The gap between winning the work and getting paid
Bigger contracts come with bigger up-front costs. You hire or schedule extra people, order materials in volume, maybe rent equipment, and then wait 30, 60 or 90 days for the client to pay. The contract is profitable on paper. The problem is the months in between.
That is the gap contract funding fills. It is not about whether your business is good enough for the job. It is about making sure cash on hand matches the size of what you have already earned.
Three owners, three versions of the same problem
A commercial cleaning company
Wins a multi-building office contract and needs equipment and a second shift before the first invoice is paid.
A regional food distributor
Adds a grocery chain account that requires double its usual inventory on the shelf from week one.
A staffing agency
Takes on a hospital placement that requires paying workers weekly while the client pays monthly.
These examples are for illustration. In each case the business is established and the contract is real. The cash timing is what needs solving.
Matching the funding to the job
- Working capital for mobilization costs, payroll and materials, repaid on a set schedule.
- Equipment financing when the contract needs machinery, vehicles or tools you will keep using afterward. The equipment itself typically secures the financing.
- A business line of credit when costs arrive in stages over a long project and you want to draw as you go.
What Merchant Fund Express will look at
Funding is provided through our partner Merchant Fund Express, and the review centers on the business. Expect to share about three months of business bank statements. No tax returns are required, and FICO scores from 500 are considered. A copy of the contract or purchase order can help show where the next revenue is coming from.
The audience here is businesses doing roughly $60,000 or more a month that have outgrown the size of their cash cushion. See what funders look at for the full picture.
Moving at the speed of the bid
Contracts often come with a start date that does not wait. The application takes about 5 minutes, begins with a soft credit pull, and qualified businesses can be funded in as little as 24 hours. Amounts range from $25,000 to $5,000,000.
If you are also working on personal credit through Eagle, keep in mind those are separate services. You do not need to finish one to start the other.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to show the contract to get funding?
It is not always required, but sharing the contract or purchase order can help explain why you need capital now and how it will be repaid.
Can I use contract funding to hire workers?
Yes. Working capital can be used for labor, materials, mobilization and other costs tied to delivering the job.
What if the contract requires new equipment?
Equipment financing is often the better fit for machinery or vehicles you will keep after the contract ends.
How large a contract can be supported?
Funding ranges from $25,000 to $5,000,000, based on your revenue and bank activity rather than the contract size alone.
Will my personal credit stop me from taking on the contract?
Not necessarily. FICO scores from 500 are considered, and the review focuses heavily on business revenue.