We provide lender-ready capital raise packaging and debt or equity placement support for business owners and buyers looking to secure serious term sheets and close funding on a defined timeline.
For business owners and acquirers pursuing private debt or equity, submit your deal for review. We revert within one working day with next steps and either a quote for our services.
For pre-submission discussions, we offer paid consultations. To initiate underwriting and lender outreach, submit the deal.
Trade Finance | Bridging Loans
A trade deal can be profitable and still fail for one boring reason: timing. Suppliers want money before goods ship. Logistics vendors want cash on schedule. Buyers pay later, sometimes much later. Bridging finance exists to cover that gap without turning your balance sheet into a crime scene.
This guide explains the structures lenders actually fund, the documents that move credit teams, and the controls that make short-tenor trade risk acceptable. If you want Financely to structure the facility and coordinate lender placement, start with How It Works.
A bridging loan is short-tenor working capital tied to a specific trade cycle. It typically funds one or more of: supplier prepayment, purchase of goods, inland transport, ocean freight, insurance, duties, warehousing, or the gap between delivery and buyer payment. The lender is not funding your “business plan.” They are funding a controlled transaction with a defined exit.
Simple definition: A bridging loan is money that lives for the length of the trade cycle and gets repaid from the sale proceeds or a contracted payment stream.
Lenders underwrite three things: (1) the exit, (2) the controls, and (3) your ability to execute without surprises. The commodity matters, but the structure matters more. A lender will fund a modest margin deal with clean controls faster than a high margin deal with sloppy execution.
There is no single product called “a trade bridge.” There are repeatable structures that fit different transaction shapes. The right structure depends on whether you are importing, exporting, acting as a trader, or financing a supplier or buyer.
| Structure | Best used for | Typical risk controls |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-shipment bridge | Supplier prepayment, raw material purchase, production, and packing | Supplier vetting, milestone disbursements, inspection triggers, assignment of proceeds |
| Import bridge against landed inventory | Buying and importing goods before sale or before buyer pays | Title control, warehouse receipts, collateral management, insured storage, release controls |
| Receivables bridge | Goods delivered, invoice issued, cash comes later | Assignment of receivables, collection account control, debtor notice where required |
| Back-to-back trade structure | Trader buys from supplier and sells to buyer with matched documents | Inbound and outbound contract alignment, document control, LC support where applicable |
| LC-supported bridge | Export flows where payment is under a documentary credit | LC terms review, confirmation options, compliant document presentation workflow |
If your deal is LC-driven, see Letter Of Credit Services , Letters of Credit for Importers , and Letter of Credit Confirmation Services. If you run chained trades, see Back-to-Back Letter of Credit.
Trade bridges fail for predictable reasons. The fix is almost always packaging and controls, not “more talking.”
Bridging lenders move fast when the file is clean. They slow down when the story is loose. The checklist below is the minimum set that supports a serious underwriting review.
| Category | What to provide | What it proves |
|---|---|---|
| Trade contracts | Signed purchase and sales contracts or drafts with final commercial terms, Incoterms, delivery windows, and payment terms | That the deal exists and the cash conversion timeline is real |
| Counterparty file | KYB details, ownership, trading history, references where available, sanctions screening readiness | That the parties can be onboarded and are not compliance dead ends |
| Logistics plan | Shipping route, ports, warehousing plan, inspection method, insurance plan | That goods will move and can be controlled |
| Sources and uses | Exact funding need, what it pays for, and the repayment source | That the loan amount and exit are disciplined |
| Company financials | Recent statements, bank statements, trade flow evidence, and debt schedule | That you can execute and absorb volatility |
| Controls and security | Title approach, assignment of proceeds, collection account, collateral plan | That the lender can survive a dispute or delay |
For a packaging benchmark, see Structured Commodity Trade Finance and Trade Finance Services.
A bridge is not always the best tool. Sometimes the right move is to change the payment structure or use a bank instrument that shifts risk.
See Documentary Letter of Credit Provider and Standby Letter of Credit Services.
If your goal is short-tenor working capital tied to real trade, see Commodity Finance Fund for how short-tenor trade risk is typically framed.
Financely structures bridging finance around one objective: make the transaction fundable by putting controls and documents ahead of hype. We build a lender-ready file, pressure-test contract and logistics terms, and coordinate lender placement and diligence sequencing through regulated partners where required. Financely is not a bank and does not lend. Outcomes depend on credit, documentation, compliance, and lender approvals.
