Small Business Administration: A Primer on Programs and Funding




Small Business Administration:
A Primer on Programs and Funding

Updated April 27, 2022
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
RL33243




Small Business Administration: A Primer on Programs and Funding

Summary
The Small Business Administration (SBA) administers several types of programs to support small
businesses, including loan guaranty and venture capital programs to enhance small business
access to capital; contracting programs to increase small business opportunities in federal
contracting; direct loan programs for businesses, homeowners, and renters to assist their recovery
from natural disasters; and management and technical assistance training programs to assist small
business formation and expansion.
Congressional interest in the SBA’s programs has grown especially acute in recent months due to
the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic’s widespread, adverse impact on the national
economy. This report provides an overview of the SBA’s programs, including
 entrepreneurial development programs (including Small Business Development
Centers, Women’s Business Centers, and SCORE);
 disaster assistance;
 capital access programs (including the 7(a) loan guaranty program, the
504/Certified Development Company loan guaranty program, the Microloan
program, and International Trade and Export Promotion programs);
 contracting programs (including the 8(a) Business Development Program, the
Historically Underutilized Business Zones [HUBZones] program, the Service-
Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Procurement Program, the Women-
Owned Small Business [WOSB] Federal Contract Program, and the Surety Bond
Guarantee Program);
 SBA regional and district offices, the Office of Inspector General, and the Office
of Advocacy; and
 capital investment programs (including the Small Business Investment Company
program, the Small Business Innovation Research [SBIR] program, the Small
Business Technology Transfer program [STTR], and growth accelerators).
The report also discusses recent programmatic changes resulting from the enactment of
 P.L. 116-136, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES
Act), which created the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
 P.L. 116-139, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement
Act, which increased the PPP authorization limit from $349 billion to $659
billion.
 P.L. 116-260, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which extended the
PPP through March 31, 2021, increased the program’s authorization amount to
$806.45 billion, and allowed second-draw PPP loans of up to $2 million.
 P.L. 117-2, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which extended the PPP
through May 31, 2021, increased the PPP authorization amount to $813.7 billion,
and provided $53.6 billion for SBA program enhancements.
This report also provides an overview of the SBA’s budget and references other CRS reports that
examine the SBA’s programs in greater detail.
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Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Disaster Loans ................................................................................................................................. 4
Overview ................................................................................................................................... 4
Types of Disaster Loans ............................................................................................................ 5
Disaster Loans to Homeowners, Renters, and Personal Property Owners ......................... 5
Personal Property Loans ..................................................................................................... 5
Real Property Loans ............................................................................................................ 5
Disaster Loans to Businesses and Nonprofit Organizations ............................................... 6
Physical Disaster Loan ........................................................................................................ 6
Economic Injury Disaster Loans ......................................................................................... 6
COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Grant Programs ...................................... 7
Capital Access Programs ................................................................................................................. 8
Overview ................................................................................................................................... 8
What Is a Small Business? .................................................................................................. 9
What Is Small? .................................................................................................................... 9

Loan Guarantees ...................................................................................................................... 10
Overview ........................................................................................................................... 10
7(a) Loan Guaranty Program ............................................................................................ 12
The 504/CDC Loan Guaranty Program ............................................................................ 15
International Trade and Export Promotion Programs ....................................................... 17
The Microloan Program .................................................................................................... 18
Paycheck Protection Program ........................................................................................... 19
Entrepreneurial Development Programs ....................................................................................... 21
Contracting Programs .................................................................................................................... 25
Prime Contracting Programs ................................................................................................... 25
Subcontracting Programs for Small Disadvantaged Businesses ............................................. 28
The 7(j) Management and Technical Assistance Program ...................................................... 29
Surety Bond Guarantee Program............................................................................................. 29
Goaling Program ..................................................................................................................... 30
Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization ....................................................... 33
Office of Inspector General ........................................................................................................... 33
Capital Investment Programs ........................................................................................................ 33

The Small Business Investment Company Program ............................................................... 34
Small Business Innovation Research Program ........................................................................ 35
Small Business Technology Transfer Program........................................................................ 36
Growth Accelerators Initiative ................................................................................................ 37
Regional and District Offices ........................................................................................................ 37
Restaurant Revitalization Fund ..................................................................................................... 38
Office of Advocacy ........................................................................................................................ 39
Executive Direction Programs ....................................................................................................... 39

The National Women’s Business Council ............................................................................... 39
Office of Ombudsman ............................................................................................................. 40
Faith-Based Initiatives ............................................................................................................ 40

Recent Legislative Activity ........................................................................................................... 40
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Appropriations ............................................................................................................................... 42

Tables
Table 1. Major SBA Program Areas, Actual and Estimated Program Costs, FY2021and
FY2022 ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Table 2. SBA Business Loan Subsidies, Authorized Amounts, FY2010-FY2022 ......................... 11
Table 3. Summary of the 7(a) Loan Guaranty Program’s Key Features ....................................... 14
Table 4. Summary of the 504/CDC Loan Guaranty Program’s Key Features .............................. 16
Table 5. Summary of the Microloan Program’s Key Features ...................................................... 18
Table 6. Federal Contracting Goals and Percentage of FY2020 Federal Contract Dollars
Awarded to Small Businesses, by Type ...................................................................................... 32
Table 7. Summary of Small Business Investment Company Program’s Key Features ................. 34
Table 8. SBA Appropriations, FY2021-FY2022 ........................................................................... 43

Contacts
Author Information ........................................................................................................................ 43
Key Policy Staff ............................................................................................................................ 43

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Small Business Administration: A Primer on Programs and Funding

Introduction
Established in 1953, the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) origins can be traced to the
Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II, when concerns about unemployment and war
production were paramount. The SBA assumed some of the functions of the Reconstruction
Finance Corporation (RFC), which had been created by the federal government in 1932 to
provide funding for businesses of all sizes during the Depression and later financed war
production. During the early 1950s, the RFC was disbanded following charges of political
favoritism in the granting of loans and contracts.1
In 1953, Congress passed the Small Business Act (P.L. 83-163), which authorized the SBA. The
act specifies that the SBA’s mission is to promote the interests of small businesses to enhance
competition in the private marketplace:
It is the declared policy of the Congress that the Government should aid, counsel, assist,
and protect, insofar as is possible, the interests of small-business concerns in order to
preserve free competitive enterprise, to insure that a fair proportion of the total purchases
and contracts or subcontracts for property and services for the Government (including but
not limited to contracts or subcontracts for maintenance, repair, and construction) be placed
with small-business enterprises, to insure that a fair proportion of the total sales of
Government property be made to such enterprises, and to maintain and strengthen the
overall economy of the Nation.2
The SBA currently administers several types of programs to support small businesses, including
loan guaranty and venture capital programs to enhance small business access to capital;
contracting programs to increase small business opportunities in federal contracting; direct loan
programs for businesses, homeowners, and renters to assist their recovery from natural disasters;
and small business management and technical assistance training programs to assist business
formation and expansion. Congressional interest in these programs has increased in recent years,
primarily because small businesses are viewed as a means to stimulate economic activity and
create jobs. This interest has grown especially acute in recent months due to the novel
coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic’s widespread, adverse impact on the national economy.
This report provides an overview of the SBA’s programs and funding. It also references other
CRS reports that examine the SBA’s programs in greater detail.3
The SBA’s FY2023 congressional budget justification document includes funding and program
costs for the following programs and offices:

1 U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Expenditures, Subcommittee on Investigations, Influence in Government
Procurement
, 82nd Cong., 1st sess., September 13-15, 17, 19-21, 24-28, October 3-5, 1951 (Washington: GPO, 1951)
and U.S. Congress, Senate Banking and Currency, RFC Act Amendments of 1951, hearing on bills to amend the
Reconstruction Finance Corporation Act, 82nd Cong., 1st sess., April 27, 30, May 1, 2, 22, 23, 1951 (Washington: GPO,
1951).
2 P.L. 83-163, the Small Business Act of 1953 (as amended), see https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/COMPS-1834/
pdf/COMPS-1834.pdf.
3 The Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) programs have detailed rules on program requirements and
administration that are not covered in this report. More detailed information concerning the SBA’s programs is
available in the CRS reports referenced later in this report, on the SBA’s website at https://www.sba.gov/, in 15 U.S.C.
§631 et seq., and in Title 13 of the Code of Federal Regulations, see https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/cfr/2021/
title13.
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Small Business Administration: A Primer on Programs and Funding

1. disaster assistance (including disaster loan making, servicing, and liquidation; the
Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program;4 and Economic Injury Disaster Loan
(EIDL) grants);
2. capital access programs (including the Paycheck Protection Program, 7(a) loan
guaranty program, the 504/Certified Development Company [CDC] loan
guaranty program, the Microloan program, International Trade and Export
Promotion programs, and lender oversight);
3. entrepreneurial development programs (including Small Business Development
Centers (SBDCs), Women’s Business Centers (WBCs), SCORE,
Entrepreneurship Education, Native American Outreach, Regional Innovation
Clusters, Cybersecurity Grants, Community Navigator Pilot Program,
Centralized HUB for COVID-19 information, PRIME, State Trade Expansion
Program, Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership program, and
veterans’ programs);
4. contracting programs (including the 7(j) Management and Technical Assistance
program, the 8(a) Business Development program, the Historically Underutilized
Business Zones [HUBZones] program, the Prime Contract Assistance program,
the Women’s Business program, the Subcontracting program, the Mentor-Protégé
program,5 the Center for Verification and Evaluation, and the Surety Bond
Guarantee program);
5. capital investment programs (including the Small Business Investment Company
[SBIC] program, the Small Business Innovation Research [SBIR] program, the
Small Business Technology Transfer program [STTR], and growth accelerators);
6. regional and district offices (counseling, training, and outreach services);
7. the Office of Inspector General (OIG);
8. the Restaurant Revitalization Fund;
9. the Office of Advocacy; and
10. executive direction programs (the National Women’s Business Council, Office of
Ombudsman, and Faith-Based Initiatives).
This report also provides a brief overview of
 P.L. 116-136, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES
Act), which, among other provisions, created the $349 billion Paycheck
Protection Program (PPP) to provide forgivable, low-interest loans to small
businesses, small 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, and small 501(c)(19)
veterans organizations that have been adversely affected by COVID-19.6 Initially,
PPP loans were available until June 30, 2020, had a two-year term, and a 1.0%
interest rate.
 P.L. 116-139, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement
Act, which, among other provisions, increased the PPP authorization limit to

4 For additional information and analysis of the SBA’s Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, see CRS Report
R46689, SBA Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program (SVOG), by Robert Jay Dilger.
5 For additional information and analysis of the SBA’s Mentor-Protégé program, see CRS Report R41722, Small
Business Mentor-Protégé Programs
, by Robert Jay Dilger.
6 For additional information and analysis of the SBA provisions in P.L. 116-136, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
Economic Security Act (CARES Act), see CRS Report R46284, COVID-19 Relief Assistance to Small Businesses:
Issues and Policy Options
, by Robert Jay Dilger and Bruce R. Lindsay.
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$659 billion and appropriated an additional $321.335 billion to support that
authorization level.7
 P.L. 116-142, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act, which, among
other provisions, extended the PPP loan forgiveness covered period from 8 weeks
after the loan’s origination date to the earlier of 24 weeks or December 31, 2020.
Current PPP borrowers were allowed to remain under the 8-week covered period.
The act also provided a minimum five-year maturity for all PPP loans made on or
after enactment (June 5, 2020).
 P.L. 116-147, to extend the authority for commitments for the paycheck
protection program, which extended the PPP covered loan period from June 30,
2020, to August 8, 2020, and authorized $659 billion for PPP loan commitments
and $30 billion for 7(a) loan commitments.
 P.L. 116-260, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which, among other
provisions, extended the PPP through March 31, 2021, increased the program’s
authorization amount from $659 billion to $806.45 billion, and allowed second-
draw PPP loans of up to $2 million.
 P.L. 117-2, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which, among other
provisions, extended the PPP through May 31, 2021, increased the PPP
authorization amount to $813.7 billion, and provided $53.6 billion for SBA
program enhancements, including $28.6 billion for a restaurant revitalization
grant program.
Table 1 shows the SBA’s actual program costs in FY2021 and estimated costs for FY2022.
Program costs often differ from new budget authority provided in annual appropriations acts
because the SBA has specified authority to carry over appropriations from previous fiscal years.
The SBA also has limited, specified authority to shift appropriations among various programs.
Table 1. Major SBA Program Areas, Actual and Estimated Program Costs,
FY2021and FY2022
($ in millions)
FY2021
FY2022
Program Category
Program Costs
Estimated Costs
Disaster Loan Programs
$16,702.422
$9,382.993
Capital Access Programs
$773.469
$575.688
Entrepreneurial Development Programs
$276.911
$525.002
Contracting Programs
$96.488
$121.742
Office of Inspector General
$40.342
$46.610
Capital Investment Programs
$30.621
$42.757
Regional and District Offices
$30.190
$40.380
Restaurant Revitalization Fund
$28,632.811
$25.204
Office of Advocacy
$9.933
$14.700

7 For additional information and analysis of the SBA provisions in P.L. 116-139, the Paycheck Protection Program and
Health Care Enhancement Act (Enhancement Act), see CRS Report R46284, COVID-19 Relief Assistance to Small
Businesses: Issues and Policy Options
, by Robert Jay Dilger and Bruce R. Lindsay; and CRS Report R46325, Fourth
COVID-19 Relief Package (P.L. 116-139): In Brief
, coordinated by William L. Painter.
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Small Business Administration: A Primer on Programs and Funding

FY2021
FY2022
Program Category
Program Costs
Estimated Costs
Executive Direction Programs
$2.374
$5.842
Total Obligations
$46,595.581
$10,848.917
Sources: U.S. Small Business Administration, FY2023 Congressional Budget Justification FY2021 Annual Performance
Report
, pp. 20-22, at https://www.sba.gov/document/report-congressional-budget-justification-annual-
performance-report.
Notes: Total obligations do not sum to 100% due to rounding. Program costs often differ from new budget
authority provided in annual appropriations acts because the SBA has specified authority to carry over
appropriations from previous fiscal years. The SBA also has limited, specified authority to shift appropriations
among various programs.
Disaster Loans
Overview8
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, SBA disaster assistance was provided in the form of loans, not
grants, which must be repaid to the federal government. As will be discussed, funding for the
SBA’s disaster loan programs was increased significantly in FY2020 and FY2021 to help small
businesses adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The SBA’s disaster loan programs are unique in two respects: (1) they are the only loans made by
the SBA that go directly to the ultimate borrower; and (2) SBA disaster assistance is not limited to
small businesses.9
SBA disaster loans are available to individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations in
declared disaster areas.10 Prior to COVID-19, about 80% of the SBA’s direct disaster loans were
issued to individuals and households (renters and property owners) to repair and replace homes
and personal property. During COVID-19, about 99% of the SBA’s direct disaster loans have
been issued to small businesses that have suffered economic losses due to the COVID-19
pandemic.
In recent years, the SBA Disaster Loan Program has been the subject of regular congressional and
media attention because of concerns expressed about the time it takes the SBA to process disaster
loan applications. The SBA approved $1.7 billion in FY2017, $7.4 billion in FY2018, $2.4 billion
in FY2019, $195.2 billion in FY2020 ($194.5 billion in COVID-19-related disaster loans and
$678 million for natural disasters), and $81.4 billion in FY2021 ($79.5 billion in COVID-19-
related disaster loans and $1.9 billion for natural disasters).11

