06/27/2011

Getting Started Guide

For Community Banks
 06/27/2011

Small businesses are a vital part 

of the American economy. Their success 

is a necessary component of the 

economic recovery. Currently, many small 

businesses face challenges in accessing 

the credit they need. Enacted into law as part 

of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 

to increase small business lending, 

the Small Business Lending Fund is 

designed to provide up to $30 billion in

capital to qualified community banks and 

other eligible financial institutions.

The Small Business Lending Fund will help 

create jobs and promote economic growth 

in local communities across the nation 

while enabling Main Street banks to better 

extend credit to their customers by utilizing 

the incentives that the Fund provides.

Welcome to the Getting Started Guide for the Small 

Business Lending Fund. This guidebook is an overview

designed specifically for community banks – a term used 

here to include banks, thrifts, and bank and thrift holding 

companies with assets of less than $10 billion.

This guidebook is divided into four chapters. Chapter One 

provides a general overview of Small Business Lending Fund 

benefits, eligibility, and terms. Chapter Two provides 

information relating to the application process. Chapter 

Three provides more detailed information about how the 

Small Business Lending Fund works – specifically, what 

qualifies as small business lending, how dividends are 

calculated, and how to address applicable reporting 

requirements. Chapter Four describes what happens after 

an institution receives SBLF funding.

If you have questions at any point, please contact the 

information line for the Small Business Lending Fund at

888-832-1147 (Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM-7:00 PM ET).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

AT A GLANCE: 

The Small Business Lending Fund 

for Community Banks 1

CHAPTER ONE: 

Introduction 2

CHAPTER TWO: 

How to Apply to the Small Business 

Lending Fund 6

CHAPTER THREE: 

How the Small Business 

Lending Fund Works 11

CHAPTER FOUR:

After Your Bank Receives Funding 17
06/27/2011 1

AT A GLANCE: THE SMALL BUSINESS LENDING FUND FOR COMMUNITY BANKS

Overview

Through the Small Business Lending Fund, the U.S. Department of the Treasury provides Tier-1 capital to 

community banks and other eligible institutions. Each institution pays dividends at rates that go down as its small 

business lending goes up.

Eligibility

• Insured depository institutions with assets of less than $10 billion, not controlled by a holding company or an 

entity with assets of $10 billion or more (as of the end of the fourth quarter of calendar year 2009)

• Bank and savings and loan holding companies with consolidated assets of less than $10 billion

• Treasury will publish separate terms for mutual institutions, Subchapter S corporations, and community 

development loan funds; this guidebook does not apply to those institutions

Institutions currently or recently on the FDIC problem bank list (or similar list) are ineligible.

Amount of

Funding

Senior perpetual noncumulative preferred stock (or equivalents) qualifying as Tier 1 capital

Depository 

institutions:

• Up to 5% of risk-weighted assets (RWA) if assets are $1 billion or less

• Up to 3% of RWA if assets are more than $1 billion but less than $10 billion

Holding 

companies:

• Up to 5% of RWA if consolidated assets of all depository institution subsidiaries are $1 billion or 

less

• Up to 3% of RWA if consolidated assets of all depository institution subsidiaries are more than 

$1 billion but less than $10 billion

Treasury may require matching private capital and limit SBLF funding to 3% of RWA even if assets are $1 billion or less.

Qualified

Small 

Business 

Lending

Qualified Small Business Lending for purposes of the Small Business Lending Fund is defined as follows:

Qualified Small Business Lending includes all:

1. Commercial and industrial loans

2. Loans secured by owner-occupied nonfarm, 

nonresidential real estate

3. Loans to finance agricultural production and 

other loans to farmers 

4. Loans secured by farmland 

so long as:

• the original principal and commitment amount is 

$10 million or less

• the loan is not to a business with more than $50 million 

in revenues

and excluding loan portions guaranteed by the U.S. 

Government or for which a third party assumes risk.

An institution that receives capital from the Small Business Lending Fund will supplement its Call Report with a 

Supplemental Report that identifies Qualified Small Business Lending.

Dividend 

Rates

Dividend rates upon funding and for the 

following nine calendar quarters, adjusted 

quarterly (based on outstanding loans at the 

end of the second previous quarter):

Lending Increase Dividend Rate

Less than 2.5% 5%

2.5% or more, but less than 5% 4%

5% or more, but less than 7.5% 3%

7.5% or more, but less than 10% 2%

10% or more 1%

Dividend rate for the tenth quarter after 

funding through the end of the first four and 

one-half years:

If lending has increased at the end of the 

eighth quarter after funding

Rate set as above for 

the tenth quarter

If lending has not increased at the end of

the eighth quarter after funding 7%

Dividend rate after four and one-half years

(if funding has not already been repaid): 9%

Entry and 

Exit

• The application deadline for C Corporation banks is May 16, 2011. Treasury encourages eligible institutions to

submit their application as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for processing.

• Provide a small business lending plan, approximately two pages in length, to the institution’s regulator (not

directly to Treasury).

Repay SBLF funding at any time with regulatory approval.

More Info

For general inquiries and questions, please call the Small Business Lending Fund information line at 888-832-1147. 

For communications pertaining to a specific institution, please email SBLFInstitutions@treasury.gov, a Treasury email 

address.
06/27/2011 2

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

This chapter provides an overview of the Small Business 

Lending Fund, which is administered by the U.S. 

Department of the Treasury. The chapter is designed to 

provide answers to general questions your institution might 

have about the Small Business Lending Fund, including:

• What is the Small Business Lending Fund?

• Which institutions does this guidebook address?

• How can the Small Business Lending Fund help my 

institution?

• Is my institution eligible to apply to participate in the 

Small Business Lending Fund?

• How much funding can my institution receive?

• If my institution’s Small Business Lending Fund

application is approved, is it obligated to participate?

• After receiving capital, can my institution exit the Small 

Business Lending Fund at any time?

• How is small business lending defined for purposes of 

the Small Business Lending Fund?

• How is the Small Business Lending Fund dividend rate 

calculated?

• What kind of reporting is required?

• Can my institution continue paying dividends and 

repurchasing stock if it receives SBLF funding?

• Can my institution refinance outstanding CPP or CDCI 

securities through the Small Business Lending Fund?

• Is the Small Business Lending Fund related to the 

Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)?

What is the Small Business Lending Fund?

Enacted into law as part of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 

(the Jobs Act), the Small Business Lending Fund encourages 

lending to small businesses by providing capital to community 

banks with under $10 billion in assets. 

