Funding Release — Commercial Finance Guides · August 2026
The short answer: No. Completing the eligibility check on Funding Release leaves absolutely no mark on your credit file whatsoever.
Here's exactly what happens — and what doesn't — at each stage of the process.
When you complete the 2-minute check on this site, we collect some information about your business — your trading history, turnover, the type of funding you need, and your contact details. This is an internal assessment to understand whether your business fits the profile of companies our finance partners work with.
At no point during this stage does anyone run a credit search on you or your business. No credit reference agency is contacted. No footprint is left on your personal or business credit file. Nothing changes. Your credit score is completely unaffected whether you complete the check, abandon it halfway through, or decide to go no further.
If your business pre-qualifies and we connect you with a finance partner, they will want to understand your business in more depth before making any lending decision. This is where credit searches may come into the picture — but it's worth understanding the difference between the two types:
Soft credit search
Also called a soft inquiry or soft pull. Checks your credit history for reference purposes but leaves no visible mark on your credit file. It cannot be seen by other lenders. It has no impact on your credit score. Many alternative lenders and brokers use soft searches at the initial assessment stage precisely because they understand that business owners are already wary of anything that might affect their file.
Hard credit search
Also called a hard inquiry or hard pull. Is recorded on your credit file and is visible to other lenders who search it in the future. Multiple hard searches in a short period can negatively affect your credit score. Hard searches typically happen at the point of a formal loan application, when a lender is conducting full underwriting ahead of making an offer.
What your finance partner will do depends on their specific process and the size and type of facility you're applying for. Before any search of any kind is conducted, your finance partner should tell you clearly what they're doing and why. You are entitled to ask, and a legitimate lender or broker will always answer.
If you've been avoiding exploring your funding options because you're worried about your credit score, the eligibility check is the one step you can take with complete confidence. The only thing it costs you is two minutes.
Ready to check your options?
See If Your Business Pre-Qualifies — Funding from £25k to £2m