Private Credit And Structured Lending
Asset Based Lending
Asset based lending is built for one thing: funding a business against assets lenders can monitor, control, and liquidate.
If your revenues are real but cash flow is uneven, or you need liquidity for inventory, receivables, or trade cycles, a borrowing base facility can be a clean path.
If you need structured support, see our asset based lending arrangement and underwriting
page.
What Asset Based Lending Is
Asset based lending (ABL) is a secured facility where borrowing capacity is linked to a borrowing base, typically formed from eligible accounts receivable and eligible inventory, and sometimes equipment or other hard assets.
The lender cares less about narratives and more about collateral quality, reporting, and control mechanics.
Operational reality:
If you are searching “asset based lending facility requirements” or “borrowing base certificate example,” you are usually trying to solve the same constraint: liquidity is trapped in working capital.
When ABL Fits
Working capital expansion
Growing sales, longer customer payment terms, and larger inventory purchases often justify a revolving borrowing base facility.
Commodity and trade cycles
ABL can sit alongside trade structures when collateral and controls are clear, especially where inventory and receivables are verifiable.
Business acquisition support
ABL can refinance or fund post-close working capital when the target has strong receivables and inventory discipline.
Refinancing expensive debt
If collateral is strong and reporting is clean, ABL can replace higher-cost short-term funding and reduce cash pressure.
How the Borrowing Base Works
The borrowing base is a formula. The lender starts with gross receivables and inventory, removes ineligible items, applies advance rates, then subtracts reserves.
Availability moves as your collateral moves. That is why the reporting cadence matters.
| Collateral Type |
Typical Lender Focus |
| Accounts receivable |
Debtor quality, concentration, dilution, disputes, offsets, aging, contract terms, and payment history. |
| Inventory |
Turn, obsolescence, valuation method, SKU controls, warehouse discipline, shrink, and liquidation channels. |
| Equipment |
Appraisal quality, condition, title, lien position, and resale market depth. |
| Commodities or finished goods |
Traceability, inspection, storage controls, third-party verification, and clear liquidation route. |
Controls Lenders Require
ABL is not only a facility, it is an operating discipline. Lenders expect visibility and control to reduce the chance that collateral disappears or becomes uncollectible.
- Lockbox and dominion of funds:
cash receipts flow into controlled accounts under defined rules.
- Borrowing base certificate:
periodic reporting with supporting schedules and eligibility logic.
- Collateral audits and field exams:
third-party validation of receivables and inventory practices.
- Insurance and lien perfection:
enforceable security interests and documented coverage.
- Reserves:
lender-held buffers for returns, credits, disputes, seasonality, or debtor risk.
Practical warning:
If your receivables have heavy disputes, unclear contract acceptance, frequent offsets, or weak aging discipline, lenders will either decline or haircut availability.
What Underwriting Really Looks Like
ABL underwriting is evidence-driven. A lender will test whether collateral is collectible, saleable, and monitorable, and whether your reporting supports ongoing risk management.
The process typically includes a data room review, collateral audit, legal documentation, and operational setup for controls.
Document Checklist That Drives Approvals
- AR aging, top debtor list, concentration analysis, and terms by customer
- Inventory reports by SKU, location, aging, valuation method, and shrink policies
- Sample invoices, contracts, proof of delivery, and dispute history
- Historic financials, interim management accounts, and cash conversion cycle detail
- Debt schedule, liens, UCC or equivalent filings, and insurance certificates
- Bank statements and a clean narrative on collections and returns
ABL Arrangement And Underwriting Support
If you want a lender-ready ABL package and a disciplined closing process, start with our structured service flow.
We underwrite what lenders care about, package the story with the data, and push for term sheets or written declines.
Review our asset based lending arrangement and underwriting
process.
FAQ
What is asset based lending?
It is a secured facility sized against eligible collateral, usually receivables and inventory, with availability calculated under a borrowing base and supported by reporting and controls.
What is a borrowing base certificate?
A periodic calculation of availability that applies eligibility rules, advance rates, and reserves, supported by schedules and lender verification rights.
Is ABL the same as accounts receivable financing?
Receivables financing can be part of ABL. ABL is broader and often includes inventory and additional controls, with a single facility governed by a borrowing base.
What triggers a decline?
Weak collateral quality, high disputes and dilution, heavy concentration, poor inventory discipline, missing documentation, and an inability to support lender monitoring requirements.
Can ABL support business acquisitions?
It can support post-close working capital when the target has bankable receivables and inventory discipline. It is not a substitute for acquisition equity.
Do you guarantee approvals?
No. Outcomes depend on collateral, documentation, and lender credit decisioning. Our role is to underwrite, structure, and present a lender-ready package on a best-efforts basis.