Lender review · Broker / aggregator (not a direct lender)
Tide loans (Funding Options)
- Reviewed May 2026
- Editor Oliver Mackman
- Companies House 09595646
- Methodology Public
Tide loans is a broker product, not a direct lender. Tide Platform Limited (founded 2015, Companies House 09595646) acquired Funding Options in 2023 and now matches applicants to 80+ panel lenders for tickets from £500 to £20m, with decisions in 24 hours to 5 days. Soft search at quote. Tide is a designated Bank Referral Scheme platform, useful for post-decline rerouting. Best fit: existing Tide banking customers and borrowers wanting a single broker entry point rather than lender-by-lender comparison.
Director, BestBusinessLoans
Oliver leads BestBusinessLoans's editorial reviews and methodology. With a background in UK commercial finance, he oversees lender research, rate verification and review independence.
Last reviewed: 8 May 2026
At a glance
- Product
- Broker / aggregator (not a direct lender)
- Ticket size
- £500 to £20m (panel-priced)
- Typical rate
- Varies by panel lender
- Decision time
- 24 hours to 5 days
- Soft search at quote
- Yes
- Limited companies only
- No
- FCA regulated
- Yes (check the FCA Register)
- Companies House
- 09595646
- Founded
- 2015
Scores against our methodology
- Rate transparency3/5
- Eligibility clarity4/5
- Decision speed4/5
- Decline handling4/5
How Tide loans (Funding Options) works
Tide loans (Funding Options) operates as a broker / aggregator (not a direct lender) provider in the UK SMB market. Tide loans is a broker product, not a direct lender. Tide Platform Limited (founded 2015, Companies House 09595646) acquired Funding Options in 2023 and now matches applicants to 80+ panel lenders for tickets from £500 to £20m, with decisions in 24 hours to 5 days. Soft search at quote. Tide is a designated Bank Referral Scheme platform, useful for post-decline rerouting. Best fit: existing Tide banking customers and borrowers wanting a single broker entry point rather than lender-by-lender comparison.
The product mechanic is straightforward in shape but the underwriting is sector-specific. Tickets sit in the £500 to £20m (panel-priced) band, decisions land within 24 hours to 5 days, and the published rate range is Varies by panel lender. Soft search at quote means no impact on your credit file at the eligibility stage. Tide loans (Funding Options) is FCA regulated.
Where Tide loans (Funding Options) fits best: existing tide banking customers, post-decline rerouting via brs, borrowers wanting a single broker entry point. Where it does not fit: borrowers who want lender-by-lender objectivity, borrowers outside the tide ecosystem, borrowers wanting a direct relationship with the underwriter.
Pricing examples
Worked examples using Tide loans (Funding Options)'s published rate range (Varies by panel lender). This lender prices by factor rate or bespoke quote, so we show the structure, not a worked APR.
| Ticket | Term | Estimated total cost | Approx monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| £25,000 | 24 months | See lender quote | See lender quote |
| £50,000 | 36 months | See lender quote | See lender quote |
| £100,000 | 48 months | See lender quote | See lender quote |
Indicative only. Confirm on a Tide loans (Funding Options) quote.
Eligibility
- Trading time: typically 12 to 24 months minimum for the cleanest pricing.
- Turnover floor: not always published. As a working figure, expect a £100k+ turnover requirement for term loans of £50k+. Smaller tickets and MCA structures have lower floors.
- Sector exclusions: Borrowers who want lender-by-lender objectivity; Borrowers outside the Tide ecosystem; Borrowers wanting a direct relationship with the underwriter.
- Credit profile: Clean credit preferred; older satisfied items often acceptable.
- Company structure: Limited companies and (in some cases) sole traders / partnerships.
- Best fit: Existing Tide banking customers; Post-decline rerouting via BRS; Borrowers wanting a single broker entry point.
Pros
- + 80+ lender panel inherited from Funding Options.
- + Bank Referral Scheme designation, useful for post-decline routing.
- + In-app journey for existing Tide banking customers.
- + Soft search at quote.
Cons
- − Not a direct lender; rate and product depend on which panel member approves.
- − Funnel half-trapped inside Tide app for non-Tide customers.
- − Brand drift: borrowers expect a Tide loan but receive a panel-routed offer.
- − Less useful than going lender-direct if you already know who fits.
Best for
- · Existing Tide banking customers
- · Post-decline rerouting via BRS
- · Borrowers wanting a single broker entry point
Weak at
- · Borrowers who want lender-by-lender objectivity
- · Borrowers outside the Tide ecosystem
- · Borrowers wanting a direct relationship with the underwriter
When to use Tide loans (Funding Options)
Use Tide loans (Funding Options) when
Your application matches the best-fit profile: existing tide banking customers, post-decline rerouting via brs, borrowers wanting a single broker entry point. The published ticket range (£500 to £20m (panel-priced)) covers your ask, the decision speed (24 hours to 5 days) fits your cash-gap timeline, and the rate range (Varies by panel lender) is acceptable to you given your credit profile. Soft search at quote means there is no downside to running an eligibility check before committing.
Do not use Tide loans (Funding Options) when
Your profile sits in the weak-at list: borrowers who want lender-by-lender objectivity, borrowers outside the tide ecosystem, borrowers wanting a direct relationship with the underwriter. Tide loans (Funding Options) will likely decline, and the decline itself can sit on broker records for 90 days. If you have any of these flags, route directly to a specialist (post-decline lender, MCA against card flow, asset-backed alternative) rather than using Tide loans (Funding Options) as a screen.
FAQs
What is the minimum trading time for Tide loans (Funding Options)?
Tide loans (Funding Options) typically asks for 12 to 24 months of trading. Newer businesses can sometimes qualify against alternative underwriting (card flow for MCA, asset security for asset finance), but the cleanest pricing tends to require two full sets of accounts.
Does Tide loans (Funding Options) require a personal guarantee?
Most UK SMB lenders require a personal guarantee from at least one director. Tide loans (Funding Options) is no exception in the standard case. The few exceptions: asset-backed lending where the asset itself stands as security, and a small number of MCA structures where card flow is the underwriting basis. For broker / aggregator (not a direct lender) specifically, expect a PG to be requested.
How fast does Tide loans (Funding Options) fund?
Tide loans (Funding Options) quotes 24 hours to 5 days for an underwriting decision. Funding to bank account typically follows within one to three working days of acceptance, subject to KYC, signed documents, and (where applicable) registration of any debenture or charge.
What rate should I expect from Tide loans (Funding Options)?
Tide loans (Funding Options)'s published range is Varies by panel lender. The headline number is rarely the offered number. Rate transparency on this lender scores 3/5 in our methodology. Expect the cleaner end of the band only if you have 2+ years of trading, clean credit, and turnover comfortably above the lender's stated floor.
What happens if Tide loans (Funding Options) declines me?
If Tide loans (Funding Options) declines, you have three realistic next steps. First, ask for the decline reason in writing, most reputable UK lenders will tell you. Second, route the application to a specialist post-decline lender (Bizcap, JPM Capital, Bolton Finance) where credit issues are the constraint, or to an asset-backed alternative where security is available. Third, use a broker panel to fan the application across the lenders most likely to accept your specific decline reason. Tide loans (Funding Options) scores 4/5 on decline handling in our methodology.
Where to apply
Apply directly via www.tide.co/borrow, or use our free quote form to be matched across the UK broker panel most likely to approve your specific profile, not just Tide loans (Funding Options).
Specialty alternatives
See all lender reviews for alternatives.
Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Director. Last reviewed: 8 May 2026. Lender website: www.tide.co/borrow.