Shortlist unveiled for NACFB Commercial Lender Awards 2025
Association’s flagship lender awards returns to recognise excellence
The shortlist for the NACFB Commercial Lender Awards 2025 has now been officially revealed, recognising lending excellence and the unwavering support of the industry’s service providers.
This year’s competition was fiercer than ever, attracting a record-breaking 428 entries across 22 categories from the Association’s Patron lenders and Partner suppliers – a 35% increase in submissions and a 24% rise in participating firms compared to 2024.
A panel of expert judges, guided by clear criteria to ensure fairness and consistency, carefully assessed entries to determine this year’s shortlist.
To maintain impartiality, all entrant names and identifying details were redacted during judging - except in the Industry Leader of the Year, Intermediary Advocate, Rising Star of the Year, and Unsung Hero of the Year categories.
Following this rigorous process, the NACFB is proud to reveal the 2025 finalists as:
Asset Finance Lender of the Year
Arkle Finance
Close Brothers Broker Solutions
Haydock Finance
Liberty Leasing
Lloyds Bank
Lombard (NatWest)
Novuna Business Finance
Paragon Bank
Propel Finance
Time Finance
Ultimate Finance
United Trust Bank
BDM Team of the Year
Allica Bank
Atom bank
Capify
iwoca
Propel Finance
Somo Bridging
UK Agricultural Finance
United Trust Bank
Bridging Lender of the Year
Catalyst Property Finance
Colenko
Glenhawk
Hilco Real Estate Finance
Market Financial Solutions
MT Finance
Octane Capital
PMJ Capital
Recognise Bank
Somo Bridging
Together
West One Loans
Business Bank of the Year
Allica Bank
Atom bank
Barclays
Cynergy Bank
HSBC UK Bank
Lloyds Bank
Metro Bank
NatWest
Paragon Bank
Shawbrook Bank
Buy-to-Let Lender of the Year
Barclays
Birmingham Bank
Castle Trust Bank
Keystone Property Finance
LendInvest
Market Financial Solutions
Offa
Paragon Bank
Redwood Bank
Secure Trust Bank Real Estate Finance
Commercial Mortgage Lender of the Year
Aldermore Bank
Allica Bank
Atom bank
Blackfinch Property
Cambridge and Counties Bank
FOLK2FOLK
HSBC UK Bank
Lloyds Bank
Metro Bank
NatWest
Shawbrook Bank
YBS Commercial Mortgages
Community Lender of the Year
Big Issue Invest
Business Enterprise Fund
Charity Bank
GC Business Finance
Let’s Do Business Finance
Reliance Bank
Rural Commercial
SWIG Finance
Triodos Bank UK
Unity Trust Bank
Development Finance Lender of the Year
Assetz Capital
Atelier
Blackfinch Property
Bridging Finance Solutions
Close Brothers Property Finance
Invest&Fund
Masthaven Finance
Paragon Bank
Roma Finance
Triple Point
United Trust Bank
Emerging Lender of the Year
Birmingham Bank
Bluecroft Finance
CHL Mortgages for Intermediaries
Colenko
Hilco Real Estate Finance
LHV Bank
multifi
Rural Commercial
StreamBank
TRIVER
Industry Leader of the Year
Caroline Luxmore – Recognise Bank
Chris Storey – Atom bank
Elise Coole – Keystone Property Finance
Josh Harris – Doc2
Josh Levy – Ultimate Finance
Louisa Sedgwick – Paragon Bank
Marc Goldberg – Together
Michael Allison – Roma Finance
Paresh Raja – Market Financial Solutions
Rachael Raymond – Funding Circle
Sean Dennis – Let’s Do Business Finance
Steve Nichols – Time Finance
Industry Supplier of the Year
Brickflow
Broka
Doc2
Method Valuation
NETSOL Technologies
Purbeck Insurance Services
Red Flag Alert
Square 1 Media
VAS
Intermediary Advocate of the Year
Avamore Capital
Market Financial Solutions
multifi
Propel Finance
Ultimate Finance
Invoice Finance Lender of the Year
4Syte
Bibby Financial Services
Close Brothers Invoice Finance
Cynergy Bank