The more a bank increasesitssmall business lending, the lower 

the rate it will pay for the SBLF funding. Through the Small 

Business Lending Fund, community banks and small 

businesses can work together to create jobs and promote 

local economic growth in neighborhoods across the nation.

Many loans made by community banks will qualify as 

small business lending under the Jobs Act. The law defines 

small business lending to include loans of up to $10 million 

to businesses with up to $50 million in annual revenue. 

Those loans include:

• Commercial and industrial loans

• Loans secured by owner-occupied nonfarm,

nonresidential real estate

• Loans to finance agricultural production and other 

loans to farmers

• Loans secured by farmland

Which institutions does this guidebook address?

This material applies to community banks and community 

development loan funds that have total assets of less than 

$10 billion. 

For purposes of this guidebook, the terms “community 

bank” and “bank” encompass banks, thrifts, and bank and 

thrift holding companies with consolidated assets of less 

than $10 billion. 

This guidebook does not apply to mutual institutions, 

Subchapter S Corporations, or community development 

loan funds.

How can the Small Business Lending Fund help my 

institution?

The Small Business Lending Fund aims to stimulate small 

business lending by reducing the dividend rate paid by a 

community bank on SBLF funding as the bank increases its 

lending. 

The cost of capital provided through the Small Business 

Lending Fund will start no higher than 5%. If your

community bank’s small business lending increases by 10% 

or more, then the rate will fall to as low as 1%. For 

increases in small business lending that are less than 10%, the

rate can fall to between 2% and 4%.

Treasury will make SBLF funding available by purchasing 

senior preferred stock or equivalents in institutions that 
06/27/2011 3

apply and are approved for participation in the Fund. SBLF 

funding will be Tier-1 capital.

Participation in the Small Business Lending Fund is entirely 

voluntary. Banks may repay their SBLF funding at any time 

with regulatory approval. 

Access to capital through the Small Business Lending Fund 

can boost your institution’s lending capacity while helping 

to create jobs and promote economic growth in local 

communities across the nation.

The Small Business Lending Fund:

• supports Main Street banks and small businesses

• is available only to community banks and community 

development loan funds

• enables eligible community banks to access Tier 1 

capital at rates as low as 1%

• carries no compensation restrictions and does not 

require the issuance of any warrants

• is focused on generating increases in lending to small 

businesses

Is my institution eligible to apply to participate in the 

Small Business Lending Fund?

Your institution is eligible if it has total assets of less than

$10 billion (as of the end of the fourth quarter of calendar 

year 2009) and it meets the other requirements for 

participation. If your institution is controlled by a holding 

company, the combined assets of the holding company 

determine eligibility and your holding company must apply. 

For detailed information on eligibility, please see the 

section titled “What counts as ‘Qualified Small Business 

Lending’” in Chapter Three. 

In the case of an insured depository institution that is 

controlled by a bank holding company, the bank holding 

company must apply and at least 90% of the funds must be 

immediately downstreamed. 

Bank holding companies that are organized as limited 

liability companies may participate in the Small Business 

Lending Fund. The terms published on the SBLF website,

www.treasury.gov/SBLF, will generally apply. 

Treasury will publish separate terms for mutual institutions, 

Subchapter S corporations, and community development 

loan funds (CDLFs). Terms for such institutions may vary 

from those described in this guidebook. 

An institution is not eligible if it is on the FDIC’s problem 

bank list (or similar list) or has been removed from that list 

in the previous 90 days. 

The Small Business Lending Fund also provides an option for 

community banks to refinance preferred stock issued to 

Treasury through the Capital Purchase Program (CPP) or the 

Community Development Capital Initiative (CDCI) under 

certain conditions. However, simultaneous participation in 

CPP or CDCI and the Small Business Lending Fund is not 

permitted. 

How much funding can my institution receive?

If your institution has total assets of $1 billion or less, it may 

apply for SBLF funding that equals up to 5% of its riskweighted assets (as reported in the Call Report immediately 

preceding the date of application). If your institution has

assets of more than $1 billion, but less than $10 billion, it 

may apply for funding that equals up to 3% of its riskweighted assets. 

If my institution’s Small Business Lending Fund application 

is approved, is it obligated to participate? 

No. Submitting an application to the Small Business 

Lending Fund does not create any obligation on the part of

your institution or Treasury. 

Once approved, your institution will have a reasonable 

amount of time to decide whether it would like to 

participate in the Small Business Lending Fund and enter 

into a definitive agreement with Treasury. 

After receiving capital, can my institution exit the Small 

Business Lending Fund at any time? 

Yes. Subject to the approval of your regulator, your 

institution can exit the Small Business Lending Fund at any 

time simply by repaying the funding provided along with 

any accrued dividends. There is no prepayment penalty.

If your institution wishes to repay its SBLF funding in partial 

payments, each partial payment must be at least 25% of the 

original funding amount.
06/27/2011 4

How is small business lending defined for purposes of the 

Small Business Lending Fund?

The Small Business Lending Fund uses a definition of small 

business lending that differs from “loans to small businesses”

and “loans to small farms” as those terms are used in the 

quarterly Call Reports that banks submit. 

Generally, business loans of up to $10 million to companies

with up to $50 million in annual revenue will be included in 

the Fund’s definition of small business lending. For many 

community banks, this definition will capture most of the 

business loans they make. For detailed information, please 

see the section titled “What counts as ‘Qualified Small 

Business Lending’” in Chapter Three of this document.

How is the Small Business Lending Fund dividend rate 

calculated?

The dividend rate during the first two years will be, at most, 

5% per annum. With a 10% increase in small business 

lending, the rate will drop to as low as 1%. Lesser increases 

in lending can cause the rate to drop to between 2% and 4%. 

The rate in the tenth quarter will continue to apply until the 

end of the first four and one-half years after your institution 

receives SBLF funding. For detailed information, please see 

the section titled “How Qualified Small Business Lending 

affects dividend rates on SBLF funding” in Chapter Three of 

this document.

What kind of reporting is required?

If your institution participates in the Small Business Lending 

Fund, it will be required to submit the reports and 

certifications listed in the following chart: 

Can my institution continue paying dividends and 

repurchasing stock if it receives SBLF funding?