8 For additional information and analysis, see CRS Report R41309, The SBA Disaster Loan Program: Overview and
Possible Issues for Congress
, by Bruce R. Lindsay.
9 13 C.F.R. §123.200.
10 13 C.F.R. §123.105 and 13 C.F.R. §123.203.
11 SBA, “Small Business Administration loan program performance: Table 2 – Gross Approval Amount by Program,”
effective September 30, 2021, at https://www.sba.gov/document/report-small-business-administration-loan-program-
performance.
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Types of Disaster Loans
The SBA Disaster Loan Program includes the following categories of loans for disaster-related
losses: home disaster loans, business physical disaster loans, and economic injury disaster loans.12
Disaster Loans to Homeowners, Renters, and Personal Property Owners
Homeowners, renters, and personal property owners located in a declared disaster area (and in
contiguous counties) may apply to the SBA for loans to help recover losses from a declared
disaster. Only victims located in a declared disaster area (and contiguous counties) are eligible to
apply for disaster loans. Disaster declarations are “official notices recognizing that specific
geographic areas have been damaged by floods and other acts of nature, riots, civil disorders, or
industrial accidents such as oil spills.”13 Five categories of declarations put the SBA Disaster
Loan Program into effect. These include two types of presidential major disaster declarations as
authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (the Stafford
Act)14 and three types of SBA declarations.15
The SBA’s Home Disaster Loan Program falls into two categories: personal property loans and
real property loans. These loans are limited to uninsured losses. The maximum term for SBA
disaster loans is 30 years, but the law restricts businesses with credit available elsewhere to a
maximum 7-year term. The SBA sets the installment payment amount and corresponding
maturity based upon each borrower’s ability to repay.
Personal Property Loans
A personal property loan provides a creditworthy homeowner or renter with up to $40,000 to
repair or replace personal property items, such as furniture, clothing, or automobiles, damaged or
lost in a disaster. These loans cover only uninsured or underinsured property and primary
residences and cannot be used to replace extraordinarily expensive or irreplaceable items, such as
antiques or recreational vehicles. Interest rates vary depending on whether applicants are able to
obtain credit elsewhere. For applicants who can obtain credit without SBA assistance, the interest
rate may not exceed 8% per year. For applicants who cannot obtain credit without SBA
assistance, the interest rate may not exceed 4% per year.16
Real Property Loans
A creditworthy homeowner may apply for a real property loan of up to $200,000 to repair or
restore his or her primary residence to its predisaster condition.17 The loans may not be used to

12 The SBA also offers military reservist economic injury disaster loans. These loans are available when economic
injury is incurred as a direct result of a business owner or an essential employee being called to active duty. Generally,
these loans are not associated with disasters. See CRS Report R42695, SBA Veterans Assistance Programs: An
Analysis of Contemporary Issues
, by Robert Jay Dilger.
13 13 C.F.R. §123.2.
14 P.L. 93-288, Disaster Relief Act Amendments and 42 U.S.C. §5721 et seq.
15 Disaster declarations are published in the Federal Register and can also be found on the SBA website at
https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/Declarations/Index.
16 13 C.F.R. §123.105(a)(1).
17 13 C.F.R. §123.105(a)(2). For mitigation measures implemented after a disaster has occurred to protect the damaged
property from a similar disaster in the future, a homeowner can request that the approved loan amount be increased by
the lesser of the cost of the mitigation measure or up to 20% of the verified loss (before deducting compensation from
other sources), to a maximum of $200,000. 13 C.F.R. §127.
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upgrade homes or build additions, unless upgrades or changes are required by city or county
building codes. The interest rate for real property loans is determined in the same way as it is
determined for personal property loans.
Disaster Loans to Businesses and Nonprofit Organizations
Several types of loans, discussed below, are available to businesses and nonprofit organizations
located in counties covered by a presidential disaster declaration. In certain circumstances, the
SBA will also make these loans available when a governor, the Secretary of Agriculture, or the
Secretary of Commerce makes a disaster declaration. Physical disaster loans are available to
almost any nonprofit organization or business. Other business disaster loans are limited to small
businesses.
Physical Disaster Loan
Any business or nonprofit organization, regardless of size, can apply for a physical disaster
business loan of up to $2 million for repairs and replacements to real property, machinery,
equipment, fixtures, inventory, and leasehold improvements that are not covered by insurance.
Physical disaster loans for businesses may use up to 20% of the verified loss amount for
mitigation measures in an effort to prevent loss from a similar disaster in the future. Nonprofit
organizations that are rejected or approved by the SBA for less than the requested amount for a
physical disaster loan are, in some circumstances, eligible for grants from the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA). For applicants that can obtain credit without SBA assistance, the
interest rate may not exceed 8% per year. For applicants that cannot obtain credit without SBA
assistance, the interest rate may not exceed 4% per year.18
Economic Injury Disaster Loans
Economic injury disaster loans (EIDLs) are available to most private non-profit organizations of
any size and small businesses, as defined by the SBA’s size regulations, that are (1) located in a
declared disaster area, (2) have suffered substantial economic injury as a direct result of a
declared disaster, (3) have used all reasonably available funds, and (4) are unable to obtain credit
elsewhere on reasonable terms and conditions.19 If the Secretary of Agriculture designates an
agriculture production disaster, small farms and small cooperatives are eligible. EIDLs are
available in the counties included in a presidential disaster declaration and contiguous counties.
EIDL loans are designed to provide small businesses with operating funds until those businesses
recover. The maximum loan is $2 million, and the terms are the same as personal and physical
disaster business loans. The loan can have a maturity of up to 30 years and has an interest rate of
4% or less.20

18 13 C.F.R. §123.203.
19 See 13 C.F.R. §123.300 for eligibility requirements. Substantial economic injury “is such that a business concern is
unable to meet its obligations as they mature or to pay its ordinary and necessary operating expenses.”
Size standards vary according to a variety of factors, including industry type, average firm size, and start-up costs and
entry barriers. Size standards can be located in 13 C.F.R. 121. For further information and analysis, see CRS Report
R40860, Small Business Size Standards: A Historical Analysis of Contemporary Issues, by Robert Jay Dilger.
20 13 C.F.R. §123.302.
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COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Grant Programs21
P.L. 116-123, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act,
2020, provided EIDL eligibility to small businesses adversely affected by the coronavirus.22
The CARES Act (P.L. 116-136) created a temporary COVID-19 EIDL program (initially
accepting applications through December 31, 2020, later extended through December 31, 2021).
Under this program, EIDL eligibility was temporarily expanded beyond eligible small businesses,
private nonprofit organizations, and small agricultural cooperatives, to include startups,
cooperatives, and eligible employee-owned businesses (employee stock ownership plans) with
fewer than 500 employees, sole proprietors, and independent contractors.
The CARES Act also authorized the SBA Administrator, in response to economic injuries caused
by COVID-19, to
 waive the no credit available elsewhere requirement;
 approve an applicant based solely on their credit score;
 not require applicants to submit a tax return or tax return transcript for approval;
 waive any rules related to the personal guarantee on advances and loans of not
more than $200,000; and
 waive the requirement that the applicant needs to be in business for the one-year
period before the disaster declaration, except that no waiver may be made for a
business that was not in operation on January 31, 2020.
The SBA subsequently approved over 3.9 million COVID-19 EIDL loans totaling over $369
billion.23

21 For additional information and analysis of the SBA’s COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, see CRS
Report R46284, COVID-19 Relief Assistance to Small Businesses: Issues and Policy Options, by Robert Jay Dilger and
Bruce R. Lindsay.
22 Under present law and regulations, the first SBA EIDL payment is normally due five months after disbursement.
However, on March 23, 2020, the SBA announced that it would defer payments on existing disaster loans through
December 31, 2020, “to help borrowers during this unprecedented time.” Payments on new EIDL loans were also
deferred for one year (interest did accrue). Additionally, on March 12, 2021, the SBA extended the deferment period
for all COVID-19-related EIDL and other disaster loans until 2022. Specifically, all disaster loans made in calendar
year 2020 will have a first payment due extended from 12 months to 24 months from the date of the note, and all
disaster loans made in calendar year 2021 will have a first payment due extended from 12 months to 18 months from
the date of the note. On September 9, 2021, the SBA announced that it would defer EIDL loan repayments for two
years after the loan origination date. On March 15, 2022, the SBA announced that it would defer EIDL loan repayments
for 30 months after the loan origination date. See SBA, “Carranza Implements Automatic Deferment on Existing SBA
Disaster Loans Through End of 2020,” March 23, 2020, at https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/sba-newsroom/press-
releases-media-advisories/carranza-implements-automatic-deferment-existing-sba-disaster-loans-through-end-2020;
SBA, “SBA Extends Deferment Period for all COVID-19 EIDL and Other Disaster Loans until 2022,” March 12, 2021,
at https://www.sba.gov/article/2021/mar/16/sba-extends-deferment-period-all-covid-19-eidl-other-disaster-loans-until-
2022; SBA, “SBA Administrator Guzman Enhances COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program to Aid Small
Businesses Facing Challenges from Delta Variant,” September 9, 2021, at https://www.sba.gov/article/2021/sep/09/
sba-administrator-guzman-enhances-covid-economic-injury-disaster-loan-program-aid-small-businesses; and SBA,
“SBA Administrator Guzman Announces Key Policy Change: Existing COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan
Program Borrowers to Receive an Additional Deferment,” March 15, 2022, at https://www.sba.gov/article/2022/mar/
15/sba-administrator-guzman-announces-key-policy-change-existing-covid-economic-injury-disaster-loan?
utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.
23 SBA, “COVID-19 EIDL Reports 2022,” at https://www.sba.gov/document/report-covid-19-eidl-reports-2022.
COVID-19 EIDL loans were initially limited to $500,000 (increased to $2 million on October 8, 2021), had a 30-year
loan term, and a 3.75% fixed interest rate for businesses and a 2.75% fixed interest rate for private nonprofit
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In addition, several temporary disaster assistance grant programs were created in 2020 and 2021:
 the CARES Act appropriated $10 billion for Emergency Economic Injury
Disaster Loan (EIDL) advance payment grants;24
 P.L. 116-139, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement
Act, appropriated another $10 billion for EIDL advance payment grants;
 P.L. 116-260, the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and
Venues Act (Division N, Title III of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of
2021), appropriated $20 billion for Targeted EIDL advance payment grants;25 and
 P.L. 117-2, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, appropriated another $10
billion for Targeted EIDL advance payment grants and $5 billion for Targeted
EIDL advance payment supplemental grants.
The SBA funded over 5.7 million EIDL advance payment grants, totaling $20 billion in 2020.26
Also, as of April 13, 2022, the SBA had funded 601,036 Targeted EIDL advance payment grants,
totaling over $5.2 billion; and 453,421 Targeted EIDL advance payment supplemental grants,
totaling over $2.2 billion.27
Capital Access Programs
Overview
The SBA has authority to make direct loans but, with the exception of disaster loans and loans to
Microloan program intermediaries, has not exercised that authority since 1998.28 The SBA

organizations. Payments are deferred for the first two years (interest does accrue).
24 COVID-19 EIDL applicants could apply for up to $10,000 as an advance payment in the amount requested. The
advance payment did not have to be repaid, even if the EIDL loan was denied. Due to anticipated high demand, the
SBA limited EIDL advance payments (also known as Emergency EIDL grants) to $1,000 per employee, up to a
maximum of $10,000.
25 COVID-19 EIDL borrowers located in a low-income community, who had a revenue loss greater than 30% over
specified time periods, and had no more than 300 employees were eligible for up to $10,000 in Targeted EIDL advance
payment grants. Eligible applicants that had received an Emergency EIDL advance payment grant previously were
eligible to receive an amount equal to the difference of what the borrower received and $10,000. First priority was
provided to eligible borrowers located in a low-income community that had previously received an Emergency EIDL
advance payment of less than $10,000. Eligible first-time applicants located in a low-income community received
second priority.
26 SBA, “Disaster Assistance Update, EIDL Advance, July 15, 2020,” (figures as of July 14, 2020), at
https://www.sba.gov/document/report-covid-19-eidl-advance-reports-2020.
27 SBA, “SBA Disaster Assistance Update Nationwide EIDL, Targeted EIDL Advances, Supplemental Targeted
Advances, April 14, 2022 (figures as of April 13, 2022),” at https://www.sba.gov/document/report-covid-19-eidl-
reports-2022.
28 Prior to October 1, 1985, the SBA provided direct business loans to qualified small businesses. From October 1,
1985, to September 30, 1994, SBA direct business loan eligibility was limited to qualified small businesses owned by
individuals with low incomes or located in areas of high unemployment, owned by Vietnam-era or disabled veterans,
owned by the handicapped or certain organizations employing them, and certified under the minority small business
capital ownership development program. Microloan program intermediaries were also eligible. On October 1, 1994,
SBA direct loan eligibility was limited to Microloan program intermediaries and small businesses owned by the
handicapped. Funding to support direct loans to the handicapped through the Handicapped Assistance (renamed the
Disabled Assistance) Loan program ended in 1996. The last loan under the Disabled Assistance Loan program was
issued in FY1998. See U.S. Congress, House Committee on Small Business, Summary of Activities, 105rd Cong., 2nd
sess., January 2, 1999, H.Rept. 105-849 (Washington: GPO, 1999), p. 8.
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indicated that it stopped issuing direct business loans primarily because the subsidy rate was “10
to 15 times higher” than the subsidy rate for its loan guaranty programs.29 Instead of making
direct loans, the SBA guarantees loans issued by approved lenders to encourage those lenders to
provide loans to small businesses “that might not otherwise obtain financing on reasonable terms
and conditions.”30 With few exceptions, to qualify for SBA assistance, an organization must be
both a business and small.31
What Is a Small Business?
To participate in any of the SBA programs, a business must meet the Small Business Act’s
definition of small business. This is a business that
 is organized for profit;
 has a place of business in the United States;
 operates primarily within the United States or makes a significant contribution to
the U.S. economy through payment of taxes or use of American products,
materials, or labor;
 is independently owned and operated;
 is not dominant in its field on a national basis;32 and
 does not exceed size standards established, and updated periodically, by the
SBA.33
The business may be a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or any other legal form.
What Is Small?34
The SBA uses two measures to determine if a business is small: SBA-derived industry specific
size standards or a combination of the business’s net worth and net income. For example,
businesses participating in the SBA’s 7(a) loan guaranty program are deemed small if they either
meet the SBA’s industry-specific size standards for firms in 1,047 industrial classifications in 18
subindustry activities described in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
or do not have more than $15 million in tangible net worth and not more than $5 million in
average net income after federal taxes (excluding any carryover losses) for the two full fiscal

29 U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Small Business, Hearing on the Proposed Fiscal Year 1995 Budget for the
Small Business Administration
, 103rd Cong., 2nd sess., February 22, 1994, S. Hrg. 103-583 (Washington: GPO, 1994),
p. 20.
30 SBA, Fiscal Year 2010 Congressional Budget Justification, p. 30, at https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/
Congressional_Budget_Justification_2010.pdf.
31 The SBA provides financial assistance to nonprofit organizations to provide training to small business owners and to
provide loans to small businesses through the SBA Microloan program. Nonprofit child care centers are eligible to
participate in SBA’s Microloan program.
32 13 C.F.R. §121.105.
33 P.L. 111-240, the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, requires the SBA to conduct a detailed review of not less than
one-third of the SBA’s industry size standards every 18 months beginning on the new law’s date of enactment
(September 27, 2010) and ensure that each size standard is reviewed at least once every five years.
34 For additional information and analysis, see CRS Report R40860, Small Business Size Standards: A Historical
Analysis of Contemporary Issues
, by Robert Jay Dilger.
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years before the date of the application. All of the company’s subsidiaries, parent companies, and
affiliates are considered in determining if it meets the size standard.35
The SBA’s industry size standards vary by industry, and they are based on one of the following
four measures: the firm’s (1) average annual receipts in the previous three (or five) years, (2)
number of employees, (3) asset size, or (4) for refineries, a combination of number of employees
and barrel per day refining capacity. Historically, the SBA has used the number of employees to
determine if manufacturing and mining companies are small and average annual receipts for most
other industries.
The SBA’s size standards are designed to encourage competition within each industry; they are
derived through an assessment of the following four economic factors: “average firm size,
average assets size as a proxy of start-up costs and entry barriers, the 4-firm concentration ratio as
a measure of industry competition, and size distribution of firms.”36 The SBA also considers the
ability of small businesses to compete for federal contracting opportunities and, when necessary,
several secondary factors “as they are relevant to the industries and the interests of small
businesses, including technological change, competition among industries, industry growth
trends, and impacts of size standard revisions on small businesses.”37
Loan Guarantees
Overview
The SBA provides loan guarantees for small businesses that cannot obtain credit elsewhere with
reasonable terms and conditions. Its largest loan guaranty programs are the 7(a) loan guaranty
program, the 504/CDC loan guaranty program, international trade and export promotion
programs, and the Microloan program.
The SBA’s loan guaranty programs require personal guarantees from borrowers and share the risk
of default with lenders by making the guaranty less than 100%. In the event of a default, the
borrower owes the amount contracted less the value of any collateral liquidated. The SBA can
attempt to recover the unpaid debt through administrative offset, salary offset, or IRS tax refund
offset. Most types of businesses are eligible for loan guarantees, but a few are not. A list of
ineligible businesses (such as insurance companies, real estate investment firms, firms involved in
financial speculation or pyramid sales, and businesses involved in illegal activities) is contained
in 13 C.F.R. Section 120.110.38 With one exception, nonprofit and charitable organizations are
also ineligible.39
As shown in the following tables, most of these programs charge fees to help offset program
costs, including costs related to loan defaults. In most instances, the fees are set in statute. For
example, for 7(a) loans with a maturity exceeding 12 months, the SBA is authorized to charge

