Funding Irish Business Growth
Expert insight on working capital, borrowing, acquisitions, management buyouts and restructuring from Bibby Financial Services Ireland.
2 October 2026
In collaboration with Irish Times, Irish Examiner
The 2026 Corporate Finance Report brings together perspectives from across Ireland’s business and financial community on how companies are funding day-to-day trading, strategic growth and ownership change.
Across five articles, experts from Bibby Financial Services Ireland share opinions on how businesses can fund working capital, acquisitions, ownership transitions and restructuring, while retaining the flexibility needed to trade, invest and grow.
Together, their contributions reflect a central theme: securing capital is only one part of the decision. The structure of that finance must also reflect how the business trades, what it is trying to achieve and the liquidity it will need afterwards.
Borrowing, debt and restructuring
Matching the finance to the commercial purpose
Mark O'Rourke considers why access to capital does not necessarily mean the underlying funding requirement has been solved. The emphasis should be on aligning the structure and duration of finance with the business purpose, particularly where the need is recurring working capital rather than a one-off investment.
Read on The Irish Times - When it’s time to ignore Shakespeare on borrowing
Working capital
When profitability does not mean cash is available
Aoife McGinley considers why profitable, growing businesses can still experience cashflow pressure when payroll, suppliers, tax and overheads fall due before customers settle their invoices. The article looks at the importance of understanding the working-capital cycle and matching finance to the underlying trading requirement.
Read on The Irish Times - Profit and cash are not the same thing for growing businesses
Funding an MBO
Funding the transaction and the business that comes after it
Ala Browne explores how management buyouts are commonly structured through a combination of management equity, senior debt, private equity and alternative lending. The contribution also considers why sufficient working capital after completion is as important as securing the funding required to complete the acquisition.
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