Under the terms of the SBLF funding, most banks should be 

able to continue with their existing dividend and share 

repurchase practices. The terms associated with SBLF 

funding provide institutions with broad flexibility to 

establish dividend and share repurchase practices that 

reflect each institution’s individual circumstances, while 

helping to ensure that SBLF funding is used to foster 

increased small business lending.

Can my institution refinance outstanding CPP or CDCI 

securities through the Small Business Lending Fund?

If your institution is a participant in CPP or CDCI, it may 

apply to refinance its outstanding CPP and CDCI securities 

through the Small Business Lending Fund. 

To be eligible for refinancing, your institution must be in 

material compliance with all the terms, conditions, and 

covenants of its CPP or CDCI agreement, be current on its

dividend payments to Treasury, and not previously have 

missed more than one dividend payment (although a 

payment submitted 60 days or fewer after the due date will 

not be considered a missed payment for this purpose). In 

addition, all outstanding CPP and CDCI securities must be 

refinanced or repaid in full at the time of the refinancing. 
06/27/2011 5

Please consult the Summary of Terms for Current CPP and 

CDCI Participants for further detail. 

If your institution applies for refinancing, its application will 

be evaluated by Treasury under the same process used for 

other applicants. (Read more about refinancing 

requirements and how applications are evaluated in 

Chapter Two). Warrants issued in connection with CPP 

investments will remain outstanding. 

Is the Small Business Lending Fund related to the Troubled 

Asset Relief Program (TARP)?

No. The Small Business Lending Fund is not related to 

TARP. Congress authorized the Small Business Lending 

Fund as part of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, with 

the objective of increasing the availability of credit to small 

businesses.

The Small Business Lending Fund draws from a source of 

funding separate from TARP, and it is administered by a 

separate organization in Treasury. 

Participation in the Small Business Lending Fund carries no 

executive compensation restrictions and does not require 

the issuance of any warrants.

Any institution will not be considered a TARP recipient by 

virtue of participating in the Small Business Lending Fund.
06/27/2011 6

CHAPTER TWO: HOW TO APPLY TO THE 

SMALL BUSINESS LENDING FUND 

Submitting an application to the Small Business Lending 

Fund is easy. In the following section you will find what you 

need to know about how to apply, including:

How does the application process work?

What should be in the small business lending plan?

May my institution change the amount of capital requested 

after it has applied for funding?

May my bank withdraw its application and resubmit a new 

application if a more favorable Call Report is available?

How will Treasury evaluate applications?

How much time will my institution have after receiving 

preliminary approval from Treasury to decide whether to 

participate?

What is the closing process?

What are the requirements for raising separate matching 

funds?

What are the requirements for refinancing outstanding CPP 

or CDCI securities?

Are there any application fees or other fees associated with 

the Small Business Lending Fund?

When will my institution learn whether it has been 

approved for SBLF funding?

May my bank apply more than once for SBLF funding or 

schedule more than one closing?

For your convenience, the application form is available on 

the Small Business Lending Fund website at 

www.treasury.gov/SBLF. If you have any questions, please

contact the SBLF information line at 888-832-1147

(Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM-7:00 PM ET).

How does the application process work?

If your institution is eligible and wants to apply to 

participate in the Small Business Lending Fund, it must 

submit a completed application to Treasury at

SBLFApps@treasury.gov.

The application deadline for C Corporation banks is May 16, 

2011. Treasury encourages eligible institutions to submit 

their application as soon as possible to allow sufficient time 

for processing.

In general, applicants may reduce the amount of capital 

requested at any time prior to closing, but may not increase 

the amount of capital requested once an application has 

been submitted. Applicants approved for funding with 

matching capital may only reduce the amount of capital 

requested if they raise an equivalent amount of incremental 

private investment (i.e., In addition to the amount of 

private investment initially specified in Treasury’s approval 

notice).

Submitting an application does not obligate your institution 

to participate in the Small Business Lending Fund if 

approved. Your institution may withdraw its application at 

any time prior to entering into to a definitive agreement 

with Treasury. Additionally, after your institution has 

received SBLF funding, it may exit the Small Business 

Lending Fund at any time simply by repaying the funding 

provided along with any accrued dividends (with the 

approval of its regulator).

Please note that if your institution wants to apply to 

participate in the Small Business Lending Fund, in addition 

to submitting an application to Treasury, it must submit a 

small business lending plan of approximately two pages in 

length to its primary federal regulator and to its state 

regulator, if applicable. If your institution is a holding 

company, it must also submit the lending plan to the 

primary federal regulator (and state regulator, if applicable) 

of each of its insured depository institution subsidiaries. 

The lending plan should not be sent directly to Treasury.

(Your institution’s federal regulator will forward it to 

Treasury.)

What should be in the small business lending plan?

Each lending plan should:

1. Address the needs of small businesses

The lending plan should describe how your institution 

intends to use funding from the Small Business Lending 

Fund to address the needs of small businesses in the 

communities it serves. Your institution should provide 
06/27/2011 7

a description of the basis for its lending goals and how 

it intends to achieve these goals. 

The lending plan should explain why the projected 

increase in small business lending is reasonable in the 

context of the size of your institution and the market it 

serves. To the extent practicable, the lending plan 

should include a description of the types of loans 

anticipated and customers served.

2. Specify the projected increase in small business lending

The lending plan should include the increase in 

qualified small business lending (as defined in the 

Fund’s summary of terms) that your institution expects 

to achieve two years after the investment. It is 

acceptable to provide a projected range. 

While this projection should be based upon your 

institution’s estimate of qualified small business 

lending, your institution does not need to formally 

calculate such lending at the time of application. Each 

bank will be required to calculate such lending only as 

part of the closing process, after receiving preliminary 

approval for participation in the Fund. Prior to closing, 

your institution will be asked to revalidate the 

projection provided in this lending plan on the basis of 

its formal calculation of qualified small business 

lending.

The lending plan is not intended to be an official 

business plan in the sense of those submitted to your 

institution’s primary federal regulator. As a result, 

Treasury does not require the submission of a pro 

forma income statement or balance sheet.

3. Provide for community outreach

The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 requires banks 

participating in the Small Business Lending Fund to 

provide outreach and advertising describing the 

availability and application process for receiving small 

business loans. 

Your institution should submit its lending plan to its 

regulator(s) at the same time it submits its Small Business 

Lending Fund application to Treasury.

Guidance, including instructions for submitting the lending 

plan to the appropriate regulators, and a form for an 

applicant’s lending plan submission can be found at 

http://www.treasury.gov/SBLF. Again, please note that the 

lending plan should not be sent directly to Treasury. 