35 13 C.F.R. §121.201 and P.L. 111-240, the Small Business Act of 2010, §1116. Alternative Size Standards.
36 SBA, Office of Government Contracting and Business Development, “SBA Size Standards Methodology,” April
2019, p. 29, at https://www.sba.gov/document/support—size-standards-methodology-white-paper (hereinafter cited as
SBA, “SBA Size Standards Methodology”).
37 SBA, “SBA Size Standards Methodology,” p. 1.
38 Title 13 of the Code of Federal Regulations can be viewed at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/cfr/2021/
title13.
39 P.L. 105-135, the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 1997, expanded the SBA’s Microloan program’s eligibility
to include borrowers establishing a nonprofit child care business.
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lenders an up-front guaranty fee of up to 2% for the SBA guaranteed portion of loans of $150,000
or less, up to 3% for the SBA guaranteed portion of loans exceeding $150,000 but not more than
$700,000, and up to 3.5% for the SBA guaranteed portion of loans exceeding $700,000. Lenders
with a 7(a) loan that has a SBA guaranteed portion in excess of $1 million can be charged an
additional fee not to exceed 0.25% of the guaranteed amount in excess of $1 million.
7(a) loans are also subject to an ongoing servicing fee not to exceed 0.55% of the outstanding
balance of the guaranteed portion of the loan.40 In addition, lenders are authorized to collect fees
from borrowers to offset their administrative expenses.
In an effort to assist small business owners, the SBA has, from time-to-time, reduced its fees. For
example, in FY2019, the SBA waived the annual service fee for 7(a) loans of $150,000 or less
made to small businesses located in a rural area or a HUBZone and reduced the up-front one-time
guaranty fee for these loans from 2.0% to 0.6667% of the guaranteed portion of the loan.41 P.L.
116-260 waived the SBA’s 7(a) and 504/CDC loan guarantee fees from December 27, 2020,
through October 1, 2021. In addition, the SBA is required to waive the up-front, one-time
guaranty fee on all veteran loans under the 7(a) SBAExpress program.42
The SBA’s goal is to achieve a zero subsidy rate, meaning that the appropriation of budget
authority for new loan guaranties is not required. However, as shown in Table 2, the SBA’s fees
and proceeds from loan liquidations do not always generate sufficient revenue to cover loan
losses, resulting in the need for additional appropriations to account for the shortfall.
Table 2. SBA Business Loan Subsidies, Authorized Amounts, FY2010-FY2022
($ in millions)
7(a) Loan
504/CDC Loan
Guaranty
Guaranty
Microloan
Fiscal Year
Program
Program
Program
Total Subsidy
2010
$80.00
$0.00
$3.00
$83.00
2011a
$79.84
$0.00
$2.99
$82.83
2012
$139.40
$67.70
$3.68
$210.78
2013b
$218.38
$97.87
$3.49
$319.74
2014
$0.00
$107.00
$4.60
$111.60
2015
$0.00
$45.00
$2.50
$47.50
2016
$0.00
$0.00
$3.34
$3.34
2017
$0.00
$0.00
$4.34
$4.34
2018
$0.00
$0.00
$3.44
$3.44
2019
$0.00
$0.00
$4.00
$4.00

40 15 U.S.C. §636(a)(23)(a).
41 SBA, “SBA Information Notice: 7(a) Fees Effective on October 1, 2018,” at https://www.sba.gov/document/
information-notice-5000-180010-7a-fees-effective-october-1-2018.
42 The SBA had waived the up-front, one-time guaranty fee on all veteran loans under the 7(a) SBAExpress program
from January 1, 2014, through the end of FY2015. P.L. 114-38 made the SBAExpress program’s veteran fee waiver
permanent, except during any upcoming fiscal year for which the President’s budget, submitted to Congress, includes a
cost for the 7(a) program, in its entirety, that is above zero. The SBA waived the fee, pursuant to P.L. 114-38, in
FY2016, FY2017, FY2018, and FY2019. P.L. 116-136, the CARES Act, removed the requirement that the cost for the
7(a) program is above zero.
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7(a) Loan
504/CDC Loan
Guaranty
Guaranty
Microloan
Fiscal Year
Program
Program
Program
Total Subsidy
2020c
$99.00
$0.00
$5.00
$104.00
2021d
$15.00
$0.00
$12.00
$27.00
2022
$0.00
$0.00
$6.00
$6.00
Sources: SBA, Congressional Justification (Summary of Credit Programs & Revolving Fund), various years, at
https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/sba-performance/performance-budget-finances/congressional-budget-justification-
annual-performance-report; P.L. 111-117, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010; P.L. 112-10, the
Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011; P.L. 112-74, the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2012; P.L. 112-175, the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013; SBA, “General
Statement Regarding the Implications of Sequestration;” P.L. 113-76, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014;
P.L. 113-235, the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015; P.L. 114-113, the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2016; P.L. 115-31, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017; P.L. 115-141, the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018; P.L. 116-6, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019; P.L. 116-93, the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020; P.L. 116-260, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021; and P.L. 117-
103, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022.
a. In FY2011, there was a 0.2% across-the-board rescission. Before the rescission, the authorized subsidy
amounts were $80.0 million for the 7(a) program, $0.0 for the 504/ Certified Development Companies
(CDC) program, and $3.0 million for the Microloan program.
b. In FY2013, there was a 0.2% across-the-board rescission and sequestration. Before these reductions, the
authorized subsidy amounts were $225.5 million for the 7(a) program, $108.1 million for the 504/CDC
program, $3.678 million for the Microloan program, and $337.278 million total.
c. In FY2020, P.L. 116-136, the CARES Act, appropriated $366 billion for loan credit subsidies for the
Paycheck Protection Program ($349 billion) and SBA debt relief payments ($17 billion); and P.L. 116-139,
the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, appropriated $321.335 billion for loan
credit subsidies for the Paycheck Protection Program.
d. In FY2021, P.L. 116-260, the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act
(Division N, Title III of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021), appropriated $289.895 billion for
loan credit subsidies: $284.45 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, $3.5 billion for SBA debt relief
payments, and $1.918 billion for SBA program enhancements. P.L. 117-2, the American Rescue Plan Act of
2021, appropriated an additional $7.25 billion for Paycheck Protection Program loan credit subsidies.
7(a) Loan Guaranty Program43
The 7(a) loan guaranty program is named after the section of the Small Business Act that
authorizes it. These are loans made by SBA lending partners (mostly banks but also some other
financial institutions) and partially guaranteed by the SBA.
In FY2021, the SBA approved 51,853 7(a) loans totaling $36.8 billion.44 In FY2021, there were
1,738 active lending partners providing 7(a) loans.45
The CARES Act appropriated $17 billion to pay the principal, interest, and any associated fees
owed on an existing 7(a) loan, 504/CDC loan, or Microloan and for loans subsequently approved

43 For further information and analysis, see CRS Report R41146, Small Business Administration 7(a) Loan Guaranty
Program
, by Robert Jay Dilger.
44 SBA, “Small Business Administration loan program performance: Table 2 – Gross Approval Amount by Program
and Table 3 – Number of Approved Loans by Program,” effective September 30, 2021, at https://www.sba.gov/
document/report-small-business-administration-loan-program-performance.
45 SBA, FY2023 Congressional Budget Justification FY2021 Annual Performance Report, p. 32, at
https://www.sba.gov/document/report-congressional-budget-justification-annual-performance-report (hereinafter SBA,
FY2023 Congressional Budget Justification FY2021 Annual Performance Report).
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and fully disbursed prior to September 27, 2020, for a six-month period.46 P.L. 116-260, enacted
on December 27, 2020, appropriated an additional $3.5 billion for SBA’s monthly debt relief
payments, capped at $9,000 per month per borrower. The SBA was authorized to provide up to an
additional eight monthly payments, but due to high demand the SBA paid two, three, or five
additional monthly payments, depending on when the loan was approved or disbursed, the type of
loan received, and the business’s industry.47
As mentioned, P.L. 116-260 temporarily waived SBA fees for the 7(a) and 504/CDC loan
guarantee programs and increased the 7(a) program’s current guaranty rate from 85% for loans of
$150,000 or less and 75% for loans greater than $150,000 (up to a maximum guaranty of $3.75
million—75% of $5 million) to 90% from December 27, 2020, through October 1, 2021.
Lenders are permitted to charge borrowers fees to recoup specified expenses and are allowed to
charge borrowers “a reasonable fixed interest rate” or, with the SBA’s approval, a variable
interest rate.48 The SBA uses a multistep formula to determine the maximum allowable fixed
interest rate for all 7(a) loans (with the exception of the Export Working Capital Program and
Community Advantage loans) and periodically publishes that rate and the maximum allowable
variable interest rate in the Federal Register.49
Maximum interest rates allowed on variable-rate 7(a) loans are pegged to either the prime rate,
the 30-day London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) plus 3%, or the SBA optional peg rate,
which is a weighted average of rates that the federal government pays for loans with maturities
similar to the guaranteed loan. The allowed spread over the prime rate, LIBOR base rate, or SBA
optional peg rate depends on the loan amount and the loan’s maturity (under seven years or seven

46 Payments for loans in a regular servicing status begin on the next payment due. Payments for loans in deferment
begin on the next payment due following the deferment period.
47 P.L. 116-260 authorized a second round of monthly payments for covered loans approved on or before September
27, 2020, even if the loan was not fully disbursed on or before September 27, 2020.
Existing 7(a) and 504/CDC loans that were previously deemed ineligible for monthly payments because they had not
been fully disbursed on or before September 27, 2020 (referred to as newly eligible first round loans), received three
monthly payments (instead of six as authorized under the CARES Act).
Existing 7(a) and 504/CDC loans (except for Community Advantage Pilot Program loans) approved before March 27,
2020, received two additional monthly payments. Businesses in specified economically hard-hit industries (food
service and accommodation; arts, entertainment and recreation; education; and laundry and personal care services)
received an additional three monthly payments (a total of five additional monthly payments). Existing Community
Advantage loans and Microloans approved before March 27, 2020, received five (instead of eight) additional monthly
payments.
New 7(a), 504/CDC, and Microloans approved from February 1, 2021, through September 30, 2021, received three
(instead of six) additional monthly payments. No second round payments were provided to covered loans approved
from March 28, 2020, through September 26, 2020. These loans were eligible for either three or six monthly payments
under round one, depending on their disbursement date. See SBA, “Adjustment to Number of Months of Section 1112
Payments in the 7(a), 504 and Microloan Programs Due to Insufficiency of Funds,” SBA Procedural Notice, 5000-
20095, February 16, 2021, at https://www.sba.gov/document/procedural-notice-5000-20095-adjustment-number-
months-section-1112-payments-7a-504-microloan-programs-due-insufficiency-funds.
48 13 C.F.R. §120.213.
49 SBA, “Maximum Allowable 7(a) Fixed Interest Rates,” 83 Federal Register 55478, November 6, 2018. For the
previously used fixed interest rates formula, see SBA, “Business Loan Program Maximum Allowable Fixed Rate,” 74
Federal Register 50263-50264, September 30, 2009. The SBA has a separate formula for Community Advantage loan
interest rates and does not prescribe interest rates for the Export Working Capital Loans, but it does monitor the rates
charged for reasonableness.
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years or more).50 The adjustment period can be no more than monthly and cannot change over the
life of the loan.
Table 3 provides information on the 7(a) program’s key features, including its eligible uses,
maximum loan amount, loan maturity, fixed interest rates, and guarantee fees.
Table 3. Summary of the 7(a) Loan Guaranty Program’s Key Features
Key Feature
Program Summary
Use of Proceeds
Fixed assets, working capital, financing of start-ups, or to purchase an existing
business; some debt payment allowed, but lender’s loan exposure may not be
reduced with the Express products. Lines of credit are offered with the Express
programs.
Maximum Loan Amount
$5 million.
Maturity
5 years to 7 years for working capital, up to 25 years for equipment and real estate.
All other loan purposes have a maximum term of 10 years.
Maximum Fixed Interest
For fixed rate loans of $25,000 or less, prime plus 800 basis points; for fixed rate
Rates
loans over $25,000 but not exceeding $50,000, prime plus 700 basis points; for
fixed rate loans greater than $50,000 but not exceeding $250,000, prime plus 600
basis points; and for fixed rate loans over $250,000, prime plus 500 basis points.
Guaranty Fees
Annual Service Fee (FY2022): For loans of $350,000 or less: 0.00% of the
outstanding loan balance; $350,001-$1 million: 0.49% of the outstanding loan
balance; and over $1 million: 0.55% of the outstanding loan balance.
Up-front Loan Guaranty Fee (FY2022): For loans with a maturity of 12 months or
less: 0.00% of the guaranteed portion of the loan for loans of $350,000 or less; and
0.25% of the guaranteed portion of the loan for loans exceeding $350,000.
For loans with a maturity exceeding 12 months: 0.00% of the guaranteed portion of
the loan for loans of $350,000 or less; 2.77% of the guaranteed portion of the loan
for loans of $350,001-$700,000; 3.27% of the guaranteed portion of the loan for
loans of $700,001-$1 million; and 3.5% of the guaranteed portion of the loan up to
$1 million plus 3.75% of the guaranteed portion of the loan over $1 million for
loans of $1,000,001-$5 million.
Job Creation
No job creation requirements.
Sources: Table compiled by CRS from data from the U.S. Small Business Administration; and U.S. Small Business
Administration, “SBA Information Notice: 7(a) Fees Effective October 1, 2021,” at https://www.sba.gov/
document/information-notice-5000-818641-7a-fees-effective-october-1-2021.
Variations on the 7(a) Program
The 7(a) program has several specialized programs that offer streamlined and expedited loan
procedures for particular groups of borrowers, including the SBAExpress program (for loans of
up to $500,000), the Export Express program (for loans of up to $500,000 for entering or
expanding an existing export market), and the Community Advantage pilot program (for loans of
$350,000 or less). The SBA also has a Small Loan Advantage program (for loans of $350,000 or
less), but it is currently being used as the 7(a) program’s model for processing loans of $350,000
or less and exists as a separate, specialized program in name only.
The SBAExpress program was established as a pilot program by the SBA on February 27, 1995,
and made permanent through legislation, subject to reauthorization, in 2004 (P.L. 108-447, the

50 SBA, “SOP 50 10 5(K): Lender and Development Company Loan Programs,” (effective April 1, 2019), p. 153, at
https://www.sba.gov/document/sop-50-10-5-lender-development-company-loan-programs.
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Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005). The program is designed to increase the availability of
credit to small businesses by permitting lenders to use their existing documentation and
procedures in return for receiving a reduced SBA guarantee on loans. Prior to COVID-19, it
provided a 50% loan guarantee on loan amounts of $350,000 or less.51 The CARES Act
temporarily increased the SBAExpress maximum loan amount to $1 million until January 1,
2021. P.L. 116-260 continued that temporary increase until October 1, 2021. At that time, the
program’s maximum loan amount was reset at $500,000.
SBAExpress loan proceeds can be used for the same purposes as the 7(a) program, except
participant debt restructuring cannot exceed 50% of the project and may be used for revolving
credit. The program’s fees and loan terms are the same as the 7(a) program, except the term for a
revolving line of credit cannot exceed seven years.
The Community Advantage pilot program began operations on February 15, 2011, and is limited
to mission-focused lenders targeting underserved markets. Originally scheduled to cease
operations on March 15, 2014, the program has been extended several times and is currently
scheduled to operate through September 30, 2024.52
In FY2021, 64 Community Advantage lenders approved 565 Community Advantage loans,
totaling $82.8 million. As of March 9, 2022, 96 of the 108 approved Community Advantage
lenders were actively making or servicing Community Advantage loans.53
Lenders must receive SBA approval to participate in these 7(a) specialized programs.54
The 504/CDC Loan Guaranty Program55
The 504/CDC loan guaranty program uses Certified Development Companies (CDCs), which are
private, nonprofit corporations established to contribute to economic development within their
communities. Each CDC has its own geographic territory. The program provides long-term,
fixed-rate loans for major fixed assets such as land, structures, machinery, and equipment.
Program loans cannot be used for working capital, inventory, or repaying debt. A commercial
lender provides up to 50% of the financing package, which is secured by a senior lien. The
CDC’s loan of up to 40% is secured by a junior lien. The SBA backs the CDC with a guaranteed
debenture.56 The small business must contribute at least 10% as equity.
To participate in the program, small businesses cannot exceed $15 million in tangible net worth
and cannot have average net income of more than $5 million for two full fiscal years before the

