Funding for independent opticians, optometry practices and audiology providers: acquiring, fitting out and equipping.
What we arrange
- Practice acquisition funding, including goodwill
- Commercial mortgages and leasehold fit-out finance
- Equipment finance: OCT, slit lamps, autorefractors, edging and audiology booths
- Working capital and stock funding for frame and lens inventory
- Refinancing existing practice borrowing
How lenders assess eyecare practices
Independent optical practices combine clinical income with a substantial retail element, and lenders read the two differently. NHS sight test income provides a base, but the margin sits largely in dispensing, so the mix, the average transaction value and the recall rate all matter to the assessment.
The retail component means stock and location carry more weight than in a purely clinical practice, and a lease on a prominent high street unit will be examined closely.
What lenders will actually do
- Unsecured alternative: professions lending explicitly naming opticians runs £30,000 to £500,000, with growth facilities to £2m, at rates from around 8%.
- Equipment: OCT, diagnostic imaging, edging and audiology equipment funded on hire purchase or lease. Refinancing equipment already owned releases capital without new property security.
- Assessment: the retail element means stock, location and lease terms carry more weight than in a purely clinical practice. A short unexpired lease on a prominent unit is a genuine obstacle worth addressing before you go to market.
Equipment and the upgrade cycle
OCT and diagnostic imaging have become close to standard, and the investment is significant for an independent. Asset finance spreads that cost across the equipment’s working life, and refinancing existing equipment can release capital where a practice already owns kit outright.
Common questions
Can independents compete with the multiples for funding?
Yes. Lenders are generally comfortable with well-run independents, and the assessment focuses on your own trading performance rather than the wider market structure.
Is audiology funded differently from optometry?
The principles are similar, though audiology income is usually more heavily private, which shifts the assessment towards trading consistency rather than contract income.
All figures are indicative and subject to lender assessment, your circumstances, valuation and prevailing market conditions. Commercial mortgages and unregulated bridging loans are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Property offered as security may be at risk if you do not keep up repayments.
This page was last reviewed in September 2026 and is next scheduled for review in March 2027. Lending criteria change frequently, so contact us for current terms rather than relying on published figures.