The results of the NACFB Commercial Lender Awards 2023 were announced at a gala celebration on Thursday 30th November at the Westminster Park Plaza hotel.
Hosted by comedian and TV presenter Dara Ó Briain, ably supported by celebrity auctioneer Jonny Gould, the new-look awards recognise lending excellence within the intermediary-led commercial finance community. These highly prized accolades also enable NACFB Members to thank the Association’s Patrons and Partners for their ongoing commitment to supporting brokers and their SME clients.
Commenting, NACFB Chair, Paul Goodman said: “To be shortlisted alone is a great achievement and testament to the esteem in which our Patron lenders and Partner service providers are held, not just by NACFB Members but also by the panel of independent, expert judges who helped determine the recipients of this year’s accolades.”
Formerly known as the NACFB Patron Awards, the winning and highly commended firms were determined from across 19 categories through a combination of independent judges’ selections and Member votes from a shortlist of 73 firms.
Kindly sponsored by NACFB Partners, Red Flag Alert, with support from YBS Commercial Mortgages (wine sponsor), VAS Valuation Group (charity game sponsor), and Allica Bank (after party sponsor) the Commercial Lender Awards provides an opportunity for attendees to dress up, catch up, have fun and dance until the small hours.
“The evening is also a platform for the NACFB community to raise much needed funds for the Association’s charity partner, The Newman Holiday Trust, an entirely volunteer-led organisation which arranges holidays for children with special needs. The donations from all sources on the night are being tallied, and we hope to be able to announce the total raised very soon,” said Norman Chambers, NACFB managing director.
The winners and highly commended are:
Asset Finance Provider of the Year
Winner: Aldermore Bank
Highly commended: Allica Bank
Buy-to-Let Lender of the Year
Winner: Shawbrook Bank
Highly commended: Landbay
Unsecured Funder of the Year
Winner: Funding Circle
Highly commended: iwoca
Service Excellence Award (NEW)
Winner: Allica Bank
Highly commended: 365 Business Finance
Commercial Mortgage Lender of the Year
Winner: NatWest
Highly commended: Allica Bank
Property Development Finance Lender of the Year
Winner: United Trust Bank
Highly commended: Roma Finance
Challenger Bank of the Year (NEW)
Winner: Allica Bank
Highly commended: Metro Bank
Factoring & Invoice Discounter of the Year
Winner: Bibby Financial Services
Highly commended: Close Brothers Invoice Finance
BDM Team of the Year
Winner: YouLend
Highly commended: Allica Bank
Rising Star of the Year
Winner: Eshna Harper – Allica Bank
Highly commended: Anne Blacker – NatWest
Deal of the Year
Winner: GB Bank
Highly commended: NatWest
Business Bank of the Year
Winner: Allica Bank
Highly commended: NatWest
Underwriting Team of the Year (NEW)
Winner: United Trust Bank
Highly commended: Allica Bank
Short-term Lender of the Year
Winner: Market Financial Solutions
Highly commended: Shawbrook Bank
Community Lender of the Year (NEW)
Winner: Cambridge and Counties Bank
Highly commended: Unity Trust Bank
Industry Supplier of the Year
Winner: LDS Sales Guarantee
Highly commended: Method Valuation UK
Specialist Lender of the Year
Winner: Allica Bank
Highly commended: Shawbrook Bank & Together
Technological Innovation of the Year (NEW)
Winner: Brickflow
Highly commended: Tradeplus24
Leadership Award (NEW)
Winner: Josh Levy – Ultimate Finance
Highly commended: Kate Pullen – NatWest
Commercial Finance Lender of the Year
Winner: Allica Bank