-  About RD                  -  Key Priorities 
              -  History 
              -  Farm Bill 
              -  Grant Awards 
              -  Careers at Rural Development 
              -  Rural Data Gateway 
              -  Leadership 
              -  Agencies                    -   Rural Business-Cooperative Service 
                -   Rural Housing Service 
                -   Rural Utilities Service 
              -  Offices                    -  Business Center 
                -  Civil Rights                       -  Civil Rights Contacts 
                  -  Equal Employment Opportunity Branch 
                  -  Program Compliant Processing and Resolution Branch 
                  -  Program Compliance and Training Branch 
                  -  Posters 
                  -  Civil Rights Training 
                  -  Limited English Proficiency 
                  -  Civil Rights Library 
                  -  Accessibility Statement 
                -  External Affairs 
                -  Innovation Center                      -  Innovation Center Divisions 
                -  Risk Office 
                -  State Offices 
                -  Servicing Office 
              -  Initiatives 
              -  Tribal Relations 
            -  State Offices 
            -  Programs & Services                  -  Programs                    -  BioPreferred Program 
                -  Business Programs 
                -  Community Facilities Programs 
                -  Electric Programs 
                -  Energy Programs 
                -  Inflation Reduction Act Programs 
                -  Multifamily Housing Programs 
                -  Single Family Housing Programs                      -  Homeowner Assistance Fund FAQs 
                -  Telecommunications Programs                      -  Telecom Maps 
                -  Water & Environmental Programs 
              -  Services                    -  For Engineers 
                -  For Water & Environmental Engineers 
                -  RUS Interest Rates 
                -  RD Apply 
                -  Rural Development Disaster Assistance 
                -  RUS Program Borrowers 
                -  Cooperative Services 
            -  Newsroom                  -  News Releases 
              -  Stakeholder Announcements 
              -  Tribal Outreach 
              -  Success Stories 
              -  Federal Funding Opportunities 
              -  Blog 
              -  Radio 
              -  Archived News Releases 
            -  Resources                  -  Acronyms 
              -  Directives                    -  Administrative Notices 
                -  Electric Sample Documents 
                -  Form Letters 
                -  Guide Letters 
                -  Handbooks 
                -  Informational Publications 
                -  Instructions 
                -  Procedures Notices 
                -  Unnumbered Letters 
              -  Disaster Assistance                    -  We Care Letters 
              -  Environmental Studies                    -  Assessments 
                -  FPEP Environmental Review Comment Submissions 
                -  Impact Statements 
                -  Environmental Guidance 
              -  Forms                    -  E-Forms 
                -  Departmental Forms 
                -  RUS Forms 
              -  Publications                    -  Brochures 
                -  Fact Sheets 
                -  Reports 
                -  Resource Guides 
                -  Publications for Cooperatives 
              -  Regulations and Guidance                    -  Federal Register Publications 
                -  Program Regulations 
                -  Guidance Documents 
                -  Bulletins 
              -  Rural Data Gateway 
              -  LINC Training Library 
              -  Lender List 
              -  RBCS How-To Apply Video Series for Applicants 
            -  Contact Us                  -  National Office 
              -  State Offices 
              -  Area Offices 
              -  Loan Servicing 
              -  Press Office 
              -  Field Accountants 
              -  Electric GFR 
              -  ReConnect GFRs 
              -  Telecom GFR 
              -  State Energy Coordinators 
              -  Civil Rights Contacts 
              -  Freedom of Information Act                    -  FOIA Reading Room 

                  - English
                  - Spanish

# Business & Industry Loan Guarantees

**Fact Sheet

Federal Register Notice

##             Overview          

### Special COVID-19 Funding:

USDA is making available up to $1 billion in loan guarantees to help rural businesses meet their working capital needs during the coronavirus pandemic. Business & Industry CARES Act Program

### One RD Guarantee

This program is streamlined under the OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/onerdguarantee

### What does this program do?

### What lenders may apply for this program?

                                  - Federal and State-chartered banks.
                                  - Savings and loans.
                                  - Farm Credit Banks with direct lending authority.
                                  - Credit unions.

Other non-regulated lending institutions may be approved by the Agency under the criteria of the OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative regulation.

### Who may qualify for these guaranteed loans?

                                  - For-profit or non-profit businesses.
                                  - Cooperatives.
                                  - Federally-recognized Tribes.
                                  - Public bodies.
                                  - Individuals engaged or proposing to engage in a business.

### What are the borrowing restrictions? 

                                  - Individual borrowers must be citizens of the United States, or reside in the U.S. after being legally admitted for permanent residence.
                                  - Private-entity borrowers must demonstrate that loan funds will remain in the U.S., and the facility being financed will primarily create new or save existing jobs for rural U.S. residents.

### What is considered an eligible area?

                                  - Rural areas not in a city or town with a population of more than 50,000 inhabitants.
                                  - The borrower’s headquarters may be based within a larger city, as long as the project is located in an eligible rural area.
                                  - The lender may be located anywhere in the United States.
                                  - Projects may be funded in either rural or urban areas under the  Local and Regional Food System Initiative. 
                                  - Check  eligible addresses for Business Programs .