51 P.L. 111-240, the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, temporarily increased the SBAExpress program’s loan limit to
$1 million for one year following enactment (through September 26, 2011).
52 SBA, “Community Advantage Pilot Program,” 77 Federal Register 67433, November 9, 2012; SBA, “Community
Advantage Pilot Program,” 80 Federal Register 80873, December 28, 2015; SBA, “Community Advantage Pilot
Program,” 83 Federal Register 46238, September 12, 2018; and SBA, “Community Advantage Pilot Program,” 87
Federal Register 19165, April 1, 2022.
53 SBA, “Community Advantage Pilot Program,” 87 Federal Register 19166, April 1, 2022.
54 The SBA also has several special purpose loan guaranty programs. For example, the Community Adjustment and
Investment Program (CAIP) uses federal funds to pay the fees on 7(a) and 504/CDC loans to businesses located in
communities that have been adversely affected by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Also, the
SBA’s four CAPLine programs are designed to meet the requirements of small businesses for short-term or cyclical
working capital.
55 For further information and analysis, see CRS Report R41184, Small Business Administration 504/CDC Loan
Guaranty Program
, by Robert Jay Dilger.
56 A debenture is a bond that is not secured by a lien on specific collateral.
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date of application. Also, CDCs must intend to create or retain one job for every $75,000 of the
debenture ($120,000 for small manufacturers) or meet an alternative job creation standard if they
meet any one of 15 community or public policy goals.
In FY2021, the SBA approved 9,676 504/CDC loans totaling over $8.2 billion.57 In FY2020, 208
CDCs provided at least one 504/CDC loan.58
As mentioned, the CARES Act appropriated $17 billion to pay the principal, interest, and any
associated fees owed on an existing 7(a) loan, 504/CDC loan, or Microloan and for loans
subsequently approved and fully disbursed prior to September 27, 2020, for a six-month period.59
P.L. 116-260 appropriated an additional $3.5 billion for SBA’s monthly debt relief payments,
capped at $9,000 per month per borrower. The SBA was authorized to provide up to an additional
eight monthly payments. As mentioned, due to high demand, the SBA paid two, three, or five
monthly payments, depending on when the loan was approved or disbursed, the type of loan
received, and the business’s industry.
Table 4 summarizes the 504/CDC loan guaranty program’s key features.
Table 4. Summary of the 504/CDC Loan Guaranty Program’s Key Features
Key Feature
Program Summary
Use of Proceeds
Fixed assets only—no working capital.
Maximum Loan Amount
Maximum 504/CDC participation in a single project is $5 million and $5.5 million for
manufacturers and specified energy-related projects; minimum is $25,000. There is no
limit on the project size.
Maturity
10 years for equipment; 20 or 25 years for real estate. Unguaranteed financing may
have a shorter term.
Maximum Interest Rates
Fixed rate is established when the debenture backing the loan is sold and is pegged to
an increment above the current market rate for 5-year and 10-year U.S. Treasury
issues.
Participation
504/CDC projects generally have three main participants: a third-party lender
Requirements
provides 50% or more of the financing; a CDC provides up to 40% of the financing
through a 504/CDC debenture, which is guaranteed 100% by the SBA; and the
borrower contributes at least 10% of the financing. For good cause shown, the SBA
may authorize an increase in the CDC’s percentage of project costs covered up to
50%. No more than 50% of eligible costs can be from federal sources.
Guaranty Fees
The SBA is authorized to charge CDCs a one-time, up-front guaranty fee of up to
0.5% of the debenture (0.5% in FY2022), an annual servicing fee of up to 0.9375% of
the unpaid principal balance (0.2475% for regular 504/CDC loans and 0.2590% for
504/CDC debt refinance loans in FY2022), a funding fee (not to exceed 0.25% of the
debenture), an annual development company fee (0.125% of the debenture’s
outstanding principal balance), and a one-time participation fee (0.5% of the senior
mortgage loan if in a senior lien position to the SBA and the loan was approved after
September 30, 1996). In addition, CDCs are allowed to charge borrowers a
processing (or packaging) fee of up to 1.5% of the net debenture proceeds and a
closing fee, servicing fee, late fee, assumption fee, Central Servicing Agent (CSA) fee,
other agent fees, and an underwriters’ fee.

57 SBA, “SBA Lending Statistics for Major Programs (as of 9/30/2021),” at https://www.sba.gov/document/report-
2021-weekly-lending-reports.
58 SBA, FY2022 Congressional Justification and FY2020 Annual Performance Report, p. 40.
59 Payments for loans in a regular servicing status begin on the next payment due. Payments for loans in deferment
begin on the next payment due following the deferment period.
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Key Feature
Program Summary
Job Creation
Must intend to create or retain one job for every $75,000 of the debenture
Requirements
($120,000 for small manufacturers) or meet an alternative job creation standard if it
meets any one of 15 community or public policy goals.
Sources: Table compiled by CRS from data from the U.S. Small Business Administration; and U.S. Small Business
Administration, “SBA Information Notice: 5000-818642, 504 Fees Effective During Fiscal Year 2022,” September
7, 2021, at https://www.sba.gov/document/information-notice-5000-818642-504-fees-effective-during-fiscal-year-
2022.
Notes: The maximum loan amount is the total financial package, including the commercial loan and the CDC
loan. It does not include the owner’s minimum 10% equity contribution. It assumes the CDC loan is 40% of the
total package.
International Trade and Export Promotion Programs60
Although any of SBA’s loan guaranty programs can be used by firms looking to begin exporting
or expanding their current exporting operations, the SBA has three loan programs that specifically
focus on trade and export promotion:
1. Export Express loan program provides working capital or fixed asset financing
for firms that will begin or expand exporting. It offers a 90% guaranty on loans
of $350,000 or less and a 75% guaranty on loans of $350,001 to $500,000.
2. Export Working Capital loan program provides financing to support export
orders or the export transaction cycle, from purchase order to final payment. It
offers a 90% guaranty of loans up to $5 million.
3. International Trade loan program provides long-term financing to support firms
that are expanding because of growing export sales or have been adversely
affected by imports and need to modernize to meet foreign competition. It offers
a 90% guaranty on loans up to $5 million.61
In many ways, the SBA’s trade and export promotion loan programs share similar characteristics
with other SBA loan guaranty programs. For example, the Export Express program resembles the
SBAExpress program. The SBAExpress program shares several characteristics with the standard
7(a) loan guarantee program except that the SBAExpress program has an expedited approval
process, a lower maximum loan amount, and a smaller percentage of the loan guaranteed.
Similarly, the Export Express program shares several of the characteristics of the standard
International Trade loan program, such as an expedited approval process in exchange for a lower
maximum loan amount ($500,000 compared with $5 million) and a lower percentage of guaranty.
In addition, the SBA administers grants through the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP),
which are awarded to states to execute export programs that assist small business concerns (such
as a trade show exhibition, training workshops, or a foreign trade mission). Initially, the STEP
program was authorized for three years and appropriated $30 million annually in FY2011 and
FY2012. Congress approved $8 million in appropriations for STEP in FY2014, $17.4 million in

60 For further information and analysis, see CRS Report R43155, Small Business Administration Trade and Export
Promotion Programs
, by Robert Jay Dilger.
61 The International Trade loan program limits its guaranty for working capital to $4 million ($4.444 million gross loan
amount).
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FY2015, $18 million annually in FY2016-FY2019, $19 million in FY2020, $19.5 million in
FY202, and $20 million in FY2022.62
The Microloan Program63
The Microloan program provides direct loans to qualified nonprofit intermediary Microloan
lenders that, in turn, provide “microloans” of up to $50,000 to small businesses and nonprofit
child care centers. Microloan lenders also provide marketing, management, and technical
assistance to Microloan borrowers and potential borrowers.
The program was authorized in 1991 as a five-year demonstration project and became operational
in 1992. It was made permanent, subject to reauthorization, by P.L. 105-135, the Small Business
Reauthorization Act of 1997. Although the program is open to all small businesses, it targets new
and early stage businesses in underserved markets, including borrowers with little to no credit
history, low-income borrowers, and women and minority entrepreneurs in both rural and urban
areas who generally do not qualify for conventional loans or other, larger SBA guaranteed loans.
In FY2021, microloan intermediaries provided 4,510 loans to small businesses totaling $74.6
million. The average Microloan amount was $16,557.64
As mentioned, The CARES Act appropriated $17 billion to pay the principal, interest, and any
associated fees owed on an existing 7(a) loan, 504/CDC loan, or Microloan and for loans
subsequently approved and fully disbursed prior to September 27, 2020, for a six-month period.65
P.L. 116-260 appropriated an additional $3.5 billion for SBA’s monthly debt relief payments,
capped at $9,000 per month per borrower. The SBA was authorized to provide up to an additional
eight monthly payments, but due to high demand the SBA paid two, three, or five monthly
payments, depending on when the loan was approved or disbursed, the type of loan received, and
the business’s industry.
Table 5 summarizes the Microloan program’s key features.
Table 5. Summary of the Microloan Program’s Key Features
Key Feature
Program Summary
Use of proceeds
Working capital and acquisition of materials, supplies, furniture, fixtures, and
equipment. Loans cannot be made to acquire land or property.
Maximum Loan Amount
$50,000.
Maturity
Up to seven years.

62 P.L. 114-125, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, provided the STEP program explicit
statutory authorization and authorized to be appropriated $30 million for STEP grants from FY2016 through FY2020.
The act also included provisions intended to improve coordination between the federal government and the states,
among other provisions.
63 For further information and analysis, see CRS Report R41057, Small Business Administration Microloan Program,
by Robert Jay Dilger.
64 SBA, “Nationwide Loan Report, October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021,” December 13, 2021.
65 Payments for loans in a regular servicing status begin on the next payment due. Payments for loans in deferment
begin on the next payment due following the deferment period.
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Key Feature
Program Summary
Maximum Interest Rates
The SBA charges intermediaries an interest rate that is based on the five-year
Treasury rate, adjusted to the nearest one-eighth percent (called the Base Rate),
less 1.25% if the intermediary maintains a historic portfolio of Microloans averaging
more than $10,000 and less 2.0% if the intermediary maintains a historic portfolio
of Microloans averaging $10,000 or less. The Base Rate, after adjustment, is called
the Intermediary’s Cost of Funds. The Intermediary’s Cost of Funds is initially
calculated one year from the date of the note and is reviewed annually and
adjusted as necessary (called recasting). The interest rate cannot be less than zero.
On loans of more than $10,000, the maximum interest rate that can be charged to
the borrower is the interest rate charged by the SBA on the loan to the
intermediary, plus 7.75%. On loans of $10,000 or less, the maximum interest rate
that can be charged to the borrower is the interest charged by the SBA on the
loan to the intermediary, plus 8.5%. Rates are negotiated between the borrower
and the intermediary and typically range from 7% to 9%.
Guaranty Fees
The SBA does not charge intermediaries up-front or ongoing service fees under
the Microloan program.
Job Creation Requirements
No job creation requirements.
Source: Table compiled by CRS from data from the SBA. For information related to the Microloan loan
maturity being increased from six years to seven years, see SBA, “Express Loan Programs; Affiliation Standards,”
85 Federal Register 7632, February 10, 2020; SBA, “Regulatory Reform Initiative: Streamlining and Modernizing the
7(a), Microloan, and 504 Loan Programs to Reduce Unnecessary Regulatory Burden,” 85 Federal Register 80676-
80686, December 14, 2020; and P.L. 116-260, the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and
Venues Act (Division N, Title III of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021), §329.
Paycheck Protection Program66
The CARES Act, among other provisions, created the $349 billion (later increased to $813.7
billion) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to provide loans with a 100% SBA loan guarantee, a
maximum term of 10 years, and an interest rate not to exceed 4% to assist small businesses, small
501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, and small 501(c)(19) veterans organizations that have been
adversely affected by COVID-19.67 The act also provides for loan deferment and forgiveness
under specified conditions. The SBA initially announced that PPP loans will have a two-year term
(later increased to a five-year term for PPP loans approved on or after June 5, 2020 by P.L. 116-
142, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act) at 1% interest.68
PPP loans are not subject to the 7(a) loan program’s up-front loan guarantee fee or annual
servicing fee, the no credit elsewhere requirement, or 7(a) collateral and personal guarantee
requirements. Also, PPP eligibility includes 7(a) eligible businesses and any business, 501(c)(3)
nonprofit organization, 501(c)(19) veterans organization, or tribal business not currently eligible
that has not more than 500 employees or, if applicable, the SBA’s size standard for the industry in

66 For further information and analysis of the PPP, see CRS Report R46284, COVID-19 Relief Assistance to Small
Businesses: Issues and Policy Options
, by Robert Jay Dilger and Bruce R. Lindsay.
67 For additional information and analysis of the SBA provisions in P.L. 116-136, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
Economic Security Act (CARES Act), see CRS Report R46284, COVID-19 Relief Assistance to Small Businesses:
Issues and Policy Options
, by Robert Jay Dilger and Bruce R. Lindsay.
68 P.L. 116-142, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, among other provisions, established a
minimum PPP loan maturity of five years for loans made on or after the date of enactment (June 5, 2020).
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which they operate. Sole proprietors, independent contractors, and eligible self-employed
individuals are also eligible.69
The maximum PPP loan amount was the lesser of (1) 2.5 times the average total monthly
payments by the applicant for payroll costs incurred during the one-year period before the date on
which the loan is made plus the outstanding balance of any 7(a) loan (made on or after January
31, 2020) that is refinanced into the PPP loan; or (2) $10 million.
The SBA completed two rounds of PPP loan applications. Round 1 started on April 3, 2020 and,
after several interruptions, concluded on August 8, 2020.70
As of August 8, 2020, the SBA had approved, after cancellations, 5,212,128 PPP loans totaling
more than $525 billion.71 For comparative purposes, that loan approval amount is more than the
amount the SBA had approved in all of its loan programs, including disaster loans, during the
previous 29 years (from October 1, 1991, through December 31, 2019; $509.9 billion).72
House and Senate leaders continued negotiations on legislation to reopen and amend the PPP
throughout the summer and fall. P.L. 116-260, enacted on December 27, 2020, among other
provisions,
 extended the PPP loan covered period from August 8, 2020, to March 31, 2021;
 allowed borrowers to select a PPP loan forgiveness covered period of either 8
weeks after the loan’s origination date or 24 weeks after the loan’s origination
date regardless of when the loan was disbursed;
 allowed PPP borrowers that have fewer than 300 employees, have or will use the
full amount of their PPP loan, and can document quarterly revenue losses of at
least 25% in the first, second, or third quarter of 2020 relative to the same quarter
of 2019 to receive a second-draw PPP loan of up to $2 million; and
 increased the PPP loan authorization level from $659 billion to $806.45 billion.

