What Swoop is
Swoop Funding is a credit broker and comparison platform. Its Irish disclosure page says: "We are a broker, not a finance provider." It introduces your business to lenders, investors and grant bodies, and they decide whether to fund you.
Swoop says it works with over 1,000 funding providers, from mainstream banks to alternative lenders. It does not publish a list of the lenders on its Irish panel, and it says not every company is on its service.
On the Irish site it covers business loans up to €10 million, asset finance, invoice finance, merchant cash advances, commercial mortgages, grants and equity investment. It also compares costs for banking, utilities and other services.
If those terms are new to you, we cover the main types of loan a broker might put in front of you.
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How Swoop is paid
- Commission from the lender. Swoop says it mostly gets paid by the lender when finance is provided. The commission varies by product and is typically a fixed percentage of the loan amount.
- It can affect your rate. Swoop's Irish loans page says: "For certain lenders, we do have influence over the interest rate, and this can impact the amount you pay under the agreement."
- Usually no fee to you. Swoop says that in the majority of cases it charges you nothing for loan broking. It adds that a fee may apply in some circumstances.
- Equity is different. If Swoop matches you with investors, it may charge you a fee when the money is raised. It sets this out in an engagement letter that you sign first.
Swoop's disclosure says it will tell you how much the lender is paying it if you ask. So ask, and ask whether Swoop had any say over the rate you were offered.
Who can use it
Any business can register: sole traders, start-ups and established firms. The enquiry form accepts a business that is 0 to 6 months old, and starting a business is one of the funding reasons it lists.
Registering is not the same as qualifying. Swoop does not lend, so there is no Swoop minimum for trading time or turnover. Each lender it introduces applies its own rules, and the lender makes the decision.
The service is for business borrowing only. Swoop says it does not give debt advice.
A start-up can also go straight to Microfinance Ireland, which lends to new businesses without a broker.
How it works, step by step
- On the Irish site, enter how much you need, your annual revenue, the age of the business and your contact details.
- Create a free account. You can connect your bank accounts through open banking so that Swoop can read your statements.
- Swoop shows possible matches across loans, equity and grants. It may ask you questions to narrow them down.
- You choose which to pursue. Swoop says it gives no advice or recommendation.
- Swoop introduces you to the provider. The provider makes the decision.
Swoop says searching for lending options through it does not affect your credit score. It does not publish how long a decision takes, because that depends on the lender.
What to know before you use a broker
- Regulation. Swoop Finance Limited is authorised by the UK Financial Conduct Authority as a credit broker, number 936513. We searched the Central Bank of Ireland's register for Swoop and for BizFly on 3 October 2026 and found no entry. Swoop's terms say Irish law applies to the service.
- Ownership. Swoop Finance Limited is a subsidiary of BizFly Limited, an Irish company registered at Dogpatch Labs in the CHQ Building, Dublin.
- You can go direct. Swoop says not every company is on its service. You can also apply to a lender directly. Our guide shows what to have ready before you approach a lender yourself.
- Paperwork. Swoop's guide lists what lenders, investors and grant bodies typically ask for: accounts, tax returns, cash flow figures, projections and a business plan.
Our own loan finder lists lenders by their published rules and takes no payment from any of them.
We take no commission or payment from any lender. This page is information only, not financial advice.
Common questions
Is Swoop Funding a lender?
No. Swoop says it is a broker, not a finance provider. It introduces businesses to lenders, investors and grant bodies, and the provider decides whether to fund you.
Does Swoop charge me a fee?
Usually not for loans. Swoop says that in most cases it is paid by the lender and charges the business nothing, but that a fee may apply in some circumstances. For equity investment it may charge a success fee under an engagement letter you sign in advance.
How much commission does Swoop earn on a loan?
Swoop does not publish a rate. It says commission varies by product and is typically a fixed percentage of the loan amount, and that with certain lenders it has influence over the interest rate. It says it will disclose what it is paid if you ask.
Is Swoop regulated in Ireland?
Swoop's Irish site gives its regulator as the UK Financial Conduct Authority, where Swoop Finance Limited is authorised as a credit broker and as an account information services provider. We found no entry for Swoop or its Irish parent, BizFly Limited, on the Central Bank of Ireland's register on 3 October 2026.
Can a start-up use Swoop?
Yes, a start-up can register, and the enquiry form has an option for a business under 6 months old. Whether any lender makes an offer depends on that lender's own rules.
Where this comes from
- Swoop Funding Ireland, disclosure
- Swoop Funding Ireland, business loans
- Swoop Funding Ireland, terms and conditions
- Swoop Funding Ireland, about Swoop
- Swoop Funding Ireland, how Swoop works
- Swoop Funding Ireland, what documents do you need
- Central Bank of Ireland register, search for Swoop
- Companies Registration Office open data, company records (BizFly Limited, company 601838)
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.