Document:

Fourth Amendment and Permitted Extension Amendment

 Exhibit 10.1 
 FOURTH AMENDMENT AND PERMITTED EXTENSION AMENDMENT 
 TO REVOLVING CREDIT
AND GUARANTY AGREEMENT 
 THIS FOURTH AMENDMENT AND PERMITTED EXTENSION AMENDMENT TO REVOLVING CREDIT AND GUARANTY
AGREEMENT (this “Amendment”) is dated as of January 14, 2011, and is entered into by and among NEWPAGE CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (“NewPageCo” or “Borrower”), NEWPAGE
HOLDING CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (“NewPageHoldCo”), the GUARANTORS listed on the signature pages hereto, CERTAIN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS listed on the signature pages hereto (each a
“Lender” and collectively, the “Lenders”), WELLS FARGO CAPITAL FINANCE, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, as Administrative Agent (“Administrative Agent”) and is made with reference
to that certain REVOLVING CREDIT AND GUARANTY AGREEMENT, dated as of December 21, 2007 (as amended by that certain First Amendment to Revolving Credit and Guaranty Agreement, dated as of September 11, 2009, that certain Second
Amendment to Revolving Credit and Guaranty Agreement, dated as of January 28, 2010, and that certain Third Amendment to Revolving Credit and Guaranty Agreement and First Amendment to Pledge and Security Agreement, dated as of October 15,
2010, the “Credit Agreement”), by and among NewPageCo, NewPageHoldCo, the subsidiaries of NewPageCo named therein, Lenders, Administrative Agent and the other Agents named therein. 

RECITALS 

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 2.2(c) of the Credit Agreement, the Credit Parties have requested that Administrative Agent
request that Lenders agree to a Permitted Extension Amendment as set forth herein; and 
 WHEREAS, certain of Lenders
have agreed to accept the terms of the Permitted Extension Amendment as set forth in this Amendment and certain of Lenders have declined to accept the Permitted Extension Amendment; 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the agreements, provisions and covenants herein contained, the parties hereto
agree as follows: 
  

	SECTION I.	AMENDMENTS TO CREDIT AGREEMENT 

 1.1
Interpretation. Capitalized terms used herein (including in the preamble and recitals hereto) without definition shall have the same meanings herein as set forth in the Credit Agreement after giving effect to this Amendment. 

1.2 New Definitions. 
 A. Section 1.1 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by adding the following definitions in proper alphabetical sequence: 

“Fourth Amendment Accepting Lenders” means the Lenders set forth on Schedule 1 to the Fourth Amendment
that have accepted the Fourth Amendment; each sometimes being referred to herein individually as a “Fourth Amendment Accepting Lender”. 

 “Fourth Amendment” means the Fourth Amendment and Permitted
Extension Amendment to Revolving Credit and Guaranty Agreement, dated as of January 14, 2011, among NewPageCo, NewPageHoldCo, the Guarantors listed on the signature pages thereto, Administrative Agent, and the Fourth Amendment Accepting
Lenders. 
 “Fourth Amendment Effective Date” means the first date on which all of the
conditions precedent to the effectiveness of the Fourth Amendment shall have been satisfied as determined by Administrative Agent or shall have been waived by Administrative Agent. 

“Fourth Amendment Non-Accepting Lenders” means the Lenders set forth on Schedule 2 to the Fourth
Amendment that have not accepted the Fourth Amendment; sometimes being referred to herein individually as a “Fourth Amendment Non-Accepting Lender”. 
 “Non-Accepting Lenders Revolving Termination Commitment Event” means the termination of the Revolving Commitments of the Fourth Amendment Non-Accepting Lenders triggered under clause
(iv)(B) of the definition of “Revolving Commitment Termination Date”. 
 1.3 Amendments to Definitions. 

A. Section 1.1 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by amending and restating the definition of “Cash Dominion
Trigger Event” in its entirety as follows: 
 “Cash Dominion Trigger Event” means the
occurrence of any one of the following events: (i) at any time after the Closing Date, Excess Availability shall be less than $60,000,000 for any period of ten (10) consecutive Business Days or (ii) an Event of Default shall occur and
be continuing; provided, that, to the extent that the Cash Dominion Trigger Event has occurred due to clause (i) of this definition, if Excess Availability shall be equal to or greater than $60,000,000 for at least sixty (60) consecutive
days, the Cash Dominion Trigger Event shall be deemed to be over. At any time that a Cash Dominion Trigger Event shall be deemed to be over or otherwise cease to exist, the Agents shall take such actions, including delivering such notices and
directions to depositary institutions at which Blocked Accounts are established, to terminate the cash sweeps and other transfers existing pursuant to Section 9.01(e) as a result of any Activation Notice or other notices or directions given by
any Agent during the existence of such Cash Dominion Trigger Event. 

  
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 B. Section 1.1 of the Credit Agreement is hereby further amended by amending and
restating the definition of “Revolving Credit Termination Date” in its entirety as follows: 

“Revolving Commitment Termination Date” means the earliest to occur of (i) the fifth anniversary of
the Closing Date, (ii) the date the Revolving Commitments are permanently reduced to zero pursuant to Section 2.13(b) or 2.14, (iii) the date of the termination of the Revolving Commitments pursuant to Section 8.1, and
(iv) (A) as to the Fourth Amendment Accepting Lenders, the later of (1) March 1, 2012 and (2) the earliest date that is 61 days prior to the scheduled maturity date (determined on the date that is 120 days prior to any
scheduled maturity date referenced in this clause (iv)(A), without regard to any events (including refinancings or extensions) occurring after such determination date) of any of (a) the Senior Secured Fixed Rate Notes, (b) the Senior
Secured Floating Rate Notes, (c) the 2007 Senior Secured Fixed Rate Notes, (d) the 2009 First Lien Notes, (e) the 2010 First Lien Notes, and (f) any refinancing of any indebtedness included in items (a) - (e) in this clause
(iv)(A)), or (B) as to the Fourth Amendment Non-Accepting Lenders, the earliest date that is 181 days prior to the scheduled maturity date (determined on the date that is 271 days prior to any scheduled maturity date referenced in this clause
(iv)(B), without regard to any events (including refinancings or extensions) occurring after such determination date) of any of (a) the Senior Secured Fixed Rate Notes, (b) the Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes, (c) the 2007 Senior
Secured Fixed Rate Notes, (d) the 2009 First Lien Notes, (e) the 2010 First Lien Notes, and (f) any refinancing of any indebtedness included in items (a) - (e) in this clause (iv)(B). 

1.4 Non-Accepting Lenders Revolving Commitment Termination Event. Section 2 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by adding a new
Section 2.26 as follows: 
 “2.26 Non-Accepting Lenders Revolving Commitment Termination Event. 

(a) Upon the occurrence of a Non-Accepting Lender Revolving Commitment Termination Event and subject to
Section 2.26(d) hereof: 
 (i) each Revolving Commitment of a Fourth Amendment Non-Accepting Lender shall
expire and all Loans and other amounts owed to any Fourth Amendment Non-Accepting Lender and the Revolving Commitments of the Fourth Amendment Non-Accepting Lenders shall be paid in full by Borrower; and 

(ii) the participations of all Fourth Amendment Non-Accepting Lenders with respect to all then issued and outstanding
Letters of Credit shall be allocated by Administrative Agent, pro rata, among each of the Fourth Amendment Accepting Lenders based upon such Fourth Amendment Accepting Lender’s Pro Rata Share. Without any further action required by the parties,
each Fourth Amendment Non-Accepting Lender shall assign any such participation in any such Letters of Credit to a Fourth Amendment Accepting Lender, and each Fourth Amendment Accepting Lender shall purchase such participation in any such Letters of
Credit based upon such Fourth Amendment Accepting Lender’s Pro Rat Share; provided, that to the extent such allocation may result in the Revolving Commitment of any Fourth Amendment Accepting Lender to exceed the amount of such Fourth Amendment
Accepting Lender’s Revolving Commitment set forth on Appendix A hereto, such Letter of Credit shall be cash collateralized by Borrower in the amount equal to the amount of such excess. 

  
 3 

 (b) Upon the payment in full of the Revolving Commitments of all Fourth
Amendment Non-Accepting Lenders, the total Revolving Commitments shall automatically be reduced by the total Revolving Commitments of all Fourth Amendment Non-Accepting Lenders, and, in no event, shall such reduction cause the Revolving Commitment
of any Fourth Amendment Accepting Lender to exceed the amount of such Fourth Amendment Accepting Lender’s Revolving Commitment set forth on Appendix A hereto. 

(c) Notwithstanding the priority of payments otherwise set forth herein, upon the occurrence of a Fourth Amendment
Non-Accepting Lenders Revolving Commitment Termination Event and so long as (i) no Event of Default has occurred that is continuing and (ii) no Revolving Commitment Termination Date with respect to Fourth Amendment Accepting Lenders has
occurred contemporaneously with such Fourth Amendment Non-Accepting Lenders Revolving Commitment Termination Event, each Fourth Amendment Non-Accepting Lender shall be entitled to the payment in full of all Obligations due to such Fourth Amendment
Non-Accepting Lenders as of such Revolving Commitment Termination Date. 
 (d) Notwithstanding anything herein to
the contrary, each Fourth Amendment Non-Accepting Lender shall also constitute a Non-Consenting Lender for purposes of Section 2.23 hereof. At any time on and after the Fourth Amendment Effective Date until and including the Non-Accepting
Lenders Revolving Commitment Termination Event, NewPageCo may exercise its rights under Section 2.23 hereof to cause the assignment of the outstanding Loans and Revolving Commitments of any Fourth Amendment Non-Accepting Lender to a Replacement
Lender. Upon such assignment, the Replacement Lender shall become a Fourth Amendment Accepting Lender for purposes of this Agreement. 
 (e) Nothing contained in the Fourth Amendment or the election of a Lender to be a Fourth Amendment Non-Accepting Lender shall relieve such Lender of its obligations and duties as a Lender, including,
without limitation, the obligation to fund all Loans and purchase participations in Letters of Credit in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement. 

(f) In the event of an assignment of the Loans and any Revolving Commitment of a Fourth Amendment Non-Accepting Lender,
other than pursuant to Section 2.23 hereof, to an Eligible Assignee that does not elect to become a Fourth Amendment Accepting Lender in connection with such assignment, the Eligible Assignee shall be treated as a Fourth Amendment Non-Accepting
Lender for all purposes under this Agreement. The Administrative Agent shall make such notations in its books and records with respect to the Loans and Revolving Commitments and in the Register as it deems reasonably necessary to distinguish between
the Loans and Revolving Commitments of Fourth Amendment Accepting Lenders and the Loans and Revolving Commitments of Fourth Amendment Non-Accepting Lenders.” 

  
 4 

 1.5 Minimum Excess Availability. Section 6.8(h) of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended
and restated in its entirety as follows: 
 “(h) Minimum Excess Availability. NewPageHoldCo shall not
permit Excess Availability on any day from and after the First Amendment Effective Date to be less than $50,000,000, it being understood and agreed that nothing in this Section 6.8(h) shall limit any rights or remedies of the Administrative
Agent or the Collateral Agent set forth in this Agreement or any other Credit Document that may arise upon the occurrence and during the continuance of a Cash Dominion Trigger Event.” 

 

	SECTION II.	AMENDMENT FEE 

 As
consideration for the execution, delivery and performance of this Amendment, NewPageCo shall pay to Administrative Agent, for the ratable benefit of Fourth Amendment Accepting Lenders who have executed and delivered this Amendment on or before the
Fourth Amendment Effective Date, an amendment fee in an amount equal to (a) .0015 multiplied by (b) the aggregate Revolving Commitments of such Fourth Amendment Accepting Lenders (the “Amendment Fee”), which Amendment Fee
shall be non-refundable and fully earned and payable on the Fourth Amendment Effective Date. 
  

	SECTION III.	CONDITIONS TO EFFECTIVENESS 

 This Amendment shall become effective as of the Fourth Amendment Effective Date, which shall be deemed to have occurred on the date that the following conditions shall have been satisfied as determined by
Administrative Agent in good faith or shall have been waived by Administrative Agent: 
 A. Execution. Administrative
Agent shall have received a counterpart signature page of this Amendment duly executed by each of the Credit Parties and the Fourth Amendment Accepting Lenders. 
 B. Expenses. Administrative Agent shall have received the Amendment Fee and all other fees and amounts due and payable on or prior to the Fourth Amendment Effective Date, including, to the extent
invoiced, reimbursement or other payment of all out-of-pocket expenses required to be reimbursed or paid to Agents and Lenders by NewPageCo hereunder or any other Credit Document. 

C. Necessary Consents. Each Credit Party shall have obtained all consents necessary or advisable in connection with the
transactions contemplated by this Amendment. 
 D. Other Documents. Administrative Agent and Lenders shall have received
such other documents regarding Credit Parties as Administrative Agent may reasonably request, all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent. Each Lender party hereto hereby authorizes the Administrative Agent to enter
into any amendments to Credit Documents on behalf of the Lenders and other Secured Parties as the Administrative Agent shall deem appropriate in connection with this Amendment. 

  
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	SECTION IV.	REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES 

 In order to induce Lenders to enter into this Amendment and to amend the Credit Agreement in the manner provided herein, each Credit Party which is a party hereto represents and warrants to each Lender
that the following statements are true and correct in all material respects: 
 A. Corporate Power and Authority. Each
Credit Party which is party hereto has all requisite power and authority to enter into this Amendment and to carry out the transactions contemplated by, and perform its obligations under, the Credit Agreement as amended by this Amendment (the
“Amended Agreement”) and the other Credit Documents. 
 B. Authorization of Agreements. The execution
and delivery of this Amendment and the performance of the Amended Agreement and the other Credit Documents have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of each Credit Party. 

C. No Conflict. The execution and delivery by each Credit Party of this Amendment and the performance by each Credit Party of the
Amended Agreement and the other Credit Documents do not and will not (i) violate (A) any provision of any law, statute, rule or regulation, or of the certificate or articles of incorporation or limited liability company agreement, other
constitutive documents or by-laws of NewPageCo, NewPageHoldCo or any other Credit Party or (B) any applicable order of any court or any rule, regulation or order of any Governmental Authority, (ii) be in conflict with, result in a breach
of or constitute (alone or with notice or lapse of time or both) a default under any Contractual Obligation of the applicable Credit Party, where any such conflict, violation, breach or default referred to in clause (i) or (ii) of this
Section IV.C., individually or in the aggregate could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (iii) except as permitted under the Amended Agreement, result in or require the creation or imposition of any Lien upon any of the
properties or assets of each Credit Party (other than any Liens created under any of the Credit Documents in favor of Collateral Agent on behalf of Lenders), or (iv) require any approval of stockholders or members or any approval or consent of
any Person under any Contractual Obligation of each Credit Party, except for such approvals or consents which will be obtained on or before the Fourth Amendment Effective Date and except for any such approvals or consents the failure of which to
obtain will not have a Material Adverse Effect. 
 D. Governmental Consents. No action, consent or approval of,
registration or filing with or any other action by any Governmental Authority is or will be required in connection with the execution and delivery by each Credit Party of this Amendment and the performance by NewPageCo, NewPageHoldCo and the other
Credit Parties of the Amended Agreement and the other Credit Documents, except for such actions, consents and approvals the failure to obtain or make could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect or which have been obtained
and are in full force and effect. 
 E. Binding Obligation. This Amendment and the Amended Agreement have been duly
executed and delivered by each of the Credit Parties party thereto and each constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Credit Party to the extent a party thereto, enforceable against such Credit Party in accordance with its terms,
except as enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, reorganization or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and except as enforceability may be limited by general principles of equity (regardless of
whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law). 

  
 6 

 F. Incorporation of Representations and Warranties From Credit Agreement. The
representations and warranties contained in Section 4 of the Amended Agreement are and will be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the Fourth Amendment Effective Date to the same extent as though made on and as of that date,
except to the extent such representations and warranties specifically relate to an earlier date, in which case they were true and correct in all material respects on and as of such earlier date. 

G. Absence of Default. No event has occurred and is continuing or, after giving effect to the terms of this Amendment, will result
from the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Amendment that would constitute an Event of Default or a Default. 
  

	SECTION V.	ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND CONSENT 

Each Guarantor hereby acknowledges that it has reviewed the terms and provisions of the Credit Agreement and this Amendment and consents
to the amendment of the Credit Agreement effected pursuant to this Amendment. Each Guarantor hereby confirms that each Credit Document to which it is a party or otherwise bound and all Collateral encumbered thereby will continue to guarantee or
secure, as the case may be, to the fullest extent possible in accordance with the Credit Documents the payment and performance of all “Obligations” under each of the Credit Documents to which is a party (in each case as such terms are
defined in the applicable Credit Document). 
 Each Guarantor acknowledges and agrees that any of the Credit Documents to which
it is a party or otherwise bound shall continue in full force and effect and that all of its obligations thereunder shall be valid and enforceable and shall not be impaired or limited by the execution or effectiveness of this Amendment. Each
Guarantor represents and warrants that all representations and warranties contained in the Amended Agreement and the Credit Documents to which it is a party or otherwise bound are true and correct in all material respects on and as of the date
hereof to the same extent as though made on and as of that date, except to the extent such representations and warranties specifically relate to an earlier date, in which case they were true and correct in all material respects on and as of such
earlier date. 
 Each Guarantor acknowledges and agrees that (i) notwithstanding the conditions to effectiveness set forth
in this Amendment, such Guarantor is not required by the terms of the Credit Agreement or any other Credit Document to consent to the amendments to the Credit Agreement effected pursuant to this Amendment and (ii) nothing in the Credit
Agreement, this Amendment or any other Credit Document shall be deemed to require the consent of such Guarantor to any future amendments to the Credit Agreement. 
  

	SECTION VI.	MISCELLANEOUS 

 A.
Reference to and Effect on the Credit Agreement and the Other Credit Documents. 
 (i) On and after
the Fourth Amendment Effective Date, each reference in the Credit Agreement to “this Agreement”, “hereunder”, “hereof”, “herein” or words of like import referring to the Credit Agreement, and each reference in
the other Credit Documents to the “Credit Agreement”, “thereunder”, “thereof” or words of like import referring to the Credit Agreement, shall mean and be a reference to the Credit Agreement as amended by this
Amendment. 

  
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 (ii) Except as specifically amended by this Amendment, the Credit Agreement
and the other Credit Documents shall remain in full force and effect and are hereby ratified and confirmed. 

(iii) The execution, delivery and performance of this Amendment shall not constitute a waiver of any provision of, or
operate as a waiver of any right, power or remedy of any Agent or Lender under, the Credit Agreement or any of the other Credit Documents. 
 B. Headings. Section and Subsection headings in this Amendment are included herein for convenience of reference only and shall not constitute a part of this Amendment for any other purpose
or be given any substantive effect. 
 C. Applicable Law. THIS AMENDMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES
HERETO SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND SHALL BE CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICT OF LAWS. 

D. Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties hereto in separate
counterparts, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be deemed an original, but all such counterparts together shall constitute but one and the same instrument; signature pages may be detached from multiple separate counterparts and
attached to a single counterpart so that all signature pages are physically attached to the same document. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Amendment by telecopier, facsimile or electronic delivery (in pdf format)
shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Amendment. 
 E. Severability. In the
event that any provision of or obligation under this Amendment shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions or obligations, or of such provision or obligation
in any other jurisdiction, shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby. 
 [Remainder of this page intentionally left
blank.] 

  
 8 

 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be duly executed
and delivered by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized as of the date first written above. 
  

					
	NEWPAGE CORPORATION
		
	By:	 	         /s/ Timothy D. Nusbaum

		 	Name:	 	Timothy D. Nusbaum
		 	Title:	 	Treasurer
	
	NEWPAGE HOLDING CORPORATION
		
	By:	 	         /s/ Timothy D. Nusbaum

		 	Name:	 	Timothy D. Nusbaum
		 	Title:	 	Treasurer
	
	 CHILLICOTHE PAPER INC.
 WICKLIFFE PAPER COMPANY LLC
 ESCANABA PAPER COMPANY

LUKE PAPER COMPANY
 RUMFORD PAPER
COMPANY
 NEWPAGE ENERGY SERVICES LLC
 UPLAND RESOURCES, INC.
 RUMFORD COGENERATION, INC.

NEWPAGE CONSOLIDATED PAPERS INC.

NEWPAGE WISCONSIN SYSTEM INC.
 NEWPAGE
CANADIAN SALES LLC
 NEWPAGE PORT HAWKESBURY CORP.
 NEWPAGE PORT HAWKESBURY HOLDING LLC

		
	By:	 	         /s/ Timothy D. Nusbaum

		 	Name:	 	Timothy D. Nusbaum
		 	Title:	 	Treasurer

  

					
	 WELLS FARGO CAPITAL FINANCE, LLC,
 as Administrative Agent and as a Lender

		
	By:	 	 /s/ Thomas Grabosky

		 	Name:	 	Thomas Grabosky
		 	Title:	 	Senior Vice President

  

					
	JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as a Lender
		
	By:	 	         /s/ Peter S. Predun

		 	Name:	 	Peter S. Predun
		 	Title:	 	Executive Director
	
	BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as a Lender
		
	By:	 	         /s/ Adam Seiden

		 	Name:	 	Adam Seiden
		 	Title:	 	Vice President
	
	UBS LOAN FINANCE LLC, as a Lender
		
	By:	 	         /s/ Mary E. Evans

		 	Name:	 	Mary E. Evans
		 	Title:	 	Associate Director
		
	By:	 	         /s/ Irja R. Otsa

		 	Name:	 	Irja R. Otsa
		 	Title:	 	Associate Director
	
	ALLY COMMERCIAL FINANCE LLC, as a Lender
		
	By:	 	         /s/ W. Wakefield Smith

		 	Name:	 	W. Wakefield Smith
		 	Title:	 	Senior Director
	
	BARCLAYS BANK PLC, as a Lender
		
	By:	 	         /s/ David Sawyer

		 	Name:	 	David Sawyer
		 	Title:	 	Managing Director
	
	GOLDMAN SACHS LENDING PARTNERS LLC, as a Lender
		
	By:	 	         /s/ Lauren Day

		 	Name:	 	Lauren Day
		 	Title:	 	Authorized Signatory

  

					
	CITIBANK, N.A., as a Lender
		
	By:	 	         /s/ Brendan Mackay

		 	Name:	 	Brendan Mackay
		 	Title:	 	Vice President
	
	FCS FINANCIAL, PCA., as a Lender
		
	By:	 	         /s/ Sean Unterreiner

		 	Name:	 	Sean Unterreiner
		 	Title:	 	Senior Lending Officer
	
	BENTHAM WHOLESALE SYNDICATED LOAN FUND
		
	By:	 	Credit Suisse Asset Management, LLC,
		 	as Agent (Sub Advisor) for
		 	Challenger Investment Services Limited,
		 	the Responsible Entity for Bentham
		 	Wholesale Syndicated Loan Fund
		
	By:	 	         /s/ Thomas Flannery

		 	Name:	 	Thomas Flannery
		 	Title:	 	Authorized Signatory
	
	CREDIT SUISSE DOLLAR SENIOR LOAN FUND, LTD.
		