69 For purposes of determining not more than 500 employees, the term employee includes individuals employed on a
full-time, part-time, or other basis. Also, special eligibility considerations are provided for certain businesses and
organizations. For example, businesses operating in NAICS Sector 72 (Accommodation and Food Services industry)
that employ not more than 500 employees per physical location are also eligible for a covered loan. Affiliation rules are
also waived for: (1) NAICS Sector 72 businesses, (2) franchises, and (3) SBIC-owned businesses. In other words, these
businesses would not be denied a covered loan solely because they employ more than 500 employees across multiple
businesses under common ownership.
70 Because the program neared its $349 billion authorization limit, the SBA stopped accepting new PPP loan
applications on April 15, 2020. The SBA started accepting applications once again on April 27, 2020, following
enactment of the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (P.L. 116-139) on April 24, 2020.
The act increased the PPP loan authorization limit from $349 billion to $659 billion, and appropriated an additional
$321.335 billion to support that level of lending. As required by the CARES Act, the SBA stopped accepting new PPP
loan applications at midnight on June 30, 2020. The SBA resumed accepting PPP loan applications on July 6, 2020,
following enactment of P.L. 116-147, to extend the authority for commitments for the paycheck protection program.
The act extended the PPP covered loan period from June 30, 2020, to August 8, 2020, and authorized $659 billion for
PPP loan commitments.
71 SBA, “Additional Program Information: approvals as of August 8, 2020,” at https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/
loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program.
72 SBA, “WDS Lending Data File,” October 18, 2019; and SBA, “Small Business Administration loan program
performance: Table 2 - Gross Approval Amount by Program, March 31, 2020,” at https://www.sba.gov/document/
report-small-business-administration-loan-program-performance.
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The SBA reopened the PPP online application portal (Round 2) on January 11, 2021.73 To
promote PPP loan access for minority, underserved, veteran, and women-owned small businesses,
the SBA initially restricted access to the PPP application portal to community financial
institutions seeking first-draw PPP loans (on January 11 and 12) and second-draw PPP loans (on
January 13).74 Community financial institutions are generally recognized as more likely to serve
these populations than are other lending institutions.
The SBA reopened the PPP loan portal to PPP-eligible lenders with $1 billion or less in assets on
January 15, 2021, and to all PPP-eligible lenders on January 19, 2021.75
P.L. 117-2, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, enacted on March 11, 2021, among other
provisions, appropriated an additional $7.25 billion for the PPP to increase its authorization
amount to $813.7 billion. P.L. 117-6, the PPP Extension Act of 2021, extended the acceptance of
PPP applications through May 31, 2021, and authorized the SBA to process any pending
applications submitted on or before that date through June 30, 2021.
As of April 24, 2022, the SBA had issued over 11.4 million PPP loans totaling $788.7 billion,
received over 10.0 million applications for PPP loan forgiveness totaling $725.0 billion, and
approved nearly 10.0 million PPP loan forgiveness applications totaling more than $721.0
billion.76
Entrepreneurial Development Programs77
The SBA’s entrepreneurial development (ED) noncredit programs provide a variety of
management and training services to small businesses. Initially, the SBA provided its own
management and technical assistance training programs. Over time, the SBA has come to rely
increasingly on third parties to provide that training.
The SBA receives appropriations for seven ED programs and two ED initiatives:
 Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs);
 the Microloan Technical Assistance Program;
 Women Business Centers (WBCs);
 SCORE;
 the Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs (PRIME);
 Veterans Programs (including Veterans Business Outreach Centers, Boots to
Business, Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship [VWISE],

73 SBA, “SBA and Treasury Announce PPP Re-Opening; Issue New Guidance,” January 8, 2021.
74 SBA, “Guidance on Accessing Capital for Minority, Underserved, Veteran and Women-Owned Business Concerns,”
January 6, 2021, at https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2021-01/
Guidance%20on%20Accessing%20Capital%20for%20Minority%20Underserved%20Veteran%20and%20Women%20
Owned%20Business%20Concerns%20.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery; and SBA, “SBA and
Treasury Announce PPP Re-Opening; Issue New Guidance,” January 8, 2021.
75 SBA, “SBA Re-Opening Paycheck Protection Program to Small Lenders on Friday, January 15 and All Lenders on
Tuesday, January 19,” at https://www.sba.gov/article/2021/jan/13/sba-re-opening-paycheck-protection-program-small-
lenders-friday-january-15-all-lenders-tuesday.
76 SBA, “2022 PPP forgiveness platform lender submission metrics reports,” April 24, 2022, at https://www.sba.gov/
document/report-2022-ppp-forgiveness-platform-lender-submission-metrics-reports.
77 For further information and analysis, see CRS Report R41352, Small Business Management and Technical
Assistance Training Programs
, by Robert Jay Dilger.
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Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities, and Boots to
Business: Reboot);
 the Native American Outreach Program (NAO);
 the Entrepreneurial Development (Regional Innovation Clusters) initiative; and
 the Entrepreneurship Education (Emerging Leaders) initiative.
FY2022 appropriations for these programs are
 $138.0 million for SBDCs,
 $37.0 million for the Microloan Technical Assistance Program,
 $24.4 million for WBCs,
 $14.0 million for SCORE,
 $7.0 million for PRIME,
 $16.0 million for Veterans Programs,
 $3.0 million for NAO,
 $8.0 million for the Entrepreneurial Development (Regional Innovation Clusters)
initiative, and
 $2.75 million for the Entrepreneurship Education (Emerging Leaders) initiative.78
The following ED programs are provided recommended funding in appropriations acts, but are
discussed in other sections of this report because of the nature of their assistance:
 the SBA’s Growth Accelerators initiative ($3.0 million in FY2022) is a capital
investment program and is discussed in the capital access programs section;
 the SBA’s 7(j) Technical Assistance Program ($3.5 million in FY2022) provides
contacting assistance and is discussed in the contracting programs section; and
 the National Women’s Business Council ($1.5 million in FY2022) is a bipartisan
federal advisory council and is discussed in the executive direction programs
section.
Several other noncredit programs also receive funding under the ED program account, including
 the Step Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) Pilot Grant program, which awards
grants to states to assist eligible small businesses with exporting ($20.0 million in
FY2022);79
 HUBZone (contracting preference program) administrative expenses ($3.0
million in FY2022);

78 Rep. Rosa DeLauro, “Explanatory Statement Submitted by Mrs. DeLauro, Chairwoman of the House Committee on
Appropriations Regarding H.R. 2471, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Division E – Financial Services and
General Government Appropriations Act, 2022),” 117th Cong., 2nd sess., March 9, 2022, p. 53, at http://docs.house.gov/
billsthisweek/20220307/BILLS-117RCP35-JES-DIVISION-E.pdf.
79 P.L. 111-240, the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, authorized the Step Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) Pilot
Grant program for three years and appropriated $30 million for the program both in FY2011 and FY2012. The SBA
awarded STEP grants to states with the goal of assisting eligible small businesses with exporting in FY2011 and
FY2012. The STEP program’s authorization expired at the end of FY2013. STEP was subsequently appropriated $8
million FY2014, $17.4 million in FY2015, $18 million in FY2016-FY2019, $19 million in FY2020, and $19.5 million
in FY2021. For additional information and analysis, see CRS Report R43155, Small Business Administration Trade
and Export Promotion Programs
, by Robert Jay Dilger.
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 the Cybersecurity for Small Business Pilot program, which will award up to three
grants to states to assist small businesses with access to cybersecurity tools ($3.0
million in FY2022);80 and
 the Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership program, which provides
grants to states and state-endorsed nonprofit organizations to provide outreach,
financial support, and technical assistance to technology-based small businesses
participating in or interested in participating in the SBIR and STTR programs
($6.0 million in FY2022).81
In addition, P.L. 116-260, among other provisions, appropriated an additional $50 million for
Microloan Technical Assistance Program grants in FY2021, and P.L. 117-2, the American Rescue
Plan Act of 2021, appropriated $100 million in FY2021 for the Community Navigator Pilot
Program to provide outreach, education, and technical assistance to small businesses.82 The
SBA’s management and technical assistance resource partners, state and local governments,
Indian tribes, and private nonprofit organizations are eligible to compete for Community
Navigator grants.
On October 28, 2021, the SBA announced that it had awarded 51 Community Navigator grants to
organizations to serve as “hubs” that “will work with over 400 local community groups
(“spokes”) to connect America’s entrepreneurs to federal, state, and local resources.”83
The SBA reports that nearly a million aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners receive
mentoring and training from an SBA-supported resource partner each year. Some of this training
is free, and some is offered at low cost.84
SBDCs provide free or low-cost assistance to small businesses using programs customized to
local conditions. SBDCs support small business in marketing and business strategy, finance,
technology transfer, government contracting, management, manufacturing, engineering, sales,
accounting, exporting, and other topics. SBDCs are funded by grants from the SBA and matching
funds. There are 62 lead SBDC service centers, one located in each state (four in Texas and six in
California), the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American
Samoa. These lead SBDC service centers manage more than 900 SBDC outreach locations.
The SBA’s Microloan Technical Assistance program is part of the SBA’s Microloan program but
receives a separate appropriation. It provides grants to Microloan intermediaries to offer
management and technical training assistance to Microloan program borrowers and prospective

80 P.L. 116-260, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, authorized the Cybersecurity for Small Business Pilot
program. The explanatory statement accompanying the act recommended that the program receive $3 million in
FY2021.
81 The Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership program was initially authorized by P.L. 106-554, the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2001. The program expired on September 30, 2005, and was reauthorized by P.L.
111-117, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010. The explanatory statement accompanying P.L. 116-260
recommended that FAST receive $4 million in FY2021. Previously, FAST’s funding was provided through the SBA’s
salaries and expenses account.
82 For additional information about the Community Navigator grant program, see CRS Insight IN11893, SBA’s
Community Navigator Pilot Program
, by R. Corinne Blackford; and SBA, “Community Navigator Pilot Program,” at
https://www.sba.gov/partners/counselors/community-navigator-pilot-program.
83 SBA, “WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: SBA Administrator Guzman Announces Community Navigator Pilot Program
Awardees to Serve as Hubs for Critical Outreach to Millions of Small Businesses,” November 2, 2021, at
https://www.sba.gov/article/2021/nov/02/what-they-are-saying-sba-administrator-guzman-announces-community-
navigator-pilot-program-awardees?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.
84 SBA, FY2022 Congressional Justification and FY2020 Annual Performance Report, p. 22.
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borrowers.85 There are currently 140 active Microloan intermediaries serving 49 states, the
District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.86
WBCs are similar to SBDCs, except they concentrate on assisting women entrepreneurs. There
are currently 141 WBCs, with at least one WBC in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and
Puerto Rico.87
SCORE was established on October 5, 1964, by then-SBA Administrator Eugene P. Foley as a
national, volunteer organization, uniting more than 50 independent nonprofit organizations into a
single, national nonprofit organization. SCORE’s more than 250 chapters are located throughout
the United States and partner with more than 10,000 volunteer counselors, who are working or
retired business owners, executives, and corporate leaders, to provide management and training
assistance to small businesses.88
PRIME provides SBA grants to nonprofit microenterprise development organizations or programs
that have “a demonstrated record of delivering microenterprise services to disadvantaged
entrepreneurs; an intermediary; a microenterprise development organization or program that is
accountable to a local community, working in conjunction with a state or local government or
Indian tribe; or an Indian tribe acting on its own, if the Indian tribe can certify that no private
organization or program referred to in this paragraph exists within its jurisdiction.”89 PRIME
grants require a 50% match of each dollar awarded.90
The SBA’s Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD) administers several management
and training programs to assist veteran-owned businesses, including 22 Veterans Business
Outreach Centers which provide “entrepreneurial development services such as business training,
counseling and resource partner referrals to transitioning service members, veterans, National
Guard and Reserve service members, and veterans or military spouses interested in starting or
growing a small business.”91

85 For further analysis of the SBA’s Microloan program, see CRS Report R41057, Small Business Administration
Microloan Program
, by Robert Jay Dilger.
86 SBA, FY2023 Congressional Budget Justification FY2021 Annual Performance Report, p. 36. As of April 26, 2022,
there were no Microloan intermediaries serving Alaska. See SBA, “List of Lenders,” at https://www.sba.gov/partners/
lenders/microloan-program/list-lenders.
An intermediary may not operate in more than one state unless the SBA determines that it would be in the best interests
of the small business community for it to operate across state lines. For example, a Microloan intermediary located in
Taunton, Massachusetts is allowed to serve small businesses located in Rhode Island because of its proximity to the
state and there are currently no Microloan intermediaries located in Rhode Island.
87 SBA, “Administrator Guzman Announces Expansion of the Women’s Business Center Network to All 50 States,”
March 29, 2022, at https://www.sba.gov/article/2022/mar/29/administrator-guzman-announces-expansion-womens-
business-center-network-all-50-states; and SBA, “Women’s Business Centers Directory,” at https://www.sba.gov/local-
assistance/find?type=Women%E2%80%99s%20Business%20Center&pageNumber=1.
88 SCORE, “Find a Location,” at https://www.score.org/content/find-location; SCORE, “About SCORE,” at
https://www.score.org/about-score; and SBA, FY2023 Congressional Budget Justification FY2021 Annual
Performance Report
, p. 84.
89 P.L. 106-102, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, Section 173. Establishment of Program and Section 175. Qualified
Organizations.
90 SBA, FY2023 Congressional Budget Justification FY2021 Annual Performance Report, p. 37.
91 SBA, FY2023 Congressional Budget Justification FY2021 Annual Performance Report, p. 91.
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The SBA’s Office of Native American Affairs provides management and technical educational
assistance to Native Americans (American Indians, Alaska natives, native Hawaiians, and the
indigenous people of Guam and American Samoa) to start and expand small businesses.92
The SBA reports that “regional innovation clusters are on-the-ground collaborations between
business, research, education, financing and government institutions that work to develop and
grow the supply chain of a particular industry or related set of industries in a geographic
region.”93 The SBA has supported the Entrepreneurial Development (Regional Innovation
Clusters) initiative since FY2009, and the initiative has received recommended appropriations
from Congress since FY2010.
The SBA’s Entrepreneurship Education (Emerging Leaders) initiative provides assistance to
high-growth small businesses in underserved communities. The initiative is a seven-month
executive leader education series consisting of “more than 100 hours of training, technical
support, access to a professional network, and other resources to strengthen their businesses.”94
During the training, “participants produce a three-year strategic growth action plan” with
“benchmarks and performance targets that help them access the necessary support and resources
to move forward for the next stage of business growth.”95
Contracting Programs96
Several SBA programs assist small businesses in obtaining and performing federal contracts and
subcontracts. These include various prime contracting programs; subcontracting programs; and
other assistance (e.g., contracting technical training assistance, the federal goaling program,
federal Offices of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, and the Surety Bond Guarantee
program).
Prime Contracting Programs
Several contracting programs allow small businesses to compete only with similar firms for
government contracts or receive sole-source awards in circumstances in which such awards could
not be made to other firms. These programs, which give small businesses a chance to win
government contracts without having to compete against larger and more experienced companies,
include the following:
8(a) Program.97 The 8(a) Business Development Program (named for the section of the Small
Business Act from which it derives its authority) is for businesses owned by persons who are

92 SBA, FY2023 Congressional Budget Justification FY2021 Annual Performance Report, p. 90.
93 SBA, FY2017 Congressional Budget Justification and FY2015 Annual Performance Report, p. 64, at
https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/FY17-CBJ_FY15-APR.pdf.
94 SBA, FY2023 Congressional Budget Justification FY2021 Annual Performance Report, p. 86.
95 SBA, FY2014 Congressional Budget Justification and FY2012 Annual Performance Report, p. 71, at
https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/files/1-508-Compliant-FY-2014-CBJ%20FY%202012%20APR.pdf; and SBA,
FY2023 Congressional Budget Justification FY2021 Annual Performance Report, p. 86.
96 These programs apply government-wide but are implemented under the authority of the Small Business Act,
pursuant to regulations promulgated by the SBA that determine, in part, eligibility for the programs. For additional
information and analysis, see CRS Report R45576, An Overview of Small Business Contracting, by Robert Jay Dilger.
97 For additional information and analysis, see CRS Report R44844, SBA’s “8(a) Program”: Overview, History, and
Current Issues
, by Robert Jay Dilger.
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socially and economically disadvantaged.98 Members of certain racial and ethnic groups are
presumed to be socially disadvantaged, although individuals who do not belong to these groups
may prove they are also socially disadvantaged.99 To be economically disadvantaged, an
individual must have a net worth of less than $750,000 (excluding ownership interest in the
applicant’s business, equity in their primary personal residence, and funds invested in a qualified
retirement account), no more than $350,000 in average adjusted gross income over the preceding
three years, and no more than $6 million in assets (excluding funds invested in a qualified
retirement account).100
A firm certified by the SBA as an 8(a) firm is eligible for set-aside and sole-source contracts. The
SBA also provides technical assistance and training to 8(a) firms. Firms generally may participate
in the 8(a) Program for no more than nine years.101
In FY2020, the federal government awarded $34.0 billion to 8(a) firms:
 nearly $20.5 billion was awarded with an 8(a) preference ($9.3 billion through an
8(a) set-aside and $11.1 billion through an 8(a) sole-source award);
 $2.2 billion was awarded to an 8(a) firm in open competition with other firms;
and
 $11.3 billion was awarded with another small business preference (e.g., set-
asides and sole-source awards for small businesses generally and for HUBZone
firms, women-owned small businesses, and service-disabled veteran-owned
small businesses).102
Historically Underutilized Business Zone Program.103 This program assists small businesses
located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZones) through set-asides, sole-source
awards, and price evaluation preferences in full and open competitions. The determination of