What clients typically want: fast decisions, clear conditions, and a path to drawdowns tied to shipment and settlement reality. That is exactly how bridging lenders think when a file is prepared properly.
| Step | What happens | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Define the trade | Confirm product, route, Incoterms, timeline, and payment mechanics. | A deal summary lenders can actually read. |
| 2) Build the lender pack | Compile contracts, counterparty file, logistics plan, sources and uses, and exit logic. | A submission-ready file with consistent numbers. |
| 3) Lock controls | Structure title and document control, insurance, inspection, and collection account mechanics. | A controls map that makes short-tenor risk acceptable. |
| 4) Match and submit | Route the deal to lenders aligned to commodity, jurisdiction, tenor, and structure. | Real credit review, not endless “send more info.” |
| 5) Close and draw | Coordinate conditions, legal docs, and drawdown triggers tied to shipment and settlement. | A controlled path from approval to funded execution. |
If you cannot answer these cleanly, the bridge will drag.
Most trade bridges are short-tenor and tied to a single cycle. The right tenor is the one that matches procurement, shipment, clearance, delivery, and buyer payment timing.
Sometimes, but it requires stronger controls because the lender is taking performance and delivery risk earlier in the cycle. Expect tighter disbursement mechanics, inspections, and counterparty checks.
Most trade bridges rely on a mix of transaction controls and security. That can include title control, assignment of receivables, insured inventory, and controlled cash collections. The exact answer depends on commodity, route, and counterparty strength.
Different tools solve different problems. LCs and confirmations can shift payment risk and tighten document discipline. A bridge covers timing gaps and working capital needs that instruments alone may not solve.
Submit your contracts, route, and timeline. We will revert with a fit decision, a deal-specific checklist, and a proposed structure that is built for lender acceptance and controlled execution.
Start with How It Works or submit via Contact Us.
This page is for general information only and does not constitute legal, tax, investment, or regulatory advice. Financely is not a bank and does not lend. Any engagement is subject to diligence, KYC, AML, sanctions screening, lender criteria, and definitive documentation.
Financely advises growth-focused businesses on accessing capital by introducing their opportunities to professional investors. Financely is not a securities broker or dealer. Where appropriate, engagements are coordinated with regulated broker-dealers, investment banks, legal counsel, and other specialists.
Financely does not solicit, offer, or accept orders to buy or sell securities and makes no assurance regarding capital-raising outcomes.
Services are strictly business-to-business. Financely does not provide personal finance, consumer credit, or retail advisory services.
Advisory services are reserved for post-revenue companies that recognize the time and resources required for professional underwriting.
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All mandates start with an RFQ. We review submissions, issue a brief Go/No-Go memo, and where bankable, release a Term Sheet that leads to funding. We arrange capital across Senior Secured, Unitranche, Second Lien/Mezzanine, Preferred Equity, and Gap Solutions. We do not process deals by email or chat.
Letters of Credit, Standby LCs, Confirmations, Receivables Finance, and Inventory Lines with control.
Funding arranged for trade flows with instruments sized to your cycle and aligned to delivery and settlement.
Move forward to secure working capital and keep goods moving. Submit the RFQ to start underwriting for funding.
Limited or non-recourse structures for energy and infrastructure with lender-ready materials.
Funding solutions aligned to project cash flows with credible covenants and conditions to reach notice to proceed.
Advance the file to termable status. Submit the RFQ so we can underwrite and secure funding.
Debt and Preferred solutions anchored on cash flow, Quality of Earnings, and clear closing mechanics.
Funding across senior, unitranche, and preferred to match stable cash flows and acquisition timelines.
Get financed on workable terms for closing. Submit the RFQ to start underwriting.
Acquisition, development, bridge, and refinance with lender-ready packs and third-party reports managed.
Funding calibrated to DSCR, leverage, and tenancy with terms designed to close.
Move to a financeable package. Submit the RFQ to initiate underwriting for funding.
KYC and Source of Funds required. Engagements are best-efforts and subject to underwriting. Preference for operating companies with meaningful revenue. See our FAQ and Procedure.
Financely Inc. (“Financely”) provides corporate-finance advice and is wholly owned by Aurora Bay Trust, a trust formed under Bahamian law, together with its authorized affiliates. Depending on deal structure, jurisdiction, and local rules, engagements may be carried out through Financely Group LLC, a non-deposit-taking, non-banking financial company; Ashford Capital Advisory LLC; or another related entity.
Financely and its affiliates are not registered as securities broker-dealers and do not execute securities transactions or hold client funds or securities. When a mandate involves the purchase or sale of securities and a registered intermediary is required, any orders are introduced to and executed by one or more independent U.S. broker-dealers registered with the SEC and FINRA. Those broker-dealers are solely responsible for trade execution, custody, and related regulatory obligations. Nothing in this material constitutes an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to buy or sell any security or to engage in any specific transaction. Before engaging Financely Group LLC, Ashford Capital Advisory LLC, or any affiliate, you are responsible for confirming that such engagement complies with your own legal, regulatory, tax, and other requirements. In the United States, certain advisory activities may be conducted in reliance on exemptions available under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, including the “foreign private adviser” exemption where applicable. Our services and regulatory status may vary by jurisdiction and by transaction type.
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