	By:	 	Credit Suisse Asset Management, LLC,
		 	as investment manager
		
	By:	 	         /s/ Thomas Flannery

		 	Name:	 	Thomas Flannery
		 	Title:	 	Authorized SignatoryNote Purchase Agreement, dated 1/18/2011

 Exhibit 10.1 

 
  

 

BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION 

$158,000,000 6.50% Senior Secured Notes, Series A, due January 18, 2016 

$17,000,000 6.60% Senior Secured Notes, Series B, due January 18, 2018 

 
  

NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT 

 
  

Dated as of January 18, 2011 
  

 
  

 TABLE OF CONTENTS 

(Not a part of the Agreement) 
  

							
	SECTION	  	HEADING	  	 	PAGE	  
			
	SECTION 1.	  	AUTHORIZATION OF NOTES	  	 	1	  
			
	 Section 1.1.
	  	Notes	  	 	1	  
	 Section 1.2.
	  	Changes in Interest Rate	  	 	1	  
			
	SECTION 2.	  	SALE AND PURCHASE OF NOTES; SECURITY	  	 	4	  
			
	 Section 2.1.
	  	Purchase and Sale of Notes	  	 	4	  
	 Section 2.2.
	  	Guarantee and Security Agreement, Etc.	  	 	4	  
			
	SECTION 3.	  	CLOSING	  	 	4	  
			
	SECTION 4.	  	CONDITIONS TO CLOSING	  	 	5	  
			
	 Section 4.1.
	  	Representations and Warranties	  	 	5	  
	 Section 4.2.
	  	Performance; No Default	  	 	5	  
	 Section 4.3.
	  	Compliance Certificates	  	 	5	  
	 Section 4.4.
	  	Opinions of Counsel	  	 	5	  
	 Section 4.5.
	  	Purchase Permitted by Applicable Law, Etc.	  	 	6	  
	 Section 4.6.
	  	Sale of Other Notes	  	 	6	  
	 Section 4.7.
	  	Security Documents; Affiliate Agreements	  	 	6	  
	 Section 4.8.
	  	Guarantee and Security Agreement	  	 	6	  
	 Section 4.9.
	  	Filing and Recording	  	 	6	  
	 Section 4.10.
	  	Lien Search	  	 	6	  
	 Section 4.11.
	  	Payment of Special Counsel Fees	  	 	7	  
	 Section 4.12.
	  	Private Placement Number	  	 	7	  
	 Section 4.13.
	  	Changes in Corporate Structure	  	 	7	  
	 Section 4.14.
	  	Funding Instructions	  	 	7	  
	 Section 4.15.
	  	Proceedings and Documents	  	 	7	  
	 Section 4.16.
	  	Offeree Letter	  	 	7	  
			
	SECTION 5.	  	REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY	  	 	8	  
			
	 Section 5.1.
	  	Organization; Power and Authority	  	 	8	  
	 Section 5.2.
	  	Authorization, Etc.	  	 	8	  
	 Section 5.3.
	  	Disclosure	  	 	8	  
	 Section 5.4.
	  	Organization; Affiliates	  	 	9	  
	 Section 5.5.
	  	Financial Statements; Material Liabilities	  	 	9	  
	 Section 5.6.
	  	Compliance with Laws, Other Instruments, Etc.	  	 	9	  
	 Section 5.7.
	  	Governmental Authorizations, Etc.	  	 	9	  
	 Section 5.8.
	  	Litigation; Observance of Agreements, Statutes and Orders	  	 	10	  
	 Section 5.9.
	  	Taxes	  	 	10	  

  
 -i-

  

							
	 Section 5.10.
	  	Title to Property; Leases	  	 	10	  
	 Section 5.11.
	  	Licenses, Permits, Etc.	  	 	10	  
	 Section 5.12.
	  	Compliance with ERISA	  	 	11	  
	 Section 5.13.
	  	Private Offering by the Company	  	 	11	  
	 Section 5.14.
	  	Use of Proceeds; Margin Regulations	  	 	12	  
	 Section 5.15.
	  	Existing Indebtedness; Future Liens	  	 	12	  
	 Section 5.16.
	  	Foreign Assets Control Regulations, Etc.	  	 	13	  
	 Section 5.17.
	  	Status under Certain Statutes	  	 	13	  
	 Section 5.18.
	  	Notes Rank Pari Passu	  	 	14	  
	 Section 5.19.
	  	Environmental Matters	  	 	14	  
	 Section 5.20.
	  	Affiliate Agreements	  	 	14	  
			
	SECTION 6.	  	REPRESENTATIONS AND AGREEMENTS OF THE PURCHASERS	  	 	14	  
			
	 Section 6.1.
	  	Purchase for Investment	  	 	14	  
	 Section 6.2.
	  	Source of Funds	  	 	15	  
			
	SECTION 7.	  	INFORMATION AS TO THE COMPANY	  	 	17	  
			
	 Section 7.1.
	  	Financial and Business Information	  	 	17	  
	 Section 7.2.
	  	Officer’s Certificate	  	 	20	  
	 Section 7.3.
	  	Visitation	  	 	20	  
			
	SECTION 8.	  	PREPAYMENT OF THE NOTES	  	 	21	  
			
	 Section 8.1.
	  	Maturity	  	 	21	  
	 Section 8.2.
	  	Optional Prepayments with Make-Whole Amount	  	 	21	  
	 Section 8.3.
	  	Change in Control	  	 	22	  
	 Section 8.4.
	  	Prepayment on Borrowing Base Deficiency Without Make-Whole	  	 	24	  
	 Section 8.5.
	  	Allocation of Partial Prepayments	  	 	25	  
	 Section 8.6.
	  	Maturity; Surrender, Etc.	  	 	26	  
	 Section 8.7.
	  	Purchase of Notes	  	 	26	  
	 Section 8.8.
	  	Make-Whole Amount and Modified Make-Whole Amount	  	 	26	  
	 Section 8.9
	  	Prepayment for Tax Reasons	  	 	28	  
			
	SECTION 9.	  	AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS	  	 	29	  
			
	 Section 9.1.
	  	Compliance with Law	  	 	29	  
	 Section 9.2.
	  	Insurance	  	 	29	  
	 Section 9.3.
	  	Maintenance of Properties	  	 	29	  
	 Section 9.4.
	  	Payment of Taxes and Claims	  	 	30	  
	 Section 9.5.
	  	Legal Existence, Etc.	  	 	30	  
	 Section 9.6.
	  	Notes to Rank Pari Passu	  	 	30	  
	 Section 9.7.
	  	New Subsidiaries; Further Assurances	  	 	30	  
	 Section 9.8.
	  	Books and Records	  	 	31	  
	 Section 9.9.
	  	Status of RIC and BDC	  	 	31	  
	 Section 9.10.
	  	Investment Policies	  	 	31	  

  
 -ii-

  

							
	 Section 9.11.
	  	Portfolio Valuation and Diversification, Etc.	  	 	31	  
	 Section 9.12.
	  	Calculation of Borrowing Base	  	 	34	  
	 Section 9.13.
	  	Portfolio Valuation and Borrowing Base Most Favored Lender	  	 	39	  
	 Section 9.14.
	  	Rating Confirmation	  	 	40	  
			
	SECTION 10.	  	NEGATIVE COVENANTS	  	 	40	  
			
	 Section 10.1.
	  	Indebtedness	  	 	40	  
	 Section 10.2.
	  	Liens	  	 	41	  
	 Section 10.3.
	  	Fundamental Changes	  	 	41	  
	 Section 10.4.
	  	Investments	  	 	43	  
	 Section 10.5.
	  	Restricted Payments	  	 	44	  
	 Section 10.6.
	  	Certain Restrictions on Subsidiaries	  	 	45	  
	 Section 10.7.
	  	Certain Financial Covenants	  	 	45	  
	 Section 10.8.
	  	Transactions with Affiliates	  	 	47	  
	 Section 10.9.
	  	Lines of Business	  	 	47	  
	 Section 10.10.
	  	No Further Negative Pledge	  	 	47	  
	 Section 10.11.
	  	Terrorism Sanctions Regulations	  	 	48	  
	 Section 10.12.
	  	Guarantee and Security Agreement	  	 	48	  
			
	SECTION 11.	  	EVENTS OF DEFAULT	  	 	49	  
			
	SECTION 12.	  	REMEDIES ON DEFAULT, ETC.	  	 	51	  
			
	 Section 12.1.
	  	Acceleration	  	 	51	  
	 Section 12.2.
	  	Other Remedies	  	 	52	  
	 Section 12.3.
	  	Rescission	  	 	52	  
	 Section 12.4.
	  	No Waivers or Election of Remedies, Expenses, Etc.	  	 	52	  
	 Section 12.5.
	  	Application of Proceeds from Collateral	  	 	52	  
			
	SECTION 13.	  	REGISTRATION; EXCHANGE; SUBSTITUTION OF NOTES	  	 	53	  
			
	 Section 13.1.
	  	Registration of Notes	  	 	53	  
	 Section 13.2.
	  	Transfer and Exchange of Notes	  	 	53	  
	 Section 13.3.
	  	Replacement of Notes	  	 	53	  
			
	SECTION 14.	  	PAYMENTS ON NOTES	  	 	54	  
			
	 Section 14.1.
	  	Place of Payment	  	 	54	  
	 Section 14.2.
	  	Home Office Payment	  	 	54	  
	 Section 14.3
	  	Taxation	  	 	55	  
			
	SECTION 15.	  	EXPENSES, ETC.	  	 	57	  
			
	 Section 15.1.
	  	Transaction Expenses	  	 	57	  
	 Section 15.2.
	  	Survival	  	 	57	  

  
 -iii-

  

							
	SECTION 16.	  	SURVIVAL OF REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES; ENTIRE AGREEMENT	  	 	58	  
			
	SECTION 17.	  	AMENDMENT AND WAIVER	  	 	58	  
			
	 Section 17.1.
	  	Requirements	  	 	58	  
	 Section 17.2.
	  	Solicitation of Holders of Notes	  	 	58	  
	 Section 17.3.
	  	Binding Effect, Etc.	  	 	59	  
	 Section 17.4.
	  	Notes Held by Company, Etc.	  	 	59	  
			
	SECTION 18.	  	NOTICES	  	 	59	  
			
	SECTION 19.	  	REPRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS	  	 	60	  
			
	SECTION 20.	  	CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION	  	 	61	  
			
	SECTION 21.	  	SUBSTITUTION OF PURCHASER	  	 	62	  
			
	SECTION 22.	  	MISCELLANEOUS	  	 	62	  
			
	 Section 22.1.
	  	Successors and Assigns	  	 	62	  
	 Section 22.2.
	  	Payments Due on Non-Business Days	  	 	62	  
	 Section 22.3.
	  	Accounting Terms	  	 	63	  
	 Section 22.4.
	  	Severability	  	 	63	  
	 Section 22.5.
	  	Construction, Etc.	  	 	63	  
	 Section 22.6.
	  	Counterparts	  	 	63	  
	 Section 22.7.
	  	Governing Law	  	 	63	  
	 Section 22.8.
	  	Jurisdiction and Process; Waiver of Jury Trial	  	 	63	  

  
 -iv-

  

					
	SCHEDULE A	  	—	  	INFORMATION RELATING TO PURCHASERS
			
	SCHEDULE B	  	—	  	DEFINED TERMS
			
	SCHEDULE 5.4	  	—	  	Affiliates and Directors and Senior Officers
			
	SCHEDULE 5.5	  	—	  	Financial Statements
			
	SCHEDULE 5.7	  	—	  	Description of Necessary Consents, Approvals, Etc.
			
	SCHEDULE 5.15	  	—	  	Liens and Indebtedness
			
	SCHEDULE 9.11(a)	  	—	  	Industry Classification Groups
			
	SCHEDULE 9.11(b)	  	—	  	Portfolio Pricing Practices
			
	SCHEDULE 10.8(e)	  	—	  	Affiliate Transactions
			
	EXHIBIT 1	  	—	  	Form of 6.50% Senior Secured Note, Series A, due January 18, 2016
			
	EXHIBIT 2	  	—	  	Form of 6.60% Senior Secured Note, Series B, due January 18, 2018
			
	EXHIBIT 2.2	  	—	  	Guarantee and Security Agreement
			
	EXHIBIT 4.4(a)	  	—	  	Form of Opinion of Special Counsel for the Company
			
	EXHIBIT 4.4(b)	  	—	  	Form of Opinion of Special Counsel for the Purchasers
			
	EXHIBIT 4.16	  	—	  	Form of Offeree Letter
			
	EXHIBIT 9.12	  	—	  	Form of Borrowing Base Certificate

  
 -v-

 BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL
CORPORATION 
 40 East 52nd Street 

New York, New York 10022 
 $158,000,000 6.50% Senior Secured Notes, Series A, due January 18, 2016 

$17,000,000 6.60% Senior Secured Notes, Series B, due January 18, 2018 

Dated as of January 18, 2011 

TO EACH OF THE PURCHASERS LISTED IN 

  SCHEDULE A HERETO: 
 Ladies and Gentlemen: 
 BLACKROCK
KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), agrees with each of the purchasers whose names appear at the end hereof (each, a “Purchaser” and,
collectively, the “Purchasers”) as follows: 
 SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF
NOTES. 
 Section 1.1. Notes. The Company will authorize the issue and sale of (a) $158,000,000
aggregate principal amount of its 6.50% Senior Secured Notes, Series A, due January 18, 2016 (the “Series A Notes”) and (b) $17,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 6.60% Senior Secured Notes, Series B, due
January 18, 2018 (the “Series B Notes”); the Series A Notes and the Series B Notes being hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Notes”, such term to include any such notes issued in
substitution therefor pursuant to Section 13). The Notes shall be substantially in the form set out in Exhibit 1 or Exhibit 2, as the case may be. Certain capitalized and other terms used in this Agreement are
defined in Schedule B; and references to a “Schedule” or an “Exhibit” are, unless otherwise specified, to a Schedule or an Exhibit attached to this Agreement. 

Section 1.2. Changes in Interest Rate. (a) If at any time a Below Investment Grade Event occurs, then as of such date to
and until the date on which such Below Investment Grade Event is no longer continuing, the Notes shall bear interest at the Adjusted Interest Rate; provided that, the failure of the Company to receive and deliver to the holders of the Notes a
rating pursuant to Section 9.14 shall be deemed a Below Investment Grade Event; provided, further, that, following the receipt and delivery to the holders of the Notes of a Rating pursuant to Section 9.14 the Adjusted
Interest Rate applicable thereafter shall be determined in accordance with such then current Rating; provided further that following the occurrence of an Event of Default, Notes shall bear interest at the Default Rate as stated in the Note.

 (b) Upon the occurrence of a Below Investment Grade Event, the Company shall promptly, and in any event within five
(5) business days thereafter, notify the holders of the 

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
Notes in writing, sent in the manner provided in Section 18, that a Below Investment Grade Event has occurred, which written notice shall be accompanied by evidence satisfactory to
the Required Holders to such effect and certifying the interest rate to be payable in respect of the Notes in consequence thereof. 
 (c) Each holder of a Note shall, at the Company’s expense, use reasonable efforts to cooperate with any reasonable request made by the Company in connection with any rating appeal or application.

 (d) The fees and expenses of any Rating Agency and all other costs incurred in connection with obtaining, affirming or
appealing a Rating pursuant to this Section 1.2 shall be borne by the Company. 
 (e) As used herein,
“Adjusted Interest Rate” means, 
 (i) in the event that at the time of the Below Investment
Grade Event, the Company has obtained a Rating from only one Rating Agency and such Rating is at least “BB+” or its equivalent, the interest rate on the Notes shall be adjusted as follows: (A) the interest rate on the Series A Notes
shall be increased by 100 basis points (1.00%) to 7.50% per annum and (B) the interest rate on the Series B Notes shall be increased by 100 basis points (1.00%) to 7.60% per annum; 

(ii) in the event that at the time of the Below Investment Grade Event, the Company has obtained a Rating from only one
Rating Agency and such Rating is less than “BB+” or its equivalent but is at least “BB-” or its equivalent, the interest rate on the Notes shall be adjusted as follows: (A) the interest rate on the Series A Notes shall be
increased by 150 basis points (1.50%) to 8.00% per annum and (B) the interest rate on the Series B Notes shall be increased by 150 basis points (1.50%) to 8.10% per annum; 

(iii) in the event that at the time of the Below Investment Grade Event, the Company has obtained a Rating from only one
Rating Agency and such Rating is less than “BB-” or its equivalent, the interest rate on the Notes shall be adjusted as follows: (A) the interest rate on the Series A Notes shall be increased by 200 basis points (2.00%) to
8.50% per annum and (B) the interest rate on the Series B Notes shall be increased by 200 basis points (2.00%) to 8.60% per annum; 
 (iv) in the event that at the time of the Below Investment Grade Event, the Company has obtained a Rating from two Rating Agencies and the lower of such Ratings is at least “BB-” or its
equivalent, the interest rate on the Notes shall be adjusted as follows: (A) the interest rate on the Series A Notes shall be increased by 100 basis points (1.00%) to 7.50% per annum and (B) the interest rate on the Series B
Notes shall be increased by 100 basis points (1.00%) to 7.60% per annum; 
 (v) in the event that at
the time of the Below Investment Grade Event, the Company has obtained a Rating from two Rating Agencies and the lower of such Ratings 

  
 -2-

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
is less than “BB-” or its equivalent, the interest rate on the Notes shall be adjusted as follows: (A) the interest rate on the Series A Notes shall be increased by 200 basis
points (2.00%) to 8.50% per annum and (B) the interest rate on the Series B Notes shall be increased by 200 basis points (2.00%) to 8.60% per annum; 

(vi) in the event that at the time of the Below Investment Grade Event, the Company has obtained a Rating from more than
two Rating Agencies and the lowest two of such Ratings are at least “BB-” or its equivalent, the interest rate on the Notes shall be adjusted as follows: (i) the interest rate on the Series A Notes shall be increased by 100 basis
points (1.00%) to 7.50% per annum and (ii) the interest rate on the Series B Notes shall be increased by 100 basis points (1.00%) to 7.60% per annum; 

(vii) in the event that at the time of the Below Investment Grade Event, the Company has obtained a Rating from more than
two Rating Agencies and the lowest two of such ratings are a rating of less than “BB-” or its equivalent, the interest rate on the Notes shall be adjusted as follows: (i) the interest rate on the Series A Notes shall be increased by
200 basis points (2.00%) to 8.50% per annum and (ii) the interest rate on the Series B Notes shall be increased by 200 basis points (2.00%) to 8.60% per annum; and 

(viii) in the event the Company fails to receive and deliver to the holders of the Notes a rating pursuant to
Section 9.14, the interest rate on the Notes shall be adjusted as follows: (A) the interest rate on the Series A Notes shall be increased by 200 basis points (2.00%) to 8.50% per annum and (B) the interest rate on the
Series B Notes shall be increased by 200 basis points (2.00%) to 8.60% per annum. 
 (f) As used herein, a
“Below Investment Grade Event” shall occur if 
 (i) at any time the Company has obtained a
Rating from only one Rating Agency, the then most recent Rating from such Rating Agency that is in full force and effect (not having been withdrawn) is not equal to or better than Investment Grade; or 

(ii) at any time the Company has obtained a Rating from two Rating Agencies, the then most recent Rating from either
Rating Agency that is in full force and effect (not having been withdrawn) is not equal to or better than Investment Grade; or 
 (iii) at any time the Company has obtained a Rating from three Rating Agencies, the then most recent Rating from two Rating Agencies that is in full force and effect (not having been withdrawn) is not
equal to or better than Investment Grade; or 
 (iv) the Company shall have failed to receive and deliver to the
holders of the Notes a Rating from at least one Rating Agency pursuant to Section 9.14. 

  
 -3-

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 SECTION 2. SALE AND PURCHASE
OF NOTES; SECURITY. 
 Section 2.1. Purchase and Sale of Notes. Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company will issue and sell to each Purchaser and each Purchaser will purchase from the Company, at the Closing provided for in Section 3, Notes in the principal amount and of the same
series specified opposite such Purchaser’s name in Schedule A at the purchase price of 100% of the principal amount thereof. The Purchasers’ obligations hereunder are several and not joint obligations and no Purchaser shall
have any liability to any Person for the performance or non-performance of any obligation by any other Purchaser hereunder. 

Section 2.2. Guarantee and Security Agreement, Etc. Pursuant to that certain Guarantee and Security Agreement dated as of
December 6, 2006 (as the same may, from time to time, be supplemented, amended or otherwise modified, including as amended by that certain Amendment No. 1 thereto dated as of April 20, 2010, the “Guarantee and Security
Agreement”) attached hereto as Exhibit 2.2, the Notes shall be designated by the Company as “Designated Indebtedness” under the Guarantee and Security Agreement and the holders of the Notes shall have executed a
joinder agreement, in form and substance satisfactory to the Collateral Agent (the “GSA Joinder Agreement”), with the effect and result that the Indebtedness evidenced by the Notes shall be equally and ratably secured under the
Guarantee and Security Agreement with the Indebtedness outstanding pursuant to the Senior Secured Credit Agreement, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in such Guarantee and Security Agreement. 

SECTION 3. CLOSING. 
 The sale and purchase of the Notes to be purchased by each Purchaser shall occur at the offices of Chapman and Cutler LLP, 111 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603, at 10:00 A.M. Chicago time,
at a closing (the “Closing”) on January 18, 2011 or on such other Business Day thereafter on or prior to January 20, 2011 as may be agreed upon by the Company and the Purchasers. At the Closing, the Company will deliver to
each Purchaser the Notes of the series to be purchased by such Purchaser in the form of a single Note of each series of the Notes so to be purchased or such greater number of Notes in denominations of at least $100,000 as such Purchaser may request
dated the date of the Closing and registered in such Purchaser’s name (or in the name of its nominee), against delivery by such Purchaser to the Company or its order of immediately available funds in the amount of the purchase price therefor by
wire transfer of immediately available funds for the account of the Company to account number xx-xxx-xxxxx with sub-account number xxx-xxx-xxx-xxx at PNC Bank, N.A. in Philadelphia, PA, ABA No. xxxxxxxxx. If at the Closing the Company shall
fail to tender such Notes to any Purchaser as provided above in this Section 3, or any of the conditions specified in Section 4 shall not have been fulfilled to such Purchaser’s satisfaction, such Purchaser shall, at its
election, be relieved of all further obligations under this Agreement, without thereby waiving any rights such Purchaser may have by reason of such failure or such nonfulfillment. 

  
 -4-

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 SECTION 4. CONDITIONS TO CLOSING.

 Each Purchaser’s obligation to purchase and pay for the Notes to be sold to such Purchaser at the Closing is subject to
the fulfillment to such Purchaser’s satisfaction, prior to or at the Closing, of the following conditions: 

Section 4.1. Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement and in the
Guarantee and Security Agreement shall be correct when made and at the time of the Closing. 
 Section 4.2. Performance;
No Default. The Company shall have performed and complied with all agreements and conditions contained in this Agreement and in the Guarantee and Security Agreement required to be performed or complied with by it prior to or at the Closing, and
after giving effect to the issue and sale of the Notes (and the application of the proceeds thereof as contemplated by Section 5.14), no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing. The Company shall not have
entered into any transaction since the date of the Memorandum that would have been prohibited by Section 10 had such Section applied since such date. 
 Section 4.3. Compliance Certificates. 
 (a) Officer’s
Certificate. The Company shall have delivered to such Purchaser an Officer’s Certificate, dated the date of the Closing, certifying that the conditions specified in Sections 4.1, 4.2 and 4.13 have been fulfilled.

 (b) Secretary’s Certificate. The Company shall have delivered to such Purchaser a certificate of its Secretary or
Assistant Secretary, dated the date of Closing, certifying as to the resolutions attached thereto and other corporate proceedings relating to the authorization, execution and delivery of the Notes, this Agreement and the Guarantee and Security
Agreement. 
 Section 4.4. Opinions of Counsel. Such Purchaser shall have received opinions in form and substance
satisfactory to such Purchaser, dated the date of the Closing (a) from Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP, counsel for the Company, covering the matters set forth in Exhibit 4.4(a) and covering such other matters incident to
the transactions contemplated hereby as such Purchaser or its counsel may reasonably request (and the Company hereby instructs its counsel to deliver such opinion to the Purchasers) and (b) from Chapman and Cutler LLP, the Purchasers’
special counsel, in connection with such transactions, substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit 4.4(b) and covering such other matters incident to such transactions as such Purchaser may reasonably request. 

  
 -5-

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 Section 4.5. Purchase Permitted by Applicable Law, Etc. On the date of the
Closing such Purchaser’s purchase of Notes shall (a) be permitted by the laws and regulations of each jurisdiction to which such Purchaser is subject, without recourse to provisions (such as section 1405(a)(8) of the New York
Insurance Law) permitting limited investments by insurance companies without restriction as to the character of the particular investment, (b) not violate any applicable law or regulation (including, without limitation, Regulation T, U or X of
the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System) and (c) not subject such Purchaser to any tax, penalty or liability under or pursuant to any applicable law or regulation, which law or regulation was not in effect on the date hereof. If
requested by such Purchaser, such Purchaser shall have received an Officer’s Certificate certifying as to such matters of fact as such Purchaser may reasonably specify to enable such Purchaser to determine whether such purchase is so permitted.

 Section 4.6. Sale of Other Notes. Contemporaneously with the Closing, the Company shall sell to each other
Purchaser, and each other Purchaser shall purchase, the Notes to be purchased by it at the Closing as specified in Schedule A. 
 Section 4.7. Security Documents; Affiliate Agreements. The Guarantee and Security Agreement and the Affiliate Agreements shall be in form and substance satisfactory to such Purchaser
and its special counsel, shall have been duly executed and delivered by the parties thereto and shall be in full force and effect and such Purchaser and its special counsel shall have received true, correct and complete copies of each thereof.

 Section 4.8. Guarantee and Security Agreement. Contemporaneously with the Closing, the Company shall deliver to
the Collateral Agent, with copies to each Purchaser and their special counsel, (a) the GSA Joinder Agreement, executed by the Company and the Collateral Agent, (b) an executed notice substantially in the form of Exhibit A to the Guarantee
and Security Agreement as contemplated by Section 6.01 thereto and (c) an executed certificate required by said Section 6.01. The Purchasers shall have also executed and delivered to the Collateral Agent the GSA Joinder Agreement.

 Section 4.9. Filing and Recording. The Security Documents (and/or financing statements or similar notices
thereof if and to the extent permitted or required by applicable law) and the collateral described therein shall have been recorded or filed for record in such public offices (or delivered to the Purchasers or their special counsel for filing or
recording) or otherwise maintained in the possession of the appropriate parties, as the case may be, in accordance with the terms of the Guarantee and Security Agreement and as may be deemed necessary or appropriate by such Purchaser or its special
counsel in order to perfect the Lien granted or conveyed thereby. 
 Section 4.10. Lien Search. Such
Purchaser and its special counsel shall have received the results of a recent Lien search in each 

  
 -6-

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
relevant jurisdiction with respect to the Company, confirming the priority of the Liens in favor of the Collateral Agent created pursuant to the Security Documents and revealing no Liens on any
of the assets of the Company except for Liens permitted under Section 10.2. 
 Section 4.11. Payment of
Special Counsel Fees. Without limiting the provisions of Section 15.1, the Company shall have paid on or before the Closing the fees, charges and disbursements of the Purchasers’ special counsel referred to in
Section 4.4 to the extent reflected in a statement of such counsel rendered to the Company at least one Business Day prior to the Closing. 
 Section 4.12. Private Placement Number. A Private Placement Number issued by Standard & Poor’s CUSIP Service Bureau (in cooperation with the Securities Valuation Office of the
National Association of Insurance Commissioners) shall have been obtained for each series of the Notes. 
 Section 4.13.
Changes in Corporate Structure. The Company shall not have changed its jurisdiction of incorporation or been a party to any merger or consolidation or succeeded to all or any substantial part of the liabilities of any other entity, at any time
following the date of the most recent financial statements referred to in Schedule 5.5. 
 Section 4.14.
Funding Instructions. At least two Business Days prior to the date of the Closing, each Purchaser shall have received written instructions signed by a Responsible Officer on letterhead of the Company confirming the information specified in
Section 3 including (a) the name and address of the transferee bank, (b) such transferee bank’s ABA number and (c) the account name and number into which the purchase price for the Notes is to be deposited.

