(a) Loan amount. The total amount of B&I loans to one borrower (including the guaranteed and unguaranteed portions, the outstanding principal and interest balance of any existing B&I guaranteed loans, and the new loan request) must not exceed $10 million, except as outlined in paragraphs (a)(1) and (2) of this section. In addition to the borrower loan limit, there is a guarantor loan limit of $50 million.

(1) The Administrator may, at the Administrator's discretion, grant an exception to the $10 million limit for loans of $25 million or less under the following circumstances:

(i) The project to be financed is a high-priority project as defined in §4279.2. Priority points will be awarded in accordance with the criteria contained in §4279.166;

(ii) The lender must document to the satisfaction of the Agency that the loan will not be made and the project will not be completed if the guaranteed loan is not approved; and

(iii) The percentage of guarantee will not exceed 60 percent. No exception to this requirement will be approved under paragraph (b) of this section for loans exceeding $10 million.

(2) The Secretary, whose authority may not be redelegated, may approve guaranteed loans in excess of $25 million, at the Secretary's discretion, for rural cooperative organizations that process value-added agricultural commodities in accordance with §4279.113(j)(1).

(b) Percentage of guarantee. The percentage of guarantee, up to the maximum allowed by this section, is a matter of negotiation between the lender and the Agency. The maximum percentage of guarantee is 80 percent for loans of $5 million or less, 70 percent for loans between $5 and $10 million, and 60 percent for loans exceeding $10 million. For subsequent guaranteed loans, the maximum percentage of guarantee will be based on the cumulative amount of outstanding principal and interest of any existing B&I guaranteed loans and the new loan request. Notwithstanding the preceding, the Administrator may, at the Administrator's discretion, grant an exception allowing guarantees of up to 90 percent on loans of $5 million or less if the conditions of either paragraph (b)(1) or (b)(2) are met. Each fiscal year, the Agency will establish a limit on the maximum portion of guarantee authority available for that fiscal year that may be used to guarantee loans with an increased percentage of guarantee. The Agency will publish a notice announcing this limit in the Federal Register.

(1) The project to be financed is a high-priority project as defined in §4279.2. Priority points will be awarded in accordance with the criteria contained in §4279.166; or

(2) The lender documents, to the satisfaction of the Agency, that the loan will not be made and the project will not be completed due to the bank's legal or regulatory lending limit if the higher percentage of guarantee is not approved.