May my institution change the amount of capital 

requested after it has applied for funding?

In general, applicants may reduce the amount of capital 

requested at any time prior to the closing, but may not 

increase the amount of capital requested once an 

application has been submitted. 

May my bank withdraw its application and resubmit a new 

application if a more favorable Call Report is available?

Institutions may only resubmit an application to correct 

errors on the original application, at the discretion of 

Treasury. Treasury will consult with appropriate federal 

and state regulators before approving an application.

How will Treasury evaluate applications?

Treasury will coordinate with the federal bank regulatory 

agencies and (as applicable) state regulatory agencies to 

review your institution’s application. Specifically, Treasury

will consult with the federal banking agencies in

determining whether your institution is qualified to receive 

capital from the Small Business Lending Fund. If your 

institution is a state-chartered bank, Treasury also will 

consider the views of your state banking regulator 

regarding the financial condition of your bank.
06/27/2011 8

Treasury will notify your institution of its decision as one of 

the following three options:

1. Preliminary approval

After reviewing the application, Treasury may determine 

that your institution is eligible for and qualified to 

participate in the Small Business Lending Fund. If your 

institution elects to continue with the process, Treasury 

will assign a law firm as its representative to work with 

your institution to complete the closing and funding 

processes.

2. Preliminary approval contingent on matched funding

As a result of its review of the application, Treasury may 

determine that your institution is eligible and should be 

considered for participation in the Small Business Lending 

Fund, provided it raises separate matching funds from 

private, nongovernmental sources. Such matched funding 

will need to be received either prior to or concurrent with 

Treasury’s SBLF funding. (Generally, capital raised after 

September 27, 2010 may be included). If your institution 

would like to continue with the process, Treasury will 

assign a law firm as its representative to work with your 

institution to complete the closing and funding processes.

3. Considered withdrawn

Following its review of the application, Treasury may 

determine that your institution is not eligible or 

otherwise will not qualify for participation in the Small 

Business Lending Fund. In such a case, your 

institution’s application will be considered withdrawn.

How much time will my institution have after receiving 

preliminary approval from Treasury to decide whether to 

participate in the Small Business Lending Fund?

An institution will have 30 days after the date of Treasury’s 

notice of preliminary approval to decide whether it would 

like to participate in the Small Business Lending Fund and 

schedule a closing with Treasury.

For institutions that receive preliminary approval 

contingent on raising matching capital, Treasury will 

normally grant extensions if matching capital cannot be 

raised within the thirty (30) day period.

An institution may notify Treasury at any time prior to 

closing that it has decided not to participate in the Small 

Business Lending Fund and withdraw its application.

What is the closing process?

The closing process for institutions that decide to proceed 

after receiving either a “preliminary approval” or a 

“preliminary approval contingent on matched funding”

determination includes working with a law firm 

representing Treasury to enter into a Securities Purchase 

Agreement with Treasury. 

As explained in Chapter Three, an institution that 

participates in the Small Business Lending Fund is required 

to submit an Initial Supplemental Report and regular 

Quarterly Supplemental Reports, which will be used for 

measuring changes in Qualified Small Business Lending. 

The Initial Supplemental Report is due no later than five (5) 

business days before closing. If the closing date occurs 

after the Call Report is due in a calendar quarter, the first 

regular Quarterly Supplemental Report is also due no later 

than five (5) business days before closing.

What are the requirements for raising separate matching 

funds?

Treasury will only require an institution to raise matching 

private investment as a condition for approval if the 

institution would not otherwise qualify to receive SBLF 

funding absent such capital.

If an institution is required to raise matching funds as a 

condition for receiving SBLF funding, the following will

apply:

1. Treasury will notify the institution of the amount of 

private funds it must raise to qualify for SBLF funding at 

the time of preliminary approval;

2. The maximum amount of SBLF funding provided by 

Treasury will be equal to 3% of the institution’s riskweighted assets;

3. The source of the private investment must not be an 

institution that has received or applied to receive 

capital from the Small Business Lending Fund; and

4. The private investment must be subordinate to the 

SBLF capital and carry terms satisfactory to Treasury 

(although Treasury may approve a dividend rate for the 

private investment that is higher than the SBLF rate).

In determining eligibility for matched funding, Treasury will 

consider as matching funds any capital raised after 
06/27/2011 9

September 27, 2010, net of subsequent dividends, 

repurchases, and redemptions.

Applicants approved for funding with matching capital may 

only reduce the amount of capital requested if they raise an 

equivalent amount of incremental private investment (i.e., 

in addition to the amount of private investment initially 

specified in Treasury’s approval notice).

What are the requirements for refinancing outstanding 

CPP or CDCI securities?

To be considered for refinancing, your institution must 

meet all of the eligibility requirements that otherwise apply 

to Small Business Lending Fund participants, plus the 

following additional requirements:

• The institution must be in material compliance with all 

the terms, conditions, and covenants of any CPP or 

CDCI agreement and financial instrument;

• The institution must not have missed more than one 

dividend payment under CPP or CDCI (where a missed 

payment is defined as a payment submitted more than 

60 days after the due date); and

• The institution must pay, in immediately available funds, 

the amount of any unpaid dividends for the payment 

period prior to the SBLF closing date, plus accrued and 

unpaid dividends as of the date of refinancing for the 

payment period that includes the closing date.

The maximum amount of available SBLF funding for CPP or 

CDCI refinancing is the same as it is for regular SBLF participants. 

It is based on the size of your institution. If your institution has 

up to $1 billion in assets, the maximum will be 5% of its riskweighted assets. If your institution has more than $1 billion 

and less than $10 billion in assets, the maximum will be 3%.

If your institution has CPP or CDCI stock with an aggregate 

liquidation preference greater than the maximum amount 

of permissible SBLF funding, your bank must redeem the 

additional CPP or CDCI stock in immediately available funds 

on or before the date it receives SBLF funding.

All outstanding CPP and CDCI securities must be refinanced 

or repaid in full at the time of the refinancing. In addition, 

the SBLF funding must be at least 1% of your institution’s 

risk-weighted assets.

Any warrants that your institution has issued to Treasury 

under CPP will remain outstanding after CPP refinancing 

through the Small Business Lending Fund, unless you 

repurchase them.

Institutions applying to refinance CPP or CDCI securities will 

not be considered for approval on a “matched funding” 

basis (although they are not prohibited from raising capital 

if they choose).