98 Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act, P.L. 85-536, as amended, can be found at 15 U.S.C. §637(a). Regulations are
in 13 C.F.R. §124. The Clinton Administration changed the program’s name from the Minority Small Business and
Capital Ownership Development Program to the 8(a) Business Development program in 1988 “to emphasize that
individuals need not be members of minority groups and to stress the importance of assisting participating firms in their
overall business development.” See SBA, “Small Business Size Regulations: 8(a) Business Development/Small
Disadvantaged Business Status Determinations; Rules of Procedure Governing Cases Before the Office of Hearings
and Appeals,” 63 Federal Register 35727, June 30, 1998.
99 The following individuals are presumed to be socially disadvantaged: Black Americans; Hispanic Americans; Native
Americans (Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, or enrolled members of a federally or state recognized Indian Tribe);
Asian Pacific Americans (persons with origins from Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Japan,
China (including Hong Kong), Taiwan, Laos, Cambodia (Kampuchea), Vietnam, Korea, The Philippines, U.S. Trust
Territory of the Pacific Islands (Republic of Palau), Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia,
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Samoa, Macao, Fiji, Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu, or Nauru);
Subcontinent Asian Americans (persons with origins from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the
Maldives Islands, or Nepal). See 13 C.F.R. §124.103.
100 13 C.F.R. §124.104. For information related to recent changes to the thresholds used for determining economic
disadvantage, see SBA, “Women-Owned Small Business and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small
Business Certification,” 85 Federal Register 27650-27665, May 11, 2020.
101 P.L. 116-260, the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act (Division N, Title III of
the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021), provides businesses participating in the 8(a) program on or before
September 9, 2020, the option to extend their participation in the program for one year.
102 Data generated using U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), “Sam.Gov data bank,” August 2, 2021, at
https://sam.gov/reports/awards/adhoc.
103 For additional information and analysis, see CRS Report R41268, Small Business Administration HUBZone
Program
, by Robert Jay Dilger.
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whether an area is a HUBZone is based upon criteria specified in 13 C.F.R. Section 126.103. To
be certified as a HUBZone small business, at least 35% of the small business’s employees must
generally reside in a HUBZone.
In FY2020, the federal government awarded nearly $13.6 billion to HUBZone-certified
businesses:
 $2.1 billion was awarded with a HUBZone preference ($2.0 billion through a
HUBZone set-aside, $67.5 million through a HUBZone sole-source award and
$48.5 million through a HUBZone price-evaluation preference);
 $4.0 billion was awarded to HUBZone-certified small businesses in open
competition with other firms; and
 $7.5 billion was awarded with another small business preference (e.g., set-asides
and sole-source awards for small businesses generally and for 8(a), women-
owned, and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses).104
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Program. This program assists service-
disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs) through set-asides and sole-source awards.
For purposes of this program, veterans and service-related disabilities are defined as they are
under the statutes governing veterans affairs.105
In FY2020, the federal government awarded $26.1 billion to SDVOSBs:
 $9.7 billion was awarded with a SDVOSB preference ($9.4 billion through a
SDVOSB set-aside and $281.9 million through a SDVOSB sole-source award);
 $8.4 billion was awarded to a SDVOSB in open competition with other firms;
and
 $8.0 billion was awarded with another small business preference (e.g., set-asides
and sole-source awards for small businesses generally and for HUBZone firms,
8(a) firms, and WOSBs).106
Women-Owned Small Business Program. Under this program, contracts may be set aside for
economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses (WOSB) in industries in which
women are underrepresented and women-owned small businesses in industries in which women
are substantially underrepresented. Also, federal agencies may award sole-source contracts to
women-owned small businesses so long as the award can be made at a fair and reasonable price,
and the anticipated value of the contract is below $4.5 million ($7 million for manufacturing
contracts).107
To qualify as an economically disadvantaged WOSB, the owner must demonstrate that her ability
to compete in the free enterprise system has been impaired due to diminished capital and credit
opportunities as compared with others in the same or similar line of business. The SBA uses the

104 Data generated using U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), “Sam.Gov data bank,” August 2, 2021, at
https://sam.gov/reports/awards/adhoc.
105 Veteran-owned small businesses and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses are eligible for separate
preferences in procurements conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs under the authority of the Veterans
Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act, as amended by the Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of
2008.
106 Data generated using GSA, “Sam.Gov data bank,” July 31, 2021, at https://sam.gov/reports/awards/adhoc.
107 P.L. 113-291, the Carl Levin and Howard P. “Buck” McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2015.
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same three-part test used in the 8(a) Program to determine economic disadvantage relating to the
degree of the applicant’s diminished credit and capital opportunities.
In FY2020, the federal government awarded $27.2 billion to WOSBs:
 $1.2 billion was awarded with a WOSB preference ($1.1 billion through a
WOSB set-aside award and $116.1 million through a WOSB sole-source award);
 $9.3 billion was awarded to a WOSB in open competition with other firms; and
 $16.6 billion was awarded with another small business preference (e.g., set-
asides and sole-source awards for small businesses generally and for HUBZone
firms, 8(a) firms, and SDVOSBs).108
Other small businesses. Agencies may also set aside contracts or make sole-source awards to
small businesses not participating in any other program under certain conditions.
Subcontracting Programs for Small Disadvantaged Businesses
Other federal programs promote subcontracting with small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs).
SDBs include 8(a) participants and other small businesses that are at least 51% unconditionally
owned and controlled by socially or economically disadvantaged individuals or groups. As
mentioned, members of certain racial and ethnic groups are presumed to be socially
disadvantaged, although individuals who do not belong to these groups may prove they are also
socially disadvantaged. To be economically disadvantaged, an individual must have a net worth
of less than $750,000 (excluding ownership interest in the applicant’s business, equity in their
primary personal residence, and funds invested in a qualified retirement account), no more than
$350,000 in average adjusted gross income over the preceding three years, and no more than $6
million in assets (excluding funds invested in a qualified retirement account).
Non-8(a) business owners must generally satisfy the same eligibility requirements for SDB status
as 8(a) firms, although they generally do not apply to the SBA to be designated as a SDB. Instead,
most non-8(a) firms self-certify their status as a SDB when seeking a federal contract and are
subject to fines, imprisonment, and other penalties if they misrepresent their eligibility.109
Federal agencies must negotiate “subcontracting plans” with the apparently successful bidder or
offer or on eligible prime contracts prior to awarding the contract. Subcontracting plans set goals
for the percentage of subcontract dollars to be awarded to SDBs, among others, and describe
efforts that will be made to ensure that SDBs “have an equitable opportunity to compete for
subcontracts.” Federal agencies may also consider the extent of subcontracting with SDBs in
determining to whom to award a contract or give contractors “monetary incentives” to
subcontract with SDBs.
As of April 27, 2022, the SBA’s Dynamic Small Business Search database included 5,065 SBA-
certified 8(a) firms and 165,579 self-certified SDBs.110

108 Data generated using GSA, “Sam.Gov data bank,” July 31, 2021, at https://sam.gov/reports/awards/adhoc.
109 See 15 U.S.C. §645(d).
110 SBA, “Dynamic Small Business Search,” at https://web.sba.gov/pro-net/search/dsp_dsbs.cfm.
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The 7(j) Management and Technical Assistance Program
The SBA’s 7(j) Management and Technical Assistance program provides “a wide variety of
management and technical assistance to eligible individuals or concerns to meet their specific
needs, including: (a) counseling and training in the areas of financing, management, accounting,
bookkeeping, marketing, and operation of small business concerns; and (b) the identification and
development of new business opportunities.”111 Eligible individuals and businesses include “8(a)
certified firms, small disadvantaged businesses, businesses operating in areas of high
unemployment, or low income or firms owned by low income individuals.”112
In FY2021, the 7(j) Management and Technical Assistance program assisted 11,900 small
businesses.113
Surety Bond Guarantee Program114
The SBA’s Surety Bond Guarantee program is designed to increase small businesses’ access to
federal, state, and local government contracting, as well as private-sector contracts, by
guaranteeing bid, performance, and payment bonds for small businesses that cannot obtain surety
bonds through regular commercial channels.115 The program guarantees individual contracts of up
to $6.5 million and up to $10 million for federal contracts if a federal contracting officer certifies
that such a guarantee is necessary. The SBA’s guarantee ranges from not to exceed 80% to not to
exceed 90% of the surety’s loss if a default occurs.116 In FY2021, the SBA guaranteed 9,633 bid
and final surety bonds with a total contract value of nearly $7.0 billion.117
A surety bond is a three-party instrument between a surety (someone who agrees to be
responsible for the debt or obligation of another), a contractor, and a project owner. The
agreement binds the contractor to comply with the terms and conditions of a contract. If the
contractor is unable to successfully perform the contract, the surety assumes the contractor’s
responsibilities and ensures that the project is completed. The surety bond reduces the risk
associated with contracting.118
Surety bonds are viewed as a means to encourage project owners to contract with small
businesses that may not have the credit history or prior experience of larger businesses and are
considered to be at greater risk of failing to comply with the contract’s terms and conditions.119

111 13 C.F.R. §124.702.
112 SBA, FY2018 Congressional Budget Justification and FY2016 Annual Performance Report, p. 44, at
https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/aboutsbaarticle/FINAL_SBA_FY_2018_CBJ_May_22_2017c.pdf.
113 SBA, FY2023 Congressional Budget Justification FY2021 Annual Performance Report, p. 71.
114 For additional information and analysis, see CRS Report R42037, SBA Surety Bond Guarantee Program, by Robert
Jay Dilger.
115 Ancillary bonds are also eligible if they are incidental and essential to a contract for which the SBA has guaranteed
a final bond. A reclamation bond is eligible if it is issued to reclaim an abandoned mine site and for a project
undertaken for a specific period of time.
116 P.L. 114-92, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016, includes a provision that increased the
Preferred Surety Bond Guarantee Program’s guarantee rate from not to exceed 70% to not to exceed 90% of losses
starting one year from enactment (effective November 25, 2016). For additional information and analysis, see CRS
Report R42037, SBA Surety Bond Guarantee Program, by Robert Jay Dilger.
117 SBA, FY2023 Congressional Budget Justification FY2021 Annual Performance Report, p. 41.
118 SBA, “Surety Bonds,” at https://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/loans-grants/bonds/surety-bonds.
119 SBA, “Surety Bonds.”
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Goaling Program
Since 1978, federal agency heads have been required to establish federal procurement contracting
goals, in consultation with the SBA, “that realistically reflect the potential of small business
concerns” to participate in federal procurement. Each agency is required, at the conclusion of
each fiscal year, to report its progress in meeting these goals to the SBA.120
In 1988, Congress authorized the President to annually establish government-wide minimum
participation goals for procurement contracts awarded to small businesses and small businesses
owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Congress required
the government-wide minimum participation goal for small businesses to be “not less than 20%
of the total value of all prime contract awards for each fiscal year” and “not less than 5% of the
total value of all prime contract and subcontract awards for each fiscal year” for small businesses
owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.121
Each federal agency was also directed to “have an annual goal that presents, for that agency, the
maximum practicable opportunity for small business concerns and small business concerns
owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals to participate in the
performance of contracts let by such agency.”122 The SBA was also required to report to the
President annually on the attainment of the goals and to include the information in an annual
report to Congress.123 The SBA negotiates the goals with each federal agency and establishes a
small business eligible baseline for evaluating the agency’s performance.124 The agency head is
required to “make consistent efforts to annually expand participation by small business concerns
from each industry category.”125 If the SBA and the agency cannot agree on the goals, the agency
may submit the case to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Office of Federal
Procurement Policy (OFPP) for resolution.126
The small business eligible baseline excludes certain contracts that the SBA has determined do
not realistically reflect the potential for small business participation in federal procurement (such
as those awarded to mandatory and directed sources), contracts funded predominately from
agency-generated sources (i.e., nonappropriated funds), contracts not covered by Federal
Acquisition Regulations, acquisitions on behalf of foreign governments, and contracts not
reported in the General Services Administration’s (GSA’s) Federal Procurement Data System—
Next Generation, or FPDS-NG (such as contracts valued below $10,000 and government

120 P.L. 95-507, a bill to amend the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958.
121 P.L. 100-656, the Business Opportunity Development Reform Act of 1988.
122 P.L. 100-656.
123 P.L. 100-656.
124 According to a 2001 GAO report, the SBA began to specify what types of contracts the Federal Procurement Data
System would exclude when determining agency compliance with federal contracting goals in FY1998. Prior to
FY1998, “agencies reported their small business achievements directly to SBA and excluded from their calculations
certain types of contracts, such as those for which small businesses had a limited or no chance to compete. SBA then
published an annual report summarizing each agency’s achievements. SBA officials said that in some cases they were
not aware of all exclusions the agencies made when reporting their numbers.” GAO, Small Business: More
Transparency Needed in Prime Contract Goal Program
, GAO-01-551, August 1, 2001, pp. 9-10, at
http://www.gao.gov/assets/240/231854.pdf.
125 15 U.S.C. §644(g)(2).
126 SBA, Office of Policy, Planning and Liaison, Office of Government Contracting and Business Development, “FY
2019 Goaling Guidelines,” August 2018, p. 5, at https://www.sba.gov/document/report—sba-goaling-guidelines
(hereinafter cited as SBA, “FY2019 Goaling Guidelines”).
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procurement card purchases).127 These exclusions typically account for 18% to 20% of all federal
prime contracts each year.
The SBA then evaluates the agencies’ performance against their negotiated goals and presents the
results in the SBA’s annual Small Business Procurement Scorecards. The SBA uses FPDS-NG
data, which are published in GSA’s annual Small Business Goaling Report. Each agency that fails
to achieve any proposed prime or subcontract goal is required to submit a justification to the SBA
on why it failed to achieve a proposed or negotiated goal with a proposed plan of corrective
action.128
Over the years, federal government-wide procurement contracting goals have been established for
small businesses generally (P.L. 100-656, the Business Opportunity Development Reform Act of
1988, and P.L. 105-135, the HUBZone Act of 1997—Title VI of the Small Business
Reauthorization Act of 1997), small businesses owned and controlled by socially and
economically disadvantaged individuals (P.L. 100-656, the Business Opportunity Development
Reform Act of 1988), women (P.L. 103-355, the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994),
small businesses located within a HUBZone (P.L. 105-135, the HUBZone Act of 1997—Title VI
of the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 1997), and small businesses owned and controlled
by a service disabled veteran (P.L. 106-50, the Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business
Development Act of 1999).
The current federal small business contracting goals are
 at least 23% of the total value of all small business eligible prime contract awards
to small businesses for each fiscal year,
 5% of the total value of all small business eligible prime contract awards and
subcontract awards to small disadvantaged businesses for each fiscal year,
 5% of the total value of all small business eligible prime contract awards and
subcontract awards to women-owned small businesses,
 3% of the total value of all small business eligible prime contract awards and
subcontract awards to HUBZone small businesses, and
 3% of the total value of all small business eligible prime contract awards and
subcontract awards to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.129
There are no punitive consequences for not meeting these goals. However, the SBA’s Small
Business Procurement Scorecards and GSA’s Small Business Goaling Report are distributed
widely, receive media attention, and heighten public awareness of the issue of small business
contracting. For example, agency performance as reported in the SBA’s Small Business
Procurement Scorecards is often cited by Members during their questioning of federal agency
witnesses during congressional hearings.
As shown in Table 6, the FY2020 Small Business Procurement Scorecard indicates that federal
agencies met the federal procurement goal for small businesses generally, small disadvantaged
businesses, and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses in FY2020 (see the second and
third columns).

