The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has implemented new rules to improve capital access for underrepresented business owners, including rural, veteran, women, and minority-owned enterprises. These updates offer permanence to the SBA program for nonprofit mission lenders, remove outdated restrictions on non-depository lender participation, enhance opportunities for employee ownership, and modernize credit criteria and underwriting standards. The rules aim to further incentivize a broader distribution network and small-dollar loans to bridge the persistent capital access gaps faced by small businesses in underserved communities.
