WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that it closed Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 with $100 billion in capital and related assistance delivered through its flagship programs. Despite a 43-day federal shutdown that halted SBA lending for nearly two months of the fiscal year, the agency guaranteed 62,205 7(a) and 504 loans totaling $39.5 billion - the third-highest lending volume in agency history, building on the agency’s record-setting year in FY 2025. The SBA’s Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program closed the year with a record $60 billion in combined private capital and SBA leverage. In addition, the SBA disbursed $192 million in disaster loans to help communities recover and obligated $419 million to support counseling, training, and contracting services for America’s entrepreneurs.
“President Trump’s America First agenda is driving historic growth within the small business economy, including record new business formations in 2026. In turn, small businesses are seeking more capital to hire workers, expand facilities, and supercharge growth,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “Despite a federal shutdown that halted SBA lending for nearly two months, the agency delivered its third-highest loan volume on record and closed the year with a record SBIC investment portfolio. And we did that while delivering wins for taxpayers by fighting fraud and restoring prudent lending standards, reversing the Biden Administration’s disregard for statutory requirements of the programs we steward, and their decision to ignore criminal activity in SBA programs. In contrast, the Trump Administration’s Working Family Tax Cuts, deregulation, and fair trade policies reward hard work and investment, instead of punishing those who build Main Street businesses. Through $100 billion in lending, investment capital, disaster relief, and entrepreneurial support, the SBA is delivering for America’s job creators, manufacturers, rural communities, and disaster survivors - helping them grow, rebuild, and strengthen communities nationwide.”
The SBA repeatedly warned that a federal shutdown would sharply constrain access to capital and federal contracting for America’s small businesses. Because the 2025 shutdown froze the 7(a) and 504 programs, SBA could not guarantee an estimated $170 million in loans each business day, totaling roughly $5 billion in financing that otherwise could have been approved during FY26.
Even with that disruption, strong underlying growth in the small business economy continued to drive historic demand for SBA programs and capital. Driven by the Working Families Tax Cuts, fair trade, and deregulation, small businesses across America have started and expanded at record rates throughout 2026. New business formations have exceeded 500,000 in nearly every month this year, while indicators such as the PMI Manufacturing Index show ten straight months of sustained expansion in key sectors.
That growth has translated into historic demand for SBA-backed capital. In FY26, the 7(a) program approved 56,130 loans totaling $32.4 billion, while the 504 program approved 6,075 loans totaling $7.1 billion – a combined 1,350 small business loans each week. The SBA supported over 9,700 startups through the 7(a) and 504 programs, totaling $6.5 billion in financing.
This financing reached the sectors and communities central to the Administration’s economic strength. Lending was strongest in accommodation, retail trade, health care, construction, and manufacturing. Construction and manufacturing businesses received a combined $7 billion through 11,790 7(a) and 504 loans. The SBA also guaranteed 10,314 7(a) and 504 loans totaling $6.5 billion to rural small businesses, expanding access to capital in communities that are essential to America’s domestic production.
Building on that demand, the SBA introduced specialized lending tools to direct capital toward domestic manufacturing, supply-chain resilience, food security, and energy investment. In FY26, the agency approved 149 loans totaling nearly $300 million through its 90% Made in America Guarantee. The new 90% Grocery Guarantee program approved 79 loans totaling $145 million, while the new Manufacturers’ Access to Revolving Credit (MARC) program approved 59 loans totaling $54 million.
As demand for SBA-backed financing grew, so did demand for long-term private investment through the SBIC program. The program closed FY26 with a record $60 billion portfolio in combined private capital and SBA leverage, reflecting continued investor confidence in American entrepreneurs and high-growth small businesses. As part of this record year, the SBA approved 46 new SBIC licenses, cultivating a cohort that is expected to support more than $12 billion in total investment. The agency also approved 35 “Green Light” letters representing conditional pre-approval for SBIC licenses expected to generate another $8 billion in aggregate investment.
The SBA’s FY26 support also extended to communities rebuilding after disaster. The agency approved 5,879 disaster loans totaling $272 million and disbursed 5,371 loans totaling $192 million. Its largest disaster responses supported survivors of Super Typhoon Sinlaku in the Northern Mariana Islands, as well as communities affected by severe winter storms in Mississippi and Tennessee.
To complement capital access and disaster recovery, the SBA obligated $419 million in Entrepreneurial Development Program payments to support its nationwide resource partner network. These investments provide counseling, training, and technical assistance that help entrepreneurs access capital, navigate federal programs, start and grow businesses, and build durable local economies.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.