SBA programs most borrowers never hear about
The SBA runs more than 7(a) and 504. These are the delivery methods that rarely get marketed, written from the agency's own rulebook.
Everything on this page comes from SBA SOP 50 10 8.1, effective October 1, 2026, read directly rather than summarized from other coverage. These programs are not obscure because they are bad. They are obscure because a line of credit earns a lender far less than a term loan or an advance, so nobody is paying to put them in front of you.
SBA CAPLines
Four SBA lines of credit — seasonal, contract, working capital and builders.
SBA MARC loans
A revolving working-capital line restricted to manufacturing and food supply chain.
SBA Working Capital Pilot
A working-capital line priced by maturity, not by size.
SBA export loans
Two programs for businesses selling abroad, with their own SBA decision path.
SBA disaster loans
The one SBA programme that lends to you directly, damage or not.
Community Advantage
A 7(a) route through mission lenders, for borrowers banks decline.
State loan guarantees
Federal money delivered through your state. Most owners have never heard of it.
The programs the site covers elsewhere
These four sit alongside the better-known ones: SBA 7(a) for general purposes, 504 for property and heavy equipment, SBA Express for speed, and microloans for small amounts through nonprofit intermediaries.
Which SBA program fits which need
Every SBA delivery method the site covers, in one place. The right one follows from what the money is for and how long you need it.
| Need | Program | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| General purpose, acquisition, expansion | 7(a) | Term loan up to $5M, fully amortizing |
| Owner-occupied property or heavy equipment | 504 | Fixed rate for the whole term, no balloon |
| Speed, smaller amounts | SBA Express | Delegated to the lender, faster, smaller cap |
| Small amounts, young or thin-file business | Microloan | Through nonprofit intermediaries |
| Seasonal build-up | Seasonal CAPLine | Line of credit; funds the build-up, not the trough |
| A specific contract | Contract CAPLine | Line ring-fenced per contract; costs only, no profit |
| Receivables and inventory | Working Capital CAPLine | Line against current assets |
| Building for resale | Builders CAPLine | The carve-out from the rule against financing spec homes |
| Working capital, manufacturing or food supply chain | MARC | Revolving line, gated by NAICS code |
| Transaction or asset-based working capital | Working Capital Pilot | Fee priced by maturity, not size |
| Export orders | EWCP or Export Express | Revolving permitted; supports standby letters of credit |
A note on what the SBA does not do
It does not give grants to start or expand a business, whatever the advertising says, and outside disaster lending it does not lend to you directly — a lender does, with a federal guarantee behind part of the balance. See small business grants and what the SBA actually requires.