Institutions that are refinancing CPP investments must 

increase their small business lending to receive an 

economic benefit from refinancing. If at the beginning of 

the tenth full calendar quarter after the date on which a

bank receives SBLF funding, the bank’s Qualified Small 

Business Lending as reported in the ninth quarter has not 

increased relative to its baseline amount, then the bank will 

be required to pay, at the beginning of the fifth anniversary 

of the CPP investment, a repayment incentive fee equal to 

2% per year on the total amount of outstanding SBLF 

funding. (If your bank received CPP funding on two 

separate funding dates, the 2% annual lending incentive fee 

will apply as of the fifth anniversary of the date of the initial 

CPP funding, and will be calculated based on the current 

outstanding amount of SBLF funding as of that date.) This 

fee will extend through the date four and one-half years 

following the institution’s receipt of SBLF funding. 

Are there any application fees or other fees associated 

with the Small Business Lending Fund?

Treasury does not charge any application fees or other fees 

or closing costs associated with closing a transaction with 

the Small Business Lending Fund. In addition, there are no 

fees or penalties for repayment or prepayment of SBLF 

funding.

For current CPP banks that refinance into the SBLF program, 

there is a 2% annual Lending Incentive Fee that will apply if 

the institution does not increase its small business lending. 

This fee will extend through the date four and one-half 

years following the institution’s receipt of SBLF funding. 

This is discussed in further detail in the Summary of Terms 

for Current CPP and CDCI Participants. 

When will my institution learn whether it has been 

approved for SBLF Funding?

Treasury is committed to the prompt and efficient review of 

all applications to the Fund with the goal of providing 

funding decisions to institutions as quickly as possible.

Working with the appropriate federal and state banking 

regulators, Treasury conducts a thorough analysis of each 
06/27/2011 10

application. Each application is evaluated independently. 

Because institutions vary in their circumstances and 

complexity, Treasury cannot provide an indication of 

whether or when any specific application may be approved. 

Treasury will fund institutions on a rolling basis.

May my bank apply more than once for SBLF funding or 

schedule more than one closing?

Institutions may only submit a single application for the 

program. Each approved institution will receive all of its 

SBLF funding in a single closing and funding. Institutions 

whose applications have been withdrawn may not reapply.
06/27/2011 11

CHAPTER THREE: HOW THE SMALL 

BUSINESS LENDING FUND WORKS

The basic premise of the Small Business Lending Fund is 

simple: The dividend rate paid by a community bank on SBLF 

capital is reduced as the bank increases its lending to small 

businessesto get the U.S economy growing. To help 

community banks understand how the Small Business Lending 

Fund works, this chapter explains key definitions and 

calculations. Specifically, it provides the following information:

• Where to find information about Small Business 

Lending Fund investment terms;

• What counts as “Qualified Small Business Lending”;

• How Qualified Small Business Lending affects dividend 

rates on SBLF funding; and

• How to calculate changes in Qualified Small Business

Lending and resulting dividend rate.

Where to find information about Small Business Lending 

Fund investment terms

The complete Small Business Lending Fund summary of 

terms can be found on the Small Business Lending Fund

website at www.treasury.gov/SBLF. 

Treasury is currently developing terms and guidance for 

mutual institutions, Subchapter S corporations, and 

community development loan funds. Terms for such 

institutions may vary from those described in this guide.

What counts as “Qualified Small Business Lending?”

Your institution can lower the cost of capital it obtains 

through the Small Business Lending Fund by increasing the 

amount of its “Qualified Small Business Lending.” 

Accordingly, it is important to understand what counts as 

Qualified Small Business Lending. For purposes of the Small 

Business Lending Fund, small business lending includes more 

loans than the Call Report categories of “loans to small 

businesses” and “loans to small farms.” In Call Reports, 

institutions report overall amounts of business loans in the 

following four categories, among others, which form the 

basis of what counts as Qualified Small Business Lending: 1

In determining whether a loan’s original principal and 

commitment amount is $10 million or less, a group of loans 

to the same borrower or any of its affiliates will be treated 

as a single loan. The total amount of the loans in the group 

may not exceed $10 million for the loans to qualify.

In determining whether a loan goes to a business with more 

than $50 million in revenues, the recipient’s revenues are 

measured for the most recent fiscal year that had ended 

when the loan originated (using the recipient’s ultimate 

parent company, where applicable).

If any part of a loan is guaranteed by a U.S. government agency 

or enterprise, the guaranteed portion is subtracted from the 

loan amounts. If a third party has assumed an economic 

interest in any part of a loan, that portion is subtracted. 

 1 These categories of loans are reported in the Consolidated Reports of 

Condition and Income submitted by banks. For eligible institutions that 

are savings and loan associations, the Thrift Financial Report (which 

uses different labels for categories of loans reported) should be used in 

cases where this document references a Call Report.
06/27/2011 12

Summary of Loan Categories Included in 

Qualified Small Business Lending

Loans that meet the applicable conditions, including the 

$10 million loan amount limit and the $50 million revenue 

limit, qualify as small business lending if they are within any of 

the four categories of loans previously described. Although 

your institution’s Call Report instructions provide full 

descriptions, the categories may be briefly summarized as 

follows:

Commercial and industrial loans

Commercial and industrial loans, as reported on Call Reports, 

include loans for commercial and industrial purposes to sole 

proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, and other 

business enterprises. Potential recipients include 

manufacturing companies, construction companies, 

transportation and communication companies, wholesale and 

retail trade enterprises, service enterprises, and various other 

types of businesses. The category also includes loans to 

individuals for commercial, industrial, and professional 

purposes, but not for investment or personal expenditure 

purposes. The loans may be secured or unsecured, but the 

category excludes loans secured by real estate.

Loans secured by owner-occupied nonfarm, 

nonresidential real estate

Loans secured by real estate, as reported on Call Reports, 

include a subcategory for loans secured by owner-occupied 

nonfarm, nonresidential properties. A loan secured by real 

estate is one for which a lien on the real estate was central to 

the extension of the credit. The subcategory of loans secured 

by owner-occupied nonfarm, nonresidential properties 

consists of nonfarm, nonresidential real estate loans for which 

the primary source of repayment is the cash flow from the 

ongoing operations of the owner of the property (or its affiliate).

