Business loans built for long civil contracts, with fast decisions and an account manager who understands certified valuations, retentions and heavy plant costs.
Civil engineering work ties up money for a long time. Contracts run over months or years, payment arrives against certified valuations, and a slice is held back as retention long after the work is signed off. A business loan gives a firm a lump sum to fund that distance, repaid over a fixed term so the cost stays predictable across a long programme.
It works as general working capital rather than being pinned to a single payment, which suits the scale of drainage, highways and structural schemes where plant, fuel and specialist labour are all paid for well ahead of the next valuation. Where the core issue is slow-paying clients sitting on certified applications, invoice finance can release that cash instead, and Tando will help you weigh a term loan against it.
On large civil schemes, capital is locked up at almost every stage between winning the work and being paid in full, and the bigger the contract the longer that wait runs. The recurring pressure points are:
Tando runs on people, not portals, so a civil engineering firm works with one account manager who gets to know the contracts behind the numbers. Decisions usually arrive in three to five days, and the team is comfortable with firms whose credit history has taken knocks.
If a firm won a highways scheme but needed to fund plant hire and the first two months of labour before any valuation was certified, a business loan could cover that opening stretch. For firms that want headroom they can dip into and repay as valuations land, a revolving credit facility can sit alongside a term loan, and your account manager will flag which route fits.
Secured Business Loans use assets like property or equipment as collateral to unlock higher borrowing limits and lower interest rates, giving your company predictable repayment terms and the flexibility to invest in long-term growth.
Unsecured Business Loans require no collateral, offering a rapid application and approval process. Although interest rates may be higher, this option lets businesses with strong credit profiles access funds quickly for working capital or expansion.
Start-Up Business Loans, often government-backed, provide new ventures with £500–£25,000 at fixed, affordable rates. They include mentorship and support services, helping entrepreneurs build credit, purchase essential equipment, and launch their businesses confidently.
Yes. Long contracts are normal in civil engineering, and a business loan is designed to sit across that timescale rather than a single payment. The term is set to match how the work pays out, so repayments stay manageable while valuations and retentions catch up. Your account manager will look at the contract profile, not just a snapshot of the bank balance.
There is no hard minimum, but the typical fit is a firm turning over £200k or more. What matters most is that the business is trading steadily and can service the repayments. Civil engineering firms with strong order books but lumpy cash flow are exactly the kind of business this suits, so an uneven month does not rule you out.
It can. A business loan is flexible capital, so it can go toward buying or hiring plant, fuel, site setup or anything the contract demands. Because the money is not tied to a specific asset, you decide where it does the most good. If the spend is purely on machinery, your account manager may also suggest asset-based options worth comparing.
Retentions are understood as a normal feature of the sector, not a red flag. Money held back after completion is a known cash flow drag, and a loan can bridge the wait until it is released. Sharing your retention position and certified valuations helps the lending partner size the facility accurately and set a term that fits the release dates.
It is lighter than most expect. Recent accounts, bank statements and a short picture of what the funding supports usually start the process. Because a person reviews the file, you can explain anything unusual rather than being filtered out by a system. The aim is a fair read of the business, so context around a difficult period is welcome rather than ignored.
Yes, and that is part of the point. Tando builds long-term relationships, so as a firm takes on larger schemes the facility can be revisited with the same account manager. There is no need to start from scratch elsewhere. Keeping the lender updated on your order book makes it quicker to scale funding when a bigger contract lands.
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Contact UsInvoice financing lets you unlock cash tied up in unpaid invoices, giving your business faster access to working capital without waiting for customers to pay.
Access flexible funding to grow your business, manage expenses, or invest in new opportunities—with repayment options suited to your cash flow and goals.
Tailored financial solutions specifically for construction companies to manage projects, procure materials, and ensure steady progress through every development phase.
Get fast funding based on your future card sales, with repayments taken as a percentage of daily takings—ideal for businesses with fluctuating revenue.
Finance for property purchases, developments, or refurbishments—supporting commercial, residential, and investment projects with tailored lending options.
Ensure your team is paid on time, every time. Payroll finance bridges short-term cash flow gaps so you can cover wages even when clients pay late.
Empower your supply chain and secure global growth with flexible, human-led funding solutions.
Secure international trade with confidence. Work with new partners, and grow your business across borders without putting cash up front.
Draw funds when you need them, repay when you can, then draw again.
Tando Capital provides a range of tailored funding solutions to meet diverse business needs:
One of Tando Capital’s core priorities is speed. We offer:
Tando Capital stands out by prioritising human expertise over automated bots:
While criteria vary by product, Tando Capital generally considers:
Our application process is designed to be quick and transparent:
Tando Capital is committed to full transparency—there are no hidden fees:
Tando Capital Limited (trading as Tando Capital), registered at Suite 74 Paycocke Road, Basildon, SS14 3HX . Tando Capital is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and can only complete non-regulated introductions. We work with a Panel of Lenders whose particulars will be supplied upon request. ICO Number ZB748553- We will receive commission from lenders. Different lenders pay different amounts depending on different commission models. For transparency we work with the following commission models: percentage of the amount you borrow and rate for risk (this is based on the risk profile of the business). Further details of the commission model, calculation and amount will be disclosed to you throughout your customer journey.’
