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Food & drink producers · Ireland
Food & drink producer
business loans.
Buy ingredients and packaging, upgrade production equipment or manage the wait for retailers and distributors to pay. We help Irish food and drink producers compare equipment finance, business loans and eligible stock and invoice funding through specialist and non-bank lenders, from bakeries and prepared-food businesses to beverage producers.
Production & packaging equipment
For suitable machinery that supports capacity, consistency and delivery.
- Eligible mixers, ovens, processing machinery and bottling or filling lines
- Suitable packaging machinery, refrigeration and cold-storage equipment
- Leasing or hire purchase for suitable new or used equipment
- Equipment-finance deals from €10,000, typically with a 10% dealer deposit
- Equipment suitability, age, value and supplier determine the options
- Include installation costs in the supplier quote for lender review
Ingredients & production cash flow
For established producers paying costs before a batch is sold.
- Ingredients, packaging, wages, energy and other business costs
- Production expansion, recruitment and premises improvements
- At least 12 months trading and one full year's completed accounts for term loans
- Latest accounts showing €100,000 or more turnover and a net profit
- No recent missed payments on business bank statements
- Flexible repayment options from 9 months trading with steady cash flow and around eight or more deposits a month
Retailer & distributor invoices
For qualifying business-to-business sales already invoiced.
- Invoice finance may release cash from eligible unpaid customer invoices
- A wider ledger facility may suit recurring wholesale or distributor sales
- One-off or ad hoc invoices from €100,000
- Customer quality, concentration and payment terms affect eligibility
- Explain returns, credits, disputes and deductions from customer payments
- Future orders and direct consumer sales are not the same as eligible invoices
Eligible stock & resale purchases
For suitable goods bought and resold, rather than an automatic fit for every production input.
- Trade finance may fund eligible supplier invoices for physical goods bought for resale
- The lender pays the supplier; BusinessLoans.ie arranges the facility
- Repayment terms up to 180 days, subject to approval and agreed terms
- Target profile: at least 12 months trading and around €500,000 annual sales, ideally profitable
- Ingredients transformed during production need specific lender review; do not assume eligibility
- Shelf life, stock turnover, supplier checks and the transaction matter
Business finance only, not personal loans. Unsecured term loans are not registered against property or business assets, but some lenders ask for a personal guarantee. All options depend on lender assessment, purchase suitability and affordability.
Plan from production to payment
A filling line used for years is different from ingredients for next month's batch. Compare asset finance for suitable machinery with term and flexible repayment loans for production costs. For qualifying customer invoices, explore invoice finance; for eligible resale purchases, see trade finance.
Allow for production lead times, shelf life and the retailer's payment timetable when deciding how much funding you need. Our manufacturing finance and importer and wholesaler finance pages cover related funding needs. If you are just getting started, see new-business finance.
Guides for your industry
16 October 2026
How to Secure Equipment Finance in Ireland: A Guide
Table of Contents How to Secure Equipment Finance in Ireland: Step-by-Step What You'll Need Before You Apply Types of Equipment Finance Available Equipment Finance Application Requirements Documents Lenders Typically Ask
Read guide →
2 November 2026
Invoice Finance Ireland for Growing SMEs
Release cash tied up in unpaid B2B invoices. Understand factoring, invoice discounting, lender fees and the documents Irish SMEs need.
Read guide →
21 April 2026
Working Capital Finance as Costs Rise for Irish SMEs
How Irish SMEs can manage rising costs and cash-flow gaps: compare working capital finance, understand interest-rate risk and check repayments before borrowing.
Read guide →
4 November 2026
Trade Finance in Ireland: Get Your Stock Funded and Take Up to 180 Days to Pay
Buying stock before customers pay? Trade finance can fund eligible supplier invoices and give Irish importers, retailers and wholesalers up to 180 days to repay.
Read guide →
Common questions
Can I finance food processing or bottling equipment?
Suitable new or used production, packaging and refrigeration equipment may qualify for leasing or hire purchase. Send a supplier quote showing the machinery, age and value, including installation costs for review. The lender checks equipment suitability and business affordability; not every cost qualifies.
Can a business loan cover ingredients and packaging?
A term loan may help an established producer cover ingredients, packaging and wider working-capital costs. Term loans require at least 12 months trading and one full year's completed accounts, turnover of €100,000 or more, a net profit and no recent missed payments. The lender also assesses affordability and existing commitments.
Can invoice finance help while a retailer or distributor takes time to pay?
It may suit qualifying business-to-business invoices for goods already supplied, subject to customer and invoice eligibility. One-off or ad hoc invoices start at €100,000; a wider ledger facility is another option. Returns, credits, deductions and customer concentration should be explained to the lender. Funding does not automatically cover disputed sales or future orders.
Does trade finance cover raw ingredients?
Our trade finance option is aimed at eligible physical goods bought and resold, with repayment terms up to 180 days where agreed. Do not assume ingredients transformed into another product qualify; ask us to review the transaction. The target business has at least one year trading, around €500,000 annual sales and ideally a profit. A term or flexible repayment loan may be more appropriate for production inputs, subject to eligibility.
What if I need to produce ahead of a busy season?
Set out when ingredients and packaging must be paid for, the production timetable and when customers will settle. Include shelf life, wastage, slower-selling stock and quieter months in the cash-flow forecast. Compare repayments with realistic receipts rather than assuming every batch sells immediately.
Can you help with delivery vehicles?
We can look at asset finance for eligible business vehicles. Include refrigeration or other specialist conversion costs in the supplier quote for review. Vehicle age, value, supplier and affordability determine the options; do not assume every conversion qualifies.
Can a new food or drink business apply?
Equipment criteria vary, so ask us to review a specific quote. Term loans need at least 12 months trading and one full year's completed accounts, with the turnover and profit criteria. Our new-business finance page explains earlier cash-finance options and pre-trading supports.
What should I send to get started?
Send recent business bank statements, latest completed accounts, the amount needed and its purpose. Include machinery quotes for equipment finance, supplier invoices for a stock transaction, or an aged debtor ledger and sample customer invoices for invoice finance. Explain production lead times, shelf life and expected customer payments.
Do you charge a broker fee?
No. We do not charge clients a fee; lenders pay us a commission when funding completes. Lender interest and charges are separate and should be checked before accepting an offer.
Free to you. Lenders pay us a commission when your loan completes. How we get paid