SBA 7(a) Eligibility Quick-Check

SBA sets no minimum credit score for 7(a); each lender sets its own. 680+ is a typical lender threshold, and some Preferred Lender Program (PLP) banks flex to 660 for otherwise strong files. FICO SBSS (a commercial credit score) used to screen 7(a) Small Loans (up to $350K under SOP 50 10 8, lowered from $500K effective June 1, 2025) — the SBA sunset its mandatory SBSS minimum (previously 165, raised from 155 effective June 2025) effective March 1, 2026, so lenders now set their own bar.

Clean files at PLP banks close in 45-60 days. Non-PLP and complex files (real estate, multi-borrower, M&A) run 75-120 days. SBA isn't the right product for emergencies — it's the right product when you have time and want the cheapest pricing available.

No. SBA sets no minimum time in business for 7(a). SOP 50 10 8 treats a business operating 1 year or less as a start-up: it is eligible, but SBA requires at least a 10% equity injection, and lenders underwrite on projections, industry experience and the business plan. Many lenders still prefer 24+ months, so a younger file is a soft fail in some PLP underwriting boxes and fewer lenders will take it. 12-24 months is worth a conversation, especially with strong relevant industry experience or an otherwise clean file (FICO 680+, profitable, adequate revenue).

No — eligibility and approvability are different bars. This calculator checks your file against typical SBA 7(a) lender thresholds (time in business, FICO, revenue, profitability); SBA itself sets no minimum credit score or time in business. Actual approval also depends on collateral, industry, ownership structure, the SBA eligibility rules (size, use of proceeds, credit elsewhere) and each PLP bank's own credit overlays. A 'likely' verdict here means the SBA conversation is worth having, not a guaranteed yes.

Yes. SOP 50 10 excludes certain business types outright — passive real estate investment/rental income (unless it's an eligible passive company structure), lending and investment businesses, gambling operations, and businesses illegal under federal law (this currently includes state-licensed cannabis businesses, even where state-legal). This calculator doesn't check industry eligibility — confirm against SOP 50 10 directly if your business falls in a gray area.

Yes. Under SBA Policy Notice 5000-876441 (effective March 1, 2026), 7(a) and 504 loans require every direct and indirect owner of the business to be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national living in the U.S. or its territories; lawful permanent residents (green card holders) no longer qualify as owners under that rule. This calculator doesn't check ownership — confirm how the notice applies to your ownership structure with an SBA lender before relying on a 'likely' verdict.