Bendigo Bank business loans: term loans, Lease Doc, equipment finance and more

For a lot of regional business owners, Bendigo Bank is the bank down the street, run by people who know the town. Headquartered in Bendigo in central Victoria rather than a capital city tower, it lends to businesses of every size, from a $10k working capital loan to commercial property finance and equipment for farms and workshops. When you fit its criteria, it’s a bank worth sitting down with.

This profile draws on Bendigo Bank’s website as at October 2026: what it lends, the features that set some products apart, who it suits and what to try if it can’t help. Bendigo publishes fewer hard eligibility rules than some banks, so treat the detail below as a starting point and confirm it with the bank before you apply.

What business loans does Bendigo Bank offer?

Bendigo groups its lending into a few clear products. As at October 2026:

Product	Published amount	Term	Security
Business loan	From $10k	Up to 25 years	Unsecured, or secured by property or assets
Market rate loan	From $200k	Up to 25 years	Unsecured, or secured by property or assets
Lease Doc loan	Up to $3m	Matched to the lease, including renewal options	Commercial property
Business overdraft	From $20k minimum	Ongoing	Not specified
Bank guarantee	Not published	As needed	Your cash or assets

The business loan and market rate loan both offer principal and interest or interest-only repayments, extra repayments and online redraw on variable loans. The market rate loan is priced off the bank bill swap rate (BBSY) with a margin on top, which tends to suit larger borrowers who want to manage interest rate risk more actively. Bendigo also lists trade finance for importers and exporters and specialist teams for healthcare and agribusiness.

Fees aren’t published on the product pages. Bendigo says fees and charges apply and are disclosed on application, so ask for a full schedule and the total dollar cost before you commit.

The Lease Doc loan: a quieter standout

Bendigo’s Lease Doc loan deserves attention from anyone buying commercial property as an investment. It lends up to $3m against commercial property, and Bendigo assesses serviceability on a standalone basis using the rent from the commercial lease.

In plain terms, the property’s lease does most of the work in the application. If you’re buying a tenanted warehouse or shop with a solid lease in place, the bank looks at whether the rent covers the loan, rather than combing through every other part of your financial life. The term can also be matched to the lease, including options to renew, so the loan and the income stream run in step.

Our commercial property loans page explains how lenders value tenanted versus vacant commercial property, which affects how much you can borrow.

How does Bendigo’s equipment finance work?

Bendigo offers two equipment products as at October 2026:

• Equipment loan. You own the asset from day one. Bendigo says it can fund 100% of the equipment, often with no deposit, and an optional balloon can lower the regular repayments. It lists vehicles (including forklifts, prime movers and semi-trailers), agricultural, industrial and earthmoving machinery, manufacturing, printing and medical equipment among the assets it finances.
• Finance lease. Bendigo buys the asset and leases it to you. It covers 100% of the purchase price, deposits aren’t permitted, and a compulsory residual applies at the end. You can offer to buy the asset when the lease ends.

Eligibility for equipment finance is simple on paper: a current ABN, and being based, registered and operating in Australia. Pricing is worked out with Bendigo’s specialist lending team. For a feel of repayments with and without a balloon, try our equipment finance calculator, and see finance lease for how leases differ from loans.

Want a second opinion on structure before you talk to the bank? Run it past us for a candid view.

Who is Bendigo Bank a good fit for?

• Regional and community-based businesses that value a branch relationship and a local lender.
• Farmers, contractors and transport operators buying machinery, trucks and vehicles.
• Commercial property investors whose tenants carry a strong lease, through Lease Doc.
• Healthcare businesses and aged care operators, which have a dedicated Bendigo team.
• Larger borrowers wanting a BBSY-based facility from $200k.

Because Bendigo doesn’t publish minimum trading time or turnover, newer businesses won’t know where they stand until they talk to a lender. Businesses that need money within days, or that have recent credit problems or tax arrears, may find a bank process slower than they can afford.

A worked illustration

Here’s an invented example. A family-owned earthmoving business near Shepparton wants a $280k excavator and a $60k working capital buffer ahead of a council contract. It has traded for eight years and holds a modest farm property.

At Bendigo, the excavator could go through an equipment loan with no deposit and a balloon to keep monthly repayments manageable during the contract’s early months. The working capital need might suit a $60k overdraft, sitting above Bendigo’s $20k minimum and costing interest only when used. Splitting the two needs this way keeps the long-life asset on a matching term rather than tying it into a general loan. Owners in a similar position can read more on earthmoving contractors business loans.

What to ask Bendigo before you sign

1. Which product suits my purpose, the business loan, market rate loan or Lease Doc?
2. Will you take security, and if so, over what?
3. What fees apply up front and ongoing, and what’s the total in dollars over the term?
4. For equipment, what balloon or residual is proposed, and how will I pay it at the end?
5. If I fix the rate and later repay early, what break costs could apply?

If Bendigo Bank said no, you’re in the right place

Bendigo Bank is a great bank, and if it says yes, its offer is worth weighing carefully against anything else. A no isn’t the end of the road. Match the reason to the right alternative:

• Not enough security? See business loans without property and unsecured business loans.
• Farm or rural land as security? Our page on business loans against rural property covers lenders comfortable with it.
• The bank is taking too long? Read bank is taking too long to approve for faster routes, including caveat loans.
• Credit history or ATO debt in the way? Start with bad credit business loans.

Other banks to compare: Bank of Queensland, ANZ and Judo Bank.

A local bank said no. A local business still needs funding

Regional businesses often have the hardest time finding a second option, because there may be only one or two banks in town. You aren’t limited to them.

Start with a one-minute enquiry. It’s a soft first step: no credit check happens when you ask, and your information isn’t distributed to a queue of lenders. A real lending specialist looks at what you’ve told us and phones you to talk it through. Tell us exactly where things stand, including why Bendigo declined, and we can skip straight to the options that suit.

See your options after a bank decline →