Recognise Bank: products, terms and eligibility

Recognise Bank is a UK provider of commercial mortgages and bank lending. The legal entity named on its site is Recognise Bank Limited, company number 10603119. It is based in London. It gives its founding year as 2017.

Recognise Bank says it was founded in 2017 by business owners who saw a disconnect between traditional business banking and the needs of SMEs; Companies House shows incorporation on 6 February 2017. It says it received its banking licence in 2021. It has stopped taking new Professional Buy-to-Let loan applications and now lists bridging loans and commercial mortgages as its business lending.

In its own words on scale:

• Says it completed a £9.9m bridging loan secured against properties in London and Glasgow (case study dated 8 September 2026 on its broker page).

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

Recognise Bank publishes 4 products for UK businesses. The table above gives the amounts and terms as it states them.

• Commercial mortgage (owner-occupied): Capital repayment; interest only considered subject to LTV.
• Commercial mortgage (investment): Capital repayment; interest only considered subject to LTV.

Bridging loan

Short-term secured lending of £250,000 to £10 million for up to 24 months, at up to 80% LTV on residential and up to 70% LTV on commercial property. Uses listed include buying at auction, buying property needing refurbishment and buying land for development. Recognise reviews credit history and the exit strategy for repaying the loan.

Recognise Bank says its finance is used for:

• Buying trading premises
• Refinancing commercial property
• Capital raising
• Buying property at auction
• Purchasing property that needs refurbishment
• Buying land for property development

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

• Property offered as security must be in England, Wales or Scotland.
• You live in the UK, or your company is registered in the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands, with its Centre of Main Interest in the UK.
• Trading for a minimum of 2 years.
• No more than five satisfied CCJs in the last 3 years and no missed secured loan repayments in the last 12 months.
• Not declared bankrupt or entered an IVA or CVA in the last 3 years.
• Borrower types: sole traders, partnerships, limited companies, PLCs, LLPs, trusts and SIPPs.
• Loans are unregulated and for business purposes only.

Recognise Bank describes its process like this:

1. Send an online enquiry from the product page.
2. Recognise’s team contacts you to discuss your needs and help complete the full application.
3. Recognise evaluates the application, credit history and, for bridging, the exit strategy.
4. Once approved, the loan completes and you have a dedicated relationship team for its life.
5. Brokers can enquire to join Recognise’s panel through its broker page.

Information it says it asks for:

• Minimum 2 years of full financial accounts
• Management information, reports or forecasts
• 6 months' business and personal bank statements
• Assets and liabilities / income and expenditure form (provided during the application)
• Proof of identification and address

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.

Our guide to commercial mortgages and bank lending explains the costs, who it suits and how to compare offers.

Points Recognise Bank publishes that are worth knowing:

• When we checked on 15 October 2026, Recognise Bank’s lending FAQs said it is not accepting new applications for Professional Buy-to-Let loans; existing borrowers continue to be serviced.
• When we checked on 15 October 2026, the commercial mortgage page headline gave £250,000 to £3 million, while its FAQs gave maximums of £5 million (owner-occupier) and £7.5 million (investment), and £7.5 million for commercial bridging.
• Fees may include arrangement, valuation, legal, broker and early repayment charges, set case by case.
• All loans may be repaid early, but fees and penalties may apply.
• Loan facilities are non-regulated contracts; your property is at risk if you fail to make payments.

Security and guarantees

Loans are secured on property in England, Wales or Scotland; your property is at risk if you fail to make payments. Commercial mortgages up to 70% LTV; bridging up to 80% LTV residential and 70% LTV commercial.

Recognise Bank’s site states: “Recognise Bank Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under FRN 849404.”

You can check any firm’s permissions on the FCA’s Financial Services Register, listed in the sources below, before you sign anything.

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 Shawbrook. 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.