SBA provides business loan assistance only to applicants for whom the desired credit is not otherwise available on reasonable terms from non-Federal, non-State, and non-local government sources. Accordingly, SBA requires the Lender or CDC to certify or otherwise show that the desired credit is unavailable to the applicant on reasonable terms and conditions from non-Federal, non-State, and non-local government sources without SBA assistance, taking into consideration factors associated with conventional lending practices, including: The business industry of the loan applicant; whether the loan applicant has been in operation two years or less; the adequacy of collateral available to secure the loan; the loan term necessary to reasonably assure repayment of the loan from actual or projected business cash flow; and any other factor relating to the particular loan application that cannot be overcome except through obtaining a Federal loan guarantee under prudent lending standards. Submission of an application to SBA by a Lender or CDC constitutes certification by the Lender or CDC that it has examined the availability of credit to the applicant, has based its certification upon that examination, and has substantiation in its file to support the certification.

[61 FR 3235, Jan. 31, 1996, as amended at 85 FR 14780, Mar. 16, 2020]