 Section 4.15. Proceedings and Documents. All corporate and other proceedings in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and all documents and instruments incident to such transactions shall be satisfactory to such Purchaser and its special counsel, and such Purchaser and its special counsel shall have received all such counterpart
originals or certified or other copies of such documents as such Purchaser or such special counsel may reasonably request. 

Section 4.16. Offeree Letter. Such Purchaser, the Company, the Purchasers’ special counsel and the Company’s
counsel, in each case referred to in Section 4.4 shall have received an offeree letter, dated the date of the Closing, from the Placement Agent substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit 4.16 attached hereto and covering
such other matters incident to such transactions as such Purchaser, the Company, the Purchasers’ special counsel or the Company’s counsel may reasonably request. 

  
 -7-

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 SECTION 5. REPRESENTATIONS AND
WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY. 
 The Company represents and warrants to
each Purchaser that: 
 Section 5.1. Organization; Power and Authority. The Company is a corporation duly organized,
validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required by law, other than those
jurisdictions as to which the failure to be so qualified or in good standing could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has the corporate power and authority to own or hold
under lease the properties it purports to own or hold under lease, to transact the business it transacts and proposes to transact, to execute and deliver this Agreement, the Notes and the Security Documents to which it is a party and to perform the
provisions hereof and thereof. 
 Section 5.2. Authorization, Etc. This Agreement, the Notes and the Security
Documents to which the Company is a party have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, and this Agreement and the Security Documents to which the Company is a party constitute, and upon execution and
delivery thereof each Note will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by (a) applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and (b) general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity
or at law). 
 Section 5.3. Disclosure. The Company, through its agent, Citigroup Global Capital Markets, Inc. (the
“Placement Agent”) has delivered to each Purchaser a copy of a Confidential Offering Memorandum, dated November, 2010 (the “Memorandum”), relating to the transactions contemplated hereby. The Memorandum fairly
describes, in all material respects, the general nature of the business and principal properties of the Company. This Agreement, the Security Documents, the Memorandum and the documents, certificates or other writings delivered to the Purchasers by
or on behalf of the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, and the financial statements listed in Schedule 5.5 (this Agreement, the Security Documents, the Memorandum and such documents, certificates or other
writings and such financial statements delivered to each Purchaser prior to December 16, 2010 being referred to, collectively, as the “Disclosure Documents”), taken as a whole, do not contain any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were made provided that with respect to projected financial information, the Company represents
only that such information was prepared in good faith based on assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time. Since December 31, 2009, there has not been any event, development or circumstance that has had or could reasonably be expected to
have a Material Adverse Effect on (i) the business, Portfolio Investments and other assets, liabilities and financial 

  
 -8-

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
condition of the Company taken as a whole (excluding in any case a decline in the net asset value of the Company or a change in general market conditions or values of the Company’s Portfolio
Investments), or (ii) the validity or enforceability of any of this Agreement, the Security Documents, the Notes or the rights and remedies of the Purchasers hereunder. There is no fact known to the Company that could reasonably be expected to
have a Material Adverse Effect that has not been set forth herein or in the Disclosure Documents. 
 Section 5.4.
Organization; Affiliates. As of the date of the Closing (a) Schedule 5.4 contains (except as noted therein) a complete and correct list (i) of the Company’s Affiliates which are directly Controlled by the Company, and
(ii) of the Company’s directors and senior officers and (b) the Company has no Subsidiaries. 

Section 5.5. Financial Statements; Material Liabilities. The Company has delivered to each Purchaser copies of the financial
statements of the Company listed on Schedule 5.5. All of said financial statements (including in each case the related schedules and notes) fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company as of the
respective dates specified in such financial statements and the results of its operations and cash flows for the respective periods so specified and have been prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the periods involved
except as set forth in the notes thereto (subject, in the case of any interim financial statements, to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes). The Company does not have any Material liabilities that are not disclosed on such
financial statements or otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Documents. 
 Section 5.6. Compliance with Laws, Other
Instruments, Etc. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the Notes and the Security Documents to which it is a party will not (a) except for the Liens created pursuant to the Security Documents,
contravene, result in any breach of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation of any Lien in respect of any property of the Company under, (i) in any material respect, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan, purchase or
credit agreement, lease or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is bound or by which the Company or any of its respective properties may be bound or affected or (ii) the corporate charter or by-laws of the Company,
(b) conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any order, judgment, decree, or ruling of any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority applicable to the Company or (c) violate any provision of
any statute or other rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority applicable to the Company. 
 Section 5.7.
Governmental Authorizations, Etc. No consent, approval or authorization of, or registration, filing or declaration with, any Governmental Authority is required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by the Company of this
Agreement, the Notes or the Security Documents to which it is a party except for (a) such as have been or will be obtained or made, 

  
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are in full force and effect and are described on Schedule 5.7 and (b) filings and recordings in respect of the Liens created pursuant to the Security Documents. 

Section 5.8. Litigation; Observance of Agreements, Statutes and Orders. (a) There are no actions, suits, investigations
or proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company or any property of the Company in any court or before any arbitrator of any kind or before or by any Governmental Authority that, individually or
in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 
 (b) The Company is not in default under any
term of any agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound, or any order, judgment, decree or ruling of any court, arbitrator or Governmental Authority or in violation of any applicable law, ordinance, rule or regulation
(including without limitation Environmental Laws or the USA Patriot Act) of any Governmental Authority, which default or violation, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 

Section 5.9. Taxes. The Company has filed or caused to be filed all material tax returns that are required to have been filed
in any jurisdiction, and has paid all material taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns and all other taxes and assessments levied upon it or its properties, assets, income or franchises, to the extent such taxes and assessments have become
due and payable and before they have become delinquent, except (a) to the extent that the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or (b) for any taxes and assessments, the amount, applicability
or validity of which is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which the Company has established adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP. The Company knows of no basis for any other tax or assessment
that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 
 Section 5.10. Title to Property; Leases. The
Company has good and sufficient title to its properties that individually or in the aggregate are Material, including all such properties reflected in the most recent audited balance sheet referred to in Section 5.5 or purported to have
been acquired by the Company after said date (except as sold or otherwise disposed of in the ordinary course of business), in each case free and clear of Liens prohibited by Section 10.2. All leases that individually or in the aggregate
are Material are valid and subsisting and are in full force and effect in all material respects. 
 Section 5.11.
Licenses, Permits, Etc. (a) The Company owns or possesses all licenses, permits, franchises, authorizations, patents, copyrights, proprietary software, service marks, trademarks and trade names, or rights thereto, without known conflict
with the rights of others, except for any such conflicts that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. 

  
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 (b) To the best knowledge of the Company, no product of the Company infringes on any
license, permit, franchise, authorization, patent, copyright, proprietary software, service mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned by any other Person, except for any such infringements that, individually or in the aggregate, could not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. 
 (c) To the best knowledge of the Company, there is no
violation by any Person of any right of the Company with respect to any patent, copyright, proprietary software, service mark, trademark, trade name or other right owned or used by the Company, except for any such violations that, individually or in
the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. 
 Section 5.12. Compliance with
ERISA. (a) Neither the Company nor any ERISA Affiliate maintains, contributes to or is obligated to maintain or contribute to, or has, at any time within the past six years, maintained, contributed to or been obligated to maintain or
contribute to, any employee benefit plan which is subject to Title I or Title IV of ERISA or section 4975 of the Code. Neither the Company nor any ERISA Affiliate is, or has ever been at any time within the past six years, a “party in
interest” (as defined in section 3(14) of ERISA) or a “disqualified person” (as defined in section 4975 of the Code) with respect to any such plan. 
 (b) The Company and its ERISA Affiliates have not incurred any obligation in connection with the termination of or withdrawal from any Non-U.S. Plan. 

Section 5.13. Private Offering by the Company. (a) Neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has offered the
Notes or any similar Securities for sale to, or solicited any offer to buy any of the same from, or otherwise approached or negotiated in respect thereof with, any Person other than the Purchasers and not more than 40 other Institutional Accredited
Investors, each of which has been offered the Notes at a private sale for investment. Neither the Company nor anyone acting on its behalf has taken, or will take, any action that would subject the issuance or sale of the Notes to the registration
requirements of Section 5 of the Securities Act or to the registration requirements of any Securities or blue sky laws of any applicable jurisdiction. 
 (b) None of the Company nor any of its Affiliates has offered the Notes or any similar Securities during the six months prior to the date hereof to anyone other than the Purchasers. The Company currently
has no intention to offer the Notes or any similar Securities during the six months from the date hereof. 
 (c) The Company has
not offered or sold the Notes, nor has it authorized or directed the Placement Agent or any other Person acting on its behalf to offer or sell the Notes, by any form of general solicitation or general advertising, including, but not limited to, the
following: (i) any advertisement, article, notice or other communication published in any newspaper, magazine, or similar media or broadcast over television or radio; (ii) any website posting or widely distributed

  
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e-mail; or (iii) any seminar or meeting whose attendees have been invited by any general solicitation or general advertising. 

(d) Other than the Placement Agent, the Company has not dealt with any broker, finder, commission agent, placement agent or arranger in
connection with the sale of the Notes and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and the Company is not under any obligation to pay any broker’s fee or commission in connection with such transactions other than to the Placement Agent.
Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates nor any other Person acting on its behalf (other than its officers acting in such capacity) has solicited offers for, or offered or sold, the Notes other than through the Placement Agent. 

Section 5.14. Use of Proceeds; Margin Regulations. (a) The Company will apply the proceeds of the sale of the Notes as
set forth under the heading “Proposed Financing” in the “Executive Summary” of the Memorandum. No part of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes hereunder will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of buying or
carrying any margin stock within the meaning of Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (12 CFR 221), or for the purpose of buying or carrying or trading in any securities under such circumstances as to involve
the Company in a violation of Regulation X of said Board (12 CFR 224) or to involve any broker or dealer in a violation of Regulation T of said Board (12 CFR 220). Margin stock does not constitute more than 25% of the value of the assets
of the Company and the Company does not have any present intention that margin stock will constitute more than 25% of the value of such assets. As used in this Section, the terms “margin stock” and “purpose of buying or carrying”
shall have the meanings assigned to them in said Regulation T, U and X respectively. 
 (b) The Company is not engaged
principally, or as one of its important activities, in the business of extending credit for the purpose, whether immediate, incidental or ultimate, of buying or carrying margin stock. 

Section 5.15. Existing Indebtedness; Future Liens. (a) Schedule 5.15 sets forth a complete and correct list
of all outstanding Indebtedness of the Company as of the date of the Closing (including a description of the obligors and obligees, principal amount outstanding and collateral therefor, if any, and Guarantee thereof, if any). The Company is not in
default and no waiver of default is currently in effect, in the payment of any principal or interest on any Indebtedness of the Company and no event or condition exists with respect to any Indebtedness of the Company that would permit (or that with
notice or the lapse of time, or both, would permit) one or more Persons to cause such Indebtedness to become due and payable before its stated maturity or before its regularly scheduled dates of payment. 

(b) Except as disclosed in Schedule 5.15, the Company has not agreed or consented to cause or permit in the future (upon the
happening of a contingency or otherwise) any of its property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, to be subject to a Lien not permitted by Section 10.2. 

  
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 (c) The Company is not a party to, or otherwise subject to any provision contained in,
any instrument evidencing Indebtedness of the Company, any agreement relating thereto or any other agreement (including, but not limited to, its charter or other organizational document) which limits the amount of, or otherwise imposes restrictions
on the incurring of, Indebtedness of the Company, except for the Senior Secured Credit Agreement and except as specifically indicated in Schedule 5.15. 
 Section 5.16. Foreign Assets Control Regulations, Etc. (a) Neither the sale of the Notes by the Company hereunder nor its use of the proceeds thereof will violate the Trading with the
Enemy Act, as amended, or any of the foreign assets control regulations of the United States Treasury Department (31 CFR, Subtitle B, Chapter V, as amended) or any enabling legislation or executive order relating thereto. 

(b) The Company (i) is not a Person described or designated in the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List of the
Office of Foreign Assets Control or in section 1 of the Anti-Terrorism Order or (ii) does not engage in any dealings or transactions with any such Person. The Company is in compliance, in all material respects, with the USA Patriot Act.

 (c) No part of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes hereunder will be used, directly or indirectly, for any payments to
any governmental official or employee, political party, official of a political party, candidate for political office, or anyone else acting in an official capacity, in order to obtain, retain or direct business or obtain any improper advantage, in
violation of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, assuming in all cases that such act applies to the Company. 
 Section 5.17. Status under Certain Statutes. (a) The Company is not subject to regulation under the ICC Termination Act of 1995, as amended, or the Federal Power Act, as amended.

 (b) The Company is an “investment company” that has elected to be regulated as a “business development
company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act and qualifies as a RIC. 
 (c) The business and other activities
of the Company, including the issuance of the Notes hereunder, the application of the proceeds and repayment thereof by the Company and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement do not result in a violation or breach in any
material respect of the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act or any rules, regulations or orders issued by the SEC thereunder. 
 (d) The Company is in compliance with its Investment Policies, except to the extent that the failure to so comply could not reasonably be expected to be material and adverse to the Purchasers. 

  
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 Section 5.18. Notes Rank Pari Passu. The obligations of the Company under
this Agreement and the Notes rank at least pari passu in right of payment with all other Senior Secured Indebtedness (actual or contingent) of the Company, including, without limitation, all Senior Secured Indebtedness of the Company
described in Schedule 5.15 hereto. 
 Section 5.19. Environmental Matters. (a) The Company has no
knowledge of any claim nor has it received any notice of any claim, and no proceeding has been instituted raising any claim against the Company or any of its real properties now or formerly owned, leased or operated by the Company, alleging any
damage to the environment or violation of any Environmental Laws, except, in each case, such as could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. 
 (b) The Company has no knowledge of any facts which would give rise to any claim, public or private, of violation of Environmental Laws or damage to the environment emanating from, occurring on or in any
way related to real properties now or formerly owned, leased or operated by the Company or their use, except, in each case, such as could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. 

(c) The Company has not stored any Hazardous Materials on real properties now or formerly owned, leased or operated by the Company or has
disposed of any Hazardous Materials in a manner contrary to any Environmental Laws in each case in any manner that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. 

(d) All buildings on all real properties now owned, leased or operated by the Company are in compliance with applicable Environmental
Laws, except where failure to comply could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. 

Section 5.20. Affiliate Agreements. As of the date of the Closing, the Company has heretofore delivered to each of the
Purchasers true and complete copies of each of the Affiliate Agreements (including schedules and exhibits thereto, and any amendments, supplements or waivers executed and delivered thereunder). As of the date of the Closing, each of the Affiliate
Agreements is in full force and effect. 
 SECTION 6. REPRESENTATIONS AND
AGREEMENTS OF THE PURCHASERS. 
 Section 6.1. Purchase for
Investment. (a) Each Purchaser severally represents that it is purchasing the Notes for its own account or for one or more separate accounts maintained by such Purchaser or for the account of one or more pension or trust funds and not with
a view to the distribution thereof; provided that the disposition of such Purchaser’s or their property shall at all times be within such Purchaser’s or their control. Each Purchaser understands that the Notes have not been
registered under the Securities Act and may be resold only if registered pursuant to the provisions of the Securities 

  
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Act or if an exemption from registration is available, except under circumstances where neither such registration nor such an exemption is required by law, and that the Company is not required to
register the Notes. 
 (b) Each Purchaser severally represents and warrants that such Purchaser (i) will not sell, transfer
or otherwise dispose of the Notes or any interest therein except in a transaction exempt from or not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act and (ii) was given the opportunity to ask questions and receive answers
concerning the terms and conditions of the offering and to obtain any additional information which the Company possesses or can acquire without unreasonable effort or expense. Each Purchaser acknowledges that the Notes will bear a restrictive legend
in the form set forth on the forms of Notes set out in Exhibit 1 and Exhibit 2, respectively. 
 (c)
Each Purchaser for itself represents that it is an Institutional Accredited Investor acting for its own account or as a fiduciary or agent for others (which others are also Institutional Accredited Investors). 

(d) Each Purchaser severally represents that the purchase of the Notes by such Purchaser has not been solicited by or through anyone
other than the Company or the Placement Agent. 
 (e) Each holder of a Note covenants and agrees that it shall not directly or
indirectly transfer all or any portion of any of its Notes to any Person that is a Competitor. 
 Section 6.2.
Source of Funds. Each Purchaser severally represents that at least one of the following statements is an accurate representation as to each source of funds (a “Source”) to be used by such Purchaser to pay
the purchase price of the Notes to be purchased by such Purchaser hereunder: 
 (a) the Source is an
“insurance company general account” (as the term is defined in the United States Department of Labor’s Prohibited Transaction Exemption (“PTE”) 95-60) in respect of which the reserves and liabilities (as defined by
the annual statement for life insurance companies approved by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (the “NAIC Annual Statement”)) for the general account contract(s) held by or on behalf of any employee benefit plan
together with the amount of the reserves and liabilities for the general account contract(s) held by or on behalf of any other employee benefit plans maintained by the same employer (or affiliate thereof as defined in PTE 95-60) or by the same
employee organization in the general account do not exceed ten percent (10%) of the total reserves and liabilities of the general account (exclusive of separate account liabilities) plus surplus as set forth in the NAIC Annual Statement filed
with such Purchaser’s state of domicile; or 
 (b) the Source is a separate account that is maintained
solely in connection with such Purchaser’s fixed contractual obligations under which the amounts payable, or credited, to any employee benefit plan (or its related trust) that has any interest in such

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
separate account (or to any participant or beneficiary of such plan (including any annuitant)) are not affected in any manner by the investment performance of the separate account; or 

(c) the Source is either (i) an insurance company pooled separate account, within the meaning of PTE 90-1, or
(ii) a bank collective investment fund, within the meaning of the PTE 91-38 and, except as have been disclosed by such Purchaser to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause (c), no employee benefit plan or group of plans maintained
by the same employer or employee organization beneficially owns more than 10% of all assets allocated to such pooled separate account or collective investment fund; or 

(d) the Source constitutes assets of an “investment fund” (within the meaning of Part V of the QPAM
Exemption) managed by a “qualified professional asset manager” or “QPAM” (within the meaning of Part V of the QPAM Exemption), no employee benefit plan’s assets that are included in such investment fund, when combined
with the assets of all other employee benefit plans established or maintained by the same employer or by an affiliate (within the meaning of Section V(c)(1) of the QPAM Exemption) of such employer or by the same employee organization and
managed by such QPAM, exceed 20% of the total client assets managed by such QPAM, the conditions of Part I(c) and (g) of the QPAM Exemption are satisfied, as of the last day of its most recent calendar quarter, the QPAM does not own a 10% or
more interest in the Company and no Person controlling or controlled by the QPAM (applying the definition of “control” in Section V(e) of the QPAM Exemption) owns a 20% or more interest in the Company (or less than 20% but greater
than 10%, if such person exercises control over the management or policies of the Company by reason of its ownership interest) and (i) the identity of such QPAM and (ii) the names of all employee benefit plans whose assets are included in
such investment fund have been disclosed to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause (d); or 
 (e) the
Source constitutes assets of a “plan(s)” (within the meaning of Section IV of PTE 96-23 (the “INHAM Exemption”)) managed by an “in-house asset manager” or “INHAM” (within the meaning of
Part IV of the INHAM Exemption), the conditions of Part I(a), (g) and (h) of the INHAM Exemption are satisfied, neither the INHAM nor a Person controlling or controlled by the INHAM (applying the definition of “control” in
Section IV(d) of the INHAM Exemption) owns a 5% or more interest in the Company and (i) the identity of such INHAM and (ii) the name(s) of the employee benefit plan(s) whose assets constitute the Source have been disclosed to the
Company in writing pursuant to this clause (e); or 
 (f) the Source is a governmental plan; or 

(g) the Source is one or more employee benefit plans, or a separate account or trust fund comprised of one or more
employee benefit plans, each of which has been identified to the Company in writing pursuant to this clause (g); or 

  
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 (h) the Source does not include assets of any employee benefit plan,
other than a plan exempt from the coverage of ERISA. 
 As used in this Section 6.2, the terms “employee
benefit plan”, “governmental plan”, “party in interest” and “separate account” shall have the respective meanings assigned to such terms in section 3 of ERISA. 

SECTION 7. INFORMATION AS TO THE COMPANY. 

Section 7.1. Financial and Business Information. The Company shall deliver to each holder of Notes that is an Institutional
Investor: 
 (a) Quarterly Statements — within 60 days (or such shorter period as is 15 days
greater than the period applicable to the filing of the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (the “Form 10-Q”) with the SEC regardless of whether the Company is subject to the filing requirements thereof) after the
end of each quarterly fiscal period in each fiscal year of the Company (other than the last quarterly fiscal period of each such fiscal year), duplicate copies of: 

(i) a consolidated statement of assets and liabilities of the Company and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such quarter,
and 
 (ii) consolidated statements of operations, changes in net assets and cash flows of the Company and its
Subsidiaries for such quarter and (in the case of the second and third quarters) for the portion of the fiscal year ending with such quarter, 
 setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding periods in the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, prepared in accordance with GAAP applicable to quarterly
financial statements generally, and certified by a Senior Financial Officer as fairly presenting, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, subject to
changes resulting from year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes; provided that delivery within the time period specified above of copies of the Company’s Form 10-Q prepared in compliance with the requirements therefor and
filed with the SEC shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this Section 7.1(a); provided, further, that the Company shall be deemed to have made such delivery of such Form 10-Q if it shall have timely made such
Form 10-Q available on “EDGAR” and on its home page on the worldwide web (at the date of this Agreement located at: http//www.blackrockkelso.com) and shall have given each Purchaser prior notice of such availability on EDGAR and on
its home page in connection with each delivery (such availability and notice thereof being referred to as “Electronic Delivery”); 

  
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 (b) Annual Statements — within 105 days (or such shorter
period as is 15 days greater than the period applicable to the filing of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Form 10-K”) with the SEC regardless of whether the Company is subject to the filing requirements
thereof) after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, duplicate copies of, 
 (i) a consolidated statement
of assets and liabilities of the Company and its Subsidiaries, as at the end of such year, and 
 (ii)
consolidated statements of operations, changes in net assets and cash flows of the Company and its Subsidiaries, for such year, 

setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail, prepared in accordance
with GAAP, and all reported on by Deloitte & Touche LLP or other independent public accountants of recognized national standing to the effect that such consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the
financial condition and results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied; provided that the delivery within the time period specified above of copies of the
Company’s Form 10-K for such fiscal year (together with the Company’s annual report to shareholders, if any, prepared pursuant to Rule 14a-3 under the Exchange Act) prepared in accordance with the requirements therefor and filed with the
SEC, shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this Section 7.1(b); provided, further, that the Company shall be deemed to have made such delivery of such Form 10-K if it shall have timely made Electronic Delivery
thereof; 
 (c) SEC and Other Reports — promptly upon their becoming publicly available, one copy of
(i) each financial statement, report, notice or proxy statement sent by the Company or any Subsidiary to its principal lending banks as a whole (excluding information sent to such banks in the ordinary course of administration of a bank
facility, such as information relating to pricing and borrowing availability or to its public securities holders generally) and (ii) each regular or periodic report, each registration statement (without exhibits except as expressly requested by
such holder), and each prospectus and all amendments thereto filed by the Company or any Subsidiary with the SEC and of all press releases and other statements made available generally by the Company or any Subsidiary to the public concerning
developments that are Material; 
 (d) Notice of Default or Event of Default — promptly after a
Responsible Officer becomes aware of the existence of any Default or Event of Default or that any Person has given any notice or taken any action with respect to a claimed default hereunder or that any Person has given any notice or taken any action
with respect to a claimed default of the type referred to in Section 11(g), a written notice specifying the nature and period of existence thereof and what action the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto;

  
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 (e) ERISA Matters — promptly after a Responsible Officer
becomes aware of any of the following, a written notice setting forth the nature thereof and the action, if any, that the Company or an ERISA Affiliate is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto: 

(i) with respect to any Plan, any reportable event, as defined in section 4043(c) of ERISA and the regulations
thereunder, for which notice thereof has not been waived pursuant to such regulations as in effect on the date hereof; or 
 (ii) the taking by the PBGC of steps to institute, or the threatening by the PBGC of the institution of, proceedings under section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a
trustee to administer, any Plan, or the receipt by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of a notice from a Multiemployer Plan that such action has been taken by the PBGC with respect to such Multiemployer Plan; or 

(iii) any event, transaction or condition that could result in the incurrence of any liability by the Company or any ERISA
Affiliate pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or the penalty or excise tax provisions of the Code relating to employee benefit plans, or in the imposition of any Lien on any of the rights, properties or assets of the Company or any ERISA Affiliate
pursuant to Title I or IV of ERISA or such penalty or excise tax provisions, if such liability or Lien, taken together with any other such liabilities or Liens then existing, could reasonably be expected to result in liability of the Company and its
Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount exceeding $5,000,000; 
 (f) Notices from Governmental Authority
— promptly after a Responsible Officer becomes aware of the filing or commencement of any action, suit or proceeding by or before any arbitrator or any Federal or state Governmental Authority against or affecting the Company or any of its
Affiliates that, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect a written notice setting forth the nature thereof and the action, if any, that the Company is taking or proposes to take with respect
thereto; 
 (g) Monthly Borrowing Base Certificates — as soon as available and in any event not later
than the last Business Day of the calendar month following each monthly accounting period (ending on the last day of each calendar month) of the Company and its Subsidiaries, a Borrowing Base Certificate as at the last day of such accounting period;

 (h) Notice of Borrowing Base Deficiency — promptly but no later than five Business Days after the
Company shall at any time have knowledge that there is a Borrowing Base Deficiency, a Borrowing Base Certificate as at the date the Company has knowledge of such Borrowing Base Deficiency indicating the amount of the Borrowing

  
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Base Deficiency as at the date the Company obtained knowledge of such deficiency and the amount of the Borrowing Base Deficiency as of the date not earlier than one Business Day prior to the date
the Borrowing Base Certificate is delivered pursuant to this paragraph; and 
 (i) Requested Information
— with reasonable promptness, such other data and information relating to the business, operations, affairs, financial condition, assets or properties of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (including, but without limitation, actual copies
of the Company’s Form 10-Q and Form 10-K) or relating to the ability of the Company to perform its obligations hereunder and under the Notes as from time to time may be reasonably requested by any such holder of Notes. 

