What is the business loan application form template?
Incomplete applications slow down every lending decision. This business loan application form asks the questions a lender, broker or credit union needs to start an assessment, and collects the documents at the same time.
The applicant describes the business, including legal form, registration, trading history, staff and industry, and themselves. They say how much they want, what for, over what term and how they'd like to repay. Trading figures cover last year's revenue and profit or loss, this year so far, and the financial year end. Existing borrowing and any adverse credit history must be explained. Ownership, security and personal guarantees come next.
Accounts and bank statements are required uploads, with a business plan or forecast optional. The applicant consents to credit checks and signs, and the whole application is saved as a PDF in your vault.
- Best for
- Lenders, brokers, credit unions and community finance providers
- Filled in by
- Business owners or directors applying for finance
- Time to complete
- About 20 minutes with accounts and statements ready
- Includes
- Existing debt and adverse credit follow-ups, security options, document uploads, signature
Who uses a business loan application form?
- A commercial finance broker gathers a client's details before approaching lenders
- A community lender takes applications for small business loans
- A credit union offers working capital loans to local businesses
- An equipment finance company collects applications for machinery purchases
- A regional development fund receives applications for expansion loans
- An accountant helps a client prepare a complete loan application
Questions on this business loan application form
37 questions over 5 pages · includes signature, file upload, conditional questions, multiple pages, consent checkbox.
1 The business
- Business name*
- Legal form* Limited company / LLC · Corporation · Partnership or LLP · Sole trader / sole proprietor · Other
- Registration number
- Tax ID
- Trading since*
- Industry*
- Number of employees*
- Business address*
- Your name*
- Your role*
- Email*
- Phone*
2 The loan
- Amount requested*
- Needed by
- Main purpose* Working capital · Equipment or machinery · Vehicles · Property purchase or improvement · Expansion or new site · Stock or inventory · Refinancing existing debt · Buying a business · Other
- How will the money be used?*
- Preferred term* Under 1 year · 1–2 years · 3–5 years · 5–10 years · Over 10 years
- Preferred repayments* Monthly · Quarterly · Seasonal or flexible
3 Trading & financials
- Revenue — last full financial year*
- Net profit or loss — last full year*
- Revenue so far this year
- Financial year end
- Does the business have existing loans, overdrafts or finance?*
- Existing borrowing* asked only when it applies
- Has the business or any owner had a default, court judgment, bankruptcy or insolvency in the last six years?*
- Please explain* asked only when it applies
4 Ownership & security
- Owners and shareholdings*
- Security you could offer* None — unsecured · Property · Equipment or vehicles · Receivables or stock · Personal guarantee · Cash deposit
- Describe the security and its approximate value
- Would owners give personal guarantees if asked?* Yes · Possibly — would need to discuss · No
5 Documents & declaration
- Last two years' accounts*
- Recent business bank statements*
- Business plan or cash flow forecast
- Anything else that supports the application
- Credit checks*
- Declaration*
- Signature*
The business loan application form, page by page
1 The business
Business name, legal form, registration number and tax ID, the date it started trading, industry, number of employees and address, then the applicant's name, role, email and phone.
2 The loan
The amount requested and when it's needed, the main purpose (working capital, equipment, vehicles, property, expansion, stock, refinancing, buying a business, other), a description of how the money will be used, the preferred term and repayment pattern.
3 Trading & financials
Revenue and net profit or loss for the last full year, with a loss entered as a negative number, revenue so far this year and the financial year end. Existing loans or finance ask for details of each lender, balance and repayment. A question about defaults, judgments, bankruptcy or insolvency in the last six years asks for an explanation if the answer is yes.
4 Ownership & security
Owners and their percentages, the security the business could offer (none, property, equipment, receivables, a personal guarantee, a cash deposit or other) with a description and value, and whether owners would give personal guarantees.
5 Documents & declaration
The last two years' accounts and recent bank statements are required; a business plan or forecast and other documents are optional. The applicant consents to credit and identity checks, confirms the application is true and that it isn't an offer of finance, and signs.
Make the template yours
- Change the purposes and terms to the products you offer
- Set your minimum trading history or loan size in the cover text
- Adjust the credit check consent to name the agencies you use and link your privacy notice
- Change the currency on the amount fields
- Add sector-specific questions, such as fleet size for vehicle finance
- Send notifications to your underwriting inbox
Tips for a better business loan application form
- Tell applicants what documents they'll need before they start
- Ask about adverse history directly; it's better to hear it on the form than find it in a credit check
- Follow up quickly; applicants often approach several lenders at once
- Check the uploaded bank statements against the revenue figure given
- Explain your decision timescale in the confirmation message
Every response becomes a PDF in your vault
Each application becomes a PDF with the accounts, statements and signature, filed in the vault folder you choose. You're emailed at once and can add your underwriting team. The applicant receives a copy.
Your team then runs credit checks and assesses the application in its usual way. The Responses table lists applications by amount, purpose and term, and exports to CSV for your pipeline.
- Start from this template. It opens in the FileIt Forms designer — change any question, add pages, set the rules for when questions appear.
- Share it. Turn on a public link, or send it to people by email, each with their own link. They don’t need a FileIt account.
- Get the answers as PDFs. Each response is saved as a PDF in the vault folder you choose, with uploaded files attached — and listed in a Responses table you can export to CSV.
Business loan application form: frequently asked questions
Is this business loan application template free?
Yes. It's one of the ready-made templates in the Forms app on every FileIt account, including the free plan. Use it as it is or change any question in the designer.
Does FileIt make lending decisions or run credit checks?
No. The form collects the application and documents. Credit checks and decisions are made by you using your own processes and providers.
Can applicants upload large documents?
Yes, each file can be up to 10 MB, with several files allowed per upload question. Accounts accept PDF and Excel, and bank statements PDF, CSV or Excel.
Is the applicant committed to anything by submitting?
No. The declaration states that it's an application, not an offer of finance. Change the wording if your process needs something different.
Do applicants need a FileIt account to apply?
No. Share the form by public link or send personal email invitations, and anyone can fill it in and submit it without creating an account.
Can a broker complete it on a client's behalf?
A broker can gather the details, but the credit check consent, declaration and signature should come from someone authorised at the business, so it's usually best to send the client a personal invitation to complete and sign it.