Reward responds to changing market with Strategic Asset Finance launch

Photograph: (Left to Right) Nick Smith and Robert Still

Reward Funding, the original alternative finance provider, today launches Reward Strategic Asset Finance, marking a significant new phase in the growth of Reward’s asset finance division. Three years in the making, Reward has more than doubled the size of its specialist asset finance team and strengthened its expertise through supporting brokers and SMEs across the UK.

Building on Reward’s established relationship-led approach, Reward Strategic Asset Finance combines structured thinking with asset-backed lending to provide brokers and SMEs with an additional route to unlocking financial flexibility, funding investment opportunities and supporting long-term business growth.

The launch reflects greater need from SMEs for more structured asset refinance solutions that unlock working capital, alleviate existing borrowing and maximise the value of the assets already within their business. Reward Strategic Asset Finance has been developed to address these broader funding needs, helping businesses regain control and seize growth opportunities with confidence.

Research found that UK SMEs are repaying debt at a rate 20 times higher than pre-pandemic levels⁽¹⁾, driven in part through unsecured lending and resulting in increasingly complex borrowing structures. Reward’s Strategic Asset Finance team, and the brokers they work with, are committed to delivering asset finance with a reset mindset: practical, responsive and commercially considered.

The proposition builds on Reward Funding’s long-standing reputation for delivering funding with purpose. By prioritising structured thinking and whole business understanding, it provides a clear alternative to the growing trend of fast-cash, transactional lending, helping businesses achieve more sustainable financial outcomes.

Commenting on the new proposition, Nick Smith, CEO of Reward Funding said; “Too much of today’s lending market has become focused on speed. Just because finance can be arranged quickly, it doesn’t mean it’s the right solution. We believe structured thinking and commercial judgement are two of the most important ingredients in helping businesses build a stronger financial future. Businesses don’t need another loan, they need the right financial structure in place to support sustainable growth. Strategic Asset Finance is a natural extension of the approach we have always taken at Reward, looking beyond the surface of a business or transaction and creating long-term value for both the SME and brokers we work with.

Robert Still, Managing Director of Reward Asset Finance, added; “Every business is different, that’s why we never go into a meeting and lead with a pre-packaged solution. We take the time to understand the business itself, the existing loans, assets and the future ambition. Only then do we structure the right funding solution. By taking the whole business view, we’re able to unlock value that is already sitting there, helping to give the client more flexibility and a stronger platform for future growth.”

Strategic Asset Finance represents a new growth area for Reward Funding, building on the Group’s established approach to providing considered, commercially focused funding solutions. By combining structured thinking with asset-backed finance, the proposition gives brokers and SMEs another route to creating greater financial flexibility and supporting long-term growth.

The new branding and messaging can be found here

Reference⁽¹⁾: https://www.thetimes.com/business/entrepreneurs/article/sme-lending-review-launched-amid-high-debt-levels-rb6fdwk5v