### How may guaranteed loan funds be used?

Eligible uses include (but are not limited to):
                                  - Business conversion, enlargement, repair, modernization, or development.
                                  - The purchase and development of land, buildings, and associated infrastructure for commercial or industrial properties.
                                  - The purchase and installation of machinery and equipment,  supplies or inventory.
                                  - Debt refinancing when such refinancing improves cash flow and creates jobs.
                                  - Business and industrial acquisitions when the loan will maintain business operations and create or save jobs.

### Guaranteed loan funds may NOT be used for:

                                  - Lines of credit.
                                  - Owner-occupied and rental housing.
                                  - Golf courses or golf course infrastructure.
                                  - Racetracks or gambling facilities.
                                  - Churches or church-controlled organizations.
                                  - Fraternal organizations.
                                  - Lending, investment, and insurance companies.
                                  - Agricultural production, with certain exceptions (1).
                                  - Distribution or payment to a beneficiary of the borrower or an individual or entity that will retain an ownership interest in the borrower.

### What Collateral Is Required?

Collateral must have documented value sufficient to protect the interest of the lender and the Agency. Lenders will discount collateral consistent with sound loan-to-value policy with the discounted collateral value at least equal to the loan amount. The lender must provide satisfactory justification of the discounts being used. Hazard insurance is required on collateral (equal to the loan amount or depreciated replacement value, whichever is less).

### What is the maximum amount of a loan guarantee?

The loan guarantee percentage is published annually in a Federal Register notice. B&I loans approved in Fiscal Year 2024 will receive an 80 percent guarantee.

### What are the loan terms?

The lender, with Agency concurrence, will establish and justify the guaranteed loan term based on the use of guaranteed loan funds, the useful economic life of the assets being financed and those used as collateral, and the borrower’s repayment ability. The loan term will not exceed 40 years.

### What are the interest rates?

                                  - Interest rates are negotiated between the lender and borrower.
                                  - Rates may be fixed or variable.
                                  - Variable interest rates may not be adjusted more often than quarterly.

### What are the applicable fees?

                                  - There is an initial guarantee fee, currently 3 percent of the guaranteed amount.
                                  - There is a guarantee retention fee, currently 0.55 percent of the guaranteed portion of the outstanding principal balance, paid annually (2).
                                  - Reasonable and customary fees for loan origination are negotiated between the borrower and lender.
                                  - Qualifying projects may receive a reduced fee of 1 percent.

### What are the underwriting requirements?

                                  - The lender will conduct a credit evaluation using credit documentation procedures and underwriting processes that are consistent with generally accepted prudent lending practices and, also consistent with the lender’s own policies, procedures, and lending practices.
                                  - The lender’s evaluation must address any financial or other credit weaknesses of the borrower and project and discuss risk mitigation requirements.
                                  - The lender must analyze all credit factors to determine that the credit factors and guaranteed loan terms and conditions ensure guaranteed loan repayment.
                                  - Credit factors to be analyzed include but are not limited to character, capacity, capital, collateral, and conditions.  

### How do we get started?

### 

                                  - Applications are accepted from lenders through  USDA local offices  year-round.
                                  - Interested borrowers should inquire about the program with their lender.
                                  - Lenders interested in participating in this program should contact the  USDA Rural Development Business Programs Director in the state  where the project is located.

### Who can answer my questions?

Contact the local Rural Development office that serves your area.

### What law governs this program?

                                  - Code of Federal Regulations,  7 CFR 5001 .
                                  - This program is authorized by the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act,   7 U.S.C. 1932 . 

### Why does USDA Rural Development do this?

**NOTE:** Because information on this page may change, please always consult the program instructions listed in the section above titled “What law governs this program?” You may also contact your local office for assistance.

(1) Agricultural production is eligible only if the project is vertically integrated, ineligible for USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) farm loan programs assistance, and it is part of an integrated business also involved in the processing of agricultural products. Commercial nurseries, forestry, and aquaculture operations are eligible without these restrictions.

(2) The annual renewal fee is currently 0.55% of the outstanding principal loan balance as of December 31. The renewal fee rate is set annually by Rural Development in a notice published in the Federal Register. The rate, in effect at the time the loan is made, will remain in effect for the life of the loan. Annual renewal fees are paid by the lender and due on January 31. Payments not received by April 1 are considered delinquent and, at the Agency’s discretion, may result in cancellation of the guarantee to the lender.

Holders’ rights will continue in effect as specified in the loan note guarantee and assignment guarantee agreement. Any delinquent annual renewal fees will bear interest at the note rate and will be deducted from any loss payment due the lender. For loans where the loan note guarantee is issued between October 1 and December 31, the first annual renewal fee payment will be due January 31 of the second year following the date the loan note guarantee was issued.

##             To Apply          

Rural Development has implemented the OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative program.   Visit the site for additional program information, to include forms, and sample documents.

**NOTE:**Please speak to your local program specialist before attempting to fill out any forms or applications. This will save you time in completing your application.

**Interest Rates:**
Interest rates are negotiated between the lender and borrower, subject to Agency review. They may be fixed, or variable, and variable interest rates may not be adjusted more often than quarterly.

##             Other Requirements          

There are no engineering requirements at the national level.

Rural Development environmental requirements: RD 1970 Environmental Policies and Procedures.Benefits of the 1970 environmental regulations: 7 CFR 1970 Benefits.

##             Contact          

Please select your state in the dropdown menu above to find your local contact for this program.

Persons with disabilities that require alternative means for communication should contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Target Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice).

##             Events