Loans to finance agricultural production and other 

loans to farmers

Loans to finance agricultural production and other loans to 

farmers, as reported on Call Reports, include a variety of 

agricultural loans. Potential recipients include farm and ranch 

owners, operators (including tenants), and non-farmers. The 

category includes loans that finance crops and livestock, 

fisheries and forestries, and equipment used in agricultural 

activities. The loans may be secured or unsecured, but the 

category excludes loans secured by real estate.

Loans secured by farmland

Loans secured by real estate, as reported on Call Reports, 

include a subcategory for loans secured by farmland. As 

noted above, a loan secured by real estate is one for which a 

lien on the real estate was central to the extension of the 

credit. The subcategory of loans secured by farmland includes 

land used for crops or livestock, including grazing or pasture 

land, and loans secured by improvements on the land.

If your institution is a holding company, its Qualified Small 

Business Lending consists of the combined Qualified Small 

Business Lending of all of its insured depository institution 

subsidiaries.

How Qualified Small Business Lending affects dividend 

rates on SBLF funding

If your institution’s application to the Small Business Lending 

Fund is approved and it elects to participate, Treasury will 

provide funds to your institution, receiving shares of preferred 

stock (or equivalents) in return. Your institution will pay 

dividends on the funding at rates that will go down if the 

amount of its Qualified Small Business Lending goes up.

The dividend rate during the first two years will be, at most, 

5% per annum. With a 10% increase in small business 

lending, the rate will drop to only 1%. Lesser increases in 

lending can cause the rate to drop to between 2% and 4%. 

The rate in the tenth quarter after the closing date will 

continue to apply until the end of the four-and-one-halfyear period after your institution receives SBLF funding. In 

most cases, this rate will not exceed 5%. If your

institution’s small business lending does not increase at all 

by the tenth quarter, however, the rate will rise to 7%. 

Four and one-half years following Treasury’s initial funding, 

if the capital has not been repaid, the rate will increase to 

9%. Your institution may repay the capital at any time with

the approval of its regulator.

The amount of your institution’s increase in small business 

lending is measured by the stock of loans outstanding each

quarter versus the amount that was outstanding in the 

four quarters ending June 30, 2010. 

The dividend rate your institution pays is determined by its 

aggregate increase in small business lending. The Small 

Business Lending Fund does not distinguish between 

refinanced loans and new loans – or require any “loan-byloan” review.
06/27/2011 13

To measure this increase, your bank will establish its 

“baseline” level of small business lending at the time it 

receives SBLF funding (equal to the average amount 

outstanding in the four quarters ending June 30, 2010). In 

each quarter after your bank receives SBLF funding, its 

amount of small business loans outstanding (with certain 

adjustments) will be compared to this baseline number. 

That comparison, in turn, determines the dividend rate your 

institution will pay on its SBLF funding. 

Your bank will calculate these measures – both the baseline 

and its quarterly lending – using Supplemental Reports that 

are submitted to Treasury. There are two types of 

Supplemental Reports:

• The Initial Supplemental Report, due no later than five 

(5) business days before closing, which calculates your 

institution’s baseline, as well as its initial dividend rate.

• The Quarterly Supplemental Report, due in the 

calendar quarter in which closing occurs and in each of 

the next nine quarters, which calculates your 

institution’s dividend rate for the quarter following 

submission of the report (and, in the case of the tenth 

Quarterly Supplemental Report, the rate that continues 

until four and one-half years after closing).

1. Baseline

The baseline for measuring changes in an institution’s 

Qualified Small Business Lending will be the quarterly 

average of Qualified Small Business Lending for the four 

quarters ending June 30, 2010. 

The initial baseline will be established at the time your 

institution receives SBLF funding. This initial baseline 

amount will be adjusted to take into account any gains 

in Qualified Small Business Lending during the baseline 

quarters resulting from mergers, acquisitions, and loan 

purchases.

The baseline will remain constant each quarter after 

receiving SBLF funding. However, if your institution’s 

Qualified Small Business Lending subsequently increases 

in a given quarter as a result of mergers, acquisitions, or 

loan purchases, its baseline will be increased in that 

quarter (and in subsequent quarters) to reflect that 

increase. These adjustments will be made cumulatively 

from the quarter ending September 30, 2010. This is to 

help ensure that rate reductions for SBLF funding 

correspond to additional lending to small businesses, 

rather than acquisitions of existing loans.

2. Dividend rate through the first nine quarters

During the quarter in which it receives SBLF funding, 

your institution’s initial dividend rate will be 5% or less. 

Whether it is less will depend on whether your

institution has achieved a sufficient increase (from its 

baseline) in Qualified Small Business Lending as 

reflected in the Initial Supplemental Report which, in 

turn, is derived from the Call Report that is published in 

the calendar quarter before your institution receives 

funding. Because Call Reports pertain to the quarter 

before the one in which they are published, the SBLF 

Supplemental Report derived from the Call Report

published in the quarter preceding the receipt of SBLF 

capital will reflect the amount of loans outstanding at 

the end of the second preceding quarter.

For example, if the closing date occurs in the second 

quarter of 2011, the initial dividend rate will depend on 

the amount of Qualified Small Business Lending 

reflected in the SBLF Supplemental Report that was 

derived from the Call Report published in the first 

quarter of 2011, which will be the amount of qualified

loans that were outstanding at the end of the fourth 

quarter of 2010.

For the first nine calendar quarters after the closing 

date, the dividend rate for each quarter will be similarly 

determined. The amount of Qualified Small Business 

Lending derived from the Call Report published in the 

preceding quarter will be compared to the baseline. 

This amount will reflect qualified loans that were 

outstanding at the end of the second preceding quarter. 

In the example above, the dividend rate for the third 

quarter of 2011 will depend on the amount of Qualified 

Small Business Lending reflected in the Supplemental 

Report derived from the Call Report published in the 

second quarter of 2011. This amount will reflect 

qualified loans at the end of the first quarter of 2011.

3. Dividend rate after the first nine quarters

The dividend rate that applies in the tenth calendar 

quarter after the closing date will remain in effect until 

four and one-half years after the closing date.

If the amount of Qualified Small Business Lending as of 

the end of the eighth quarter after the closing date, as 

reflected in the Quarterly Supplemental Report 

submitted in the ninth quarter, reflects no increase at all 

over the baseline (that is, if such lending is the same as 

or less than the baseline), then the dividend rate will 

become 7% in the tenth quarter, continuing until the 
06/27/2011 14

end of the four-and-one-half-year period after the 

closing date.