Section 7.2. Officer’s Certificate. Each set of financial statements delivered to a holder of Notes pursuant to
Section 7.1(a) or Section 7.1(b) shall be accompanied by a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer setting forth (which, in the case of Electronic Delivery of such financial statements, shall be by separate concurrent
delivery of such certificate to each holder of Notes): 
 (a) Covenant Compliance — the information
(including reasonably detailed calculations) required in order to establish whether the Company was in compliance with the requirements of Sections 10.1 through 10.7, inclusive, during the quarterly or annual period covered by the
statements then being furnished (including with respect to each such Section, where applicable, the reasonable calculations of the maximum or minimum amount, ratio or percentage, as the case may be, permissible under the terms of such Sections, and
the reasonable calculations of the amount, ratio or percentage then in existence); and 
 (b) Event of
Default — a statement that such Senior Financial Officer has reviewed the relevant terms hereof and has made, or caused to be made, under his or her supervision, a review of the transactions and conditions of the Company and its
Subsidiaries from the beginning of the quarterly or annual period covered by the statements then being furnished to the date of the certificate and that such review shall not have disclosed the existence during such period of any condition or event
that constitutes a Default or an Event of Default or, if any such condition or event existed or exists (including, without limitation, any such event or condition resulting from the failure of the Company or any Subsidiary to comply with any
Environmental Law), specifying the nature and period of existence thereof and what action the Company shall have taken or proposes to take with respect thereto. 
 Section 7.3. Visitation. The Company shall permit the representatives of each holder of Notes that is an Institutional Investor: 

(a) No Default — if no Default or Event of Default then exists, at the expense of such holder and upon
reasonable prior notice to the Company, to visit the principal executive office of the Company, to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the 

  
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Company and its Subsidiaries with the Company’s officers, and (with the consent of the Company, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld) its independent public accountants, and (with
the consent of the Company, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld) to visit the other offices and properties of the Company and each Subsidiary, and to conduct evaluations and appraisals of the Company’s computation of the Borrowing
Base and the assets included in the Borrowing Base, all at such reasonable times and as often as may be reasonably requested in writing, provided that the Company or the applicable Subsidiary shall be entitled to have its representatives and
advisors present during any visit to its offices and properties or inspection of its books and records; and 

(b) Default — if a Default or Event of Default then exists, at the expense of the Company, to visit and
inspect any of the offices or properties of the Company or any Subsidiary, to examine all their respective books of account, records, reports and other papers, to make copies and extracts therefrom, to discuss their respective affairs, finances and
accounts with their respective officers and independent public accountants (and by this provision the Company authorizes said accountants to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Company and its Subsidiaries) and to conduct evaluations
and appraisals of the Company’s computation of the Borrowing Base and the assets included in the Borrowing Base, all at such times and as often as may be requested, provided that the Company or the applicable Subsidiary shall be entitled
to have its representatives and advisors present during any visit to its offices and properties or inspection of its books and records. 

SECTION 8. PREPAYMENT OF THE NOTES. 

Section 8.1. Maturity. As provided therein, the entire unpaid principal balance of each series of the Notes shall be due and
payable on the stated maturity date thereof. 
 Section 8.2. Optional Prepayments with Make-Whole Amount. The
Company may, at its option, upon notice as provided below, prepay at any time all, or from time to time any part of, the Notes, in an amount not less than 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding (but if in the case of a
partial prepayment, then against each series of Notes in proportion to the aggregate principal amount outstanding of each series) at 100% of the principal amount so prepaid, together with interest accrued thereon to, but excluding, the date of such
prepayment, and the Make-Whole Amount determined for the prepayment date with respect to such principal amount. The Company will give each holder of Notes written notice of each optional prepayment under this Section 8.2 not less than 30
days and not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for such prepayment. Each such notice shall specify such date (which shall be a Business Day), the aggregate principal amount of each series of the Notes to be prepaid on such date, the
principal amount of each Note held by such holder to be prepaid (determined in accordance with Section 8.5), and the interest to be paid on the prepayment date with respect to 

  
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such principal amount being prepaid, and shall be accompanied by a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer as to the estimated Make-Whole Amount due in connection with such prepayment
(calculated as if the date of such notice were the date of the prepayment), setting forth the details of such computation. Two Business Days prior to such prepayment, the Company shall deliver to each holder of Notes a certificate of a Senior
Financial Officer specifying the calculation of such Make-Whole Amount as of the specified prepayment date. 

Section 8.3. Change in Control. 
 (a) Notice of Change in Control or Control Event. The Company will, within five Business Days after any Responsible Officer has knowledge of the occurrence of any Change in Control or Control
Event, give written notice of such Change in Control or Control Event to each holder of Notes unless notice in respect of such Change in Control (or the Change in Control contemplated by such Control Event) shall have been given pursuant to
subparagraph (b) of this Section 8.3. If a Change in Control has occurred, such notice shall contain and constitute an offer to prepay Notes as described in subparagraph (c) of this Section 8.3 and shall be
accompanied by the certificate described in subparagraph (g) of this Section 8.3. 
 (b) Condition to
Company Action. The Company will not take any action that consummates or finalizes a Change in Control unless (i) at least 30 days prior to such action it shall have given to each holder of Notes written notice containing and constituting
an offer to prepay Notes as described in subparagraph (c) of this Section 8.3, accompanied by the certificate described in subparagraph (g) of this Section 8.3, and (ii) contemporaneously with such action, it
prepays all Notes required to be prepaid in accordance with this Section 8.3. 
 (c) Offer to Prepay Notes.
The offer to prepay Notes contemplated by subparagraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 8.3 shall be an offer to prepay, in accordance with and subject to this Section 8.3, all, but not less than all, the Notes held by
each holder (in this case only, “holder” in respect of any Note registered in the name of a nominee for a disclosed beneficial owner shall mean such beneficial owner) on a date specified in such offer (the “Section 8.3
Proposed Prepayment Date”). If such Section 8.3 Proposed Prepayment Date is in connection with an offer contemplated by subparagraph (a) of this Section 8.3, such date shall be not less than 30 days and not more
than 120 days after the date of such offer (if the Section 8.3 Proposed Prepayment Date shall not be specified in such offer, the Section 8.3 Proposed Prepayment Date shall be the first Business Day after the 45th day after the
date of such offer). 
 (d) Acceptance/Rejection. A holder of Notes may accept the offer to prepay made pursuant to this
Section 8.3 by causing a notice of such acceptance to be delivered to the Company not later than 15 days after receipt by such holder of the most recent offer of prepayment. A failure by a holder of Notes to respond to an offer to
prepay made pursuant to this Section 8.3 shall be deemed to constitute rejection of such offer by such holder. 

(e) Prepayment. Prepayment of the Notes to be prepaid pursuant to this Section 8.3 shall be at 100% of the principal
amount of such Notes, together with interest on such Notes accrued to, but excluding, the date of prepayment, but without Make-Whole Amount or other 

  
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premium. The prepayment shall be made on the Section 8.3 Proposed Prepayment Date except as provided in subparagraph (f) of this Section 8.3. 

(f) Deferral Pending Change in Control. The obligation of the Company to prepay Notes pursuant to the offers required by
subparagraph (c) and accepted in accordance with subparagraph (d) of this Section 8.3 is subject to the occurrence of the Change in Control in respect of which such offers and acceptances shall have been made. In the event that
such Change in Control has not occurred on the Section 8.3 Proposed Prepayment Date in respect thereof, the prepayment shall be deferred until, and shall be made on, the date on which such Change in Control occurs. The Company shall keep each
holder of Notes reasonably and timely informed of (i) any such deferral of the date of prepayment, (ii) the date on which such Change in Control and the prepayment are expected to occur, and (iii) any determination by the Company that
efforts to effect such Change in Control have ceased or been abandoned (in which case the offers and acceptances made pursuant to this Section 8.3 in respect of such Change in Control shall be deemed rescinded). 

(g) Officer’s Certificate. Each offer to prepay the Notes pursuant to this Section 8.3 shall be accompanied by a
certificate, executed by a Senior Financial Officer of the Company and dated the date of such offer, specifying: (i) the Section 8.3 Proposed Prepayment Date; (ii) that such offer is made pursuant to this Section 8.3;
(iii) the principal amount of each Note offered to be prepaid; (iv) the interest that would be due on each Note offered to be prepaid, accrued to, but excluding, the Section 8.3 Proposed Prepayment Date; (v) that the conditions
of this Section 8.3 have been fulfilled; and (vi) in reasonable detail, the nature and date or proposed date of the Change in Control. 
 (h) “Control Event” means: 
 (i) the execution by
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates of any agreement or letter of intent with respect to any proposed transaction or event or series of transactions or events which, individually or in the aggregate, may reasonably be expected to
result in a Change in Control, 
 (ii) the execution of any written agreement which, when fully performed by the
parties thereto, would result in a Change in Control, or 
 (iii) the making of any written offer by any person
(as such term is used in Section 13(d) and Section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of the Closing) or related persons constituting a group (as such term is used in Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act as in effect on the
date of the Closing) to the holders of the common stock of the Company, which offer, if accepted by the requisite number of holders, would result in a Change in Control. 
 (i) All calculations contemplated in this Section 8.3 involving the capital stock of any Person shall be made with the assumption that all convertible Securities of such Person then
outstanding and all convertible Securities issuable upon the exercise of any warrants, options and 

  
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other rights outstanding at such time were converted at such time and that all options, warrants and similar rights to acquire shares of capital stock of such Person were exercised at such time.

 Section 8.4. Prepayment on Borrowing Base Deficiency Without Make-Whole. 

(a) Notice of Borrowing Base Deficiency. In the event that at any time any Borrowing Base Deficiency shall exist, the Company
shall (i) offer to prepay, on a pro rata basis, the Notes, the Term Loans (or provide cover therefor) and the Revolving Loans (and provide cover for letters of credit issued under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement), (ii) subject to
Section 8.4(f) below, reduce Other Covered Indebtedness in such amounts as shall be necessary so that such Borrowing Base Deficiency is immediately cured after giving effect to such prepayment (and cover) or reduction, or
(iii) effect a combination of such offer and reduction pursuant to (i) and (ii) above; provided that if, within 5 Business Days after delivery to the holders of the Notes of a Borrowing Base Certificate pursuant to
Section 7.1(h) demonstrating such Borrowing Base Deficiency, the Company shall present the holders of the Notes with a plan reasonably feasible in the opinion of the Required Holders to enable such Borrowing Base Deficiency to be cured
within 30 Business Days (which 30-Business-Day period shall include the 5 Business Days permitted for delivery of such plan), then such offer of prepayment (and cover) or reduction shall not be required to be effected immediately but may be effected
in accordance with such plan (with such modifications as the Company may reasonably determine and as are reasonably acceptable to the Required Holders), so long as such Borrowing Base Deficiency is cured within such 30-Business-Day period.

 (b) Offer to Prepay Notes. The offer to prepay the Notes contemplated by paragraph (a) of this
Section 8.4 shall be an offer to prepay, in accordance with and subject to this Section 8.4, the Notes held by each holder (in this case only, “holder” in respect of any Note registered in the name of a nominee for
a disclosed beneficial owner shall mean such beneficial owner) on a date specified in such offer (the “Section 8.4 Proposed Prepayment Date”) on an equal and pro rata basis with the lenders which are being prepaid pursuant to
the Senior Secured Credit Agreement as a result of the occurrence of such Borrowing Base Deficiency. The Section 8.4 Proposed Prepayment Date shall not be later than the date on which the Company proposes to make a payment to the lenders under
the Senior Secured Credit Agreement as required by the aforesaid notice of such Borrowing Base Deficiency. 
 (c)
Rejection. A holder of the Notes may accept the offer to prepay made pursuant to this Section 8.4 by causing a notice of such acceptance to be delivered to the Company not later than 3 Business Days after receipt by such holder of
the most recent offer of prepayment. A failure by a holder of Notes to respond to an offer to prepay made pursuant to this Section 8.4 shall be deemed to constitute a rejection of such offer by such holder. 

(d) Prepayment. Prepayment of the Notes to be prepaid pursuant to this Section 8.4 shall be at 100% of the principal
amount of such Notes, together with interest on such Notes accrued to, but excluding, the date of prepayment, but without the Make-Whole Amount or any 

  
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other premium. The prepayment shall be made on the Section 8.4 Proposed Prepayment Date, except as provided in paragraph (e) of this Section 8.4. 

(e) Officer’s Certificate. Each offer to prepay the Notes pursuant to this Section 8.4 shall be accompanied by a
certificate, executed by a Senior Financial Officer of the Company and dated the date of such offer, specifying: 

(i) the Section 8.4 Proposed Prepayment Date; 

(ii) that such offer is made pursuant to this Section 8.4; 

(iii) the principal amount of each Note offered to be prepaid; 

(iv) the interest that would be due on each Note offered to be prepaid, accrued to, but excluding, the Section 8.4
Proposed Prepayment Date; 
 (v) that the conditions of this Section 8.4 have been fulfilled; and

 (vi) in reasonable detail, the nature and amount of the Borrowing Base Deficiency. 

(f) Other Covered Indebtedness. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that a Borrowing Base Deficiency shall exist, the
Company shall not prepay or reduce any Other Covered Indebtedness consisting of Unsecured Shorter-Term Indebtedness unless: 
 (i) prior to, and without giving effect to, any prepayment of the Notes, the Term Loans (or providing cover therefor), the Revolving Loans (or providing cover for letters of credit issued under the Senior
Secured Credit Agreement), any Secured Longer-Term Indebtedness or any Secured Shorter-Term Indebtedness as a result of such Borrowing Base Deficiency, a Borrowing Base Deficiency would not exist on a pro forma basis assuming such Unsecured
Shorter-Term Indebtedness was not included in the “Covered Debt Amount” used in determining such Borrowing Base Deficiency, and 
 (ii) the Company would be in compliance with Section 10.7(b) on a pro forma basis assuming such Unsecured Shorter-Term Indebtedness was reduced with such prepayment. 

Section 8.5. Allocation of Partial Prepayments. In the case of each partial prepayment of the Notes pursuant to
Section 8.2, the principal amount of the Notes to be prepaid shall be (a) allocated among each series of Notes in proportion to the aggregate unpaid principal amount of each such series of Notes and (b) allocated pro rata among
all of the holders of each series of the Notes at the time outstanding in proportion, as nearly as practicable, to the respective unpaid principal amounts thereof not theretofore called for prepayment. All partial prepayments made pursuant to

  
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Section 8.3 or 8.4 shall be applied only to the Notes of the holders who have elected to participate in such prepayment. 

Section 8.6. Maturity; Surrender, Etc. In the case of each prepayment of Notes pursuant to this Section 8, the
principal amount of each Note to be prepaid shall mature and become due and payable on the date fixed for such prepayment (which shall be a Business Day), together with interest on such principal amount accrued to, but excluding, such date and the
applicable Make-Whole Amount, if any. From and after such date, unless the Company shall fail to pay such principal amount when so due and payable, together with the interest and Make-Whole Amount, if any, as aforesaid, interest on such principal
amount shall cease to accrue. Any Note paid or prepaid in full shall be surrendered to the Company and cancelled and shall not be reissued, and no Note shall be issued in lieu of any prepaid principal amount of any Note. 

Section 8.7. Purchase of Notes. The Company will not and will not permit any Affiliate to purchase, redeem, prepay or
otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, any series of the outstanding Notes or any part or portion of any series thereof except upon the payment or prepayment of each series of the Notes in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the
Notes. The Company will promptly cancel all Notes acquired by it or any Affiliate pursuant to any payment, prepayment or purchase of Notes pursuant to any provision of this Agreement and no Notes may be issued in substitution or exchange for any
such Notes. 
 Section 8.8. Make-Whole Amount and Modified Make-Whole Amount. The terms “Make-Whole
Amount” and “Modified Make-Whole Amount” mean, with respect to any Note, an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the Discounted Value of the Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to the Called Principal of such Note
over the amount of such Called Principal; provided that the Make-Whole Amount may in no event be less than zero. For the purposes of determining the Make-Whole Amount and the Modified Make-Whole Amount, the following terms have the following
meanings: 
 “Applicable Percentage” in the case of the computation of the Modified Make-Whole
Amount for purposes of Section 8.9 means 1.00% (100 basis points) and in the case of a computation of the Make-Whole Amount for any other purpose means 0.50% (50 basis points). 

“Called Principal” means, with respect to any Note, the principal of such Note that is to be prepaid
pursuant to Section 8.2 or has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable pursuant to Section 12.1, as the context requires. 

“Discounted Value” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the amount obtained by
discounting all Remaining Scheduled Payments with respect to such Called Principal from their respective scheduled due dates to the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in accordance with accepted financial practice and at a

  
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discount factor (applied on the same periodic basis as that on which interest on the Notes is payable) equal to the Reinvestment Yield with respect to such Called Principal. 

“Reinvestment Yield” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, the sum of (x) the
Applicable Percentage plus (y) the yield to maturity implied by (i) the yields reported as of 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the second Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, on the
display designated as “Page PX1” (or such other display as may replace Page PX1) on Bloomberg Financial Markets for the most recently issued actively traded on the run U.S. Treasury securities having a maturity equal to the Remaining
Average Life of such Called Principal as of such Settlement Date, or (ii) if such yields are not reported as of such time or the yields reported as of such time are not ascertainable (including by way of interpolation), the Treasury Constant
Maturity Series Yields reported, for the latest day for which such yields have been so reported as of the second Business Day preceding the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal, in Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15 (or any
comparable successor publication) for U.S. Treasury securities having a constant maturity equal to the Remaining Average Life of such Called Principal as of such Settlement Date. In the case of each determination under clause (i) or
clause (ii), as the case may be, of the preceding paragraph, such implied yield will be determined, if necessary, by (a) converting U.S. Treasury bill quotations to bond-equivalent yields in accordance with accepted financial practice and
(b) interpolating linearly between (1) the applicable U.S. Treasury security with the maturity closest to and greater than such Remaining Average Life and (2) the applicable U.S. Treasury security with the maturity closest to and less
than such Remaining Average Life. The Reinvestment Yield shall be rounded to the number of decimal places as appears in the interest rate of the applicable Note. 

“Remaining Average Life” means, with respect to any Called Principal, the number of years (calculated to
the nearest one-twelfth year) obtained by dividing (a) such Called Principal into (b) the sum of the products obtained by multiplying (i) the principal component of each Remaining Scheduled Payment with respect to such Called
Principal by (ii) the number of years (calculated to the nearest one-twelfth year) that will elapse between the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal and the scheduled due date of such Remaining Scheduled Payment. 

“Remaining Scheduled Payments” means, with respect to the Called Principal of any Note, all payments of
such Called Principal and interest thereon that would be due after the Settlement Date with respect to such Called Principal if no payment of such Called Principal were made prior to its scheduled due date; provided that if such Settlement
Date is not a date on which interest payments are due to be made under the terms of the Notes, then the amount of the next succeeding scheduled interest payment will be reduced by the amount of interest accrued to such Settlement Date and required
to be paid on such Settlement Date pursuant to Section 8.2 or 12.1. For the avoidance of doubt, the Adjusted Interest Rate then in effect shall be used in connection with any computation of the Remaining Scheduled Payments.

  
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 “Settlement Date” means, with respect to the Called
Principal of any Note, the date on which such Called Principal is to be prepaid pursuant to Section 8.2 or has become or is declared to be immediately due and payable pursuant to Section 12.1, as the context requires.

 Section 8.9 Prepayment for Tax Reasons. (a) The Company shall have an option to prepay the Notes in whole,
but not in part, at any time, on giving not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ notice to the Foreign Holders (which notice shall be irrevocable) by payment of the principal amount, together with interest accrued to the date fixed for
prepayment and with a premium in an amount equal to the Modified Make-Whole Amount, determined as of two Business Days prior to the date of such prepayment pursuant to this Section 8.9, if (i) the Company (a) has or will become
obliged to pay additional amounts as provided or referred to in Section 14.3 as a result of any change in, or amendment to, the laws, regulations or rulings of the United States or any political subdivision or any authority thereof or
therein having power to tax, or any change in the application or official interpretation of such laws, regulations or rulings (including a holding by a court of competent jurisdiction), which change or amendment becomes effective on or after the
date of the Closing and (b) in its business judgment, determines that such obligation cannot be avoided by the use of reasonable measures available to it; or (ii) (a) any action has been taken by a taxing authority of, or any decision
has been rendered by a court of competent jurisdiction in, the United States or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein, including any actions specified in (i) above, whether or not such action was taken or decision was
rendered with respect to the Company, or any change, amendment, application or interpretation shall be officially proposed, which, in any such case, in the written opinion of independent legal counsel of recognized legal standing, will result in a
material probability that the Company will become obligated to pay additional amounts and (b) in its business judgment the Company determines that such obligation cannot be avoided by the use of reasonable measures available to it;
provided that no such notice of prepayment shall be given earlier than 60 days prior to the earliest date on which the Company would be obliged to pay such additional amounts if a payment in respect of such Notes held by the Foreign Holders
were then due. 
 (b) Prior to the giving of any notice of prepayment pursuant to this Section 8.9, the Company
shall deliver to the Foreign Holder of any Note to be prepaid (1) a certificate signed by two officers of the Company stating that the Company is entitled to effect such prepayment and setting forth a statement of facts showing that the
conditions precedent to the right of the Company so to prepay have occurred and (2) in the case of a determination under (ii) above, an opinion of independent legal advisers of recognized standing to the effect that there is a material
probability that the Company will become obliged to pay such additional amounts as a result of such change or amendment. Upon the expiry of any such notice as is referred to in this Section 8.9, the Company shall be bound to prepay such
Note in accordance with this Section 8.9. 
 (c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company shall give a Foreign
Holder notice of prepayment of any Note pursuant to Section 8.9(a), such Foreign Holder, if it then holds one or more such Notes in an aggregate amount equal to or greater than $5,000,000, shall have a one time option to reject such
prepayment; provided however, if such Foreign Holder rejects such 

  
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prepayment, Section 14.3(a) shall no longer be operative with respect to any Notes held by such Foreign Holder. To exercise such option, such Foreign Holder shall provide a rejection
notice to the Company within ten Business Days after its receipt of the Company’s notice of prepayment. Such notice by a Foreign Holder shall be irrevocable and shall be binding on all subsequent Foreign Holders of such Foreign Holder’s
Notes. 
 (d) The provisions of Sections 8.2 and 8.5 shall not apply to any prepayment pursuant to this
Section 8.9. 
 SECTION 9. AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS. 

The Company covenants that so long as any of the Notes are outstanding: 

Section 9.1. Compliance with Law. The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws,
ordinances or governmental rules or regulations to which each of them is subject, including, without limitation, ERISA, the USA Patriot Act, the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act and Environmental Laws, and will obtain and maintain
in effect all licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and other governmental authorizations necessary to the ownership of their respective properties or to the conduct of their respective businesses, in each case to the extent necessary to
ensure that non-compliance with such laws, ordinances or governmental rules or regulations or failures to obtain or maintain in effect such licenses, certificates, permits, franchises and other governmental authorizations could not, individually or
in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company will, and will cause its Subsidiaries to, conduct its business and other activities in compliance in all Material respects with
the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act (including, without limitation, section 18(a)(1)(A) and any applicable “asset coverage” maintenance requirement) and any applicable rules, regulations or orders issued by the SEC
thereunder. 
 Section 9.2. Insurance. The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain, with
financially sound and reputable insurers, insurance with respect to their respective material properties and businesses against such casualties and contingencies, of such types, on such terms and in such amounts (including deductibles, co-insurance
and self-insurance, if adequate reserves are maintained with respect thereto) as is customary in the case of entities of established reputations engaged in the same or a similar business and similarly situated. 

Section 9.3. Maintenance of Properties. The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain and keep, or
cause to be maintained and kept, their respective properties material to the conduct of their respective businesses, in good repair, working order and condition (other than ordinary wear and tear), so that the business carried on in connection
therewith may be properly conducted at all times; provided that this Section 9.3 shall not prevent the Company or any Subsidiary from 

  
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discontinuing the operation and the maintenance of any of its properties if such discontinuance is desirable in the conduct of its business and the Company has concluded that such discontinuance
could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 
 Section 9.4.
Payment of Taxes and Claims. The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, file all tax returns required to be filed in any jurisdiction and to pay and discharge all taxes shown to be due and payable on such returns and all other
taxes, assessments, governmental charges, or levies imposed on them or any of their properties, assets, income or franchises, to the extent the same have become due and payable and before they have become delinquent and all claims for which sums
have become due and payable that have or might become a Lien on properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary; provided that neither the Company nor any Subsidiary need pay any such tax, assessment, charge, levy or claim if
(a) the amount, applicability or validity thereof is contested by the Company or such Subsidiary on a timely basis in good faith and in appropriate proceedings, and the Company or a Subsidiary has established adequate reserves therefor in
accordance with GAAP on the books of the Company or such Subsidiary or (b) the nonpayment of all such taxes assessments, charges, levies and claims in the aggregate could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. 