127 SBA, “FY2019 Goaling Guidelines,” p. 4.
128 SBA, Office of Policy, Planning and Liaison, Office of Government Contracting and Business Development, “FY
2019 Goaling Guidelines,” August 2018, p. 6, at https://www.sba.gov/document/report—sba-goaling-guidelines.
129 15 U.S.C. §644(g)(1)-(2).
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Table 6 also provides, for comparative purposes, the percentage of small business eligible
contracts awarded to small businesses in FY2020 without the required double counting of awards
in a disaster area and to Puerto Rico and other covered territories (see the fourth column), and the
percentage of all federal contracts (without exclusions and without double counting) awarded to
small businesses (see the fifth column).
Table 6. Federal Contracting Goals and Percentage of FY2020 Federal Contract
Dollars Awarded to Small Businesses, by Type
Percentage of
Percentage of
Percentage of
Federal
Federal
Federal
Contracts (all
Contracts (small
Contracts (small
reported
business eligible,
business eligible,
contracts,
including double
excluding double
excluding double
Business Type
Federal Goal
counting)
counting)
counting)
Small Businesses
23.0%
26.02%
25.42%
21.89%
Small Disadvantaged
5.0%
10.54%
10.39%
9.08%
Businesses
Women-Owned Small
5.0%
4.85%
4.71%
4.10%
Businesses
HUBZone Small
3.0%
2.44%
2.39%
2.04%
Businesses
Service-Disabled
3.0%
4.28%
4.23%
3.92%
Veteran-Owned Small
Businesses
Sources: U.S. Small Business Administration, “Statutory Guidelines,” at https://www.sba.gov/content/statutory-
guidelines-0 (federal goals); U.S. Small Business Administration, “Government-Wide Performance, FY2020 Small
Business Procurement Scorecard,” at https://www.sba.gov/document/support-small-business-procurement-
scorecard-overview; and data generated using General Service Administration, “Sam.Gov data bank,” July 31,
2021, at https://sam.gov/reports/awards/adhoc (all reported contract dollars).
Notes: In accordance with federal law, the Small Business Administration provided double credit, for scorecard
purposes only, for prime contracts awarded in disaster areas that are awarded as a local set aside and a small
business or other socioeconomic set aside when the vendor state is the same as the place of performance (see
15 U.S.C. §644(f)) and for prime contracts awarded to businesses in Puerto Rico and covered territories (see 15
U.S.C. §644(x)(1)). The Small Business Administration also included Department of Energy first-tier subcontract
awards as required by P.L. 113-76, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (§318).
The FY2020 Small Business Procurement Scorecard was made available on July 30, 2021, and reflects contracting
data as of February 22, 2021. Small business eligible contracts totaled $559.981 billion in FY2020 and $145.8
billion was awarded to small businesses ($142.4 without double counting), $59.0 billion to small disadvantaged
businesses ($58.2 billion without double counting), $27.1 billion to women-owned small businesses ($26.4 billion
without double counting), $13.6 billion to SBA-certified HUBZone small businesses ($13.4 billion without double
counting), and $23.9 billion to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses ($23.7 billion without double
counting). The Department of Energy first-tier subcontract awards in FY2020 were: $3.36 billion to small
businesses, $0.81 billion to small disadvantaged businesses, $0.76 billion to small women-owned businesses,
$0.24 billion to SBA-certified HUBZone small businesses, and $0.23 billion to service-disabled veteran-owned
small businesses.
The percentages provided in the column for all reported contracts in FY2020 were calculated using contracting
data as reported on July 31, 2021 (without double counting): $665.7 billion in total contracts; $145.8 billion to
small businesses, $60.5 billion to small disadvantaged businesses, $27.3 billion to women-owned small businesses,
$13.6 billion to SBA-certified HUBZone small businesses, and $26.1 billion to service-disabled veteran-owned
small businesses.
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Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
Government agencies with procurement authority have an Office of Small and Disadvantaged
Business Utilization (OSDBU) to advocate within the agency for small businesses, as well as
assist small businesses in their dealings with federal agencies (e.g., obtaining payment).
Office of Inspector General130
The Office of Inspector General’s (OIG’s) mission is “to provide independent, objective
oversight to improve the integrity, accountability, and performance of SBA and its programs for
the benefit of the American people.”131 The office was created within the SBA by the Inspector
General Act of 1978 [P.L. 95-452], as amended. The Inspector General, who is nominated by the
President and confirmed by the Senate, directs the office. The Inspector General Act provides the
OIG with the following responsibilities:
 “promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the management of SBA
programs and supporting operations;
 conduct and supervise audits, investigations, and reviews relating to the SBA’s
programs and support operations;
 detect and prevent fraud, waste and abuse;
 review existing and proposed legislation and regulations and make appropriate
recommendations;
 maintain effective working relationships with other Federal, State and local
governmental agencies, and nongovernmental entities, regarding the mandated
duties of the Inspector General;
 keep the SBA Administrator and Congress informed of serious problems and
recommend corrective actions and implementation measures;
 comply with the audit standards of the Comptroller General;
 avoid duplication of Government Accountability Office (GAO) activities; and
 report violations of law to the Attorney General.”132
Capital Investment Programs
The SBA has several programs to improve small business access to capital markets, including the
Small Business Investment Company program, two special high technology contracting programs
(the Small Business Innovative Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs),
and the growth accelerators initiative.

130 For additional information and analysis, see CRS Report R44589, SBA’s Office of Inspector General: Overview,
Impact, and Relationship with Congress
, by Robert Jay Dilger.
131 SBA, Office of the Inspector General, “Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2017-2021,” pp. 3, 4, at https://www.sba.gov/
document/report—office-inspector-general-strategic-plan.
132 SBA, “Office of the Inspector General Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2017-2021,” p. 4.
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The Small Business Investment Company Program133
The Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program enhances small business access to
venture capital by stimulating and supplementing “the flow of private equity capital and long-
term loan funds which small-business concerns need for the sound financing of their business
operations and for their growth, expansion, and modernization, and which are not available in
adequate supply.”134
The SBA works with 298 privately owned and managed SBICs licensed by the SBA to provide
financing to small businesses with private capital the SBIC has raised and with funds the SBIC
borrows at favorable rates because the SBA guarantees the debenture (loan obligation).
SBICs provide equity capital to small businesses in various ways, including by
 purchasing small business equity securities (e.g., stock, stock options, warrants,
limited partnership interests, membership interests in a limited liability company,
or joint venture interests);135
 making loans to small businesses, either independently or in cooperation with
other private or public lenders, that have a maturity of no more than 20 years;136
 purchasing debt securities from small businesses, which may be convertible into,
or have rights to purchase, equity in the small business;137 and
 subject to limitations, providing small businesses a guarantee of their monetary
obligations to creditors not associated with the SBIC.138
The SBIC program currently has invested or committed about $34.7 billion in small businesses,
with the SBA’s share of capital at risk about $15.2 billion.139 In FY2021, the SBA provided
SBICs $2.4 billion in leverage and SBICs invested nearly $4.7 billion from private capital for a
total of $7.1 billion in financing for 1,080 small businesses.140
Table 7. Summary of Small Business Investment Company Program’s Key Features
Key Feature
Program Summary
Use of Proceeds
To purchase small business equity securities, make loans to small businesses,
purchase debt securities from small businesses, and provide, subject to limitations,
small businesses a guarantee of their monetary obligations to creditors not
associated with the SBIC.

133 For further information and analysis, see CRS Report R41456, SBA Small Business Investment Company Program,
by Robert Jay Dilger.
134 15 U.S.C. §661.
135 13 C.F.R. §107.800. The SBIC is not allowed to become a general partner in any unincorporated business or become
jointly or severally liable for any obligations of an unincorporated business.
136 13 C.F.R. §107.810 and 13 C.F.R. §107.840.
137 13 C.F.R. §107.815. Debt securities are instruments evidencing a loan with an option or any other right to acquire
equity securities in a small business or its affiliates, or a loan which by its terms is convertible into an equity position,
or a loan with a right to receive royalties that are excluded from the cost of money.
138 13 C.F.R. §107.820.
139 SBA, “Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) Program Overview Report as of December 31, 2021,” at
https://www.sba.gov/document/report-small-business-investment-company-sbic-program-overview-report-quarter-
ending-december-31-2021(hereinafter cited as SBA, “SBIC Program Overview December 31, 2021”).
140 SBA, “SBIC Program Overview December 31, 2021.”
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Key Feature
Program Summary
Maximum Leverage Amount
A licensed SBIC in good standing with a demonstrated need for funds may apply to
the SBA for financial assistance (called leverage) of up to 300% of its private
capital. However, most SBICs are approved for a maximum of 200% of their
private capital, and no fund management team may exceed the allowable maximum
amount of leverage, currently $175 million per SBIC and $350 million for two or
more licenses under common control.
Maturity
SBA-guaranteed debenture participation certificates can have a term of up to 15
years, although currently only one outstanding SBA-guaranteed debenture
participation certificate has a term exceeding 10 years and all recent public
offerings have specified a term of 10 years. SBA-guaranteed debentures provide
for semiannual interest payments and a lump sum principal payment to investors at
maturity. SBICs are allowed to prepay SBA-guaranteed debentures without
penalty. However, a SBA-guaranteed debenture must be prepaid in whole and not
in part and can only be prepaid on a semiannual payment date. Also, low-to-
moderate income area (LMI) debentures are available in two maturities, for 5
years and 10 years (plus the stub period).
Maximum Interest Rates
The debenture’s coupon (interest) rate is determined by market conditions and
the interest rate of 10-year Treasury securities at the time of the sale.
Guaranty Fees
The SBA requires the SBIC to pay a 3% origination fee for each debenture issued
(1% at commitment and 2% at draw), an annual fee on the leverage drawn, which
is fixed at the time of the leverage commitment, and other administrative and
underwriting fees, which are adjusted annually.
Job Creation Requirements
No job creation requirements.
Source: Table compiled by CRS from data from the SBA.
Small Business Innovation Research Program141
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is designed to increase the participation
of small, high technology firms in federal research and development (R&D) endeavors, provide
additional opportunities for the involvement of minority and disadvantaged individuals in the
R&D process, and result in the expanded commercialization of the results of federally funded
R&D.142 Current law requires that every federal department with an R&D budget of $100 million
or more establish and operate a SBIR program. Currently, 11 federal agencies participate in the
SBIR program. A set percentage of that agency’s applicable extramural R&D budget—originally
set at not less than 0.2% in FY1983 and currently not less than 3.2%—is to be used to support
mission-related work in small businesses.143
Agency SBIR efforts involve a three-phase process. Phase I awards, normally up to $150,000, for
six months are made to evaluate a concept’s scientific or technical merit and feasibility. The
project must be of interest to and coincide with the mission of the supporting organization. Phase
I awards are capped at $259,613, but higher amounts may be awarded with SBA approval.

141 For further information and analysis of the SBIR program, see CRS Report R43695, Small Business Research
Programs: SBIR and STTR
, by Marcy E. Gallo.
142 See P.L. 97-219, the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982 and 15 U.S.C. §638.
143 The percentage of each designated agency’s applicable extramural research and development budget to be used to
support mission-related work in small businesses was scheduled to increase to not less than 2.7% in FY2013, not less
than 2.8% in FY2014, not less than 2.9% in FY2015, not less than 3.0% in FY2016, and not less than 3.2% in FY2017
and each fiscal year thereafter. See P.L. 112-81, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 and
SBA, “Small Business Innovation Research Program Policy Directive,” 77 Federal Register 46806-46855.
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Projects that demonstrate potential after the initial endeavor may compete for Phase II awards
lasting one to two years.144 Phase II awards, normally up to $1 million, are for the performance of
the principal R&D by the small business. Phase II awards are capped at $1.73 million, but higher
amounts may be awarded with SBA approval. Phase III funding, directed at the
commercialization of the product or process, is expected to be generated in the private sector.
Federal dollars may be used if the government perceives that the final technology or technique
will meet public needs.
Eight departments and three other federal agencies currently have SBIR programs, including the
Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human
Services, Homeland Security, and Transportation; the Environmental Protection Agency; the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); and the National Science Foundation
(NSF).145 Each agency’s SBIR activity reflects that organization’s management style. Individual
departments select R&D interests, administer program operations, and control financial support.
Funding can be disbursed in the form of contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements. Separate
agency solicitations are issued at established times.
The SBA is responsible for establishing the broad policy and guidelines under which individual
departments operate their SBIR programs. The SBA monitors and reports to Congress on the
conduct of the separate departmental activities.
Small Business Technology Transfer Program
The Small Business Technology Transfer program (STTR) provides funding for research
proposals that are developed and executed cooperatively between a small firm and a scientist in a
nonprofit research organization and meet the mission requirements of the federal funding
agency.146 Phase I financing, normally up to $150,000, is available for approximately one year to
fund the exploration of the scientific, technical, and commercial feasibility of an idea or
technology. Phase 1 financing is capped at $259,613, but higher amounts may be awarded with
SBA approval. Phase II awards, normally up to $1 million, may be made for two years, during
which time the developer performs R&D work and begins to consider commercial potential.
Phase II awards are capped at $1.73 million, but higher amounts may be awarded with SBA
approval.147 Only Phase I award winners are considered for Phase II. Phase III funding, directed
at the commercialization of the product or process, is expected to be generated in the private
sector. The small business must find funding in the private sector or other non-STTR federal
agency.
The STTR program is funded by a set-aside, initially set at not less than 0.05% in FY1994 and
now at not less than 0.45%, of the extramural R&D budget of departments that spend more than
$1 billion per year on this effort.148 The Departments of Energy, Defense, and Health and Human
Services participate in the STTR program, as do NASA and NSF.

144 SBA, “About SBIR: Award Funding Amounts,” at https://www.sbir.gov/about. Agencies may exceed these award
amounts with SBA approval prior to the release of the solicitation, award, or modification to the award.
145 See SBA, “About SBIR: SBIR Participating Agencies,” at https://www.sbir.gov/about/about-sbir.
146 See P.L. 102-564, the Small Business Research and Development Enhancement Act of 1992 and 15 U.S.C. §638.
147 SBA, “About SBIR: Award Funding Amounts,” at https://www.sbir.gov/about.
148 The STTR program’s set-aside was not less than 0.4% in FY2015, and was increased to 0.45% in FY2016 and each
fiscal year thereafter. See P.L. 112-81, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 and SBA, “Small
Business Technology Transfer Program Policy Directive,” 77 Federal Register 46855-46908.
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The SBA is responsible for establishing the broad policy and guidelines under which individual
departments operate their STTR programs. The SBA monitors and reports to Congress on the
conduct of the separate departmental activities.
Growth Accelerators Initiative
The SBA describes growth accelerators as “organizations that help entrepreneurs start and scale
their businesses.”149 Growth accelerators are typically run by experienced entrepreneurs and help
small businesses access seed capital and mentors. The SBA claims that growth accelerators “help
accelerate a startup company’s path towards success with targeted advice on revenue growth, job,
and sourcing outside funding.”150
The SBA’s growth accelerator initiative began in FY2014 when Congress recommended in its
appropriations report that the initiative be provided $2.5 million. Congress subsequently
recommended that it receive $4 million in FY2015; $1 million in FY2016, FY2017, and FY2018;
$2 million in FY2019, FY2020, and FY2021, and $3 million in FY2022.
The growth accelerators initiative provides $50,000 matching grants each year to universities and
private-sector accelerators to support the development of accelerators and their support of startups
in parts of the country where there are fewer conventional sources of access to capital (i.e.,
venture capital and other investors).
The SBA has awarded 387 $50,000 growth accelerator awards to date: 50 in 2014, 88 in 2015, 85
in 2016, 20 in 2017, 60 in 2019, and 84 in 2021, for a total of $19.35 million.151
The SBA did not issue a competitive announcement for growth accelerator awards in FY2018 and
FY2020.
Regional and District Offices
As mentioned, the SBA provides funding to third parties, such as SBDCs, to provide management
and training services to small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. The SBA also provides
management, training, and outreach services to small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs
through its 68 district offices. These offices are overseen by the SBA Office of Field Operations
and 10 regional offices.
SBA district office field staff conducted nearly 30,000 outreach and marketing events in FY2021
involving more than 838,000 stakeholders and resource partners.152 SBA Lender Relation
Specialists (LRS) continued “to recruit and retain lenders to support its business loan
programs.”153 SBA Business Opportunity Specialists provided “support to small businesses
seeking government contracting certifications and providing technical assistance to those