Following the four-and-one-half-year period, the rate 

will increase to 9% if the funding has not already been 

repaid. 

For example, if the closing date occurs on May 1, 2011, 

the dividend rate that applies in the fourth quarter of

2013 – which is the tenth quarter after the investment 

date – will remain in effect until November 1, 2015, 

which is four and one-half years after the closing date. 

If the institution’s Qualified Small Business Lending in 

the second quarter of 2013 is the same as or less than 

the baseline, however, the dividend rate will be 7% in 

the fourth quarter of 2013. In either case, on 

November 1, 2015, the dividend rate will increase to 

9% if the institution has not redeemed its SBLF funding 

by then. 

The following table of adjustments shows the dividend 

rates that apply with specified increases from the baseline.

If your institution uses SBLF funding to refinance a CPP 

investment, an added fee will apply if the bank’s small 

business lending has not increased relative to its 

baseline amount in the eighth quarter after SBLF funding 

is received, as reflected in the Supplemental Report 

submitted in the ninth quarter after the SBLF funding is 

received. In such a case, your bank will be required to 

pay a quarterly lending incentive fee equal to 2% per 

annum on the total amount of outstanding SBLF 

funding, starting at the beginning of the first quarter 

after the fifth anniversary of the CPP investment and 

ending four and one-half years following the date your 

institution refinances into SBLF.

4. Dividend rates and lending amounts

If the amount of Qualified Small Business Lending by 

your institution has increased from the baseline by a 

sufficient percentage to result in a lower dividend rate, 

the lower rate will apply to a dollar amount of SBLF 

capital only up to the amount by which Qualified Small 

Business Lending has increased.

For example, assume that the amount of SBLF funding 

received is $5 million, qualified lending has increased by 

$4 million in the two years after receiving the capital, 

and this amount represents a 10% increase over the 

baseline, resulting in a 1% dividend rate.

On these assumptions, the 1% rate applies to $4 million 

of the SBLF funding and a 5% rate applies to the 

remaining $1 million. If Qualified Small Business Lending 

had increased by at least $5 million, which is the amount 

of the SBLF funding received, the 1% rate would have 

applied to the entire amount.

How to calculate changes in Qualified Small Business 

Lending and resulting dividend rate

Your bank will calculate changes in Qualified Small Business 

Lending – both baseline and quarterly lending – using 

Supplemental Reports that are submitted to Treasury. The 

Supplemental Reports are based in part on information 

your institution already provides in its quarterly Call Report. 

This calculation is important, because your institution’s 

increase in Qualified Small Business Lending can lower the 

dividend rate your institution pays.
06/27/2011 15

There are two types of Supplemental Reports, Initial and 

Quarterly. These reports start with information already 

presented in your institution’s Call Report or Thrift Financial 

Reports (TFRs) or, for thrift holding companies, in your 

subsidiaries’ TFRs. These reports take the outstanding 

amount of lending reflected in the following four categories:

• Commercial and industrial loans;

• Owner-occupied nonfarm, nonresidential real estate 

loans;

• Loans to finance agricultural production and other 

loans to farmers; and

• Loans secured by farmland.

The baseline is the average amount of Qualified Small 

Business Lending your institution had outstanding for the 

four quarters ending June 30, 2010 for each of these four 

types of loans, as reflected on your institution’s Call Reports 

(or TFRs). However, this baseline will be adjusted from the 

onset and each subsequent quarter by adding any increases 

in Qualified Small Business Lending obtained through 

mergers and acquisitions or loan purchases. The purpose of 

adjusting the baseline in this way is so that no institution is 

unduly rewarded for simply purchasing or acquiring 

qualified loans. 

From these amounts, large loans (defined as any loan or 

group of loans greater than $10 million), loans to large 

businesses (defined as businesses with annual revenues 

greater than $50 million), and the portion of any loans 

guaranteed by the U.S. government or for which the risk is 

assumed by a third party, are subtracted. The resulting 

amount is the Adjusted Small Business Lending Baseline.

The reports then determine the quarter-end Qualified Small 

Business Lending by taking the balances reported on your 

institution’s Call Report and adding back your institution’s 

cumulative net charge-offs with respect to such loans since 

July 1, 2010. This is done so as not to penalize banks for 

appropriately charging off loans. The resulting sum 

constitutes your Quarter-End Adjusted Qualified Small 

Business Lending.

The reports provide the calculation your institution will use 

to determine the dividend rate it will pay for its SBLF 

funding by comparing its Adjusted Quarter-End Qualified 

Small Business Lending to its Adjusetd Small Business 

Lending Baseline. 

Because your institution’s baseline is based on the four 

quarters ending June 30, 2010, your bank may already

qualify for a lower dividend rate based on the growth of 

qualified lending between July 1, 2010, and the second 

calendar quarter preceding the SBLF closing date. See the 

following chart for such an example, where the SBLF 

funding is received in the second quarter of 2011:

If your initial Qualified Small Business Lending exceeds the 

baseline, as adjusted, by a sufficient percentage, your

institution will qualify for a lower dividend rate. 

The Initial Supplemental Report, due no later than five 

business days before the closing date, will be used to 

calculate the dividend rate that will apply initially after 

closing.

The Quarterly Supplemental Reports will be used to

determine the new dividend rate for the following quarter. 

The Quarterly Supplemental Report will be due each 

quarter when the Call Report is due, no more than 
06/27/2011 16

30 calendar days after the quarter to which it pertains. If 

the closing date occurs after the Call Report for the quarter 

is due, the institution will be required to submit its first 

Quarterly Supplemental Report no later than five days 

before the closing date.

Although Quarterly Supplemental Reports will be submitted 

at the same time Call Reports are submitted, the process for 

filing Supplemental Reports differs from the Call Report 

processes. Supplemental Reports are not filed with Call 

Reports. Rather, your institution will be required to submit 

its completed Supplemental Reports by email to Treasury. 

The applicable email addresses are provided in the 

instructions for the Supplemental Reports.