Section 9.5. Legal Existence, Etc. Subject to Section 10.3, the Company will at all times preserve and keep in
full force and effect its legal existence and the Company will at all times preserve and keep in full force and effect the legal existence of each of its Subsidiaries and all rights and franchises of the Company and its Subsidiaries unless, in the
good faith judgment of the Company, the termination of or failure to preserve and keep in full force and effect such legal existence, right or franchise could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. 

Section 9.6. Notes to Rank Pari Passu. The Notes and all other obligations under this Agreement of the Company are and at all
times shall rank at least pari passu in right of payment with all other present and future Senior Secured Indebtedness (actual or contingent) of the Company which is not expressed to be subordinate or junior in rank to any other Senior
Secured Indebtedness of the Company. 
 Section 9.7. New Subsidiaries; Further Assurances. (a) In the event
that the Company or any of its Subsidiaries shall form or acquire any new Subsidiary, the Company will cause the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement with respect to any Equity Interest in or Indebtedness of such Subsidiary owned by or on behalf of
any Obligor to be satisfied with respect to such Subsidiary. If such new Subsidiary (other than a Financing Subsidiary) is or will become an Obligor, the Company will cause the entire Collateral and Guarantee Requirement to be satisfied by and with
respect to such Subsidiary. 
 (b) (i) The Company will, and will cause each of the Subsidiary Guarantors to, take such
action from time to time as shall reasonably be requested by the Required Holders to 

  
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effectuate the purposes and objectives of this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will, and will cause each of the Subsidiary Guarantors to, take such action
from time to time as may be required under any applicable law, or that the Required Holders may reasonably request, to cause the Collateral and Guarantee Requirement to be and remain satisfied, all at the expense of the Obligors. The Company also
agrees to provide to the holders of the Notes, from time to time upon request, evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Required Holders as to the perfection and priority of the Liens created or intended to be created by the Security Documents.

 (ii) The Company shall provide the holders of the Notes with a copy of any amendment, supplement or modification to the
Portfolio Pricing Practices as soon as practicable after its adoption and accompanied by a copy of a resolution (if any) of the Board of Directors of the Company that such amendment, supplement or modification has been approved by the Company.

 Section 9.8. Books and Records. The Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain proper
books of record and account in conformity with GAAP. 
 Section 9.9. Status of RIC and BDC. The Company shall at all
times maintain its status as a RIC under the Code, and as a “business development company” under the Investment Company Act. 
 Section 9.10. Investment Policies. The Company shall at all times be in compliance with its Investment Policies, except to the extent that the failure to so comply could not reasonably be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. 
 Section 9.11. Portfolio Valuation and Diversification, Etc.

 (a) Industry Classification Groups. For purposes of this Agreement, the Company shall in its reasonable determination
assign each Portfolio Investment to an Industry Classification Group. To the extent that any Portfolio Investment is not correlated with the risks of other Portfolio Investments in an Industry Classification Group established by Moody’s, such
Portfolio Investment may be assigned by the Company to the Industry Classification Group that is most closely correlated to such Portfolio Investment. In the absence of any correlation, the Company shall be permitted, upon notice to the holders of
the Notes to create up to three additional industry classification groups for purposes of this Agreement. 
 (b) Portfolio
Valuation, Etc.  
 (i) Settlement Date Basis. Solely for purposes of determining the Borrowing Base,
all determinations of whether an investment is to be included as a Portfolio Investment shall be determined on a settlement-date basis (meaning that any investment that has been purchased will not be treated as a Portfolio Investment until such
purchase 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
has settled, and any Portfolio Investment which has been sold will not be excluded as a Portfolio Investment until such sale has settled), provided that to the extent that any investment
has not been paid for in full, only the portion thereof that has been paid for in full and with respect to which the Company has ownership rights in the investment and the power to transfer rights in the investment shall be included as a Portfolio
Investment. For the avoidance of doubt, this paragraph (b)(i) is not intended to require the Company to reflect investment transactions on a settlement-date basis in any financial statements or books of record or other documents required to be
prepared in accordance with GAAP if doing so would cause such financial statements, books of record or other documents to fail to be in accordance with GAAP. 
 (ii) Determination of Values. The Company shall determine the values of its Portfolio Investments in accordance with its Portfolio Pricing Practices. Solely for purposes of determining the
Borrowing Base, the Value of any Portfolio Investment of the Company and its Subsidiaries shall be increased by the net unrealized gain as at the date such Value is determined of any Hedging Agreement entered into to hedge risks associated with such
Portfolio Investment and reduced by the net unrealized loss as at such date of any such Hedging Agreement (such net unrealized gain or net unrealized loss, on any date, to be equal to the aggregate amount receivable or payable under the related
Hedging Agreement if the same were terminated on such date). 
 (A) Unquoted Investments—External
Review. With respect to each Portfolio Investment for which market quotation(s) are not readily available, the Company shall request an Approved Third-Party Appraiser to assist the Board of Directors of the Company in determining the fair market
value of such Portfolio Investment, as at the last day of each fiscal quarter, provided that 
 (x) the
Value of any such Portfolio Investment (i.e., a Portfolio Investment for which market quotations are not readily available) acquired during a fiscal quarter shall be deemed to be no more than the cost of such Portfolio Investment until such
time as the fair market value of such Portfolio Investment is determined in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this sub-clause (A) as at the last day of such fiscal quarter or, as applicable, fiscal year; 

(y) notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors of the Company may determine the fair market value of any such
Portfolio Investment (i.e., a Portfolio Investment for which market quotation(s) are not readily available) in accordance with the Portfolio Pricing Practices (and without the assistance of an Approved Third-Party Appraiser), provided
that for purposes of calculating the Borrowing Base: 
 (i) the combined aggregate Value of all First-Tier
Non-Appraised Portfolio Investments and Second-Tier Non-Appraised Portfolio Investments shall not at any time exceed 

  
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10% of the Borrowing Base, and the Borrowing Base shall be reduced to the extent such combined aggregate Value would otherwise exceed 10% of the Borrowing Base; 

(ii) the aggregate Value of all Second-Tier Non-Appraised Portfolio Investments shall not at any time exceed 5% of the
Borrowing Base, and the Borrowing Base shall be reduced to the extent such aggregate Value would otherwise exceed 5% of the Borrowing Base; and 
 (iii) the Value of any Disqualified Non-Appraised Portfolio Investment shall be deemed to be zero; 
 (B) Internal Review. The Company shall conduct internal reviews of all Portfolio Investments at least once each calendar week which shall take into account any events of which the Company has
knowledge that adversely affect the value of the Portfolio Investments. If the value of any Portfolio Investment as most recently determined by the Company pursuant to this Section 9.11(b)(ii)(B) is lower than the value of such Portfolio
Investment as most recently determined pursuant to Section 9.11(b)(ii)(A), such lower value shall be deemed to be the “Value” of such Portfolio Investment for purposes hereof; 

(C) Failure to Determine Values. If the Company shall fail to determine the value of any Portfolio Investment for
which market quotation(s) are not readily available as at any date pursuant to the requirements of the foregoing sub-clauses (A) or (B), then the “Value” of such Portfolio Investment as at such date shall be deemed to be zero.

 For purposes of the foregoing, the following terms have the following meanings: 

“Non-Appraised Portfolio Investment” means, with respect to any fiscal quarter, any Portfolio Investment for which
market quotation(s) are not readily available and for which the fair market value thereof was determined by the Board of Directors as at the last day of such fiscal quarter without the assistance of an Approved Third-Party Appraiser. 

“First-Tier Non-Appraised Portfolio Investment” means any Non-Appraised Portfolio Investment from and after the end of
the first full fiscal quarter following the later of (i) the end of the most recent fiscal quarter as of which the fair market value of such investment was determined with the assistance of an Approved Third-Party Appraiser and (ii) the
end of the fiscal quarter in which such investment was first included as a Portfolio Investment, other than a Second-Tier Non-Appraised Portfolio Investment or a Disqualified Non-Appraised Portfolio Investment. 

  
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 “Second-Tier Non-Appraised Portfolio Investment” means any
Non-Appraised Portfolio Investment from and after the end of the second full fiscal quarter following the later of: 
 (i) the end of the most recent fiscal quarter as of which the fair market value of such investment was determined with the assistance of an Approved Third-Party Appraiser and 

(ii) the end of the fiscal quarter in which such investment was first included as a Portfolio Investment. 

“Disqualified Non-Appraised Portfolio Investment” means any Non-Appraised Portfolio Investment from and after the end of
the fourth full fiscal quarter following the later of (i) the end of the most recent fiscal quarter as of which the fair market value of such investment was determined with the assistance of an Approved Third-Party Appraiser and (ii) the
end of the fiscal quarter in which such investment was first included as a Portfolio Investment. 
 The determination of whether
any Portfolio Investment is a Non-Appraised Portfolio Investment, First-Tier Non-Appraised Portfolio Investment, Second-Tier Non-Appraised Portfolio Investment or Disqualified Non-Appraised Portfolio Investment as at the last day of any fiscal
quarter shall be effective as at such last day and continue in effect to but excluding the last day of the next fiscal quarter. Such determination need not be made until on or prior to the date upon which the financial statements for such fiscal
quarter are delivered or required to be delivered, whichever is earlier, pursuant to Section 7.1(a) or (b), as applicable. 
 Notwithstanding the foregoing, determinations as to whether a Non-Appraised Portfolio Investment held as of the date hereof is a First-Tier Non-Appraised Portfolio Investment, a Second-Tier Non-Appraised
Portfolio Investment or a Disqualified Non-Appraised Portfolio Investment, shall, with respect to clause (ii) of each such definition, be calculated with respect to the fiscal quarter in which such investment was first acquired by the Company.

 (c) Diversification Requirements. The Company will, and will cause its Subsidiaries (other than Financing Subsidiaries
that are exempt from the provisions of the Code applicable to RICs), subject to applicable grace periods set forth in the Code, to comply with the portfolio diversification and similar requirements set forth in the Code applicable to RICs.

 Section 9.12. Calculation of Borrowing Base. For purposes of this Agreement, the “Borrowing Base” shall
be determined, as at any date of determination, as the sum of the Advance Rates of the Value of each Portfolio Investment (excluding any cash held by the Bank Administrative Agent in the Cash Collateral Accounts), provided that: 

(a) the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the aggregate Value of the Portfolio Investments of all issuers in a
consolidated group of corporations or other entities, in accordance with GAAP, that exceeds 10% of Shareholders’ Equity of the Company (which, for purposes of this calculation shall exclude the aggregate amount of

  
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investments in, and advances to, Financing Subsidiaries) shall be 50% of the Advance Rate otherwise applicable; 

(b) the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the aggregate Value of the Portfolio Investments of all issuers in a
consolidated group of corporations or other entities, exceeding 20% of Shareholders’ Equity of the Company (which, for purposes of this calculation shall exclude the aggregate amount of investments in, and advances to, Financing Subsidiaries)
shall be 0%; 
 (c) the portion of the Borrowing Base attributable to common equity, warrants and non-Performing
Portfolio Investments shall not exceed 25% of the Covered Debt Amount and the Borrowing Base shall be reduced to the extent such portion would otherwise exceed 25% of the Covered Debt Amount; 

(d) the Advance Rate applicable to that portion of the aggregate Value of the Portfolio Investments in any single Industry
Classification Group that exceeds 20% of Shareholders’ Equity of the Company (which for purposes of this calculation shall exclude the aggregate amount of investments in, and advances to, Financing Subsidiaries) shall be 0%, provided
that, with respect to the Portfolio Investments in a single Industry Classification Group from time to time designated by the Company to the holders of the Notes, such 20% figure shall be increased to 30% and, accordingly, only to the extent that
the Value for such single Industry Classification Group exceeds 30% of the Shareholders’ Equity shall the Advance Rate applicable to such excess Value be 0%; 

(e) no Portfolio Investment may be included in the Borrowing Base until such time as such Portfolio Investment has been
Delivered (as defined in the Guarantee and Security Agreement) to the Collateral Agent, and then only for so long as such Portfolio Investment continues to be Delivered as contemplated therein; and 

(f) to the extent that more than one Advance Rate is applicable to any particular Portfolio Investment, the Company may
apply the highest of such Advance Rates to the Value of such Portfolio Investment for purposes of determining the Borrowing Base. 
 As used herein, the following terms have the following meanings: 

“Advance Rate” means, as to any Portfolio Investment and subject to adjustment as provided in
Section 9.12(a) and (c), the following percentages with respect to such Portfolio Investment: 

  
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	PORTFOLIO INVESTMENT	  	QUOTED	 	UNQUOTED
			
	 Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term U.S. Government Securities
	  	100%	 	n.a.
	 Long-Term U.S. Government Securities
	  	95%	 	n.a.
	 Other Short-Term Securities
	  	90%	 	n.a.
	 Performing First Lien Bank Loans
	  	85%	 	75%
	 Performing Second Lien Bank Loans
	  	75%	 	65%
	 Performing Unsecured Bank Loans
	  	70%	 	60%
	 Performing Cash Pay High Yield Securities
	  	70%	 	60%
	 Performing Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments
	  	65%	 	55%
	 Performing Non-Cash Pay High Yield Securities
	  	60%	 	50%
	 Performing Non-Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments
	  	55%	 	45%
	 Non-Performing First Lien Bank Loans
	  	50%	 	50%
	 Non-Performing Second Lien Bank Loans
	  	40%	 	40%
	 Non-Performing Unsecured Bank Loans
	  	30%	 	30%
	 Non-Performing High Yield Securities
	  	35%	 	35%
	 Non-Performing Mezzanine Investments
	  	35%	 	35%
	 Performing Common Equity
	  	40%	 	40%

 “Bank
Loans” means debt obligations (including, without limitation, term loans, revolving loans, debtor-in-possession financings, the funded and unfunded portion of revolving credit lines and letter of credit facilities and other similar loans
and investments including interim loans and senior subordinated loans) which are generally under a syndicated loan or credit facility. 
 “Capital Stock” of any Person means any and all shares of corporate stock (however designated) of, and any and all other equity interests and participations representing ownership
interests (including membership interests and limited liability company interests) in, such Person. 
 “Cash”
has the meaning assigned to such term in Schedule B. 
 “Cash Equivalents” has the meaning assigned
to such term in Schedule B. 
 “First Lien Bank Loan” means a Bank Loan that is entitled to the
benefit of a first lien and first priority perfected security interest on a substantial portion of the assets of the respective borrower and guarantors obligated in respect thereof. 

  
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 “High Yield Securities” means debt Securities and Preferred Stock, in
each case (a) issued by public or private issuers, (b) issued pursuant to an effective registration statement or pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act (or any successor provision thereunder) and (c) that are not Cash
Equivalents, Mezzanine Investments or Bank Loans. 
 “Long-Term U.S. Government Securities” means U.S.
Government Securities maturing more than one year from the applicable date of determination. 
 “Mezzanine
Investments” means debt Securities (including convertible debt Securities (other than the “in-the-money” equity component thereof)) and Preferred Stock in each case (a) issued by public or private issuers, (b) issued
without registration under the Securities Act, (c) not issued pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act (or any successor provision thereunder), (d) that are not Cash Equivalents and (e) contractually subordinated in right
of payment to other debt of the same issuer. 
 “Non-Performing First Lien Bank Loans” means First Lien Bank
Loans other than Performing First Lien Bank Loans. 
 “Non-Performing High Yield Securities” means High Yield
Securities other than Performing High Yield Securities. 
 “Non-Performing Mezzanine Investments” means
Mezzanine Investments other than Performing Mezzanine Investments. 
 “Non-Performing Second Lien Bank Loans”
means Second Lien Bank Loans other than Performing Second Lien Bank Loans. 
 “Non-Performing Unsecured Bank
Loans” are Unsecured Bank Loans, other than Performing Unsecured Bank Loans. 
 “Other Short-Term
Securities” means debt Securities maturing within one year from the date of acquisition and having, at such date of acquisition a credit rating of at least A-2 from S&P or at least P-2 from Moody’s, in each case that are not Cash
Equivalents or Short-Term U.S. Government Securities. 
 “Performing” means (a) with respect to any
Portfolio Investment that is debt, the issuer of such Portfolio Investment is not in default of any payment obligations in respect thereof, after the expiration of any applicable grace period and (b) with respect to any Portfolio Investment
that is Preferred Stock, the issuer of such Portfolio Investment has not failed to meet any scheduled redemption obligations or to pay its latest declared cash dividend, after the expiration of any applicable grace period. 

“Performing Cash Pay High Yield Securities” means High Yield Securities (a) as to which, at the time of
determination, not less than 2/3rds of the interest (including accretions and 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
“pay-in-kind” interest) for the current monthly, quarterly, semiannual or annual period (as applicable) is payable in cash and (b) which are Performing. 

“Performing Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments” means Mezzanine Investments (a) as to which, at the time of
determination, not less than 2/3rds of the interest (including accretions and “pay-in-kind” interest) for the current monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual period (as applicable) is payable in cash and (b) which are Performing.

 “Performing Common Equity” means Capital Stock (other than Preferred Stock) and warrants of an issuer all of
whose outstanding debt is Performing. 
 “Performing First Lien Bank Loans” means First Lien Bank Loans which
are Performing. 
 “Performing Non-Cash Pay High Yield Securities” means Performing High Yield Securities other
than Performing Cash Pay High Yield Securities. 
 “Performing Non-Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments” means
Performing Mezzanine Investments other than Performing Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments. 
 “Performing Second Lien Bank
Loans” means Second Lien Bank Loans which are Performing. 
 “Performing Unsecured Bank Loans” means
Unsecured Bank Loans which are Performing. 
 “Preferred Stock,” as applied to the Capital Stock of any Person,
means Capital Stock of such Person of any class or classes (however designated) that ranks prior, as to the payment of dividends or as to the distribution of assets upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of such
Person, to any shares (or other interests) of other Capital Stock of such Person, and shall include, without limitation, cumulative preferred, non-cumulative preferred, participating preferred and convertible preferred Capital Stock. 

“Second Lien Bank Loan” means a Bank Loan that is entitled to the benefit of a second lien and second priority perfected
security interest on a substantial portion of the assets of the respective borrower and guarantors obligated in respect thereof. 
 “Securities” means common and preferred stock, units and participations, member interests in limited liability companies, partnership interests in partnerships, notes, bonds, debentures,
trust receipts and other obligations, instruments or evidences of indebtedness, including debt instruments of public and private issuers and tax-exempt securities (including warrants, rights, put and call options and other options relating thereto,
representing rights, or any combination thereof) and other property or interests commonly regarded as securities or any form of interest or participation therein, but not including Bank Loans. 

  
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 “Securities Act” has the meaning assigned to such term in Schedule
B. 
 “Short-Term U.S. Government Securities” means U.S. Government Securities maturing within one year of
the applicable date of determination. 
 “U.S. Government Securities” has the meaning assigned to such term in
Schedule B. 
 “Unsecured Bank Loan” means a Bank Loan other than a First Lien Bank Loan or a
Second Lien Bank Loan. 
 “Value” means, with respect to any Portfolio Investment, the value as determined
pursuant to Section 9.11(b)(ii). 
 Section 9.13. Portfolio Valuation and Borrowing Base Most Favored
Lender. (a) If at any time the Company enters into any amendment, supplement, waiver, change, clarification, interpretation, consent or other modification (individually a “Modification” and, collectively,
“Modifications”) to any of Sections 5.11, 5.12 or 5.13 of the Senior Secured Credit Agreement or to any defined term contained or used in any of said Sections 5.11, 5.12 or 5.13, then and in any such event the Company shall give
written notice thereof to each holder of the Notes not later than 10 Business Days following the date of any such Modification or Modifications, as the case may be. Effective on the date of such Modification or Modifications under and pursuant to
the Senior Secured Credit Agreement, such Modification or Modifications, whether or not more or less restrictive upon the Company, shall then and thereupon be deemed to have been incorporated herein with respect to Sections 9.10, 9.11
or 9.12 and/or any defined term contained or used therein, as the case may be. The Company further covenants to promptly execute and deliver at its expense (including, without limitation, the fees and expenses of one counsel for the
holders of the Notes) each and every amendment to this Agreement reasonably considered to be necessary or appropriate by the Required Holders for purposes of maintaining clarity and consistency between Sections 5.11, 5.12 and 5.13 of the Senior
Secured Credit Agreement and related defined terms contained or used therein and Sections 9.10, 9.11 or 9.12 and related defined terms contained or used therein; provided that the execution and delivery of any such
amendment shall not be a precondition to the effectiveness of such alteration or alterations, but shall merely be for the convenience of the parties hereto. 
 (b) The Company agrees that it will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary or Affiliate to, directly or indirectly, pay or cause to be paid any consideration or remuneration, whether by way of
supplemental or additional interest, fee or otherwise, to any creditor of the Company as consideration for or as an inducement to the entering into by any such creditor of any Modification to any of Sections 5.11, 5.12 or 5.13 of the Senior Secured
Credit Agreement, the effect of which Modification is to exclude, terminate, loosen, tighten or otherwise amend or modify any of Sections 5.11, 5.12 or 5.13 of the Senior Secured Credit Agreement, unless such consideration or remuneration is
concurrently paid, on the same terms, and in an amount bearing the same proportion to the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Notes as the amount 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
paid to such other creditor bears to the aggregate principal amount of indebtedness owing by the Company to such other creditor, ratably to all of the holders of the Notes then outstanding.

 Section 9.14. Rating Confirmation. No later than January 18 of each year, the Company shall provide a notice
to each of the holders of the Notes sent in the manner provided in Section 18 with respect to any then current Ratings, which shall include a Rating from at least one Rating Agency. 

SECTION 10. NEGATIVE COVENANTS. 

The Company covenants that so long as any of the Notes are outstanding: 

Section 10.1. Indebtedness. The Company will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, create, incur, assume or
permit to exist any Indebtedness, except: 
 (a) Indebtedness evidenced by the Notes or outstanding under or
incurred pursuant to the Senior Secured Credit Agreement; 
 (b) Secured Longer-Term Indebtedness and Unsecured
Longer-Term Indebtedness in an aggregate amount that (i) taken together with other then-outstanding Indebtedness, does not exceed the amount required to comply with the provisions of Section 10.7(b) and (ii) in the case of
Secured Longer-Term Indebtedness, taken together with Indebtedness permitted under clauses (a) and (g) of this Section 10.1 does not exceed the Borrowing Base; 

(c) Other Permitted Indebtedness; 
 (d) Indebtedness of Financing Subsidiaries; 
 (e) repurchase
obligations arising in the ordinary course of business with respect to U.S. Government Securities; 
 (f)
obligations payable to clearing agencies, brokers or dealers in connection with the purchase or sale of securities in the ordinary course of business; 
 (g) Secured Shorter-Term Indebtedness and Unsecured Shorter-Term Indebtedness in an aggregate amount (determined at the time of the incurrence of such Indebtedness) not exceeding 5% of Shareholders’
Equity and that (i) taken together with other then-outstanding Indebtedness, does not exceed the amount required to comply with the provisions of Section 10.7(b) and (ii) taken together with Indebtedness permitted under
clause (a), and Secured Longer-Term Indebtedness permitted under clause (b), of this Section 10.1, does not exceed the Borrowing Base; and 

  
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 (h) obligations (including Guarantees) in respect of Standard
Securitization Undertakings. 
 Section 10.2. Liens. The Company will not, nor will it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien on any property or asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it, or assign or sell any income or revenues (including accounts receivable) or rights in respect of any thereof, except:

 (a) any Lien on any property or asset of the Company existing on the date of the Closing and set forth on
Schedule 5.15, provided that (i) no such Lien shall extend to any other property or asset of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and (ii) any such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the date
of Closing and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof; 
 (b) Liens created pursuant to the Security Documents (including the Liens created thereunder with respect to the obligations under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement); 

(c) Liens securing obligations of Financing Subsidiaries; 

(d) Liens on Special Equity Interests included in the Portfolio Investments of the Company but only to the extent securing
obligations in the manner provided in the definition of “Special Equity Interests” contained in Schedule B; 
 (e) Liens securing Indebtedness or other obligations in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $10,000,000 at any one time outstanding (which may cover Portfolio Investments, but only to the extent
released from the Lien in favor of the Collateral Agent in accordance with the requirements of Section 10.03 of the Guarantee and Security Agreement), so long as at the time thereof the aggregate amount of Indebtedness permitted under
clauses (a), (b) and (g) of Section 10.1, does not exceed the lesser of (i) the Borrowing Base and (ii) the amount required to comply with the provisions of Section 10.7(b); and 

(f) Permitted Liens. 
 Section 10.3. Fundamental Changes. The Company will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries (other than Financing Subsidiaries) to, liquidate, wind up or dissolve itself (or suffer any
liquidation or dissolution). The Company will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries (other than Financing Subsidiaries) to, enter into any transaction of merger or consolidation or amalgamation, or acquire any business or property from, or
capital stock of, or be a party to any acquisition of, any Person, except for purchases or acquisitions of Portfolio Investments and other assets in the normal course of the day-to-day business activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries and not
in violation of the terms and conditions of this Agreement or any Security Document. The 

  
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Company will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries (other than Financing Subsidiaries) to, convey, sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of, in one transaction or a series of
transactions, any part of its assets, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, but excluding (x) assets sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business (including to make expenditures of cash and dispositions of investments in connection
with exits and work-outs in the normal course of the day-to-day business activities of the Company and its Subsidiaries) and (y) subject to the provisions of clause (d) below, Portfolio Investments (to the extent not otherwise included in
clause (x) of this Section 10.3). 
 Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 10.3:

