Choose UK Export Finance support for your exports

UK Export Finance (UKEF) is the government's export credit agency. It insures export contracts and guarantees the loans that banks make to exporters or to their overseas buyers. Pick the product by the problem you need to solve. Whichever you choose, the deal must meet UKEF's UK content policy and its anti-bribery and environmental, social and human rights checks. UKEF may not support a transaction where sanctions apply to the buyer's country.

If a buyer might not pay

An Export Insurance Policy is for exporters who cannot get cover from the private market. That may be because you sell to a single buyer, the order is small or the market is high risk.

A policy covers one buyer, for one contract or several. You can get an instant online quote for a single-contract policy of up to 22 months or a multiple-contract policy of 12 months, if your buyer is in the private sector. UKEF usually replies to a full application within one to two weeks.

UKEF cannot insure risks of less than 24 months in the EU, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the USA, where private insurance should be available.

If you need cash to fulfil a contract

The Export Working Capital Scheme backs a bank's lending for a specific export contract, before or after shipment.

If you want a facility that is not tied to one contract, the General Export Facility guarantees bank trade finance, such as trade loans, bonds and letters of credit. It supports facilities of up to about £25 million, with repayment terms of up to five years. UKEF has given participating banks delegated authority of up to £10 million for each exporter, and its guarantee is granted automatically when an application meets set criteria. You need to show that export sales were at least 20% of your turnover in one of the last three financial years, or at least 5% in each of them.

If bonds are tying up your cash

Buyers often ask for a performance bond or an advance payment guarantee, and your bank may demand cash as security for it. The Bond Support Scheme lets the bank release that cash.

If your worry is an unfair demand on a bond rather than the cash it ties up, consider the Bond Insurance Policy. It protects you against unfair calls and against fair calls caused by certain political events, with up to 100% cover.

If your buyer needs finance

UKEF guarantees a bank loan to your overseas buyer, so you are paid as if the buyer had paid cash while the buyer repays over time.

Where an overseas buyer wants to buy from several UK suppliers, or for several contracts, a line of credit works in a similar way. UKEF guarantees a UK bank's loan to the buyer, repaid over at least two years, and one facility can finance several contracts.

Talk to an adviser first

An export finance manager can tell you which product fits your contract before you approach a bank or apply.