Liquid Link
Lloyds Bank
Metro Bank
Novuna Business Cash Flow
Skipton Business Finance
Time Finance
TRIVER
Ultimate Finance
Marketing Team of the Year
Bluecroft Finance
Cambridge and Counties Bank
GC Business Loans
Market Financial Solutions
Octane Capital
Propel Finance
Reward Funding
Roma Finance
Somo Bridging
Ultimate Finance
West One Loans
YBS Commercial Mortgages
Pioneers of the Year
Allica Bank
Brickflow
Broka
Factored
Funding Circle
Keystone Property Finance
NatWest
Novuna Business Cash Flow
TRIVER
Rising Star of the Year
Chris Adams – Blackfinch Property
Guy Olden – Atom bank
Hossain Amini – 365 Finance
Jack Bruce – LendHub
Joseph Butler – Lloyds Bank
Mustafa Omar – Lloyds Bank
Paul Roberts – Simply Asset Finance
Sagheer Malik – Offa
Service Excellence Award
365 Finance
4Syte
Atom bank
Haydock Finance
HSBC UK Bank
iwoca
Method Valuation
NatWest
Nucleus Commercial Finance
Roma Finance
Unity Trust Bank
YouLend
Specialist Lender of the Year
Charity Bank
Cubefunder
FOLK2FOLK
Hilco Real Estate Finance
LendInvest
Offa
Premium Credit
Proplend
Roma Finance
Rural Commercial
UK Agricultural Finance
Unity Trust Bank
Sustainability Champion of the Year
Barclays
CAF Bank
Cambridge and Counties Bank
Charity Bank
Lloyds Bank
Novuna Business Finance
Redwood Bank
Rural Commercial
Triodos Bank UK
Unity Trust Bank
Underwriting Team of the Year
Atom bank
Bluecroft Finance
Funding Circle
London Credit
Mercantile Trust
Nucleus Commercial Finance
Roma Finance
TAB
United Trust Bank
Unsecured Lender of the Year
365 Finance
Capify
Credit4
Cubefunder
Factored
Funding Circle
iwoca
Momenta Finance
Playter
YouLend
Unsung Hero of the Year
Alex Bircumshaw and Oje Etomi – 365 Finance
Charlotte Mathieson – Propel Finance
Chris Millage – HSBC UK Bank
Elizabeth Harrison – Reward Funding
Katie Thompson – Blackfinch Property
Lauren Robertson – Method Valuation
Lorraine Hart – Roma Finance
Nasima Begum – TRIVER
Natalie Cockburn – Atom bank
Richard Brown – Nucleus Commercial Finance
All shortlisted lending organisations are automatically placed into the coveted NACFB Commercial Lender of the Year category.
Commenting, NACFB CEO Jim Higginbotham said: “The calibre of this year’s entries was outstanding, and I’d like to extend my thanks to our distinguished judging panel for their thoughtful assessments and dedication to what was an exceptionally tough task. My congratulations also go to those who secured a place on the shortlist.
“I also want to acknowledge and thank those organisations and individuals that didn’t make the shortlist this time. We truly value the effort, passion, and commitment that went into your submissions. Although we understand your disappointment, we would warmly encourage you to take part again next year,” he added.
NACFB Member brokers are now invited to vote for their preferred Patron lender or Partner supplier in each category. Member voting is open for a week, closing at 5pm on Monday 20th October. To ensure fairness in the voting process, NACFB Member brokers who are eligible to vote will be sent a password to access the voting platform and are limited to five votes per firm per category.
Winners and highly commended entries will be chosen through a combination of the judges’ selections and Member votes, with the results announced at a prestigious awards ceremony at Westminster Park Plaza on Thursday, 27 November 2025.
Patrons and Partners who have not yet purchased tickets, are encouraged to do so here before the early bird window closes on Friday 31st October 2025. Individual tickets and tables of 10 are available.