 (a) any Subsidiary Guarantor of the Company may be merged or consolidated with or into the Company or any
other Subsidiary Guarantor; provided that (i) at the time thereof and after giving effect thereto, no Default shall have occurred or be continuing, (ii) if any such transaction shall be between a Subsidiary Guarantor and a
Wholly-owned Subsidiary Guarantor, the Wholly-owned Subsidiary Guarantor shall be the continuing or surviving corporation and (iii) if any such transaction shall be between the Company and a Subsidiary Guarantor, the Company shall be the
continuing or surviving corporation; 
 (b) any Subsidiary of the Company may sell, lease, transfer or otherwise
dispose of any or all of its assets (upon voluntary liquidation or otherwise) to the Company or any Wholly-owned Subsidiary Guarantor of the Company; 
 (c) the capital stock of any Subsidiary of the Company may be sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of to the Company or any Wholly-owned Subsidiary Guarantor of the Company; 

(d) the Obligors may sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of Portfolio Investments to a Financing Subsidiary so long as
(i) after giving effect to such sale, transfer or other disposition (and any concurrent acquisitions of Portfolio Investments or payment of the outstanding principal amount of the Notes, Indebtedness outstanding under and pursuant to the Senior
Secured Credit Agreement and/or Other Covered Indebtedness) the Covered Debt Amount does not exceed the Borrowing Base and the Company delivers a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer to such effect to the holders of the Notes and
(ii) either (x) the amount of any excess availability under the Borrowing Base immediately prior to such release is not diminished as a result of such release or (y) the Borrowing Base immediately after giving effect to such release
is at least 110% of the Covered Debt Amount; 
 (e) the Company or any Subsidiary may merge or consolidate with
any other Person so long as at the time thereof and after giving effect thereto, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred or be continuing and provided that (i) if any such transaction shall be between the Company and another
Person, the Company shall be the continuing or surviving corporation, (ii) if any such transaction shall be between a Wholly-owned Subsidiary Guarantor and another Person (other than the Company), a

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
Wholly-owned Subsidiary Guarantor shall be the continuing or surviving corporation, and (iii) if any such transaction shall be between a Subsidiary Guarantor and another Person (other than
the Company or a Wholly-owned Subsidiary Guarantor), a Subsidiary Guarantor shall be the continuing or surviving corporation, and (iv) in any such case each Subsidiary Guarantor shall have affirmed in writing its obligations under the Guarantee
and Security Agreement, including, without limitation, its obligations as a Subsidiary Guarantor; and 
 (f) the
Company and its Subsidiaries may sell, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of equipment or other property or assets that do not consist of Portfolio Investments so long as the aggregate amount of all such sales, leases, transfer and dispositions
does not exceed $10,000,000 in any fiscal year. 
 Section 10.4. Investments. The Company will not, nor will it
permit any of its Subsidiaries to, acquire, make or enter into, or hold, any Investments except: 
 (a) operating
deposit accounts with banks; 
 (b) Investments by the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors in the Company and
the Subsidiary Guarantors; 
 (c) Hedging Agreements entered into in the ordinary course of the Company’s
and its Subsidiaries’ financial planning and not for speculative purposes; 
 (d) Portfolio Investments by
the Company and its Subsidiaries to the extent such Portfolio Investments are permitted under the provisions of the Investment Company Act applicable to business development companies and the Company’s Investment Policies; 

(e) Investments in Financing Subsidiaries; and 

(f) additional Investments acquired, made, entered into or held after the date of the Closing up to but not exceeding
$10,000,000 in the aggregate. 
 For purposes of clause (f) of this Section 10.4, the aggregate amount of an
Investment at any time shall be deemed to be equal to (A) the aggregate amount of cash, together with the aggregate fair market value of property, loaned, advanced, contributed, transferred or otherwise invested that gives rise to such
Investment minus (B) the aggregate amount of dividends, distributions or other payments received in cash in respect of such Investment, provided that in no event shall the aggregate amount of such Investment be deemed to be less
than zero; the amount of an Investment shall not in any event be reduced by reason of any write-off of such Investment nor increased by any increase in the amount of earnings retained in the Person in which such Investment is made that have not been
dividended, distributed or otherwise paid out. 

  
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 Section 10.5. Restricted Payments. The Company will not, nor will it permit
any of its Subsidiaries to, declare or make, or agree to pay or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, except that the Company may declare and pay: 

(a) dividends with respect to the capital stock of the Company to the extent payable in additional shares of the
Company’s common stock; 
 (b) dividends and distributions in either case in cash or other property
(excluding for this purpose the Company’s common stock) in any taxable year of the Company in amounts not to exceed the amount that is estimated in good faith by the Company to be required to (i) reduce to zero for such taxable year or for
the previous taxable year, its investment company taxable income (within the meaning of section 852(b)(2) of the Code), and reduce to zero the tax imposed by section 852(b)(3) of the Code, and (ii) avoid federal excise taxes for such
taxable year imposed by section 4982 of the Code; 
 (c) dividends and distributions in each case in cash or
other property (excluding for this purpose the Company’s common stock) in addition to the dividends and distributions permitted under the foregoing clauses (a) and (b), so long as on the date of such Restricted Payment and after giving
effect thereto: 
 (i) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing; and 

(ii) the aggregate amount of Restricted Payments made during any taxable year of the Company after the date of the Closing
under this clause (c) shall not exceed the sum of (x) an amount equal to 10% of the taxable income of the Company for such taxable year determined under section 852(b)(2) of the Code, but without regard to subparagraphs (A),
(B) or (D) thereof, minus (y) the amount, if any, by which dividends and distributions made during such taxable year pursuant to the foregoing clause (b) (whether in respect of such taxable year or the previous taxable
year) based upon the Company’s estimate of taxable income exceeded the actual amounts specified in subclauses (i) and (ii) of such foregoing clause (b) for such taxable year. 

(d) other Restricted Payments so long as (i) on the date of such other Restricted Payment and after giving effect
thereto (x) the Covered Debt Amount does not exceed 90% of the Borrowing Base and (y) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing and (ii) on the date of such other Restricted Payment the Company delivers to
the holders of the Notes a Borrowing Base Certificate as at such date demonstrating compliance with subclause (x) after giving effect to such Restricted Payment. For purposes of preparing such Borrowing Base Certificate, (A) the fair
market value of Portfolio Investments for which market quotations are readily available shall be the most recent quotation available for such Portfolio Investment and (B) the fair market 

  
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value of Portfolio Investments for which market quotations are not readily available shall be the Value set forth in the Borrowing Base Certificate most recently delivered by the Company to the
holders of the Notes pursuant to Section 7.1(g), provided that the Company shall reduce the Value of any Portfolio Investment referred to in this subclause (B) to the extent necessary to take into account any events of which
the Company has knowledge that adversely affect the value of such Portfolio Investment. 
 Nothing herein shall be deemed to
prohibit the payment of Restricted Payments by any Subsidiary of the Company to the Company or to any other Subsidiary Guarantor. 
 Section 10.6. Certain Restrictions on Subsidiaries. The Company will not permit any of its Subsidiaries (other than Financing Subsidiaries) to enter into or suffer to exist any indenture,
agreement, instrument or other arrangement that prohibits or restrains, in each case in any material respect, or imposes materially adverse conditions upon, the incurrence or payment of Indebtedness, the granting of Liens, the declaration or payment
of dividends, the making of loans, advances, guarantees or Investments or the sale, assignment, transfer or other disposition of property, except this Agreement, the Senior Secured Credit Agreement and the Guarantee and Security Agreement.

 Section 10.7. Certain Financial Covenants. 

(a) Minimum Shareholders’ Equity. The Company will not permit Shareholders’ Equity at the last day of any fiscal quarter
of the Company to be less than the greater of (i) 40% of the total assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries as at the last day of such fiscal quarter (determined on a consolidated basis, without duplication, in accordance with GAAP) and
(ii) $400,000,000 plus 25% of the net proceeds of the sale of Equity Interests by the Company and its Subsidiaries after the date of the Closing. 
 (b) Asset Coverage Ratio. The Company will not permit the Asset Coverage Ratio to be less than 2.00 to 1 at any time. 
 (c) Liquidity Test. 
 (i) The Company will not permit the
aggregate Value of the Portfolio Investments that can be converted to Cash in fewer than 10 Business Days without more than a 5% change in price (as determined by the Company in its reasonable discretion) to be less than 15% of the Covered Debt
Amount for more than 30 Business Days during any period when the Adjusted Covered Debt Balance is greater than 90% of the Adjusted Borrowing Base. 
 (ii) The Company will not create, incur or assume any Indebtedness unless, immediately after giving effect thereto, the sum of Shareholder’s Equity and Relevant Available Funds shall be greater than:

  
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 (A) the sum of (1) the aggregate Value of Portfolio Investments
plus (2) the aggregate amount of Relevant Investment Commitments of the Obligors; minus 
 (B) the sum of
(1) aggregate Value of Portfolio Investments that can be converted to Cash in fewer than 10 Business Days without more than a 5% change in price (as determined by the Company in its reasonable discretion) plus (2) the aggregate amount of
Relevant Investment Commitments of the Obligors that can be converted into Cash in fewer than 10 Business Days without more than a 5% change in price (as determined by the Company in its reasonable discretion) plus (3) without duplication, the
aggregate Value of Portfolio Investments maturing on a date not later than six months after the relevant date of determination. 

(d) Financial Covenant Most Favored Lender. (i) If at any time the Company enters into any amendment, supplement, waiver,
change, clarification, interpretation, consent or other modification (individually a “Financial Covenant Modification” and, collectively, “Financial Covenant Modifications”) to Section 6.07(c) of the Senior
Secured Credit Agreement or to any defined term contained or used in Section 6.07(c), then and in any such event the Company shall give written notice thereof to each holder of the Notes not later than 10 Business Days following the date of any
such Financial Covenant Modification or Financial Covenant Modifications, as the case may be. Effective on the date of such Financial Covenant Modification or Financial Covenant Modifications under and pursuant to the Senior Secured Credit
Agreement, such Financial Covenant Modification or Financial Covenant Modifications, whether or not more or less restrictive upon the Company, shall then and thereupon be deemed to have been incorporated herein with respect to Section 10.7(c)
and/or any defined term contained or used therein, as the case may be; provided that if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time Section 10.7(c) and/or any defined term contained or used therein, as
the case may be is or are to be so excluded, terminated, loosened, tightened, amended or modified under this Section 10.7(d), the prior written consent thereto of the Required Holders shall be required as a condition to the exclusion,
termination, loosening, tightening or other amendment or modification of such Section 10.7(c) and/or any defined term contained or used therein, as the case may be. 
 (ii) The Company further covenants to promptly execute and deliver at its expense (including, without limitation, the fees and expenses of one counsel for the holders of the Notes) each and every
amendment to this Agreement reasonably considered to be necessary or appropriate by the Required Holders for purposes of maintaining clarity and consistency between Section 6.07(c) of the Senior Secured Credit Agreement and related defined
terms contained or used therein and Section 10.7(c) and related defined terms contained or used therein; provided that the execution and delivery of any such amendment shall not be a precondition to the effectiveness of such alteration
or alterations, but shall merely be for the convenience of the parties hereto. 

  
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 (iii) The Company agrees that it will not, nor will it permit any Subsidiary or
Affiliate to, directly or indirectly, pay or cause to be paid any consideration or remuneration, whether by way of supplemental or additional interest, fee or otherwise, to any creditor of the Company as consideration for or as an inducement to the
entering into by any such creditor of any Financial Covenant Modification to Section 6.07(c) of the Senior Secured Credit Agreement the effect of which Financial Covenant Modification is to exclude, terminate, loosen, tighten or otherwise amend
or modify Section 6.07(c) of the Senior Secured Credit Agreement, unless such consideration or remuneration is concurrently paid, on the same terms, and in an amount bearing the same proportion to the aggregate outstanding principal amount of
the Notes as the amount paid to such other creditor bears to the aggregate principal amount of indebtedness owing by the Company to such other creditor, ratably to all of the holders of the Notes then outstanding. 

Section 10.8. Transactions with Affiliates. The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, enter into
any material transactions with any of its Affiliates, even if otherwise permitted under this Agreement, except (a) transactions in the ordinary course of business at prices and on terms and conditions not less favorable to the Company or such
Subsidiary than could be obtained on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties, (b) transactions between or among the Company and its Subsidiaries not involving any other Affiliate, (c) Restricted Payments permitted by
Section 10.5, (d) the transactions provided in the Affiliate Agreements, (e) transactions described on Schedule 10.8(e), (f) any Investment that results in the creation of an Affiliate and (g) Permitted
Board-Approved Affiliate Transactions. 
 Section 10.9. Lines of Business. The Company will not, nor will it permit
any of its Subsidiaries to, engage to any material extent in any business other than in accordance with its Investment Policies. 
 Section 10.10. No Further Negative Pledge. The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries (other than Financing Subsidiaries) to, enter into any agreement, instrument, deed
or lease which prohibits or limits the ability of any Obligor to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of its properties, assets or revenues, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, or which requires the grant of any security
for an obligation if security is granted for another obligation, except the following: (a) this Agreement and the Senior Secured Credit Agreement; (b) covenants in documents creating Liens permitted by Section 10.2 prohibiting
further Liens on the assets encumbered thereby; (c) customary restrictions contained in leases not subject to a waiver; and (d) any other agreement that does not restrict in any manner (directly or indirectly) Liens created pursuant to the
Security Documents on any Collateral securing the “Secured Obligations” under and as defined in the Guarantee and Security Agreement and does not require the direct or indirect granting of any Lien securing any Indebtedness or other
obligation by virtue of the granting of Liens on or pledge of property of any Obligor securing the Notes, the Indebtedness outstanding under and pursuant to the Senior Secured Credit Agreement or any Hedging Agreement. 

  
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 Section 10.11. Terrorism Sanctions Regulations. The Company will not and
will not permit any Subsidiary to (a) become a Person described or designated in the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List of the Office of Foreign Assets Control or in Section 1 of the Anti-Terrorism Order or
(b) engage in any dealings or transactions with any such Person. 
 Section 10.12. Guarantee and Security
Agreement. (a) The Company will not request from the Collateral Agent nor any parties to the Senior Secured Credit Agreement any amendment, supplement, alteration, waiver or other modification of any of the terms or provisions of the
Guarantee and Security Agreement or the Senior Secured Credit Agreement if the effect or result of any such amendment, supplement, alteration, waiver or other modification would be the release of Collateral from the Security Documents or Subsidiary
Guarantors from the Guarantee and Security Agreement; provided, that for the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing shall not restrict (i) the release of Collateral from the Security Documents or Subsidiary Guarantors from the Guarantee and
Security Agreement in connection with a disposition thereof and release in accordance with Sections 10.03(e) and 10.03(f) of the Guarantee and Security Agreement, or (ii) the right of the Company to repay or refinance amounts outstanding under
the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. 
 (b) The Company further agrees that it shall not consent to, facilitate, or take any
action with respect to any amendment, supplement, alteration, waiver or other modification of any of the terms or provisions of the Guarantee and Security Agreement or the Senior Secured Credit Agreement if the effect or result of any such
amendment, supplement, alteration, waiver or other modification would be the release of Collateral from the Security Documents or Subsidiary Guarantors from the Guarantee and Security Agreement; provided, that for the avoidance of doubt, the
foregoing shall not restrict (i) the release of Collateral from the Security Documents or Subsidiary Guarantors from the Guarantee and Security Agreement in connection with a disposition thereof and release in accordance with Sections 10.03(e)
and 10.03(f) of the Guarantee and Security Agreement, or (ii) the right of the Company to repay or refinance amounts outstanding under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement; provided, further, that for the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing
shall not require the Company to take any affirmative action against the Collateral Agent or any parties to the Senior Secured Credit Agreement to enjoin or prevent any release of Collateral by any of them from the Security Documents or Subsidiary
Guarantors from the Guarantee and Security Agreement. 
 (c) In the event that, notwithstanding the foregoing, Collateral is
going to be or has been released from the Security Documents or Subsidiary Guarantors are going to be or have been released from the Guarantee and Security Agreement, in each case in connection with the termination of the Guarantee and Security
Agreement, the Company shall as promptly as reasonably practicable after such termination (i) grant to the holders of the Notes a Lien on the assets formerly constituting the Collateral and guaranties from the Subsidiaries formerly constituting
Subsidiary Guarantors on terms no less favorable than the Guarantee and Security Agreement and in form and substance satisfactory to the Required Holders, or (ii) obtain consent from the Required Holders for the Notes to remain unsecured;
provided, that any such Lien or 

  
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guaranties may also secure or guaranty obligations of the Company under or pursuant to any credit agreement or other credit facility entered into in replacement of the Senior Secured Credit
Agreement. 
 SECTION 11. EVENTS OF DEFAULT. 

An “Event of Default” shall exist if any of the following conditions or events shall occur and be continuing: 

(a) the Company defaults in the payment of any principal or Make-Whole Amount, if any, on any Note when the same becomes
due and payable (in the case of clause (d) below, subject to applicable cure periods), whether at maturity or at a date fixed for prepayment or by declaration or otherwise; or 

(b) the Company defaults in the payment of any interest on any Note for a period of five or more Business Days after the
same becomes due and payable; or 
 (c) the Company defaults in the performance of or compliance with any term
contained in (i) Section 9.7(a) or Sections 10.1 through 10.7 or Section 10.12 hereof or Section 7 of the Guarantee and Security Agreement or (ii) Section 7.1(d) hereof and such
failure shall continue unremedied for a period of five or more days after notice thereof by any holder of a Note to the Company; or 
 (d) a Borrowing Base Deficiency shall occur and continue unremedied for a period of five or more Business Days after delivery to the holders of the Notes of a Borrowing Base Certificate pursuant to
Section 7.1(h); provided that it shall not be an Event of Default hereunder if the Company shall present the holders of the Notes with a plan reasonably feasible in the opinion of the Required Holders to enable such Borrowing Base
Deficiency to be cured within 30 Business Days (which 30-Business Day period shall include the five Business Days permitted for delivery of such plan), so long as such Borrowing Base Deficiency is cured within such 30-Business Day period;

 (e) the Company defaults in the performance of or compliance with any term contained herein (other than those
referred to in Sections 11(a), (b), (c) and (d)) and such default continues for a period of 30 or more days after the Company receives written notice of such default from any holder of a Note (any such
written notice to be identified as a “notice of default” and to refer specifically to this Section 11(e)); or 
 (f) any representation or warranty made in writing by or on behalf of the Company or by any officer of the Company in this Agreement or in any writing furnished in connection with the transactions
contemplated hereby proves to have been false or incorrect in any material respect on the date as of which made; or 
 (g) (i) the Company or any Subsidiary is in default (as principal or as guarantor or other surety) in the payment, when due and payable, of any principal of or

  
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interest on any Indebtedness that is outstanding in an aggregate principal amount in excess of $25,000,000 beyond any period of grace provided with respect thereto, or (ii) the Company or
any Subsidiary is in default in the performance of or compliance with any term of any evidence of any Indebtedness in an aggregate outstanding principal amount in excess of $25,000,000 or of any mortgage, indenture or other agreement relating
thereto or any other condition exists, and as a consequence of such default or condition such Indebtedness has become, or has been declared (or one or more Persons are entitled to declare such Indebtedness to be), due and payable before its stated
maturity or the Company or any Subsidiary is required to prepay, repurchase, redeem or defease such Indebtedness prior to its stated maturity; provided that this clause (g) shall not apply to secured Indebtedness that becomes due as a
result of the voluntary sale or transfer of the property or assets securing such Indebtedness; or 
 (h) the
Company or any Subsidiary (i) is generally not paying, or admits in writing its inability to pay, its debts as they become due, (ii) files, or consents by answer or otherwise to the filing against it of, a petition for relief or
reorganization or arrangement or any other petition in bankruptcy, for liquidation or to take advantage of any bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar law of any jurisdiction, (iii) makes an assignment for the
benefit of its creditors, (iv) consents to the appointment of a custodian, receiver, trustee or other officer with similar powers with respect to it or with respect to any substantial part of its property, (v) is adjudicated as insolvent
or to be liquidated, or (vi) takes corporate action for the purpose of any of the foregoing; or 
 (i) a
court or Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction enters an order appointing, without consent by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, a custodian, receiver, trustee or other officer with similar powers with respect to it or with respect
to any substantial part of its property, or constituting an order for relief or approving a petition for relief or reorganization or any other petition in bankruptcy or for liquidation or to take advantage of any bankruptcy or insolvency law of any
jurisdiction, or ordering the dissolution, winding-up or liquidation of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any such petition shall be filed against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and such petition shall continue undismissed for a
period of 60 or more days; or 
 (j) a final judgment or judgments for the payment of money aggregating in excess
of $25,000,000 are rendered against one or more of the Company and its Subsidiaries and which judgments are not, within 60 days after entry thereof, bonded, discharged or stayed pending appeal, or are not discharged within 60 days after the
expiration of such stay; or 
 (k) an ERISA Event shall have occurred that, in the opinion of the Required
Holders, when taken together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; or 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 (l) BlackRock Kelso Capital Advisors shall cease to be the investment
advisor for the Company; or 
 (m) the Liens created by the Security Documents shall, at any time with respect to
Portfolio Investments having an aggregate Value in excess of 5% of the aggregate Value of all Portfolio Investments, not be valid and perfected (to the extent perfection by filing, registration, recordation, possession or control is required herein
or therein) in favor of the Collateral Agent, free and clear of all other Liens (other than Liens permitted under Section 10.2 or under the respective Security Documents); or 

(n) except for expiration in accordance with its terms, any of the Security Documents shall for whatever reason be
terminated or cease to be in full force and effect in any material respect, or the enforceability thereof shall be contested by the Company. 

As used in Section 11(k), the terms “employee benefit plan” and “employee welfare benefit plan” shall have the respective
meanings assigned to such terms in section 3 of ERISA. 
 SECTION 12. REMEDIES ON
DEFAULT, ETC. 
 Section 12.1. Acceleration. (a) If an Event of Default with
respect to the Company described in Section 11(h) or (i) (other than an Event of Default described in clause (i) of Section 11(h) or described in clause (vi) of Section 11(h) by virtue of the
fact that such clause encompasses clause (i) of Section 11(h)) has occurred, all the Notes then outstanding shall automatically become immediately due and payable. 

(b) If any other Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Required Holders may at any time at its or their option, by notice
or notices to the Company, declare all the Notes then outstanding to be immediately due and payable. 
 (c) If any Event of
Default described in Section 11(a) or (b) has occurred and is continuing, any holder or holders of Notes at the time outstanding affected by such Event of Default may at any time, at its or their option, by notice or
notices to the Company, declare all the Notes held by it or them to be immediately due and payable. 
 Upon any Notes becoming
due and payable under this Section 12.1, whether automatically or by declaration, such Notes will forthwith mature and the entire unpaid principal amount of such Notes, plus (i) all accrued and unpaid interest thereon (including,
but not limited to, interest accrued thereon at the Default Rate) and (ii) the Make-Whole Amount determined in respect of such principal amount (to the full extent permitted by applicable law), shall all be immediately due and payable, in each
and every case without presentment, demand, protest or further notice, all of which are hereby waived. The Company acknowledges, and the parties hereto agree, that each holder of a Note has the right to maintain its investment in the Notes free from
repayment by the Company (except as herein specifically provided for), and that the 

  
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provision for payment of a Make-Whole Amount by the Company in the event that the Notes are prepaid or are accelerated as a result of an Event of Default, is intended to provide compensation for
the deprivation of such right under such circumstances. 
 Section 12.2. Other Remedies. If any Default or Event of
Default has occurred and is continuing, and irrespective of whether any Notes have become or have been declared immediately due and payable under Section 12.1, the holder of any Note at the time outstanding may proceed to protect and
enforce the rights of such holder by an action at law, suit in equity or other appropriate proceeding, whether for the specific performance of any agreement contained herein or in any Note, or for an injunction against a violation of any of the
terms hereof or thereof, or in aid of the exercise of any power granted hereby or thereby or by law or otherwise. 

Section 12.3. Rescission. At any time after any Notes have been declared due and payable pursuant to Section 12.1(b)
or (c), the Required Holders, by written notice to the Company, may rescind and annul any such declaration and its consequences if (a) the Company has paid all overdue interest on the Notes, all principal of and Make-Whole Amount, if
any, on any Notes that are due and payable and are unpaid other than by reason of such declaration, and all interest on such overdue principal and Make-Whole Amount, if any, and (to the extent permitted by applicable law) any overdue interest in
respect of the Notes, at the Default Rate, (b) neither the Company nor any other Person shall have paid any amounts which have become due solely by reason of such declaration, (c) all Events of Default and Defaults, other than non-payment
of amounts that have become due solely by reason of such declaration, have been cured or have been waived pursuant to Section 17, and (d) no judgment or decree has been entered for the payment of any monies due pursuant hereto or to
the Notes. No rescission and annulment under this Section 12.3 will extend to or affect any subsequent Event of Default or Default or impair any right consequent thereon. 

Section 12.4. No Waivers or Election of Remedies, Expenses, Etc. No course of dealing and no delay on the part of any holder
of any Note in exercising any right, power or remedy shall operate as a waiver thereof or otherwise prejudice such holder’s rights, powers or remedies. No right, power or remedy conferred by this Agreement or by any Note upon any holder thereof
shall be exclusive of any other right, power or remedy referred to herein or therein or now or hereafter available at law, in equity, by statute or otherwise. Without limiting the obligations of the Company under Section 15, the Company
will pay to the holder of each Note on demand such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover all costs and expenses of such holder incurred in any enforcement or collection under this Section 12, including, without limitation,
reasonable attorneys’ fees, expenses and disbursements. 
 Section 12.5. Application of Proceeds from
Collateral. Any proceeds received by the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties with respect to any of the Secured Obligations under and pursuant to the terms of the Guarantee and Security Agreement shall be applied in
accordance with the terms thereof. Nothing contained in the Guarantee and Security Agreement shall be deemed to 

  
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limit the rights of the holders of the Notes to accelerate the same and exercise remedies as contemplated by this Section 12; provided that such holder may not proceed against
any Collateral except pursuant to the terms contained in the Guarantee and Security Agreement. 
 SECTION 13.
REGISTRATION; EXCHANGE; SUBSTITUTION OF NOTES. 