149 SBA, FY2018 Congressional Budget Justification and FY2016 Annual Performance Report, p. 75, at
https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/aboutsbaarticle/FINAL_SBA_FY_2018_CBJ_May_22_2017c.pdf.
150 SBA, FY2018 Congressional Budget Justification and FY2016 Annual Performance Report, p. 75.
151 SBA, SBIR STTR America’s Seed Fund, “Accelerators: 2021 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition and SBIR
Catalyst Competition Results,” at https://www.sbir.gov/accelerators; and SBA, Office of Congressional and Legislative
Affairs, “Correspondence with the author,” June 25, 2021.
152 SBA, FY2023 Congressional Budget Justification FY2021 Annual Performance Report, pp. 95-96.
153 SBA, FY2023 Congressional Budget Justification FY2021 Annual Performance Report, p. 95.
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businesses.”154 Economic Development Specialists provided “outreach to small businesses
seeking training and counseling assistance and liaising with SBA resource partners to ensure that
they meet SBA standards.”155 Outreach and Marking Specialists and Public Affairs Specialists
continued “to promote programs and help connect entrepreneurs.”156
Restaurant Revitalization Fund157
The $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund Program (RRF) was authorized by P.L. 117-2,
the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The RRF provides grants of up to $5 million per
permanent physical business location (not to exceed $10 million per applicant and any affiliated
businesses) to restaurants and other similar places of business “in which the public or patrons
assemble for the primary purpose of being served food or drink” and which have experienced
COVID-19-related revenue loss. Unlike most other SBA programs, there is no limit on the
number of employees for businesses to qualify for a RRF grant.
To qualify for the RRF, for-profit businesses (together with their affiliated businesses) may not
have owned or operated more than 20 locations as of March 13, 2020, regardless of whether those
locations do business under the same or multiple names.
RRF grants are designed to assist applicants in remaining open or reopening. Permanently closed
businesses are not eligible and temporarily closed businesses must reopen soon, with eligible
expenses incurred by March 11, 2021, at the latest.
RRF grants are equal to the amount of COVID-19-related revenue loss (up to the program’s
limits) the applicant experienced, as determined by formulas. These formulas vary, in part, based
on the date an eligible entity began operations (e.g., the date the entity started sales). For
example, entities that began operations on or before January 1, 2019, may receive the difference
between their gross receipts as reported on their 2019 and 2020 federal income tax returns,
excluding any amounts received from a list of specified sources (this includes the SBA’s PPP,
Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program, EIDL Advance Payment Program, Targeted
EIDL Program, and SBA debt relief payments). If the applicant received a PPP loan or EIDL,
those amounts will be subtracted from the RRF grant amount.
The SBA is required to set aside $5 billion for applicants with 2019 gross receipts of not more
than $500,000 and to distribute the remaining $23.6 billion in an equitable manner to applicants
of different sizes based on annual gross receipts. To meet this latter directive, the SBA set aside
an additional $4 billion for applicants with 2019 gross receipts from $500,001 to $1.5 million and
an additional $500 million for applicants with 2019 gross receipts of not more than $50,000 “to
ensure that the smallest businesses and those in underserved communities receive funding.”158
The SBA began accepting RRF applications on May 3, 2021, and announced on May 12, 2021,
that it had received requests for more than $65 billion in funds. Because the demand from
applicants exceeded the RRF’s budgetary authority, the SBA closed the application portal on May

154 SBA, FY2023 Congressional Budget Justification FY2021 Annual Performance Report, p. 95.
155 SBA, FY2023 Congressional Budget Justification FY2021 Annual Performance Report, p. 95.
156 SBA, FY2023 Congressional Budget Justification FY2021 Annual Performance Report, p. 95.
157 For further information and analysis of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, see CRS In Focus IF11819, SBA
Restaurant Revitalization Fund Grants
, by Robert Jay Dilger.
158 SBA, “Restaurant Revitalization Funding Program: Program Guide as of April 28, 2021,” p. 15, at
https://www.sba.gov/document/support-restaurant-revitalization-funding-program-guide.
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12, 2021, to most applicants. Applications continued to be accepted until May 24 from applicants
with revenue up to $50,000 because the budget authority set aside for those applicants had not yet
been exhausted.159
The RRF program received more than 278,000 eligible applications requesting over $72.2 billion
in funding.160 Underserved populations received about $18 billion of the $28.6 billion available
($7.5 billion to women-owned businesses, $6.7 billion to socially and economically
disadvantaged businesses, $2.8 billion to businesses owned by representatives of multiple
underserved populations, and $1 billion to veteran-owned businesses).161
Office of Advocacy162
The SBA’s Office of Advocacy is “an independent voice for small business within the federal
government.”163 The Chief Counsel for Advocacy, who is nominated by the President and
confirmed by the Senate, directs the office. The Office of Advocacy’s mission is to “encourage
policies that support the development and growth of American small businesses” by
 intervening early in federal agencies’ regulatory development process on
proposals that affect small businesses and providing Regulatory Flexibility Act
compliance training to federal agency policymakers and regulatory development
officials;
 producing research to inform policymakers and other stakeholders on the impact
of federal regulatory burdens on small businesses, to document the vital role of
small businesses in the economy, and to explore and explain the wide variety of
issues of concern to the small business community; and
 fostering a two-way communication between federal agencies and the small
business community.164
Executive Direction Programs
The SBA’s executive direction programs consist of the National Women’s Business Council, the
Office of Ombudsman, and Faith-Based Initiatives.
The National Women’s Business Council
The National Women’s Business Council is a bipartisan federal advisory council created to serve
as an independent source of advice and counsel to the President, Congress, and the SBA on

159 SBA, “Recovery for the Smallest Restaurants and Bars: Administrator Guzman Announces Latest Application Data
Results for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund,” May 12, 2021, at https://www.sba.gov/article/2021/may/12/recovery-
smallest-restaurants-bars-administrator-guzman-announces-latest-application-data-results.
160 SBA, “SBA Administrator Announces Closure of Restaurant Revitalization Fund Program,” July 2, 2021, at
https://www.sba.gov/article/2021/jul/02/sba-administrator-announces-closure-restaurant-revitalization-fund-program.
161 SBA, “SBA Administrator Announces Closure of Restaurant Revitalization Fund Program,” July 2, 2021.
162 For further information and analysis of the Office of Advocacy, see CRS Report R43625, SBA Office of Advocacy:
Overview, History, and Current Issues
, by Robert Jay Dilger.
163 SBA, “Office of Advocacy: About Us,” at https://www.sba.gov/category/advocacy-navigation-structure/about-us-0.
164 SBA, Office of Advocacy, FY2013 Congressional Budget Justification, p. 2, at https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/
files/files/1-508%20Compliant%20FY%202013%20CBJ%20FY%202011%20APR%281%29.pdf.
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economic issues of importance to women business owners. The council’s mission “is to promote
bold initiatives, policies, and programs designed to support women’s business enterprises at all
stages of development in the public and private sector marketplaces—from start-up to success to
significance.”165
Office of Ombudsman166
The National Ombudsman’s mission “is to assist small businesses when they experience
excessive or unfair federal regulatory enforcement actions, such as repetitive audits or
investigations, excessive fines, penalties, threats, retaliation or other unfair enforcement action by
a federal agency.”167 The Office of Ombudsman works with federal agencies that have regulatory
authority over small businesses to provide a means for entrepreneurs to comment about
enforcement activities and encourage agencies to address those concerns promptly. It also
receives comments from small businesses about unfair federal compliance or enforcement
activities and refers those comments to the Inspector General of the affected agency in
appropriate circumstances. In addition, the National Ombudsman files an annual report with
Congress and affected federal agencies that rates federal agencies based on substantiated
comments received from small business owners. Affected agencies are provided an opportunity to
comment on the draft version of the annual report to Congress before it is submitted.168
Faith-Based Initiatives
The SBA sponsors several faith-based initiatives For example, the SBA, in cooperation with the
National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders (NAGGL), created the Business Smart
Toolkit, “a ready-to-use workshop toolkit that equips faith-based and community organizations to
help new and aspiring entrepreneurs launch and build businesses that are credit ready.”169
Recent Legislative Activity
During the 116th Congress
 P.L. 116-6, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019, among other provisions,
provided the SBA $715.37 million in FY2019 and increased the 7(a) program’s
authorization limit from $29.0 billion to $30.0 billion.
 P.L. 116-93, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, among other provisions,
provided the SBA $998.46 million in FY2020, including $99 million for 7(a)
program loan credit subsidies.
 P.L. 116-123, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental
Appropriations Act, 2020, provided EIDL eligibility to small businesses
adversely affected by the coronavirus and appropriated $20 million to the SBA
for disaster loan assistance administrative costs.

165 The National Women’s Business Council, “About the Council,” Washington, DC, at https://www.nwbc.gov/about/.
166 For further information and analysis, see CRS Report R45071, SBA Office of the National Ombudsman: Overview,
History, and Current Issues
, by Robert Jay Dilger.
167 SBA, “Office of the National Ombudsman,” at https://www.sba.gov/ombudsman.
168 SBA, “National Ombudsman’s Fiscal Year Reports to Congress,” at https://www.sba.gov/ombudsman/national-
ombudsmans-fiscal-year-reports-congress.
169 SBA, “SBA and NAGGL Launch Business Smart Toolkit,” September 4, 2015, at https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/
sba-newsroom/press-releases-media-advisories/sba-and-naggl-launch-business-smart-toolkit.
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 P.L. 116-136, the CARES Act, appropriated $377.527 billion for SBA program
enhancements, including $349 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program
(PPP), $17 billion for six months of 7(a), 504/CDC, and Microloan loan
payments, $10 billion for Emergency Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)
grants, $675 million for salaries and expenses, $562 million for disaster
assistance, $265 million for entrepreneurial development programs, and $25
million for the SBA Office of Inspector General.
 P.L. 116-139, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement
Act, among other provisions, increased the PPP authorization limit to $659
billion and appropriated an additional $383.435 billion for SBA program
enhancements, including $321.335 billion for the PPP, $50 billion for EIDL, $10
billion for Emergency EIDL grants, and $2.1 billion for SBA salaries and
expenses.
 P.L. 116-142, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act, among other
provisions, extended the PPP loan forgiveness covered period from 8 weeks after
the loan’s origination date to the earlier of 24 weeks or December 31, 2020.
Current PPP borrowers may elect to remain under the 8-week covered period.
The act also provided a minimum five-year maturity for all PPP loans made on or
after enactment (June 5, 2020).
 P.L. 116-147, to extend the authority for commitments for the paycheck
protection program, extended the PPP covered loan period from June 30, 2020, to
August 8, 2020, and authorized $659 billion for PPP loan commitments and $30
billion for 7(a) loan commitments.
 P.L. 116-260, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, among other
provisions, extends the PPP through March 31, 2021, increases the program’s
authorization amount from $659 billion to $806.45 billion, and allows second-
draw PPP loans of up to $2 million. The act also appropriated $324.975 billion
for SBA program enhancements, including $284.45 billion for the PPP, $20
billion for the Targeted Economic Injury Disaster Loan Advance payment
program, $15 billion for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program, $3.5
billion for SBA debt relief payments, $1.918 billion for the business loans
program account, $57 million for the Microloan program ($50 million for
technical assistance grants and $7 million for loan credit subsidies), and $50
million for salaries the expenses.
During the 117th Congress
 P.L. 117-2, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, appropriated $53.6 billion for
SBA program enhancements, including $28.6 billion for a Restaurant
Revitalization grant program to provide grants of up to $10 million per entity (up
to $5 million per physical location, limited to 20 locations) to restaurants and
other food and beverage-related establishments that have experienced COVID-
19-related revenue loss; $10 billion for the Targeted Economic Injury Disaster
Loan Advance payment program; $5 billion for the Targeted Economic Injury
Disaster Loan Advance supplemental payment program; $7.25 billion for the
PPP; $1.25 billion for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program; $840
million for administrative costs to prevent, prepare and respond to the COVID-19
pandemic, including expenses related to PPP, Shuttered Venue Operators Grants
(SVOG), and grants to restaurants; $460 million for the disaster loan program
($70 million for credit subsidies and $390 million for administrative costs); $100
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million for a community navigator pilot grant program to improve small business
access to COVID-19-related assistance programs; $75 million for outreach,
education, and improving the SBA website; and $25 million for SBA’s Office of
Inspector General for oversight.170
 P.L. 117-6, the PPP Extension Act of 2021, extended the acceptance of PPP
applications through May 31, 2021, and authorized the SBA to process any
pending applications submitted on or before that date through June 30, 2021.
 P.L. 117-43, the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency
Assistance Act, provides continuing FY2022 appropriations for federal agencies,
including the SBA, through December 3, 2021. The SBA was authorized to
appropriate available funds up to the rate necessary to accommodate increased
demand for commitments for several SBA programs, including 7(a) and
504/CDC business loans.171 The act also appropriated $1.189 billion for SBA
disaster loans, including $620 million for disaster loan administrative expenses.
 After a series of continuing appropriations acts, P.L. 117-103, the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2022, appropriated over $1.03 billion for the SBA in
FY2022.
Appropriations172
The SBA’s FY2022 appropriations, totaling more than $2.219 billion, include over $1.03 billion
in regular appropriations and $1.189 billion in supplemental appropriations—to remain until
expended—for SBA disaster loan assistance.
As shown in Table 8, the SBA’s FY2022 appropriation includes
 $278.378 million for salaries and expenses,
 $290.150 million for entrepreneurial development and noncredit programs,
 $163.000 million for business loan administration,
 $6.000 million for business loan credit subsidies for the Microloan program,
 $22.671 million for Office of Inspector General,
 $9.466 million for the Office of Advocacy,
 $178.000 million for disaster assistance, and
 $1.189 billion in supplemental appropriations for disaster loan assistance.173

170 U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Small Business, “Committee Approves $50 Billion in Small Business
Aid for COVID Relief Package,” February 10, 2021, at https://smallbusiness.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?
DocumentID=3559.
171 P.L. 117-43 §128 provided that amounts made available by Section 101 for “Small Business Administration—
Business Loans Program Account” may be apportioned up to the rate for operations necessary to accommodate
increased demand for commitments for general business loans authorized under paragraphs (1) through (35) of Section
7(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. §636(a)), for guarantees of trust certificates authorized by Section 5(g) of the
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. §634(g)), for commitments to guarantee loans under Section 503 of the Small Business
Investment Act of 1958 (15 U.S.C. §697), and for commitments to guarantee loans for debentures under Section 303(b)
of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 (15 U.S.C. §683(b)).
172 For further information concerning SBA appropriations, see CRS Report R43846, Small Business Administration
(SBA) Funding: Overview and Recent Trends
, by Robert Jay Dilger.
173 P.L. 117-43, the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (disaster loan
assistance supplemental); and P.L. 117-103, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022.
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Small Business Administration: A Primer on Programs and Funding

Table 8. SBA Appropriations, FY2021-FY2022
($ in millions)
Program
FY2021 with
FY2022 with
Account
FY2021 Regular
Supplementals
FY2022 Regular
Supplementals
Salaries and
$270.157
$1,160.157
$278.378
$278.378
Expenses
Entrepreneurial
$272.000
$45,347.000
$290.150
$290.150
Development
Business Loan
$160.300
$160.300
$163.000
$163.000
Administration
Business Loan
$20.000
$297,145.000
$6.000
$6.000
Credit Subsidy
Office of Inspector
$22.011
$47.011
$22.671
$22.671
General
Office of Advocacy
$9.190
$9.190
$9.466
$9.466
Disaster Assistance
$168.075
$35,628.075
$178.000
$1,367.100
Initiatives
NA
NA
$83.022
$83.022
Total
$921.733
$379,496.733
$1,030.687
$2,219.787
Sources: P.L. 116-260, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021; P.L. 117-2, the American Rescue Plan Act of
2021; P.L. 117-43, the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (FY2022
disaster loan assistance supplemental); and P.L. 117-103, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022.
Note: The sum of the amounts appropriated for each of the program accounts may not equal the total amount
appropriated for that fiscal year due to rounding.

Author Information

Robert Jay Dilger
Anthony A. Cilluffo
Senior Specialist in American National Government Analyst in Public Finance


R. Corinne Blackford

Analyst in Small Business and Economic
Development Policy


Key Policy Staff
Area of Expertise
Name
Small Business Administration
Robert Jay Dilger
R. Corinne Blackford
Anthony A. Cilluffo
Small Business Administration: Disaster Assistance
Bruce R. Lindsay
R. Corinne Blackford
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43

Small Business Administration: A Primer on Programs and Funding

Small Business Credit Markets
Darryl E. Getter
David W. Perkins
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small
Marcy E. Gallo
Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs

Small Business Legal Issues
David Carpenter
Small Business Manufacturing and Technology
John F. Sargent
Small Business Statistics
Robert Jay Dilger
Jared C. Nagel
Small Business Tax Policy
Gary Guenther
Anthony A. Cilluffo
Small Business Assistance Resources
Maria Kreiser
State Small Business Credit Initiative
Grant A. Driessen
Minority Business Development Agency
Julie M. Lawhorn


Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not
subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in
its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or
material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to
copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

Congressional Research Service
RL33243 · VERSION 136 · UPDATED
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