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033 0029 5224Contact us

Wholesale Finance

The Close Brothers Wholesale Finance team provides tailored finance solutions for the UK’s vehicle industry


We currently fund 95% of the independent companies on the Fleet News Top 50 Contract Hire list. We provide backing for independent contract hire and rental companies, as well as finance for dealerships.

Our experienced team works closely with businesses to understand their funding requirements.

Our lending decisions are based on the overall health and plans for a business, enabling us to provide tailored finance packages.

Speed and accuracy of agreements is a priority, and we aim to provide a decision within days, sometimes hours.

Finance products we offer

We work closely with independent fleet operators in the UK to provide a tailored Business Contract Hire (BCH) offering, with a full suite of products created to deliver best in class solutions for the industry.


We apply a commercial and agile approach to underwriting, underpinned by more than 25 years of industry experience and an understanding of the risks of the industry.


In addition, we work with existing fleet management businesses and brokers who have a desire to complement their model by moving to an ‘own book’ funding approach.


Our core products include:


  • Undisclosed Agency (UDA), which allows us to take on the credit risk of the end hirer to lower our customers’ risk during the life of the agreement
  • Hire Purchase (HP) spreads the cost of customers’ assets over time, backed up by income received from underlying hire agreements, which are underwritten by our customers 

Benefits of Business Contract Hire:


  • Credit risk is removed from the contract hire company through our UDA product
  • Own book allows for potential profits through disposal and / or during the life of the agreement
  • An appreciation of the capital requirements to run a book of vehicles in this industry. Line sizes of £2m - £80m are available, dependent on risk profile
  • Industry expertise, which lets us provide niche products alongside our core offering


Typical BCH vehicles we finance include:


Core assets:


  • Cars
  • LCVs


Other assets:


  • HGVs
  • Trailers
  • Specialised wheeled assets such as RCVs and gritters


Products and services are subject to eligibility, status, terms and conditions and availability. All lending is subject to status and our lending criteria. The right to decline any application is reserved.

We work closely with independent fleet operators in the UK to provide Personal Contract Hire (PCH), helping businesses previously more experienced in the unregulated market to move into the regulated funding space.


We offer a disclosed agency product, allowing Close Brothers to underwrite end users and take the credit risk throughout the life of the agreement, alongside providing all the required paperwork and arrears and complaints management. We take a flexible approach to finance, with our agreements matching the profile option to best suit the consumer on both new and used assets. 


Already have a Personal Contract Hire agreement? Find out what financial support we can provide.

Benefits of Personal Contract Hire:


  • Support to make the move from the unregulated to regulated market
  •  Terms are flexible from 12-60 months with a 1+ profile*
  • Suitable for financing both new and used assets



Typical PCH vehicles we finance include:


  • Cars
  • Vans


*A 1+ profile refers to the structure of the payment terms, where the "1" represents the initial payment (often equivalent to one month's rental) and the "+" signifies the number of subsequent monthly payments. For example, a 1+23 profile would mean one initial payment followed by 23 monthly payments. This flexible approach to finance allows agreements to match the profile option that best suits the consumer, whether for new or used assets.


Products and services are subject to eligibility, status, terms and conditions and availability. All lending is subject to status and our lending criteria. The right to decline any application is reserved.

We currently work with several of the largest vehicle rental providers in the UK, providing finance facilities with a minimum requirement of £2 million per facility and adopt a commercial approach to rental vehicles and respond quickly to information and lending requests. 

Benefits of Rental


  • Spread the cost over the life of the asset with a balloon payment
  • Our finance terms are flexible, helping you to manage cash flow within your business
  • Reclaim VAT


Products and services are subject to eligibility, status, terms and conditions and availability. All lending is subject to status and our lending criteria. The right to decline any application is reserved.

  • Business Contract Hire

    We work closely with independent fleet operators in the UK to provide a tailored Business Contract Hire (BCH) offering, with a full suite of products created to deliver best in class solutions for the industry.


    We apply a commercial and agile approach to underwriting, underpinned by more than 25 years of industry experience and an understanding of the risks of the industry.


    In addition, we work with existing fleet management businesses and brokers who have a desire to complement their model by moving to an ‘own book’ funding approach.


    Our core products include:


    • Undisclosed Agency (UDA), which allows us to take on the credit risk of the end hirer to lower our customers’ risk during the life of the agreement
    • Hire Purchase (HP) spreads the cost of customers’ assets over time, backed up by income received from underlying hire agreements, which are underwritten by our customers 

    Benefits of Business Contract Hire:


    • Credit risk is removed from the contract hire company through our UDA product
    • Own book allows for potential profits through disposal and / or during the life of the agreement
    • An appreciation of the capital requirements to run a book of vehicles in this industry. Line sizes of £2m - £80m are available, dependent on risk profile
    • Industry expertise, which lets us provide niche products alongside our core offering


    Typical BCH vehicles we finance include:


    Core assets:


    • Cars
    • LCVs


    Other assets:


    • HGVs
    • Trailers
    • Specialised wheeled assets such as RCVs and gritters


    Products and services are subject to eligibility, status, terms and conditions and availability. All lending is subject to status and our lending criteria. The right to decline any application is reserved.

