OakNorth Bank: products, terms and eligibility

OakNorth Bank is a UK provider of commercial mortgages and bank lending. The legal entity named on its site is OakNorth Bank plc, company number 08595042. It is based in London. It gives its founding year as 2015 (site: 'Since 2015').

OakNorth Bank plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the FCA (register number 629564). The site says it lends to UK businesses and takes savings deposits. It says it is not a member or subsidiary of any other organisation or banking group, and has offices in London and Manchester. Its site says it has operated since 2015.

In its own words on scale:

• Says it has lent more than £11 billion to UK entrepreneurs and helped more than 200,000 savers (figures on its site in October 2026).
• Says its fund finance business has funded over £595m across 65+ facilities (figure on its fund finance page in October 2026).

Everything on this page comes from what OakNorth Bank publishes itself. We show the date we last checked it, and we do not rate or rank lenders.

OakNorth Bank publishes 3 products for UK businesses. The table above gives the amounts and terms as it states them.

• Real estate and property development finance: Bespoke facilities, including umbrella facilities for repeat development.
• Acquisition, sector and fund finance: Amortising or non-amortising (lump sum at end); fixed terms or revolving credit facilities.

Real estate and property development finance

Bespoke facilities from £1 million to tens of millions for property developers, investors, buy-to-let investors and housebuilders. Loans can be amortising, non-amortising (lump sum at the end) or interest-only depending on risk profile and purpose, and umbrella facilities can combine several projects. Sectors listed include residential development, build-to-rent, student housing, office conversion, self-storage, supported living, hotels and mixed-use.

Property investment (buy-to-let) digital application

Buy-to-let investors are listed among the borrowers served by its real estate lending, with an online application route. Product limits were not published on the pages read.

Acquisition, sector and fund finance

Business loans from £1 million to tens of millions for working capital, NAV financing, bridging, acquisitions, management buyouts and share repurchases. Fund finance structures include NAV facilities, capital call facilities, liquidity lines and loan-on-loan facilities for funds with a UK nexus, in sterling only.

OakNorth Bank says its finance is used for:

• Property development
• Working capital
• Acquisitions and management buyouts
• NAV and fund financing
• Bridging
• Share repurchases

Sectors and business types it says it funds:

• Property development and investment
• Care and senior living
• Childcare and education
• Hospitality
• Legal services
• Manufacturing
• Construction
• Security

What it says it does not fund:

• Gambling
• Weapons
• Oil and gas

OakNorth Bank publishes these criteria. Meeting them does not mean an application will be accepted: every lender makes its own decision.

• Minimum loan size currently £1 million.
• It looks at how long you have been trading, annual turnover, profitability and EBITDA for certain loan types.
• You do not have to move your business banking to OakNorth.
• Applications are by enquiry; its specialists structure the loan with you.

OakNorth Bank describes its process like this:

1. Start an online application through the business loan or property finance portal.
2. The bank assesses the business using forecasting rather than only historic financials.
3. For larger loans, applicants get access to credit decision-makers.

Every application is subject to status and the lender’s own criteria at the time.

A commercial mortgage is a long-term loan secured on business premises or investment property. Lenders look at the property’s value, the deposit, and whether the business’s profits or the rent comfortably cover the repayments.

Banks often lend across several products, from overdrafts to asset finance, and some can offer facilities under government schemes. See government-backed business loans for how those work.

Points OakNorth Bank publishes that are worth knowing:

• Offers both secured and unsecured business loans depending on the facility.
• Says it is not tied to rigid security packages.
• Whether a loan is interest-only or amortising depends on risk profile and purpose.
• For loans above a certain size you may be invited to meet its Credit Committee.
• Does not offer off-the-shelf products; facilities are tailored by sector.

Security and guarantees

It says it is not restricted to traditional security packages and structures loans around the business. It says borrowers do not have to move their business banking to OakNorth.

OakNorth Bank’s site states: “OakNorth Bank plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. (Financial Services Register number: 629564.) Registered Office: 57 Broadwick Street, London W1F 9QS, Registered in England No. 08595042.”

Protections differ by borrower type and loan size. Most lending to limited companies is not regulated consumer credit, so read the agreement and ask the lender what applies to you.

Other providers of commercial mortgages and bank lending with profiles here include Redwood Bank, Santander UK and TSB. Each profile uses that lender’s own published terms.

The full list, grouped by product type, is in our directory of UK business lenders.

Capzy is a credit broker, not a lender, and gets paid by the lender. One application lets your business compare options across lenders, so you can weigh this kind of facility against the alternatives. You can check your funding options with a soft search that does not affect your credit score. A full application to a lender may involve a hard search, and any offer is subject to status and lender criteria.