SBA loans
SBA loans to buy, build, or grow your business.
Government-guaranteed loans that can make long-term financing more accessible.
An educational map, not a prequalification, rate quote, or promise of approval.
Interactive SBA program map
Find the program behind the purpose.
Select the business move first. The board distinguishes 7(a), 504, Microloans, and direct SBA disaster assistance before you enter the detailed program desks.
Route desk
Begin with the business move.
Select a purpose. The route changes in the diagram above and the brief below. It is a starting territory, never an approval result.
Suggested territory / 7(a)
Start in Standard 7(a)
A complete or partial ownership change can be an eligible 7(a) use. The lender still underwrites the transaction, valuation, buyer contribution, experience, and repayment case.
What happens next
A lender, CDC, intermediary, or SBA—depending on the route—must still establish eligibility, underwriting, documents, and final terms.
Program ledger
Three families. Different machinery.
Compare delivery, use, amount, and term in one view. Select a row to open its working brief.
Working brief / 7(a)
The flexible SBA family for operating and growth needs.
SBA’s primary business-loan program can support working capital, equipment, real estate, debt refinance, supplies, and complete or partial ownership changes.
The lender—not SBA—makes and services the loan. Specialized 7(a) paths have different limits and monitoring rules.
Acquire a business or complete a partner buyout
Expand, hire, or fund long-term working capital
Refinance eligible business debt
Purchase or improve owner-used business real estate
Purchase machinery, equipment, or vehicles
7(a) decision desk
Nine routes, without nine giant cards.
Filter the register, then select a line. The dossier updates in place; the rest of the program field stays compact and comparable.
Selected dossier / General
Standard 7(a)
Up to $5M
- Facility
- Term loan or eligible structure
- Maximum guaranty
- Generally 85% at $150K or less; 75% above
- Best fit
- Broad growth, acquisition, refinance, equipment, or real-estate needs.
- Constraint
- Full lender underwriting and SBA requirements apply.
CAPLines / cash-cycle instrument
Select the cycle the facility is built to carry.
Seasonal increases in receivables, inventory, and in some cases associated labor.
Capital diagrams
Move the numbers. Watch the structure change.
These diagrams explain program mechanics; they do not estimate approval, APR, payment, or an offer.
7(a) guaranty exposure
The lender funds the loan. The guaranty covers an eligible portion.
$375,000
$125,000
Standard 7(a) illustration only. Express and specialized export programs have different guaranty rules. A cap is not the borrower’s rate or APR.
Common 504 project structure
One project, assembled from three sources.
Illustrative common structure, not a quote. Startup, special-purpose, or other project conditions can require a larger contribution. 504 cannot fund working capital or inventory.
File readiness
Underwriting is a story with receipts.
Mark what is already organized. This is a preparation view—not an eligibility score.
File assembly
1 / 6
A provider may request more, less, or different documentation based on the program and transaction.
Separate channel
Disaster assistance goes directly through SBA.
Eligibility depends on a declared disaster, location, loss or economic injury, insurance, deadlines, and program rules.
Plain-language notes
The distinctions that prevent expensive mistakes.
Program limits and policies change. The official SBA source and the provider handling the transaction control.
01Does SBA give the borrower the money?+
Usually, no. A participating lender makes a 7(a) loan; a 504 project combines a senior lender and a Certified Development Company; Microloans come from approved intermediaries. Eligible disaster loans are applied for directly through SBA.
02Is SBA Express an instant loan?+
No. Express refers to delegated lender processing and a lower maximum SBA guaranty. It does not promise approval or a funding date. The current maximum is $500,000.
03Can a startup qualify?+
There is no single public time-in-business minimum across every core SBA program. Providers still evaluate the plan, owner contribution, experience, credit, projections, collateral where applicable, and ability to repay.
04What can 504 not finance?+
504 is built for eligible major fixed assets. It cannot be used for working capital or inventory, speculation, or investment in rental real estate.
05Can 7(a) and 504 be combined?+
Under a policy effective July 4, 2026, eligible borrowers may combine 7(a) and 504 loans for up to $10 million in total SBA-backed financing. Each component retains its own rules and underwriting.
One profile / multiple program territories