Section 13.1. Registration of Notes. The Company shall keep at its principal executive office a register for the registration
and registration of transfers of Notes. The name and address of each holder of one or more Notes, each transfer thereof and the name and address of each transferee of one or more Notes shall be registered in such register. Prior to due presentment
for registration of transfer, the Person in whose name any Note shall be registered shall be deemed and treated as the owner and holder thereof for all purposes hereof, and the Company shall not be affected by any notice or knowledge to the
contrary. The Company shall give to any holder of a Note that is an Institutional Investor promptly upon request therefor, a complete and correct copy of the names and addresses of all registered holders of Notes. 

Section 13.2. Transfer and Exchange of Notes. (a) Upon surrender of any Note to the Company at the address and to the
attention of the designated officer (all as specified in Section 18(a)(C)) for registration of transfer or exchange (and in the case of a surrender for registration of transfer accompanied by a written instrument of transfer duly
executed by the registered holder of such Note or such holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing and accompanied by the relevant name, address and other information for notices of each transferee of such Note or part thereof), within ten
Business Days thereafter, the Company shall execute and deliver, at the Company’s expense (except as provided below), one or more new Notes (as requested by the holder thereof) in exchange therefor, of the same series and in an aggregate
principal amount equal to the unpaid principal amount of the surrendered Note. Each such new Note shall be payable to such Person as such holder may request and shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit 1 or Exhibit 2, as the
case may be. Each such new Note shall be dated and bear interest from the date to which interest shall have been paid on the surrendered Note or dated the date of the surrendered Note if no interest shall have been paid thereon. The Company may
require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any stamp tax or governmental charge imposed in respect of any such transfer of Notes. Notes shall not be transferred in denominations of less than $100,000; provided that if necessary to enable
the registration of transfer by a holder of its entire holding of Notes, one Note may be in a denomination of less than $100,000. Any transferee, by its acceptance of a Note registered in its name (or the name of its nominee), shall be deemed to
have made the representation set forth in Section 6.2. 
 (b) Any transfer of a Note made in violation of this
Section 13.2 shall be null and void and of no force and effect. 
 Section 13.3. Replacement of Notes.
Upon receipt by the Company at the address and to the attention of the designated officer 

  
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(all as specified in Section 18(a)(C)) of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the ownership of and the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of any Note (which evidence shall
be, in the case of an Institutional Investor, notice from such Institutional Investor of such ownership and such loss, theft, destruction or mutilation), and 
 (a) in the case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it (provided that if the holder of such Note is, or is a nominee for, an original Purchaser or another holder
of a Note with a minimum net worth of at least $50,000,000 or a Qualified Institutional Buyer, such Person’s own unsecured agreement of indemnity shall be deemed to be satisfactory), or 

(b) in the case of mutilation, upon surrender and cancellation thereof, 

within ten Business Days thereafter, the Company at its own expense shall execute and deliver, in lieu thereof, a new Note of the same series, dated and
bearing interest from the date to which interest shall have been paid on such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note or dated the date of such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note if no interest shall have been paid thereon. 

SECTION 14. PAYMENTS ON NOTES. 

Section 14.1. Place of Payment. Subject to Section 14.2, payments of principal, Make-Whole Amount, if any, and
interest becoming due and payable on the Notes shall be made in New York, New York at the principal office of Citibank, N.A. in such jurisdiction. The Company may at any time, by notice to each holder of a Note, change the place of payment of the
Notes so long as such place of payment shall be either the principal office of the Company in such jurisdiction or the principal office of a bank or trust company in such jurisdiction. 

Section 14.2. Home Office Payment. So long as any Purchaser or its nominee shall be the holder of any Note, and
notwithstanding anything contained in Section 14.1 or in such Note to the contrary, the Company will pay all sums becoming due on such Note for principal, Make-Whole Amount, if any, and interest by the method and at the address specified
for such purpose below such Purchaser’s name in Schedule A, or by such other method or at such other address as such Purchaser shall have from time to time specified to the Company in writing for such purpose, without the
presentation or surrender of such Note or the making of any notation thereon, except that upon written request of the Company made concurrently with or reasonably promptly after payment or prepayment in full of any Note, such Purchaser shall
surrender such Note for cancellation, reasonably promptly after any such request, to the Company at its principal executive office or at the place of payment most recently designated by the Company pursuant to Section 14.1. Prior to any
sale or other disposition of any Note held by a Purchaser or its nominee, such Purchaser will, at its election, either endorse thereon the amount of principal paid thereon and the last date to which interest has been paid thereon or surrender such
Note to the Company in exchange for a new Note or Notes of the same series pursuant to Section 13.2. The Company will afford the benefits of this Section 14.2 to any Institutional Investor that is the

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
direct or indirect transferee of any Note purchased by a Purchaser under this Agreement and that has made the same agreement relating to such Note as the Purchasers have made in this
Section 14.2. 
 Section 14.3 Taxation. (a) All payments of principal, interest, Make-Whole Amount
and Modified Make-Whole Amount in respect of the Notes shall be made free and clear of, and without withholding or deduction for, any taxes, duties, assessments or governmental charges of whatsoever nature imposed, levied, collected, withheld or
assessed by the United States, any other taxing jurisdiction from which or through which the Company makes payments or any political subdivision or any authority thereof or therein having power to tax, unless such withholding or deduction is
required by law. In that event, the Company shall pay such additional amounts as will result in the receipt by any holders that are not U.S. persons as defined in I.R.C. § 7701 (collectively, the “Foreign Holders”) of such
amounts as would have been received by the Foreign Holders if no such withholding or deduction had been required, except that no such additional amounts shall be payable in respect of any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that:

 (1) is imposed or withheld solely by reason of the existence of any present or former connection (other than
the mere fact of being a Foreign Holder or the taxing of any enforcement action by a Foreign Holder under this Agreement) between any Foreign Holder and the United States, including, without limitation, such Foreign Holder being or having been a
citizen or resident of the United States or treated as being or having been a resident thereof; 
 (2) is imposed
or withheld solely by reason of any Foreign Holder (or any partnership, trust, estate, limited liability company or other fiscally transparent entity of which such Foreign Holder is a partner, beneficiary, settlor or member) (i) being or having
been present in, or engaged in a trade or business in, the United States, (ii) being treated as having been present in, or engaged in a trade or business in, the United States, or (iii) having or having had a permanent establishment in the
United States; 
 (3) is an estate, inheritance, gift, sales, transfer, personal property or excise tax or any
similar tax assessment or governmental charge; 
 (4) is, in respect of any payment to any Foreign Holder that is
not qualified for the benefits of a U.S. tax treaty providing for zero withholding on interest on the date of this Agreement, imposed on a beneficial owner that actually or constructively owns 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all of
the classes of stock of the Company that are entitled to vote within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3) of the Code (as in effect on the date of this Agreement or, in the case of a transfer to another Foreign Holder, as in effect on the date of
such transfer) or that is a bank making a loan entered into in the ordinary course of its trade or business within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code (as in effect on the date of this Agreement, or in the case of a transfer to
another Foreign Holder, as in effect on the date of such transfer); 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 (5) would not have been imposed but for the failure of the beneficial
owner or any Foreign Holder to comply with the requirements of Section 14.3(c) or any other certification, information, documentation or other reporting requirements (“Forms”) concerning the nationality, residence, identity or
connection with the United States of such beneficial owner or such Foreign Holder, if such compliance is required by statute or by regulation of the United States or of any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein as a
precondition to relief or exemption from such tax, duty, assessment or other governmental charge; provided that the filing of such Forms would not impose any unreasonable burden on such holder or result in any confidential or proprietary
income tax return information being revealed, either directly or indirectly, to any Person (other than any tax authority), it being understood that the provision of United States Internal Revenue Service Forms W-8BEN, W-8ECI or W-8EXP does not
impose an unreasonable burden on any holder or result in the disclosure of any confidential or proprietary income tax return information, and provided further that such holder shall be deemed to have satisfied the requirements of this clause
(5) upon the good faith completion and submission of such Forms (including refilings or renewals of filings) as may be specified in a written request of the Company no later than 60 days after receipt by such holder of such written request
(accompanied by copies of such Forms and related instructions); 
 (6) is payable otherwise than by withholding
by the Company from payments on or in respect of any Note held by any Foreign Holder; 
 (7) any combination of
items (1), (2), (3), (4), (5) and (6). 
 (b) In addition, the Company will not pay additional amounts to any Foreign
Holder if it is a partnership, trust, estate, limited liability company or other fiscally transparent entity, or to any Foreign Holder if it is not the sole beneficial owner of the Note held by it, as the case may be. This exception, however, will
apply only to the extent that a beneficiary or settlor with respect to the trust or estate, or a beneficial owner or member of the partnership, limited liability company or other fiscally transparent entity, would not have been entitled to payment
of an additional amount had the beneficiary, settlor, beneficial owner or member received directly its beneficial or distributive share of the payment. 
 (c) Within five days of the date that any Foreign Holder becomes eligible for the benefits of this Agreement, such Foreign Holder shall provide, the Company with a properly executed original United States
Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN, W-8ECI or W-8EXP, as appropriate, or any successor or other form prescribed by the United States Internal Revenue Service, certifying that it is not a United States person for United States federal income tax
purposes and that either (i) it is entitled to the benefits of a tax treaty with the United States that provides for a zero rate of withholding on interest on the date of this Agreement, (ii) it is receiving the interest payments under
this Agreement in connection with a U.S. trade or business or (iii) it is a foreign governmental entity, international organization or other organization entitled to exemption from U.S. income tax on investment income. Thereafter such Foreign
Holder shall provide additional Forms W-8BEN, W-8ECI or W-8EXP (or any successor or other 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
form prescribed by the United States Internal Revenue Service) (i) to the extent a form previously provided has become inaccurate or invalid as a result of any action or change in regard to
the Foreign Holder or (ii) as requested in writing by the Company within 60 days of such written request, unless such Foreign Holder is unable to provide such form solely as a result of any change in, or amendment to, the laws, regulations, or
rulings of the United States or any political subdivision or any authority thereof or therein having power to tax, or any change in the application or official interpretation of such laws, regulations or rulings (including a holding by any court of
competent jurisdiction), which change or amendment becomes effective on or after the date of the Closing. 
 (d) Any reference
in this Agreement to principal, Make-Whole Amount, Modified Make-Whole Amount or interest shall be deemed to include any additional amounts in respect of principal or interest (as the case may be) which may be payable under this
Section 14.3. 
 (e) This Section 14.3 shall apply only with respect to the Foreign Holders. It shall
not apply to payments made to any Holder other than the Foreign Holders. 
 SECTION 15. EXPENSES,
ETC. 
 Section 15.1. Transaction Expenses. Whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are
consummated, the Company will pay all costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees of one firm of attorneys as special counsel) incurred by the Purchasers and each other holder of a Note in connection with such transactions and in
connection with any amendments, waivers or consents under or in respect of this Agreement, the Notes or any of the Security Documents (whether or not such amendment, waiver or consent becomes effective), including, without limitation: (a) the
costs and expenses incurred in enforcing or defending (or determining whether or how to enforce or defend) any rights under this Agreement, the Notes or any of the Security Documents or in responding to any subpoena or other legal process or
informal investigative demand issued in connection with this Agreement, the Notes or any of the Security Documents, or by reason of being a holder of any Note, (b) the costs and expenses, including financial advisors’ fees, incurred in
connection with the insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company or any Subsidiary or in connection with any work-out or restructuring of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Notes and any of the Security Documents and (c) the costs and
expenses incurred in connection with the initial filing of this Agreement and all related documents and financial information with the SVO, provided, that such costs and expenses under this clause (c) shall not exceed $8,000. The Company
will pay, and will save each Purchaser and each other holder of a Note harmless from, all claims in respect of any fees, costs or expenses, if any, of brokers and finders (other than those, if any, retained by a Purchaser or other holder in
connection with its purchase of the Notes). 
 Section 15.2. Survival. The obligations of the Company under this
Section 15 will survive the payment or transfer of any Note, the enforcement, amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, the Notes or any of the Security Documents, and the termination of this Agreement and the Security
Documents. 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 SECTION 16. SURVIVAL OF REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES; ENTIRE AGREEMENT. 
 All representations and
warranties contained herein or in any of the Security Documents shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Notes and the Security Documents, the purchase or transfer by any Purchaser of any Note or portion thereof or interest
therein and the payment of any Note, and may be relied upon by any subsequent holder of a Note, regardless of any investigation made at any time by or on behalf of such Purchaser or any other holder of a Note. All statements contained in any
certificate or other instrument delivered by or on behalf of the Company pursuant to this Agreement or any of the Security Documents shall be deemed representations and warranties of the Company under this Agreement. Subject to the preceding
sentence, this Agreement, the Notes and any of the Security Documents embody the entire agreement and understanding between each Purchaser and the Company and supersede all prior agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter hereof.

 SECTION 17. AMENDMENT AND WAIVER. 

Section 17.1. Requirements. Subject to Sections 9.13 and 10.7(d), this Agreement and the Notes may be amended,
and the observance of any term hereof or of the Notes may be waived (either retroactively or prospectively), with (and only with) the written consent of the Company and the Required Holders, except that no such amendment or waiver may, without
the written consent of the holder of each Note at the time outstanding affected thereby, (a) subject to the provisions of Section 12 relating to acceleration or rescission, change the amount or time of any prepayment or payment of
principal of, or reduce the rate or change the time of payment or method of computation of interest or of the Make-Whole Amount on, the Notes, (b) change the percentage of the principal amount of the Notes the holders of which are required to
consent to any such amendment or waiver, or (iii) amend any of Section 8, 11(a), 11(b), 12, 17 or 20. The Security Documents may be amended or modified in accordance with the terms thereof. 

Section 17.2. Solicitation of Holders of Notes. 
 (a) Solicitation. The Company will provide each holder of the Notes (irrespective of the amount or series of Notes then owned by it) with sufficient information, sufficiently far in advance of the
date a decision is required, to enable such holder to make an informed and considered decision with respect to any proposed amendment, waiver or consent in respect of any of the provisions hereof or of the Notes or any of the Security Documents. The
Company will deliver executed or true and correct copies of each amendment, waiver or consent effected pursuant to the provisions of this Section 17 to each holder of outstanding Notes promptly following the date on which it is executed
and delivered by, or receives the consent or approval of, the requisite holders of Notes. 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 (b) Payment. The Company will not directly or indirectly pay or cause to be paid
any remuneration, whether by way of supplemental or additional interest, fee or otherwise, or grant any security or provide other credit support, to any holder of any series of Notes as consideration for or as an inducement to the entering into by
any holder of Notes of any waiver or amendment of any of the terms and provisions hereof or of any of the Security Documents unless such remuneration is concurrently paid, or security is concurrently granted or other credit support concurrently
provided, on the same terms, ratably to the holder of each series of Notes then outstanding even if such holder did not consent to such waiver or amendment. 
 (c) Consent in Contemplation of Transfer. Any consent made pursuant to this Section 17.2 by the holder of any Note that has transferred or has agreed to transfer such Note to the
Company, any Subsidiary or any Affiliate of the Company and has provided or has agreed to provide such written consent as a condition to such transfer shall be void and of no force or effect except solely as to such holder, and any amendments
effected or waivers granted or to be effected or granted that would not have been or would not be so effected or granted but for such consent (and the consents of all other holders of Notes that were acquired under the same or similar conditions)
shall be void and of no force or effect except solely as to such transferring holder. 
 Section 17.3. Binding Effect,
Etc. Any amendment or waiver consented to as provided in this Section 17 applies equally to all holders of each series of Notes and is binding upon them and upon each future holder of any Note of any series and upon the Company
without regard to whether such Note has been marked to indicate such amendment or waiver. No such amendment or waiver will extend to or affect any obligation, covenant, agreement, Default or Event of Default not expressly amended or waived or impair
any right consequent thereon. No course of dealing between the Company and the holder of any Note of any series nor any delay in exercising any rights hereunder or under any Note of any series shall operate as a waiver of any rights of any holder of
such Note. As used herein, the term “this Agreement” and references thereto shall mean this Agreement as it may from time to time be amended or supplemented. 
 Section 17.4. Notes Held by Company, Etc. Solely for the purpose of determining whether the holders of the requisite percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Notes then outstanding
approved or consented to any amendment, waiver or consent to be given under this Agreement, the Notes or any of the Security Documents, or have directed the taking of any action provided herein or in the Notes to be taken upon the direction of the
holders of a specified percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Notes then outstanding, Notes directly or indirectly owned by the Company or any of its Affiliates shall be deemed not to be outstanding. 

SECTION 18. NOTICES. 
 (a) All notices and communications provided for hereunder shall be in writing and sent (i) by telefacsimile if the sender on the same day sends a confirming copy of such notice by a recognized
overnight delivery service (charges prepaid), or (ii) by registered or certified mail 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
with return receipt requested (postage prepaid), or (iii) by a recognized overnight delivery service (with charges prepaid). Any such notice must be sent: 

(A) if to any Purchaser or its nominee, to such Purchaser or nominee at the address specified for such communications in
Schedule A, or at such other address as such Purchaser or nominee shall have specified to the Company in writing, 
 (B) if to any other holder of any Note, to such holder at such address as such other holder shall have specified to the Company in writing, or 

(C) if to the Company, to the Company at its address set forth at the beginning hereof to the attention of Chief Financial
Officer, or at such other address as the Company shall have specified to the holder of each Note in writing. 
 Notices under this
Section 18 will be deemed given only when actually received. Notices delivered through electronic communications to the extent provided in paragraph (b) below, shall be effective as provided in said paragraph (b). 

(b) Notices and other communications to the Purchasers or other holders of any Note hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic
communication (including e-mail and Internet or intranet websites); provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices to a Purchaser or other holder of any Note if such Purchaser or holder has notified the Company that it is incapable of
receiving notices under this Agreement by electronic communication. Notices and other communications (i) sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgment from the intended recipient (such as
by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgment), provided that if such notice or other communication is not sent during normal business hours of the recipient, such notice or
communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next Business Day for the recipient, and (ii) posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient
at its e-mail address as described in foregoing clause (i) of notification that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor. Unless a Purchaser or other holder of any Note has notified the Company that
it is incapable of receiving notices by electronic communication, each Purchaser or other holder of any Note agrees to notify the Company in writing (including by electronic communication) from time to time of such Purchaser’s or holder’s
e-mail address to which the foregoing notice may be sent by electronic transmission and that the foregoing notice may be sent to such e-mail address. 
 SECTION 19. REPRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS. 
 This Agreement and the Security Documents and all documents relating thereto, including, without limitation, (a) consents, waivers and modifications that may hereafter be executed, (b) documents
received by any Purchaser at the Closing (except the Notes themselves), and (c) financial statements, certificates and other information previously or hereafter furnished 

  
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to any Purchaser, may be reproduced by such Purchaser by any photographic, photostatic, electronic, digital or other similar process and such Purchaser may destroy any original document so
reproduced. The Company agrees and stipulates that, to the extent permitted by applicable law, any such reproduction shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in any judicial or administrative proceeding (whether or not the original is
in existence and whether or not such reproduction was made by such Purchaser in the regular course of business) and any enlargement, facsimile or further reproduction of such reproduction shall likewise be admissible in evidence. This
Section 19 shall not prohibit the Company or any other holder of Notes from contesting any such reproduction to the same extent that it could contest the original, or from introducing evidence to demonstrate the inaccuracy of any such
reproduction. 
 SECTION 20. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. 

For the purposes of this Section 20, “Confidential Information” means information delivered to any Purchaser
by or on behalf of the Company or any of its Affiliates in connection with the transactions contemplated by or otherwise pursuant to this Agreement that is proprietary in nature and that was clearly marked or labeled or otherwise adequately
identified in writing when received by such Purchaser as being confidential information of the Company or such Affiliate; provided that such term does not include information that (a) was publicly known or otherwise known to such
Purchaser prior to the time of such disclosure, (b) subsequently becomes publicly known through no act or omission by such Purchaser or any Person acting on such Purchaser’s behalf, (c) otherwise becomes known to such Purchaser other
than through disclosure by the Company or any of its Affiliates or (d) constitutes financial statements delivered to such Purchaser under Section 7.1 that are otherwise publicly available. Each Purchaser will maintain the
confidentiality of such Confidential Information in accordance with procedures adopted by such Purchaser in good faith to protect confidential information of third parties delivered to such Purchaser; provided that such Purchaser may deliver
or disclose Confidential Information to (i) its affiliates and its and their respective directors, trustees, officers, employees, agents and attorneys (to the extent such disclosure reasonably relates to the administration of the investment
represented by its Notes), (ii) its financial advisors and other professional advisors who agree to hold confidential the Confidential Information substantially in accordance with the terms of this Section 20, (iii) any other
holder of any Note, (iv) any Institutional Investor to which it sells or offers to sell such Note or any part thereof or any participation therein (if such Person has agreed in writing prior to its receipt of such Confidential Information to be
bound by the provisions of this Section 20), (v) any Person from which it offers to purchase any security of the Company (if such Person has agreed in writing prior to its receipt of such Confidential Information to be bound by the
provisions of this Section 20), (vi) any federal or state regulatory authority having jurisdiction over such Purchaser, (vii) the NAIC or the SVO or, in each case, any similar organization, or any nationally recognized rating
agency that requires access to information about such Purchaser’s investment portfolio or (viii) any other Person to which such delivery or disclosure may be necessary or appropriate (w) to effect compliance with any law, rule,
regulation or order applicable to such Purchaser, (x) in response to any subpoena or other legal process, (y) in connection with any litigation to which such Purchaser is a party or (z) if an Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing, to 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
the extent such Purchaser may reasonably determine such delivery and disclosure to be necessary or appropriate in the enforcement or for the protection of the rights and remedies under such
Purchaser’s Notes and this Agreement. Each holder of a Note, by its acceptance of a Note, will be deemed to have agreed to be bound by and to be entitled to the benefits of this Section 20 as though it were a party to this
Agreement. On reasonable request by the Company in connection with the delivery to any holder of a Note of information required to be delivered to such holder under this Agreement or requested by such holder (other than a holder that is a party to
this Agreement or its nominee), such holder will enter into an agreement with the Company embodying the provisions of this Section 20. 
 SECTION 21. SUBSTITUTION OF PURCHASER. 
 Each Purchaser shall have the right to substitute any one of its Affiliates as the purchaser of the Notes that it has agreed to purchase hereunder, by written notice to the Company, which notice shall be
signed by both such Purchaser and such Affiliate, shall contain such Affiliate’s agreement to be bound by this Agreement and shall contain a confirmation by such Affiliate of the accuracy with respect to it of the representations set forth in
Section 6. Upon receipt of such notice, any reference to such Purchaser in this Agreement (other than in this Section 21) shall be deemed to refer to such Affiliate in lieu of such original Purchaser. In the event that such
Affiliate is so substituted as a Purchaser hereunder and such Affiliate thereafter transfers to such original Purchaser all of the Notes then held by such Affiliate, upon receipt by the Company of notice of such transfer, any reference to such
Affiliate as a “Purchaser” in this Agreement (other than in this Section 21) shall no longer be deemed to refer to such Affiliate, but shall refer to such original Purchaser, and such original Purchaser shall again have all the
rights of an original holder of the Notes under this Agreement. 
 SECTION 22. MISCELLANEOUS. 

Section 22.1. Successors and Assigns. All covenants and other agreements contained in this Agreement by or on behalf of any of
the parties hereto bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns (including, without limitation, any subsequent holder of a Note) whether so expressed or not. 

Section 22.2. Payments Due on Non-Business Days. Anything in this Agreement, the Notes or any of the Security Documents to
the contrary notwithstanding (but without limiting the requirement in Section 8.5 that the notice of any optional prepayment specify a Business Day as the date fixed for such prepayment), any payment of principal of or Make-Whole Amount
or interest on any Note that is due on a date other than a Business Day shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day without including the additional days elapsed in the computation of the interest payable on such next succeeding Business Day;
provided that if the maturity date of any Note is a date other than a Business Day, the payment otherwise due on such maturity date shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day and shall include the additional days elapsed in the
computation of interest payable on such next succeeding Business Day. 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 Section 22.3. Accounting Terms. All accounting terms used herein which are
not expressly defined in this Agreement have the meanings respectively given to them in accordance with GAAP. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, (a) all computations made pursuant to this Agreement shall be made in accordance
with GAAP and (b) all financial statements shall be prepared in accordance with GAAP. The Company covenants and agrees that whether or not the Company may at any time adopt Accounting Standards Codification 825 or account for assets and
liabilities acquired in an acquisition on a fair value basis pursuant to Accounting Standards Codification 805, all determinations of compliance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall be made on the basis that the Company has not
adopted Accounting Standards Codification 825 or Accounting Standards Codification 805. 
 Section 22.4.
Severability. Any provision of this Agreement that is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining
provisions hereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall (to the full extent permitted by law) not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction. 

Section 22.5. Construction, Etc. Each covenant contained herein shall be construed (absent express provision to the contrary)
as being independent of each other covenant contained herein, so that compliance with any one covenant shall not (absent such an express contrary provision) be deemed to excuse compliance with any other covenant. Where any provision herein refers to
action to be taken by any Person, or which such Person is prohibited from taking, such provision shall be applicable whether such action is taken directly or indirectly by such Person. 

