U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

The SBA describes itself as dedicated to helping small business owners and entrepreneurs pursue the American Dream. It was founded under the 1953 Small Business Act, signed into law by President Dwight Eisenhower on 30 July 1953, with a mission to "aid, counsel, assist and protect, insofar as is possible, the interests of small business concerns". The agency initially focused on helping returning veterans establish businesses across America's industrial base and later expanded to support all U.S. entrepreneurs. It is also charged with ensuring that small businesses earn a fair proportion of government contracts and sales of surplus property.

• Created in 1953 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Statutory basis: 1953 Small Business Act
• Tagline: powering American capital and entrepreneurship
• Predecessor bodies include the RFC, SWPC and SDPA

The SBA delivers its mission through four core services: expanding access to capital, providing expert counselling and training, helping small businesses compete for federal contracting opportunities, and leading disaster recovery efforts for businesses and communities. Its homepage groups public resources around loans, disaster assistance, certifications, counselling, news, reporting red tape and reporting fraud. Under Administrator Kelly Loeffler, the agency states a focus on accountability, programme performance and a crackdown on fraud.

• Capital: loans, investments, surety bonds and grants
• Counselling and training, including local SBA Resource Partners
• Federal contracting certifications and set-aside access
• Low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses
• Channels to report red tape and to report fraud, waste or mismanagement

The SBA operates three business loan programmes — 7(a), CDC/504 and Microloan — each with its own lending practices and eligibility requirements for participating lenders. The 7(a) programme is the agency's primary business loan programme, with a maximum loan amount of $5 million, usable for real estate, working capital, debt refinancing, machinery and equipment, furniture and fixtures, and changes of ownership. The 7(a) Working Capital Pilot supports asset-based and transaction-based financing for domestic and export orders. Microloans of $50,000 or less are provided through intermediary lenders, and additional funding routes include Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs) and Small Business Innovation Research.

• 7(a) loan programme — maximum $5 million
• CDC/504 loan programme, issued by Certified Development Companies
• Microloan programme — loans of $50,000 or less via intermediaries
• 7(a) Working Capital Pilot (WCP) loans
• Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs)
• Lender Match tool for connecting borrowers with participating lenders

The SBA publishes guidance for federal contracting officials on procurement, programme administration and contract administration. Each federal agency has a statutory annual goal for awarding contract dollars to particular groups of contractors, and the SBA's Office of Government Contracting and Business Development determines how those goals are set. Agencies report awards over $25,000 through the Federal Procurement Data System Next Generation, and the SBA evaluates that information and publishes goaling scorecards on individual agency performance. Agencies failing to meet a prime or subcontract goal must submit a justification and corrective action plan to the SBA.

• 23% of prime contracts for small businesses
• 5% for women-owned small businesses (prime and subcontracts)
• 5% for small disadvantaged businesses
• 3% for HUBZone small businesses
• 5% for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses

The SBA's oversight and advocacy functions include the Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA), the Office of Inspector General, the Office of the National Ombudsman and the Office of Advocacy. OHA hears NAICS code appeals, 8(a) eligibility appeals, PPP loan review appeals, and VOSB, SDVOSB, WOSB and EDWOSB protests and appeals. Filing deadlines vary by appeal type: NAICS appeals must reach OHA within 10 calendar days of the solicitation or relevant amendment, 8(a) appeals within 45 calendar days of the determination, and PPP appeals within 30 calendar days of the final SBA loan review decision. PPP appeals are filed at appeals.sba.gov, while NAICS and 8(a) appeals are accepted by email at ohafilings@sba.gov or through the Hearing and Appeals Submission Upload application.

• OHA telephone: 202-401-8200
• OHA email filings: ohafilings@sba.gov
• NAICS appeal fax: 202-205-7059
• HASU submissions must be PDF and under 100 MB

The SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to help homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes recover from declared disasters. In response to permitting delays that have stalled rebuilding in states such as California, the agency has implemented regulations allowing disaster borrowers to bypass certain state and local permitting requirements. Borrowers who applied for a local permit more than 60 days ago without receiving approval may qualify for a builder self-certification option, completed through a Disaster Loan Modification form and a Builder Certification form uploaded to the SBA Loan Portal. Loans previously cancelled may be eligible for reinstatement via a secure message through the portal.

• Eligibility: permit pending for more than 60 days
• Disaster Loan Modification (Builder Certification) signed by the borrower
• Builder Certification signed by the builder or contractor
• Forms submitted through the SBA Loan Portal

The SBA organises its presence through several office types: headquarters, disaster offices, district offices, and loan and guaranty centres. The About SBA section provides contact details for these locations alongside leadership information, forms and documents, performance reporting and details of federal advisory committees. It also hosts the agency's policies on accessibility, privacy, linking and the No FEAR Act.

• Headquarters
• Disaster Offices
• District Offices
• Loan and Guaranty Centers

The SBA marks National Small Business Week by recognising entrepreneurs, small business owners and community members from all 50 states and U.S. territories, with awards including State and Territory Small Business Persons of the Year, specialty awards and Resource Partner awards. Through Freedom 250, the agency is marking America's 250th anniversary with national initiatives running throughout 2026, including a Patriot Pitch Competition, a Small Business Pledge and a Main Street Tour. The agency also leads a task force focused on growing American-based manufacturers under its "Putting American manufacturers first" priority.

• National Small Business Week awardees across states and territories
• Freedom 250 programme for the 250th anniversary
• Patriot Pitch Competition with a $1 million prize pool
• Task force on American-based manufacturing