As with the Call Report, different types of institutions use 

slightly different forms. There are four different versions of 

each Supplemental Report, each of which tries to leverage 

the content and format of whichever form of Call Report or 

TFR an institution uses. If your institution is a state- or 

nationally-chartered bank, you should use the Supplemental

Report for Banks. If your institution is a savings association, 

you should use the Supplemental Report for Savings 

Associations. And if your institution is a holding company, 

you should use the Supplemental Report for Bank Holding 

Companies or the Supplemental Report for Savings and 

Loan Holding Companies, as applicable. Treasury will post 

these forms at http://www.treasury.gov/resourcecenter/sb-programs/Pages/Supplemental-ReportingRequirements.aspx as they become available.
06/27/2011 17

CHAPTER FOUR: AFTER YOUR BANK 

RECEIVES FUNDING

The Small Business Lending Fund is intended to provide 

institutions with incentives to responsibly increase their 

small business lending. While the Small Business Lending 

Fund was designed to minimize the costs associated with 

participation, institutions must comply with certain 

requirements. The requirements are:

• Continuation of dividend payments and share 

repurchases

• Downstreaming of SBLF funding

• Reporting and certification requirements

• Repayment of SBLF funding

• How small businesses can know which banks are 

participating in the Small Business Lending Fund

Continuation of dividend payments and share repurchases

Subject to any existing regulatory reviews and limitations, 

accepting SBLF funding should not affect your institution’s 

ability to pay dividends to other shareholders or to 

repurchase shares. There are, however, certain limited 

restrictions, which are tailored to be consistent with normal 

dividend and share repurchase plans – permitting even 

dividend/earnings ratios in excess of 100%.

In general, your bank can make a dividend payment or 

share repurchase provided that, after the payment or 

repurchase, the institution’s Tier 1 capital would be at least 

90% of the amount existing at the time immediately after 

the closing date, excluding any subsequent net charge-offs 

and partial repayments of the SBLF funding. 

After two years, and until the tenth anniversary of the 

investment date, the 90% limitation decreases by a dollar 

amount equal to 10% of the SBLF funding for every 1% 

increase in Qualified Small Business Lending your bank has 

achieved over its baseline level. These restrictions will no 

longer apply after an institution has repaid its SBLF funding 

in full.

Failure to pay dividends on your SBLF funding carries

consequences. On such an occasion, the senior 

management of your institution must provide Treasury with 

written notice as to why your bank’s board of directors did 

not declare dividends. And, your institution may not 

repurchase shares or pay dividends on shares that are pari 

passu or junior to the SBLF shares during the quarter of 

nonpayment and for the following three quarters.

If your institution does not pay SBLF dividends for four 

quarters, and during such time it was not subject to a 

regulatory determination that prohibits the declaration and 

payment of dividends, then your institution’s board of 

directors must certify to Treasury, in writing, that your

institution used its best efforts to declare and pay such 

quarterly dividends in a manner consistent with safe and 

sound banking practices and the directors’ fiduciary 

obligation. 

If your institution fails to pay its SBLF dividends for five 

quarters, Treasury will have the right, but not the 

obligation, to appoint an observer to its board of directors. 

This right expires when full dividends have been paid for 

four consecutive dividend periods. 

After six missed payments, if the amount of your

institution’s SBLF funding totals $25 million or more, 

Treasury will have the right, but not the obligation, to elect 

two directors to its board. The right to elect directors 

expires once full dividends have been paid for four 

consecutive quarters.

For privately held banks, paying dividends on shares ranking 

pari passu or junior to SBLF shares also is prohibited from 

the tenth anniversary of the investment date onward. 

Treasury expects any outstanding SBLF funding to be repaid 

before that time.

Downstreaming of SBLF funding

The dividend rate on SBLF funding is determined based on

the quantity of Qualified Small Business Lending reported 

by insured depository institutions. When SBLF funding is 

provided to a holding company, the holding company must 

contribute at least 90% of the amount to its insured 

depository institution subsidiaries that originate small 

business loans. Funding must be downstreamed to insured 

depository institution subsidiaries immediately following 

receipt of the SBLF funding. 

If the holding company owns more than one insured 

depository institution, no insured depository institution 

may receive more than 5% of its risk-weighted assets, if the 

holding company has total assets of $1 billion or less, or 3% 

of its risk-weighted assets, if the holding company has total 

assets of more than $1 billion and less than $10 billion.
06/27/2011 18

For institutions that refinance capital investments from CPP 

or CDCI through SBLF, the requirement to downstream not 

less than 90% of Treasury’s investment will only apply to 

incremental capital received from SBLF, not capital that is 

refinanced from CPP or CDCI.

Reporting and certification requirements

As explained in Chapter Three, if your institution 

participates in the Small Business Lending Fund, it will need 

to submit an Initial Supplemental Report and Quarterly 

Supplemental Reports, which will determine the dividend 

rates for the SBLF funding. In addition, your institution will 

be required to complete a short annual lending survey and

provide certain annual certifications to Treasury, as required 

by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010.

Each Supplemental Report must be certified as accurate by 

your Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial 

Officer (CFO)2

. The same members of your board of 

directors that sign your institution’s Call Report must also 

sign the Supplemental Report. The process is very similar to 

the Call Report certification process, except that, in this 

case, the CEO must also certify the report.

 2 If the institution is a savings association, the CFO’s signature is replaced 

with an authorized officer of the savings association who signs the Thrift 

Financial Report.

Repayment of SBLF funding

As outlined in Chapter One, with the approval of its 

regulator, your institution can repay its SBLF funding at any 

time. All redemptions will be at 100% of liquidation value, 

plus accrued and unpaid dividends for the current dividend 

period, regardless of whether dividends have been 

declared. Your bank can also repay in part, provided the 

part is equal to at least 25% of the original SBLF funding.

How small businesses can know which banks are 

participating in the Small Business Lending Fund

Information about the Small Business Lending Fund is 

available on this website, www.treasury.gov/SBLF. At least 

once per month, Treasury will publish the list of banks 

participating in the Small Business Lending Fund on this 

website, www.treasury.gov/SBLF. 
06/27/2011 19

FOR MORE INFORMATION

To learn more about the Small Business Lending Fund, visit 

www.treasury.gov/SBLF.

For general inquiries and questions, please call the Small 

Business Lending Fund information line at 888-832-1147

(Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM-7:00 PM ET).

For communications pertaining to a specific institution,

please email SBLFInstitutions@treasury.gov, a Treasury

email address.

For media inquiries, please call the U.S. Department of the 

Treasury Press Office at 202-622-2960.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury provides this Getting 

Started Guide for the Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF), 

the SBLF information line, and other SBLF resources for 

informational purposes. Although efforts have been made 

to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, the 

information is subject to change or correction. Any SBLF 

funding provided to an institution will be subject to the 

terms and conditions of the definitive agreements entered 

into by Treasury and the respective institution.