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Small Business Restructuring (SBR) Plans
A second chance for your client’s business to succeed
Why Choose NWC Finance for Your Restructuring Plan?
When advisers are seeking short-term support during a restructuring, they generally need two things: speed and a lender who understands the realities of distressed trading. NWC Finance operates in that space day in, day out. With over $2 billion funded across short-term, time-critical, and complex scenarios, we’re used to working under pressure to keep deals moving.
With experience working alongside accountants, restructuring practitioners, and directors, we provide bridging finance that stabilises the situation so you can complete the restructuring plan properly. That might mean covering urgent creditor payments, resolving ATO pressure, or buying time for an orderly business transition.
NWC Finance is comfortable with:
- Cross-collateralised or multi-asset security structures
- Complex exit strategies
- Businesses operating through periods of volatility
It’s practical funding designed to help advisers get clients through the SBR process without unnecessary delays.
Why Use a Non-Bank Lender for SBR Funding?
Most advisers already know the challenge: traditional banks rarely move fast enough for a distressed business. And once a restructuring plan is in play, bank appetite tightens even further.
A specialised non-bank lender provides benefits that matter in real-time:
Speed and flexibility
Decisions are made quickly. We can review security positions, cash-flow pressures, exit strategies, and more without the long credit cycles or rigid checklists typical in bank environments.
Fit-for-purpose bridging finance
NWC Finance provides bridging facilities tailored to the duration of the restructuring plan, with a clear exit strategy agreed upon upfront.
Support when conventional lenders step back
Banks often pause or withdraw support as soon as arrears, ATO debt, or trading concerns appear. As a non-bank lender, NWC can step in to stabilise the situation.
A clear path to refinance
Once the plan is complete and the business has a clearer footing, the client is usually in a better position to refinance back to mainstream credit. Short-term funding helps get them to that point.
When a Restructuring Plan Can Help
For many advisers, a restructuring plan is a practical way to reshape the business in a manageable timeframe.
Common situations where we see advisers deploying SBRs include:
- Creditor pressure and payment defaults that need immediate attention
- ATO arrears, including active Director Penalty Notice (DPN) risk
- Trading cash-flow shortfalls impacting operations
- The need to merge assets, exit leases, or consolidate debt
- Businesses undergoing a structural shift
Who This Is For
Advisers commonly use SBR funding to support clients in sectors such as:
- Property Development & Construction
- Manufacturing
- Retail
- Hospitality
- Professional services
- Real estate services
- Farming
That said, NWC Finance works across all sectors. If the business has viable operations and suitable security for a short-term bridging facility, we can usually assess it.
Our Restructuring Plan Process
Our approach is streamlined, addressing urgent funding needs upfront.
1. Application
Once application details are received, we provide an initial assessment quickly so you know whether the deal is workable.
2. Letter of Offer
We then issue a conditional offer detailing rates, terms, and the exit strategy.
3. Due Diligence
Here, we’ll require further information and documentation from your client to finalise the restructuring plan timeline. Our team works directly with you to keep everything moving.
4. Settlement & Funding
Funding is released to meet immediate requirements, creditor settlements, ATO repayments, working capital, or other restructuring plan needs.
Get Funding Support for Your Client’s Restructuring Plan
We work directly with advisers to structure short-term solutions that complement the SBR process.
FAQs
What is a small business restructuring plan?
A formal process allowing eligible businesses to restructure debts while continuing to trade, managed by a registered practitioner.
How is restructuring different from liquidation?
Restructuring keeps the business operating. Liquidation winds it up. Most advisers use restructuring when the core business is salvageable.
How quickly can funding be approved?
Assessments are usually completed quickly, often within the timeframes advisers need to keep the plan moving.
Are ATO debts included in a restructuring plan?
Yes. ATO arrears are common, and often a key driver of the SBR.
Which businesses are eligible?
Eligibility depends on turnover and Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) requirements. Advisers generally assess this upfront.
What exit strategies are acceptable?
Sale of assets, refinance, business sale, or other documented strategies aligned with the restructuring plan.
Will the funding impact future credit?
Short-term bridging facilities are designed to help stabilise the business so mainstream credit becomes available again after the plan is completed.