What a business can get
| Product | How it works | Published terms |
|---|---|---|
| Leasing | You rent the asset for a fixed monthly payment and use it as if you owned it | 2 to 5 years. 100% of the cost financed |
| Hire purchase | Finance Ireland buys the asset and you own it at the end for a nominal sum | 2 to 5 years. Repayments can be monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or seasonal |
| Contract hire | A vehicle is hired to you for a fixed term and handed back at the end | 24 to 48 months. Maintenance can be included |
| Rental agreement | Leasing of office and business equipment through approved suppliers | 2 to 5 years. Monthly or quarterly payments |
| Insurance premium finance | A short loan that spreads a commercial insurance premium over fixed instalments | Only through appointed insurance brokers |
The assets it lists include vans, cars, trucks, tractors and farm machinery, excavators, forklifts, IT and office equipment, and medical, dental and veterinary equipment.
We explain how leasing, hire purchase and contract hire differ on a separate page.
Which lenders fit your business?
Three questions. We compare your answers with each lender's published rules. We take no commission from anyone.
This tool needs JavaScript switched on in your browser.
Loans for dairy farmers
Two loans are only for dairy farmers who supply a participating co-op. Repayments come out of your milk payments from April to November, with none from December to March.
| Loan | MilkFlex | FundEquip |
|---|---|---|
| For | Dairy farm expansion. A 12-year loan can include buying land | Equipment such as bulk tanks, calf feeders, milk cooling, solar panels and low emission slurry spreading |
| Amount | €25,000 to €500,000 over 8 years. €50,000 to €1,000,000 over 12 years | €3,000 to €75,000 |
| Term | 8 or 12 years | 3 or 5 years |
| Rate | Variable. 4.50% above the EURIBOR cost of funds | Variable. The rate is not published |
| Fees | 1.25% of the loan, deducted at drawdown | €60 if a lump sum repayment means rescheduling |
| Early repayment | Allowed, with no fee | Allowed, with no penalty |
| Security | None over assets, except where land is bought | None over assets |
MilkFlex repayments fall by 50% for six months if the reference milk price is 38 cent a litre or lower, VAT included, for three months in a row. They stop for six months at 34 cent or lower. They rise by 25% for six months at 60 cent or higher.
Finance Ireland's representative example for MilkFlex is 7.24% APR on €75,000 over 12 years. It is based on a variable rate of 6.95% and includes the 1.25% fee.
Other farmers can look at the farm loans that credit unions offer under the Cultivate name.
What it costs
Finance Ireland does not publish interest rates for business leasing, hire purchase or contract hire. The rate comes with your quote.
Its SME page carries two warnings. You may have to pay charges if you repay a fixed rate facility early. And the cost of your repayments may increase.
The fee schedule on its SME information page covers consumer agreements and insurance premium finance. For premium finance, dated October 2025, the documentation fee is €50 and an unpaid instalment costs €20. We could not find a published schedule for business leasing or hire purchase, so ask for every fee in writing with your quote.
Who can apply, and who cannot
Any small or medium business or farm can ask for asset finance. Finance Ireland publishes no minimum trading time, no minimum turnover and no minimum or maximum amount. It does not say whether it will fund a start-up.
- MilkFlex and FundEquip are only for dairy farmers supplying a participating co-op. MilkFlex is backed by 18 co-ops.
- Insurance premium finance is only arranged through appointed insurance brokers. Finance Ireland says it may pay the broker commission.
- Commercial property loans run from €1 million to €35 million and are for professional property owners.
- Home mortgages are closed. Finance Ireland stopped taking new residential mortgage applications on 25 March 2025.
Finance Ireland says it was the first non-bank lender approved by the SBCI, in 2015, and the first non-bank lender to offer the Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme. Check which SBCI schemes are taking applications now and ask whether it is offering one when you enquire.
What you have to send
Finance Ireland's FAQ says supporting information "may include banking information, financial information and a Business Plan". Where a plan is asked for, it should give an overview of the business, its management and markets, and past and forecast figures.
For asset finance it may look for security beyond the asset itself. That can mean indemnities, guarantees or charges over other assets. It says it will tell you what it needs.
You are entitled to ask for a meeting to discuss an application before you make it.
How to apply and how long it takes
- Fill in the finance enquiry form on the SME page of financeireland.ie, or phone 01 639 1370. Finance Ireland says someone will be in touch within 4 working hours.
- If you already know which product you want, the same page links to a full application.
- Send the information it asks for.
- For asset finance or FundEquip, Finance Ireland aims to decide within five business days of getting everything. A MilkFlex decision is made within twelve business days.
Finance Ireland says a refusal will not harm your credit record. Our guide to applying for business finance covers what to prepare.
Finance Ireland Credit Solutions DAC is authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland as a retail credit firm.
We take no commission or payment from any lender. This page is information only, not financial advice.
Common questions
Does Finance Ireland still lend to businesses?
Yes. Its pages for business leasing, hire purchase, farm loans and commercial property were all live on 3 October 2026, and it reported €624 million of new lending in 2025. What it has stopped is home mortgages. It has taken no new residential mortgage applications since 25 March 2025.
What interest rate will my business pay?
Finance Ireland does not publish rates for business leasing or hire purchase. The only business rate it publishes is for MilkFlex, a variable rate of 4.50% above the EURIBOR cost of funds.
Do I need a business plan?
Possibly. Finance Ireland says it may ask for banking information, financial information and a business plan. If it asks for a plan, it wants an overview of the business, its management, its markets, and historic and forecast figures.
Will I have to give a personal guarantee?
You may. For asset finance, Finance Ireland says it may seek security beyond the asset, including indemnities, guarantees and charges over assets. The FundEquip farm loan does not require security over assets.
Can I get MilkFlex if I am not a dairy farmer?
No. MilkFlex and FundEquip are only for dairy farmers supplying a participating co-op. Repayments on both are deducted from milk payments. Other farms and businesses can apply for leasing or hire purchase.
Where this comes from
- Finance Ireland, funding solutions for SMEs
- Finance Ireland, SME frequently asked questions
- Finance Ireland, SME and agri finance legal and regulatory information
- Finance Ireland, MilkFlex
- Finance Ireland, FundEquip
- Finance Ireland, insurance premium finance
- Finance Ireland, commercial property lending
- Finance Ireland, residential mortgages
- Finance Ireland, about us
- Finance Ireland, results for 2025, 24 April 2026
- Finance Ireland, Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme announcement
- Finance Ireland, terms of business, March 2026
- Central Bank of Ireland register, Finance Ireland Credit Solutions DAC
Checked on 3 October 2026. We are an independent guide, not a government service. Rules change, so confirm the detail on the official page before you apply.
Information only, not financial advice. GrantHub Ireland is not a lender or a broker and takes no commission or payment from any lender.