SBA is waiving many loan fees. But only for one industry.
The Small Business Administration is waiving most loan fees for manufacturers — the latest perk it has rolled out for that industry.
That means for 7(a) loans of up to $950,000, the up front fee will be 0%. For all 504 manufacturing loans, the upfront fee and annual service fee will each be 0%. These new, reduced fees will go into effect on Oct. 1, 2025 and run through through Sept. 30, 2026.
“98% of U.S. manufacturers are small businesses — and by reducing loan fees, the SBA is eliminating barriers to capital so they can invest those dollars back into the mission of rebuilding America’s industrial base,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler in a press release.
The waiving of some loan fees is a partial reversal of SBA’s efforts to reinstitute fees for a wide variety of its loan products. On March 27, the SBA reinstated higher fees the SBA had traditionally imposed or allowed before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Why? The program was in the red as loan fees dollars dropped and loan defaults increased. Those findings, and others, came from a detailed risk assessment by the SBA of its 7(a) portfolio through June 30, 2024, obtained by The Business Journals as part of a Freedom of Information Act request.
But the carveout for manufacturers doesn’t end at higher fees. The SBA recently rolled out the 7(a) Manufacturers’ Access to Revolving Credit (MARC) loan program to offer working capital for small businesses engaged in manufacturing that the agency said would provide “maximum flexibility and minimal red tape.”
The program takes effect Oct. 1. The MARC loan limit is $5 million, with the SBA guaranteeing 85% of loans up to $150,000 and 75% for loans above that up to the maximum.
The SBA and the Department of Labor in July announced a memorandum of understanding that would increase cross-collaboration to help support manufacturing. That means connecting the SBA’s capital and contracting tools with the Labor Department’s workforce-development infrastructure.
The agreement calls for the agencies to expand data-sharing and coordination on programs such as DOL’s Registered Apprenticeship Program and the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. The SBA likewise will offer cross-agency training on loan programs to support manufacturing, including its 7(a) and 504 loan programs.
In May, the SBA launched an online tool intended to connect U.S. manufacturers, suppliers and producers with businesses looking to source American products and services. That effort, titled the Make Onshoring Great Again portal, provides entry to three databases — from Thomasnet, IndustryNet and Connex — that offer American-company-specific lists curated in partnership by those three organizations with the SBA.
The SBA has made access to the databases free of charge for businesses as part of the agency’s larger push to boost American manufacturing.
The SBA has been active this year beyond manufacturing-specific efforts, as well.
Earlier this year, the agency announced it is overhauling its Community Advantage loan program amid what it said was a growing rate of defaults. The agency issued an immediate moratorium on approval of licenses for new lenders under the program and is rolling out a new standard operating procedure that would require lenders to add to their capital reserves to continue to lend through the program.
The SBA said the Community Advantage program generated a 7% default over the last year, more than double the standard default rate through the agency’s traditional 7(a) program. The agency also said the portfolio of loans was “disproportionately stressed” with multiple lenders generating early problem loan rates above 30%.
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Article posted on South Florida Business Journals.

