Private Debt & Direct Lending Specialists

Enness arranges a broad range of private debt, including mezzanine finance, distressed debt funding, real estate debt, and infrastructure finance. These facilities can be structured to meet complex borrowing needs for acquisitions, development, restructuring, or expansion.

Private debt is typically available to established companies, real estate developers, family offices, or entrepreneurs looking to raise more than £3 million. Borrowers are often seeking flexible terms, bespoke structuring, or large sums not readily accessible via traditional banks.

Yes. Enness regularly arranges private debt solutions for clients across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and globally. Whether you're acquiring real estate, expanding a business, or refinancing, Enness works with international lenders to secure cross-border funding.

The terms private debt and private credit are often used interchangeably, although private credit typically refers to the broader asset class, while private debt describes the underlying lending structures.

Both involve non-bank lenders providing tailored financing solutions outside traditional banking systems. Private credit encompasses a wide range of strategies, including direct lending, asset-based lending, mezzanine finance, and special situations, while private debt refers more specifically to the loans and facilities structured within these strategies.

For borrowers, the distinction is largely academic; both provide access to flexible, non-bank capital. The key advantage lies in the ability to structure financing around the specific requirements of a transaction, rather than conforming to standardised bank lending criteria.

A private debt broker acts as an intermediary between borrowers and non-bank lenders, structuring bespoke financing solutions for complex or high-value transactions.

Rather than approaching individual lenders directly, a broker leverages established relationships with institutional investors, credit funds, and specialist lenders to source and negotiate tailored facilities aligned to the specific requirements of each transaction.

Working with a private debt broker typically involves:

• Assessing requirements: Understanding the transaction, asset profile, and financing objectives
• Accessing capital: Connecting with institutional lenders and private credit funds
• Structuring facilities: Designing debt solutions aligned to risk, flexibility, and exit strategy
• Negotiating terms: Securing pricing and conditions appropriate to the transaction
• Managing execution: Coordinating the process through to completion

Private debt funds are a primary source of non-bank capital, providing financing through institutional investors, asset managers, and specialist credit platforms.

These funds deploy capital across a range of strategies, including direct lending, asset-backed finance, and structured credit, often focusing on transactions that fall outside traditional bank lending criteria.

In the UK and internationally, private debt funds operate alongside a broader ecosystem of institutional lenders, including pension funds, family offices, and alternative lending platforms. This creates a deep and flexible pool of capital for borrowers seeking tailored financing solutions.

Accessing this market typically requires specialist expertise and established relationships. By working with a wide network of credit funds, institutional capital providers, and alternative lenders, facilities can be structured to align with the specific requirements of each transaction, whether driven by complexity, scale, or timing.

Private debt plays a central role in financing real estate and complex transactions, particularly where traditional lenders are unable to accommodate scale, structure, or timing requirements.

In real estate, private debt is commonly used to support property acquisitions, development finance, and portfolio lending, with facilities structured around the asset, the borrower’s objectives, and the proposed exit strategy. This flexibility makes it well-suited to high-value or non-standard transactions that fall outside conventional lending criteria.

Private debt is also widely used in cross-border transactions, where differing jurisdictions, currencies, or ownership structures can limit access to bank financing. By sourcing capital from institutional lenders and credit funds, facilities can be tailored to align with the specific legal, financial, and operational requirements of each deal.

As a result, private debt provides a flexible and scalable solution for borrowers seeking to execute complex transactions with greater certainty and control over structuring.

Private debt is typically used in situations where traditional financing is constrained by policy, timing, or complexity, requiring a more flexible and tailored approach to structuring.

• When banks cannot provide financing: Where transactions fall outside standard lending criteria due to size, structure, or asset type
• Time-sensitive transactions: Where speed and certainty of execution are critical to securing an opportunity
• Complex or cross-border structures: Involving multiple jurisdictions, currencies, or non-standard ownership arrangements
• Large or bespoke lending requirements: Where facilities need to be structured around specific assets, cash flows, or investment strategies

In these scenarios, private debt offers a more adaptable and pragmatic source of capital, enabling transactions to proceed where traditional lenders may be unable to participate.

Private debt facilities are structured on a bespoke basis, meaning pricing, leverage, and terms vary depending on the transaction, asset profile, and risk involved. Unlike traditional lending, there are no standardised products; each facility is tailored to align with the borrower’s objectives and the lender’s appetite.

• Rates: Typically range from approximately 6% to 14%+ per annum, depending on factors such as loan size, complexity, security, and execution timeline
• Loan-to-value (LTV): Varies by asset class, with stronger, more liquid security generally supporting higher leverage
• Terms: Can be structured as short-term, medium-term, or revolving facilities, depending on the nature of the transaction and exit strategy
• Security: Commonly secured against property, financial assets, or diversified portfolios, with structures designed around asset quality and liquidity

Private debt offers a highly flexible approach to financing, allowing facilities to be aligned precisely with the requirements of complex or high-value transactions.

High-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients often turn to private debt as a strategic financing tool, particularly where flexibility and execution are more important than accessing standardised bank products.

• Execution certainty: Private debt lenders are typically able to move quickly and make decisions based on the specifics of a transaction, providing confidence in time-sensitive or competitive situations
• Flexibility over pricing: Rather than focusing solely on headline rates, facilities are structured around overall objectives, including timing, leverage, and exit strategy
• Ability to leverage assets: Borrowers can raise capital against property, portfolios, or other assets without needing to liquidate core holdings
• Bespoke structuring: Each facility is tailored to the transaction, allowing for complex arrangements that align with broader wealth or investment strategies

This approach makes private debt particularly attractive for clients navigating high-value, cross-border, or non-standard transactions where traditional lending routes may be too restrictive.