential mortgage advisers and is not required for commercial finance broking. CoreFi provides its own broker training covering the product knowledge and compliance understanding you need to place commercial deals correctly.
Is there a franchise fee or joining cost?
No. There is no franchise fee, no territory licence and no joining cost. Competitors in this space typically charge £6,000 to £30,000 upfront. CoreFi charges nothing. You earn commission from your first funded deal.
What products can I place through CoreFi?
CoreFi's panel covers 16 unregulated B2B products including unsecured business loans, asset finance, invoice finance, bridging loans and property development finance. There are also regulated referral products for situations that require FCA-authorised lenders, where the regulated side is handled appropriately rather than by you directly.
How quickly can I place my first deal?
Many brokers complete identity verification, training and agreement signing within a few days of applying. Once onboarded, you can bring deals into the CRM immediately. Time from first enquiry to a funded deal depends on the product and lender, but many commercial deals complete within two to six weeks. That is not a promise of income; your pipeline and effort drive the timeline.
Launch your commercial finance brokerage
No franchise fee. No FCA barrier for the core commercial model of broking to limited companies. Start earning from your first funded deal with CoreFi's lender panel, deal CRM and broker training behind you.
Launch with CoreFi