A faster way to assess lender appetite could save brokers time, but one step remains essential
Inspired Lending has added its full lending criteria to Knowledge Bank. Brokers can now test a bridging or refurbishment case against its appetite before making contact.
The lender provides unregulated bridging, refurbishment finance and revolving credit facilities across England, Wales and Scotland. Loans range from £250,000 to £5m and are secured against residential, semi-commercial and commercial property.
Inspired Lending chief executive Gavin Diamond said the range spans vanilla bridging through to heavy refurbishment and conversion facilities, on first and second charges.
Knowledge Bank's criteria research platform lets brokers search and compare lender criteria across the market. Users can establish whether Inspired could suit a client before speaking to the team.
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Screening tool
Inspired Lending sales director Owen Bentley said brokers with a live case need to know quickly which lenders are worth speaking to. He said the listing puts the proposition in front of brokers at the point they make that decision.
Bentley said the criteria are intended to help brokers identify the cases the lender could support.
"They are not a substitute for picking up the phone," he said.
He said there will always be deals where one detail changes how the lender views the transaction. It still wants brokers to explain what their client is trying to achieve.
Knowledge Bank criteria and partnerships manager Julie Bourne said the platform aims to help brokers narrow their options and spend more time with lenders that could support the case. She described Inspired as an established bridging and refurbishment proposition, backed by a team willing to examine the detail of a transaction.
Bridging backdrop
Bridging completions fell to £1.8bn in the first quarter of 2026, from £2.5bn in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the Bridging & Development Lenders Association. Applications declined from £11.7bn to £9.9bn over the same period.
In an interview on building the lender, Diamond said fewer good deals are available, and too many lenders are competing for them. He said enquiries have shifted away from acquisitions towards borrowers who need to:
- release liquidity from existing portfolios
- refinance projects that have overrun
- buy time from a lender that wants out
Diamond said he is cautious about taking on the last category.
"Anyone can put money out the door, but not everyone can get money back," he said.
He pointed to Inspired's use of AI tools to gather information faster, without removing human judgement from underwriting. He said lenders that use quieter periods constructively should have the foundations to grow when conditions improve.
Bentley said Inspired wants to be considered whenever a broker has a bridging or refurbishment case that fits its appetite.
Funding model
Diamond said Inspired is privately funded, so it is not subject to the loan-to-value restrictions, fixed valuation requirements or non-utilisation fees that senior debt providers can impose. He said this allows it to assess each case on its merits.
He said terms issued by the lender are credit-backed from day one. The same people who handle an enquiry underwrite and manage the loan through to repayment.
The lender launched in November 2023 with backing from the Pears family. Diamond leads a three-person team with Bentley and Nathan Wilson, all formerly of United Trust Bank.
Financial Intermediary & Broker Association chair Martin Reynolds said brokers place significant value on lenders that are accessible, responsive and prepared to look at cases individually. Inspired joined the association in June.
