SBA Loan

SBA 7(a) Loan Program

7(a) loans are the most basic and most used type loan of SBA’s business loan programs. Its name comes from section 7(a) of the Small Business Act, which authorizes the Agency to provide business loans to American small businesses.

All 7(a) loans are provided by lenders who are called participants because they participate with SBA in the 7(a) program. Not all lenders choose to participate, but most American banks do. There are also some non-bank lenders who participate with SBA in the 7(a) program which expands the availability of lenders making loans under SBA guidelines.

7(a) loans are only available on a guaranty basis. This means they are provided by lenders who choose to structure their own loans by SBA’s requirements and who apply and receive a guaranty from SBA on a portion of this loan. The SBA does not fully guaranty 7(a) loans. The lender and SBA share the risk that a borrower will not be able to repay the loan in full. The guaranty is a guaranty against payment default. It does not cover imprudent decisions by the lender or misrepresentation by the borrower.

Under the guaranty concept, commercial lenders make and administer the loans.

The business applies to a lender for their financing. The lender decides if they will make the loan internally or if the application has some weaknesses which, in their opinion, will require an SBA guaranty if the loan is to be made. The guaranty which SBA provides is only available to the lender. It assures the lender that in the event the borrower does not repay their obligation and a payment default occurs, the Government will reimburse the lender for its loss, up to the percentage of SBA’s guaranty. Under this program, the borrower remains obligated for the full amount due.

All 7(a) loans which SBA guaranty must meet 7(a) criteria. The business gets a loan from its lender with a 7(a) structure and the lender gets an SBA guaranty on a portion or percentage of this loan. Hence the primary business loan assistance program available to small business from the SBA is called the 7(a) guaranty loan program.

A key concept of the 7(a) guaranty loan program is that the loan actually comes from a commercial lender, not the Government. If the lender is not willing to provide the loan, even if they may be able to get an SBA guaranty, the Agency can not force the lender to change their mind. Neither can SBA make the loan by itself because the Agency does not have any money to lend. Therefore it is paramount that all applicants positively approach the lender for a loan, and that they know the lenders criteria and requirements as well as those of the SBA. In order to obtain positive consideration for an SBA supported loan, the applicant must be both eligible and creditworthy.

What SBA Seeks In A Loan Application:

In order to get a 7(a) loan, the applicant must first be eligible. Repayment ability from the cash flow of the business is a primary consideration in the SBA loan decision process but good character, management capability, collateral, and owner’s equity contribution are also important considerations. All owners of 20 percent or more are required to personally guarantee SBA loans.

Eligibility Criteria:

All applicants must be eligible to be considered for a 7(a) loan. The eligibility requirements are designed to be as broad as possible in order that this lending program can accommodate the most diverse variety of small business financing needs. All businesses that are considered for financing under SBA’s 7(a) loan program must: meet SBA size standards, be for-profit, not already have the internal resources (business or personal) to provide the financing, and be able to demonstrate repayment. Certain variations of SBA’s 7(a) loan program may also require additional eligibility criteria. Special purpose programs will identify those additional criteria.

Eligibility factors for all 7(a) loans include: size, type of business, use of proceeds, and the availability of funds from other sources. The following links will provide more detailed information on these eligibility issues.

Size
Eligible And Ineligible Types Of Business
Use Of Proceeds
Availability Of Funds From Other Sources

Character Considerations:

SBA must determine if the principals of each applicant firm have historically shown the willingness and ability to pay their debts and whether they abided by the laws of their community. The Agency must know if there are any factors which impact on these issues. Therefore, a “Statement of Personal History” is obtained from each principal.

Other Aspects Of The Basic 7(a) Loan Program

In addition to credit and eligibility criteria, an applicant should be aware of the general types of terms and conditions they can expect if SBA is involved in the financial assistance. The specific terms of SBA loans are negotiated between an applicant and the participating financial institution, subject to the requirements of SBA. In general, the following provisions apply to all SBA 7(a) loans. However, certain Loan Programs or Lender Programs vary from these standards. These variations are indicated for each program.

Does the SBA have a program to benefit you?

General Information on SBA Loans
All SBA loan programs lend to small businesses unable to secure financing on reasonable terms through normal lending channels. The loan programs are operated through private-sector lenders that provide loans which are, in turn, guaranteed by the SBA — the Agency has no funds for direct lending or grants. Most private lenders (banks, credit unions, etc.) are familiar with SBA loan programs so interested applicants should contact their local lender for further information and assistance in the SBA loan application process. [Many States offer small business grants.]

7(a) Loan Guaranty Program
One of the SBA’s primary loan programs, 7(a) offers loans of up to $2,000,000. (The maximum dollar amount the SBA can guaranty is generally $1 million.)
Complete loan information from SBA

Certified Development Company (CDC), a 504 Loan Program
Provides long-term, fixed-rate financing to small businesses to acquire real estate or machinery or equipment for expansion or modernization. Typically a 504 project includes a loan secured from a private-sector lender with a senior lien, a loan secured from a CDC (funded by a 100 percent SBA-guaranteed debenture) with a junior lien covering up to 40 percent of the total cost, and a contribution of at least 10 percent equity from the borrower.
Complete loan information from SBA

Microloan Program
This new program offers loans of up to $35,000 to qualified start-up, newly established, or growing small business concerns. Loans are arranged through nonprofit community based lenders (intermediaries) which, in turn, make loans to eligible borrowers. The entire Microloan process is handled on the local level, but you must go to one of the local intermediaries to apply.
Complete loan information from SBA

Targeted Loan Programs
Besides the general programs described above, the SBA offers several loans designed to meet specific needs. For complete information, just click on the program titles.

Gulf Opportunity Pilot Loan (GO Loan) Program
The U.S. Small Business Administration is initiating a one year Gulf Opportunity Pilot Loan (GO Loan) Program to expedite small business financing to those communities severely impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Under this unique initiative, the Agency will provide its full guaranty and streamlined and centralized loan processing to qualified lending partners that agree to make expedited SBA 7(a) loans available to small businesses located in those disaster areas.
Complete loan information from SBA

Other SBA Loans
For complete information on the loan programs shown above, as well as other more specialized loans available through the SBA, see:
Financing Your Business – from the SBA.

Veterans & Disabled Persons? — Unfortunately, the SBA has not been granted funds to offer special loan programs to assist either veterans or disabled persons. However, individuals of both groups are eligible for all SBA loan guaranty programs. In addition, veterans are eligible for special consideration under SBA’s guaranty loan programs. The special consideration given veterans includes: Liaison personnel in each field office; In-depth management counseling and training assistance; and, Prompt and priority processing of any loan application.

What About Business Size?
Of course, not every business is a “small” business. To be eligible for SBA loans, your business must meet certain size restrictions.

Here you will find brief descriptions of the primary loan programs available through funding from the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA). For detailed information, including qualifications, allowable uses of funds and interest rates, click on “Complete loan information from SBA.”