(a) Management. A CDC must have full-time professional management, including an executive director or the equivalent (CDC manager) to manage daily operations. This requirement is met if the CDC has at least one salaried professional employee that is employed directly (not a contractor or an officer, director, 20 percent or more equity owner, or key employee of a contractor) on a full-time basis to manage the CDC. The CDC manager must be hired by the CDC's Board of Directors and subject to termination only by the Board. A CDC may obtain, under a written contract, management services provided by a qualified individual under the following circumstances:

(1) The CDC must submit a request for the D/FA (or designee) to approve, in consultation with the D/OCRM (or designee), a waiver of the requirement that the manager be employed directly by the CDC. In its request, the CDC must demonstrate that:

(i) Another non-profit entity (that is not a CDC) that has the economic development of the CDC's Area of Operations as one of its principal activities will provide management services to the CDC and, if the manager is also performing services for the non-profit entity, the manager will be available to small businesses interested in the 504 program and to 504 loan borrowers during regular business hours; or

(ii) The CDC submitting the request for the waiver is rural, has insufficient loan volume to justify having management employed directly by the CDC, and is requesting to contract with another CDC located in the same general area to provide the management.

(2) The CDC must submit a request for the D/FA (or designee), in consultation with the D/OCRM (or designee), to pre-approve the contract for management services. This contract must comply with paragraphs (c)(2) through (4) and, if applicable, paragraph (d) of this section.

(b) Professional staff. The CDC must have a full-time professional staff qualified by training and experience to market the 504 Loan Program, package and process loan applications, close loans, service, and, if authorized by SBA, liquidate the loan portfolio, and to sustain a sufficient level of service and activity in the Area of Operations.

(c) Professional services contracts. Through a written contract with qualified individuals or entities, a CDC may obtain services for marketing, packaging, processing, closing, servicing, or liquidation functions, or for other services (e.g., legal, accounting, information technology, independent loan reviews, and payroll and employee benefits), provided that:

(1) The contract must be pre-approved by the D/FA (or designee), subject to the following exceptions:

(i) CDCs may contract for legal, accounting, and information technology services without SBA approval, except for legal services in connection with loan liquidation or litigation.

(ii) CDCs may contract for independent loan review services with non-CDC entities without SBA approval. Contracts between CDCs for independent loan reviews must be pre-approved by SBA in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section.

(2) If the contract requires SBA's prior approval under paragraph (c)(1) of this section, the CDC's Board must explain to SBA why it is in the best interest of the CDC to obtain services through a contract and must demonstrate that:

(i) The compensation under the contract is paid only by the CDC obtaining the services, is reasonable and customary for similar services in the Area of Operations, and is only for actual services performed;

(ii) The full term of the contract (including options) is necessary and appropriate and the contract permits the CDC procuring the services to terminate the contract prior to its expiration date with or without cause; and

(iii) There is no actual or apparent conflict of interest or self-dealing on the part of any of the CDC's officers, management, or staff, including members of the Board and Loan Committee, in the negotiation, approval or implementation of the contract.

(3) Neither the contractor nor any officer, director, 20 percent or more equity owner, or key employee of a contractor may be a voting or non-voting member of the CDC's Board.

(4) The CDC procuring the services must provide a copy of all executed contracts requiring SBA prior approval to SBA as part of the CDC's Annual Report submitted under §120.830(a) unless the CDC certifies that it has previously submitted an identical copy of the executed contract to SBA.

(5) With respect to any contract under which the CDC's staff are deemed co-employees of both the CDC and the contractor (e.g., contracts with professional employer organizations to obtain employee benefits, such as retirement and health benefits, for the CDC's staff), the contract must provide that the CDC retains the final authority to hire and fire the CDC's employees.

(6) If the contract is between CDCs, the CDCs and the contract must also comply with paragraph (d) of this section.

(d) Professional Services Contracts between CDCs. Notwithstanding the prohibition in 13 CFR 120.820(d) against a CDC affiliating with another CDC, a CDC may obtain services through a written contract with another CDC for managing, marketing, packaging, processing, closing, servicing, independent loan review, or liquidation functions, provided that:

(1) The contract between the CDCs must be pre-approved by the D/FA (or designee), in consultation with the D/OCRM (or designee), who determines in his or her discretion that such approval is in the best interests of the 504 Loan Program and that the terms and conditions of the contract are satisfactory to SBA. For management services, a CDC may contract with another CDC only in accordance with paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of this section.

(2) Except for contracts for liquidation services and independent loan reviews:

(i) The CDCs entering into the contract must be located in the same SBA Region or, if not located in the same SBA Region, must be located in contiguous States. For purposes of this provision, the location of a CDC is the CDC's State of incorporation;

(ii) A CDC may provide assistance to only one CDC per State; and

(iii) No CDC may provide assistance to another CDC in its State of incorporation or in any State in which it has Multi-State authority.

(3) The Board of Directors for each CDC entering into the contract must be separate and independent and may not include any common directors. In addition, if either of the CDCs is for-profit, neither CDC may own any stock in the other CDC. The CDCs are also prohibited from comingling any funds.

(4) With respect to contracts for independent loan reviews, CDCs may not review each other's portfolios or exchange any other services, nor may they enter into any other arrangement with each other that could appear to bias the outcome or integrity of the independent loan review.

(5) The contract must satisfy the requirements set forth in paragraphs (c)(2) through (4) of this section.

[84 FR 66294, Dec. 4, 2019]