£45m finance deal for Fennies Nurseries

Over a 3-month period, the Kent Finance team worked collaboratively with Shawbrook, the lender,  to take a deep dive into Fennies’ financial records. Working closely with the team at Fennies, Kent Finance took the time to understand business operations, financial data and objectives. Using this information, they custom-built a structured, detailed projection of how the business would perform financially, including profit, cash flow, and balance sheet outcomes.

Will continues, “Having a robust financial model gives you the clarity to plan strategically and the confidence to act. Once the Fennnies team were able to present the financials in a credible, data-backed way, the deal proceeded quickly.”

The deal – a five-year £45m club deal structured jointly by Shawbrook and Cynergy Bank – included refinancing existing debt as well as supporting the development of new sites. The funding will enable the acquisition of nine new locations in 2025 and 2026, delivering 1,000 new childcare places and creating more than 400 new jobs.

The support offered by the Kent Finance team did not stop when the deal was done. The bespoke financial model is a dynamic tool that evolves with the business as it grows, providing rolling monthly projections for the next five years. By fully integrating Profit & Loss, Cash Flow, Balance Sheets, key performance indicators and data from CRM, ERP or financial software, the model uses real-time data for scenario planning and sensitivity analysis, as well as valuation and return analysis. In short, it stays current as the business grows, supporting decision-making for the long term.

Since the transaction took place, Kent Finance’s outsourcing team have stayed involved in the Fennies business. By providing ongoing post-transaction monitoring and board attendance on behalf of Shawbrook, the lender can ensure accurate reporting, monitor financial performance and ensure strong financial discipline and strategic oversight that aligns with long-term growth.