  • Personal Contract Hire

    We work closely with independent fleet operators in the UK to provide Personal Contract Hire (PCH), helping businesses previously more experienced in the unregulated market to move into the regulated funding space.


    We offer a disclosed agency product, allowing Close Brothers to underwrite end users and take the credit risk throughout the life of the agreement, alongside providing all the required paperwork and arrears and complaints management. We take a flexible approach to finance, with our agreements matching the profile option to best suit the consumer on both new and used assets. 


    Already have a Personal Contract Hire agreement? Find out what financial support we can provide.

    Benefits of Personal Contract Hire:


    • Support to make the move from the unregulated to regulated market
    •  Terms are flexible from 12-60 months with a 1+ profile*
    • Suitable for financing both new and used assets



    Typical PCH vehicles we finance include:


    • Cars
    • Vans


    *A 1+ profile refers to the structure of the payment terms, where the "1" represents the initial payment (often equivalent to one month's rental) and the "+" signifies the number of subsequent monthly payments. For example, a 1+23 profile would mean one initial payment followed by 23 monthly payments. This flexible approach to finance allows agreements to match the profile option that best suits the consumer, whether for new or used assets.


    Products and services are subject to eligibility, status, terms and conditions and availability. All lending is subject to status and our lending criteria. The right to decline any application is reserved.

  • Rental

    We currently work with several of the largest vehicle rental providers in the UK, providing finance facilities with a minimum requirement of £2 million per facility and adopt a commercial approach to rental vehicles and respond quickly to information and lending requests. 

    Benefits of Rental


    • Spread the cost over the life of the asset with a balloon payment
    • Our finance terms are flexible, helping you to manage cash flow within your business
    • Reclaim VAT


    Products and services are subject to eligibility, status, terms and conditions and availability. All lending is subject to status and our lending criteria. The right to decline any application is reserved.

Finance is secured against the project and its revenues. If you're unable to keep up with your payments, we may seek to recover the project from you.


Products and services are subject to eligibility, status, terms and conditions and availability. All lending is subject to status and our lending criteria. The right to decline any application is reserved.

Contact us today

033 0029 5224

Lines are open
9:00am - 5:00pm Monday to Friday
(excluding UK bank holidays)

Meet the Close Brothers Wholesale Finance team

James Comrie, Chief Executive Officer, Wholesale Finance

James joined Close Brothers in 2011 to lead the Wholesale Finance division. With nearly 30 years’ experience in Wholesale Finance, James has funded £8bn of vehicles to date, demonstrating his in-depth knowledge and experience in this sector.

Matthew Williams, Managing Director, Business Car Hire and Rental

Joining Wholesale Finance in 2012 as an Economics graduate, Matt gained his experience in operations and sales, before progressing to Managing Director for B2B.

Emma Cranage, Managing Director, Personal Contract Hire

Emma’s experience spans a decade in the banking sector, across both retail and commercial finance products. Joining Wholesale Finance in 2022, Emma manages the regulated fleet business with a focus on Personal Contract Hire.

Richard Gregson, Commercial Director

With over 20 years’ in the asset finance and fleet industry, Richard’s experience lies in providing a customer-focused approach, delivering complex operational solutions to meet clients’ needs.

Sam Harrison, Business Development Manager

Sam has more than nine years’ experience in the automotive sector, working with OEM’s and finance companies. As a physics graduate, Sam brings a unique combination of analytical skills, industry knowledge and expertise to the team.

Craig Maddox, Head of BCH Sales

Craig started his career in asset finance after graduating from university, gaining experience in a range of business development and sales roles. Devoted to building long term relationships and making a real difference to our customers, Craig takes pride in managing a team to deliver flexible funding solutions and excellent service levels across the UK Fleet industry.

Paul Howard, Senior Business Development Manager

With more than 15 years’ experience in asset finance and leasing, Paul has developed a wealth of knowledge whilst building long lasting and successful customer relationships in the contract hire industry. Focusing on innovative and commercial solutions, Paul’s high standards ensure our customers consistently receive the best possible service.

Ed Bedford, Business Development Manager

With more than 18 years’ experience in Corporate and Regulated Contract Hire, Edward focuses on providing a smooth service delivery and experience for our customers.

Alex Farley, Business Development Manager

Alex brings a breadth of knowledge and experience to the team with a background in education in banking and finance, then operations and sales. Alex is committed to providing practical solutions to challenging situations, providing the best possible outcomes for our customers.

Wholesale Finance news and insights

BVRLA Annual Dinner 2026

04 MAR 2026 - 04 MAR 2026

Meet the Expert: Paul Howard, Senior Business Development Manager

BLOG
05 Dec 2024

Leasing World Gold Awards 2024

AWARDS
22 Oct 2024

Meet the Expert: Sabha Naylor, Support and Collections Manager

BLOG
30 Sept 2024

Octopus Electric Vehicles selects Close Brothers Leasing to help open up EV offer to millions of new customers

NEWS
03 Nov 2022

Q&A with James Comrie - Managing Director of Wholesale Finance at Close Brothers Leasing

BLOG
17 Jun 2022
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Close Brothers Wholesale Finance