Glossary · The loan itself
Eligibility Criteria
In short
These are the rules a borrower and business must meet to qualify for an SBA 7(a) loan. If you or the business don't meet them, you won't get the loan.
What it means in a deal
Lenders check your personal credit, character, and financial history, plus the business's industry, size, and use of funds. Make sure you understand these upfront to avoid wasting time on deals you can't finance.
Official sources
13 CFR Part 120 — Business Loans
Office of the Federal Register · Federal regulation
SOP 50 10 — Lender and Development Company Loan Programs
U.S. Small Business Administration · SBA Standard Operating Procedure
Last checked 2026-06-15. Official sources control — verify before relying on any rule for a live deal.
Related terms
Common questions about Eligibility Criteria
- What specific criteria does the SBA use to determine affiliation for business size standards?
- Are there specific criteria for my business plan and financial projections for an acquisition loan?
- What criteria justify a lender waiving a lien on readily marketable personal assets from a guarantor?
- What specific criteria determine if two businesses are affiliated due to 'identity of interest' for size standards?
- What are the financial criteria for a business to qualify as 'small' under the alternative size standard?
- What criteria does the SBA use to determine common management that triggers affiliation for size standard purposes?
Defined by CapBench SBA Intelligence — plain-English definitions for business buyers, lenders, advisors, and AI agents, grounded in public SBA rules and records. Last reviewed 2026-06-15 · Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an approval decision. Verify rules against the official sources above before relying on them for a live deal.
See which SBA lenders would fund your deal
Tell us the business, the price, and where you are — we'll point you to the lenders most likely to approve a 7(a) like yours and flag what trips up approval.
Free · No documents · Usually same-day
Backed by data on 1,000+ SBA lenders and 300,000+ funded deals. Your details go only to lending partners you ask to be matched with — never sold to advertisers.