For the avoidance of doubt, all Schedules and Exhibits attached to this Agreement shall be deemed to be a part hereof. 

Section 22.6. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original
but all of which together shall constitute one instrument. Each counterpart may consist of a number of copies hereof, each signed by less than all, but together signed by all, of the parties hereto. 

Section 22.7. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the
rights of the parties shall be governed by, the law of the State of New York, excluding choice-of-law principles of the law of such State that would permit the application of the laws of a jurisdiction other than such State.

 Section 22.8. Jurisdiction and Process; Waiver of Jury Trial. (a) The Company irrevocably submits to the
non-exclusive jurisdiction of any New York State or federal court sitting in the 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, over any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the Notes. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the
Company irrevocably waives and agrees not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense or otherwise, any claim that it is not subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of the venue of
any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court. Each party hereto irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in
an inconvenient forum. 
 (b) Each party hereto consents to process being served by or on behalf of any holder of Notes in any
suit, action or proceeding of the nature referred to in Section 22.8(a) by mailing a copy thereof by registered or certified mail (or any substantially similar form of mail), postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to it at its
address specified in Section 18 or at such other address of which such holder shall then have been notified pursuant to said Section. Each party hereto agrees that such service upon receipt (i) shall be deemed in every respect
effective service of process upon it in any such suit, action or proceeding and (ii) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be taken and held to be valid personal service upon and personal delivery to it. Notices hereunder
shall be conclusively presumed received as evidenced by a delivery receipt furnished by the United States Postal Service or any reputable commercial delivery service. 
 (c) Nothing in this Section 22.8 shall affect the right of any party hereto to serve process in any manner permitted by law, or limit any right that the holders of any of the Notes may have to
bring proceedings against the Company in the courts of any appropriate jurisdiction or to enforce in any lawful manner a judgment obtained in one jurisdiction in any other jurisdiction. 

(d) THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY WAIVE TRIAL
BY JURY IN ANY ACTION BROUGHT ON OR WITH RESPECT TO THIS
AGREEMENT, THE NOTES OR ANY OTHER DOCUMENT EXECUTED IN CONNECTION HEREWITH
OR THEREWITH. 

*    *    *    *    * 

  
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 If you are in agreement with the foregoing, please sign the form of agreement on a
counterpart of this Agreement and return it to the Company, whereupon this Agreement shall become a binding agreement between you and the Company. 
  

					
	Very truly yours,
	
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION
		
	By:	 	/s/ Michael B. Lazar
		 	Name:	 	Michael B. Lazar
		 	Title:	 	Chief Operating Officer

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

									
	This Agreement is hereby accepted and agreed
	to as of the date thereof.
			
		 		 	MIDLAND NATIONAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
				
		 		 	By:	 	 Guggenheim Partners Asset Management,
LLC, as Investment Manager and not in its
individual
capacity

				
		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Michael Damaso
		 		 		 	Name:	 	Michael Damaso
		 		 		 	Title:	 	Senior Managing Director
			
		 		 	 NORTH AMERICAN COMPANY FOR LIFE
AND HEALTH
 INSURANCE

				
		 		 	 By:
	 	 Guggenheim Partners Asset Management,
LLC, as Investment Manager and not in its
individual
capacity

				
		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Michael Damaso
		 		 		 	Name:	 	Michael Damaso
		 		 		 	Title:	 	Senior Managing Director
			
		 		 	GUGGENHEIM LIFE AND ANNUITY COMPANY
				
		 		 	By:	 	 Guggenheim Partners Asset Management,
LLC, as Investment Manager and not in its
individual
capacity

				
		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Michael Damaso
		 		 		 	Name:	 	Michael Damaso
		 		 		 	Title:	 	Senior Managing Director

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

									
	This Agreement is hereby accepted and agreed
	to as of the date thereof.
			
		 		 	ATHENE REINSURANCE COMPANY
				
		 		 	By:	 	 Guggenheim Partners Asset Management,
LLC

				
		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Michael Damaso
		 		 		 	Name:	 	Michael Damaso
		 		 		 	Title:	 	Senior Managing Director
			
		 		 	HORACE MANN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
				
		 		 	By:	 	 Guggenheim Partners Asset Management,
LLC

				
		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Michael Damaso
		 		 		 	Name:	 	Michael Damaso
		 		 		 	Title:	 	Senior Managing Director
			
		 		 	SECURITY BENEFIT LIFE COMPANY
				
		 		 	By:	 	 Guggenheim Partners Asset Management,
LLC

				
		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Michael Damaso
		 		 		 	Name:	 	Michael Damaso
		 		 		 	Title:	 	Senior Managing Director

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

											
	This Agreement is hereby accepted and agreed
	to as of the date thereof.
			
		 		 	SUN LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY OF CANADA
					
		 		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Paul Sinclair
		 		 		 		 	Name:	 	Paul Sinclair
		 		 		 		 	Title:	 	Managing Director
		 		 		 		 		 	Head of Private Debt
		 		 		 		 		 	Private Fixed Income
					
		 		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Thomas J. Robinson
		 		 		 		 	Name:	 	Thomas J. Robinson
		 		 		 		 	Title:	 	Senior Managing Director
		 		 		 		 		 	Head of North American
		 		 		 		 		 	Private Fixed Income
			
		 		 	 SUN LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY OF
CANADA,
 ACTING THROUGH ITS BERMUDA
BRANCH

					
		 		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Paul Sinclair
		 		 		 		 	Name:	 	Paul Sinclair
		 		 		 		 	Title:	 	Managing Director
		 		 		 		 		 	Head of Private Debt
		 		 		 		 		 	Private Fixed Income
					
		 		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Thomas J. Robinson
		 		 		 		 	Name:	 	Thomas J. Robinson
		 		 		 		 	Title:	 	Senior Managing Director
		 		 		 		 		 	Head of North American
		 		 		 		 		 	Private Fixed Income
						
	This Agreement is hereby accepted and agreed	 		 		 		 		 	
	to as of the date thereof.	 		 		 		 		 	

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

													
		 		 	 SUN LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY OF
CANADA,
 ACTING THROUGH ITS U.S. BRANCH

						
		 		 		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Deborah J. Foss
		 		 		 		 		 	Name:	 	Deborah J. Foss
		 		 		 		 		 	Title:	 	 Managing Director, Head of

Private Debt

		 		 		 		 		 		 	Private Fixed Income
						
		 		 		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Ann C. King
		 		 		 		 		 	Name:	 	Ann C. King
		 		 		 		 		 	Title:	 	 Assistant Vice President and

Senor Counsel

			
		 		 	 SUN LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITY
COMPANY OF
 NEW YORK

						
		 		 		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Deborah J. Foss
		 		 		 		 		 	Name:	 	Deborah J. Foss
		 		 		 		 		 	Title:	 	Authorized Signer
						
		 		 		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Ann C. King
		 		 		 		 		 	Name:	 	Ann C. King
		 		 		 		 		 	Title:	 	Authorized Signer

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

											
	 This Agreement is hereby accepted and agreed
 to as of the date thereof.
	 		 		 		 		 	
			
		 		 	CUNA MUTUAL INSURANCE SOCIETY
					
		 		 		 	By:	 	 MEMBERS Capital Advisors, Inc., acting
 as Investment Advisor

					
		 		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Allen R. Cantrell
		 		 		 		 	Name:	 	Allen R. Cantrell
		 		 		 		 	Title:	 	Managing Director, Investments

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

									
	 This Agreement is hereby accepted and agreed
 to as of the date thereof.
	 		 		 		 	
			
		 		 	UNITED OF OMAHA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
				
		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Curtis R. Caldwell
		 		 		 	Name:	 	Curtis R. Caldwell
		 		 		 	Title:	 	Senior Vice President

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

									
	 This Agreement is hereby accepted and agreed
 to as of the date thereof.
	 		 		 		 	
			
		 		 	PHOENIX LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
				
		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Christopher M. Wilkos
		 		 		 	Name:	 	Christopher M. Wilkos
		 		 		 	Title:	 	Executive Vice President
			
		 		 	PHL VARIABLE INSURANCE COMPANY
				
		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Christopher M. Wilkos
		 		 		 	Name:	 	Christopher M. Wilkos
		 		 		 	Title:	 	Executive Vice President

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

											
	 This Agreement is hereby accepted and agreed
 to as of the date thereof.
	 		 		 		 		 	
			
		 		 	PAN-AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
					
		 		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Rodolfo J. Revuelta
		 		 		 		 	Name:	 	Rodolfo J. Revuelta, CFA
		 		 		 		 	Title:	 	Senior Vice President & Chief
		 		 		 		 		 	Investment Officer

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

											
	 This Agreement is hereby accepted and agreed
 to as of the date thereof.
	 		 		 		 		 	
			
		 		 	 SOUTHERN FARM BUREAU LIFE INSURANCE

COMPANY

					
		 		 		 	By:	 	/s/ David Divine
		 		 		 		 	Name:	 	David Divine
		 		 		 		 	Title:	 	Portfolio Manager

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

											
	 This Agreement is hereby accepted and agreed
 to as of the date thereof.
	 		 		 		 		 	
			
		 		 	CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANY
					
		 		 		 	By:	 	/s/ Mark J. Dadabbo
		 		 		 		 	Name:	 	Mark J. Dadabbo
		 		 		 		 	Title:	 	President

 DEFINED TERMS 

As used herein, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth below or set forth in the Section hereof following such term:

 “Adjusted Borrowing Base” means the Borrowing Base minus the aggregate amount of Cash and Cash Equivalents
included in the Portfolio Investments held by the Obligors. 
 “Adjusted Covered Debt Balance” means, on any
date, the aggregate Covered Debt Amount on such date minus the aggregate amount of Cash and Cash Equivalents included in the Portfolio Investments held by the Obligors (excluding any cash held by the Bank Administrative Agent in the Cash
Collateral Accounts). 
 “Adjusted Interest Rate” is defined in Section 1.2(e). 

“Advance Rate” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Affiliate” means, with respect to a specified Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more
intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the term “Affiliate” shall not include (i) any Person that constitutes an Investment
held by the Company in the ordinary course of business or (ii) any Person that acts as investment advisor in the ordinary course of business on behalf of the account of any Purchaser or any other subsequent holder of Notes. 

“Affiliate Agreements” means collectively, (a) the Investment Management Agreement, dated
June 22, 2008, between the Company and BlackRock Kelso Capital Advisors, (b) the Administration Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2005, between the Company and BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and
(c) Directors and Officers Liability Insurance Allocation Agreement, dated as of August 10, 2006, between the Company and BlackRock Kelso Capital Advisors.  
 “Agreed Foreign Currency” means, at any time, Euros, English Pounds Sterling, Canadian Dollars, and, with the agreement of each Multicurrency Revolving Lender (as defined in the Senior
Secured Credit Agreement), any other foreign currency, so long as, in respect of any such specified foreign currency or other foreign currency, at such time (a) such foreign currency is dealt with in the London interbank deposit market,
(b) such foreign currency is freely transferable and convertible into Dollars in the London foreign exchange market and (c) no central bank or other governmental authorization in the country of issue of such foreign currency (including, in
the case of the Euro, any authorization by the European Central Bank) is required to permit use of such foreign currency by any Multicurrency Revolving Lender for making any Loan under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement and/or to permit the Company
to borrow and repay the principal thereof and to pay the interest thereon, unless such authorization has been obtained and is in full force and effect. 

  

SCHEDULE B 
 (to Note Purchase Agreement) 

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 “Anti-Terrorism Order” means Executive Order No. 13,224 of
September 24, 2001, Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions with Persons Who Commit, Threaten to Commit or Support Terrorism, 66 U.S. Fed. Reg. 49,079 (2001), as amended. 

“Approved Third-Party Appraiser” means any Independent third-party appraisal firm designated by the Company in writing
to the holders of the Notes (which designation shall be accompanied by a copy of a resolution of the Board of Directors of the Company that such firm has been approved by the Company for purposes of assisting the Board of Directors of the Company in
making valuations of portfolio assets to determine the Company’s compliance with the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act). It is understood and agreed that, so long as the same are Independent third-party appraisal firms
approved by the Board of Directors of the Company, Houlihan Lokey, Howard & Zukin, Murray, Devine & Company and Valuation Research Corporation shall be deemed to be Approved Third-Party Appraisers. 

“Asset Coverage Ratio” means the ratio, determined on a consolidated basis, without duplication, in accordance with
GAAP, of (a) the Value of total assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, less all liabilities (other than Indebtedness, including Indebtedness hereunder) of the Company and its Subsidiaries, to (b) the aggregate amount of Indebtedness
of the Company and its Subsidiaries. 
 “Bank Administrative Agent” means Citibank, N.A, in its capacity as
administrative agent, and its successors and assigns under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. 
 “Bank Loans”
is defined in Section 9.12. 
 “Below Investment Grade Event” is defined in Section 1.2(f).

 “BlackRock Kelso Capital Advisors” means BlackRock Kelso Capital Advisors LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company. 
 “Board” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of America.

 “Borrowing Base” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Borrowing Base Certificate” means a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer of the Company, substantially in the form
of Exhibit 9.12 attached hereto and appropriately completed. 
 “Borrowing Base Deficiency” means, at
any date on which the same is determined, the amount, if any, that (a) the aggregate Covered Debt Amount as of such date exceeds (b) the Borrowing Base as of such date. 

“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which commercial banks in New York, New York
are required or authorized to be closed. 

  
 B-2

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 “Capital Stock” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Capital Lease Obligations” of any Person means the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any
lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as capital leases on a balance sheet or statement of assets and
liabilities, as applicable, of such Person under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP. 
 “Cash” means any immediately available funds in Dollars or in any currency other than Dollars which is a freely convertible currency. 

“Cash Collateral Accounts” means, collectively, the “Letter of Credit Collateral Account” and the “Cash
Collateral Account” (each as defined in the Senior Secured Credit Agreement). 
 “Cash Equivalents” means
investments (other than Cash) that are one or more of the following obligations: 
 (a) U.S. Government
Securities, in each case maturing within one year from the date of acquisition thereof; 
 (b) investments in
commercial paper maturing within 270 days from the date of acquisition thereof and having, at such date of acquisition, a credit rating of at least A-1 from S&P and at least P-1 from Moody’s; 

(c) investments in certificates of deposit, banker’s acceptances and time deposits maturing within 180 days from the
date of acquisition thereof (i) issued or guaranteed by or placed with, and money market deposit accounts issued or offered by, any domestic office of any commercial bank organized under the laws of the United States of America or any State
thereof or under the laws of the jurisdiction or any constituent jurisdiction thereof of any Agreed Foreign Currency, provided that such certificates of deposit, banker’s acceptances and time deposits are held in a securities account (as
defined in the Uniform Commercial Code) through which the Collateral Agent can perfect a security interest therein and (ii) having, at such date of acquisition, a credit rating of at least A-1 from S&P and at least P-1 from Moody’s;
and 
 (d) fully collateralized repurchase agreements with a term of not more than 30 days from the date of
acquisition thereof for U.S. Government Securities and entered into with (i) a financial institution satisfying the criteria described in clause (c) of this definition or (ii) a bank or broker-dealer having (or being a member of a
consolidated group having) at such date of acquisition, a credit rating of at least A-1 from S&P and at least P-1 from Moody’s, 

  
 B-3

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 provided, that (i) in no event shall Cash Equivalents include any obligation that provides
for the payment of interest alone (for example, interest-only securities or “IOs”); (ii) if any of Moody’s or S&P changes its rating system, then any ratings included in this definition shall be deemed to be an equivalent
rating in a successor rating category of Moody’s or S&P, as the case may be; (iii) Cash Equivalents (other than U.S. Government Securities or repurchase agreements) shall not include any such investment of more than 10% of total assets
of the Obligors in any single issuer; and (iv) in no event shall Cash Equivalents include any obligation that is not denominated in Dollars or an Agreed Foreign Currency. 
 “Change in Control” means (a) the acquisition of ownership, directly or indirectly, beneficially or of record, by any Person or group (within the meaning of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 and the rules of the SEC thereunder as in effect on the date hereof) of shares representing more than 50% of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company or
(b) occupation of a majority of the seats (other than vacant seats) on the Board of Directors of the Company by Persons who were neither (i) nominated by the requisite members of the Board of Directors of the Company nor
(ii) appointed by a majority of the directors so nominated. 
 “Closing” is defined in
Section 3. 
 “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and the
rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time. 
 “Collateral” has the meaning assigned to
such term in the Guarantee and Security Agreement. 
 “Collateral Agent” means Citibank, N.A. in its capacity
as Collateral Agent under the Guarantee and Security Agreement, and includes any successor Collateral Agent thereunder. 

“Collateral and Guarantee Requirement” means, at any time, the requirement that: 

(a) the holders of the Notes shall have received from each Obligor (i) either (x) a counterpart of the Guarantee
and Security Agreement duly executed and delivered on behalf of such Obligor or (y) in the case of any Person that becomes an Obligor after the date of the Closing, a supplement to the Guarantee and Security Agreement, in the form specified
therein, duly executed and delivered on behalf of such Obligor and (ii) with respect to any Obligor that directly owns Equity Interests of a Foreign Subsidiary, a counterpart of each Foreign Pledge Agreement that the Required Holders determine,
based on the advice of counsel, to be necessary or advisable in connection with the pledge of, or the granting of security interests in, Equity Interests of such Foreign Subsidiary, in each case duly executed and delivered on behalf of such Obligor
and such Foreign Subsidiary; 
 (b) all outstanding Equity Interests of the Company and each Subsidiary and all
other Equity Interests, in each case owned by or on behalf of any Obligor, shall have 

  
 B-4

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
been pledged pursuant to the Guarantee and Security Agreement or a Foreign Pledge Agreement (except that the Obligors shall not be required to pledge more than 65% of the outstanding voting
Equity Interests of any Foreign Subsidiary that is not an Obligor) and the Collateral Agent shall have received certificates or other instruments representing all such Equity Interests, together with undated stock powers or other instruments of
transfer with respect thereto endorsed in blank; 
 (c) all Indebtedness of the Company and each Subsidiary that
is owing to any Obligor shall be evidenced by a promissory note and shall have been pledged pursuant to the Guarantee and Security Agreement and the Collateral Agent shall have received all such promissory notes, together with undated instruments of
transfer with respect thereto endorsed in blank; 
 (d) all documents and instruments, including Uniform
Commercial Code financing statements, required by law or reasonably requested by the Required Holders to be filed, registered or recorded to create the Liens intended to be created by the Guarantee and Security Agreement and the Foreign Pledge
Agreements and perfect such Liens to the extent required by, and with the priority required by, the Guarantee and Security Agreement and the Foreign Pledge Agreements, shall have been filed, registered or recorded or delivered to the holders of the
Notes for filing, registration or recording; 
 (e) the holders of the Notes shall have received
(i) counterparts of a Mortgage with respect to each Mortgaged Property duly executed and delivered by the record owner of such Mortgaged Property, (ii) a policy or policies of title insurance issued by a nationally recognized title
insurance company insuring the Lien of each such Mortgage as a valid first Lien on the Mortgaged Property described therein, free of any other Liens except as expressly permitted by Section 10.2, together with such endorsements,
coinsurance and reinsurance as the Required Holders may reasonably request, and (iii) such surveys, abstracts, appraisals, legal opinions and other documents as the Required Holders may reasonably request with respect to any such Mortgage or
Mortgaged Property; 
 (f) each Obligor shall have obtained all consents and approvals required to be obtained by
it in connection with the execution and delivery of all Security Documents to which it is a party, the performance of its obligations thereunder and the granting by it of the Liens thereunder; and 

(g) within 30 days after the request therefor by the Required Holders (or such longer period as the Required Holders may
agree in their discretion), deliver to the holders of the Notes a signed copy of an opinion, addressed to the holders of the Notes and the other Secured Parties, of counsel for the Obligors reasonably acceptable to the Required Holders as to such
matters set forth in this definition as the Required Holders may reasonably request. 

  
 B-5

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 “Company” means BlackRock Kelso Capital Corporation, a Delaware
corporation or any successor that becomes such in the manner prescribed in Section 10.3(e). 
 “Competing
Business” means at any particular time any “business development company” under the Investment Company Act. 

“Competitor” means at any particular time any Person which at such time is engaged in a Competing Business;
provided in any event that: 
 (i) the provision of investment advisory services by a Person to a Plan
which is owned or Controlled by a Person which would otherwise be a Competitor shall not, in and of itself, cause the Person providing such services to be deemed to be a Competitor; 

(ii) in no event shall an Institutional Investor be deemed to be a Competitor if such Institutional Investor is a pension
plan sponsored by a Person which would otherwise be deemed to be a Competitor but which pension plan is a regular investor in privately placed Securities, and such pension plan has established procedures which will prevent confidential information
supplied to such pension plan by the Company from being transmitted or otherwise made available to such plan sponsor; 
 (iii) an Institutional Investor that would otherwise be deemed to be a Competitor pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this definition by virtue of its ownership or Control as a portfolio investment of
the equity Securities of any Person which is a Competitor, shall not be deemed to be a Competitor if such Institutional Investor has established procedures which will prevent confidential information supplied to such Institutional Investor by the
Company from being transmitted or otherwise made available to such Person; and 
 (iv) any Private Placement
Agent that would otherwise be deemed to be a Competitor pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this definition, shall not be deemed to be a Competitor if such Private Placement Agent holds the Notes only in connection with its role as an
intermediary in the prompt and expeditious sale in accordance with customary financial market conditions of the Note or Notes owned by one Institutional Investor who is not a Competitor to another purchasing Institutional Investor who is not a
Competitor and such Private Placement Agent has established procedures which will prevent confidential information supplied to either the selling or buying Institutional Investor by the Company from being transmitted or otherwise made available to
such Private Placement Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity other than as the agent and intermediary in connection with such sale of any such Note or Notes. 
 “Confidential Information” is defined in Section 20. 

“Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management
or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise 

  
 B-6

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
voting power, by contract or otherwise. “Controlling” and “Controlled” have meanings correlative thereto. 

“Control Event” is defined in Section 8.3(h). 

“Covered Debt Amount” means, on any date, the sum of (a) all of the Revolving Credit Exposures of all Lenders on
such date plus (b) all of the outstanding Term Loans of all Lenders on such date plus (c) the aggregate principal amount of the Notes outstanding on such dates plus (d) the aggregate principal amount of Other Covered
Indebtedness on such date minus (e) the LC Exposures fully cash collateralized on such date pursuant to Section 2.05(k) of the Senior Secured Credit Agreement minus (f) the Term Loans fully covered on such date pursuant
to Section 2.10(g) of the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. 
 “Default” means an event or condition the
occurrence or existence of which would, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice or both, unless cured or waived, become an Event of Default. 
 “Default Rate” means, with respect to a series of Notes, that rate of interest that is the greater of (i) 2.00% per annum above the rate of interest then in effect on the Notes of
such series or (ii) 2.00% over the rate of interest publicly announced by Citibank, N.A. in New York, New York as its “base” or “prime” rate. 
 “Disclosure Documents” is defined in Section 5.3. 

“Dollars” or “$” refers to lawful money of the United States of America. 

“Electronic Delivery” is defined in Section 7.1(a). 

“Environmental Laws” means any and all federal, state, local, and foreign statutes, laws, regulations, ordinances,
rules, judgments, orders, decrees, permits, concessions, grants, franchises, licenses, agreements or governmental restrictions relating to pollution and the protection of the environment or the release of any materials into the environment,
including but not limited to those related to Hazardous Materials. 
 “Equity Interests” means shares of
capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a limited liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or other equity ownership interests in a Person, and any warrants, options or other rights entitling the holder thereof to
purchase or acquire any such equity interest. 
 “ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect. 

“ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that is treated as a single employer
together with the Company under Section 414 of the Code. 

  
 B-7

			
	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 “ERISA Event” means (a) any “reportable event,” as
defined in Section 4043 of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder with respect to an ERISA Plan (other than an event for which the 30-day notice period is waived); (b) any failure by any ERISA Plan to satisfy the minimum funding
standards (within the meaning of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA) applicable to such ERISA Plan, whether or not waived; (c) the filing pursuant to Section 412(d) of the Code or Section 303(c) of ERISA of
an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any ERISA Plan; (d) the incurrence by the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of any
ERISA Plan; (e) a determination that any ERISA Plan is, or is expected to be, in “at-risk” status (within the meaning of Section 303(i)(4) of ERISA or Section 430(i)(4) of the Code); (f) the receipt by the Company or
any ERISA Affiliate from the PBGC or a plan administrator of any notice relating to an intention to terminate any ERISA Plan or ERISA Plans or to appoint a trustee to administer any ERISA Plan; (g) the incurrence by the Company or any of its
ERISA Affiliates of any liability with respect to the withdrawal or partial withdrawal from any ERISA Plan or Multiemployer Plan; (h) the receipt by the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, or the receipt by any Multiemployer Plan from
the Company or any ERISA Affiliate of any notice, concerning the imposition of Withdrawal Liability or a determination that a Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to be, insolvent, in reorganization or in endangered critical status within the
meaning of Section 305 or Title IV of ERISA; (i) the occurrence of a non-exempt “prohibited transaction” (as defined in Section 4975 of the Code or Section 406 of ERISA) with respect to which the Company or any of
its ERISA Affiliates is a “disqualified person” (as defined in Section 4975 of the Code) or a “party in interest” (as defined in Section 406 of ERISA) or could otherwise be liable; or (j) any other event or
condition with respect to an ERISA Plan or Multiemployer Plan that could result in liability of the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates. For purposes of this definition, (1) “ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether
or not incorporated) that, together with the Company, is treated as a single employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code, or, solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, is treated as a single
employer under Section 414 of the Code and (2) “Multiemployer Plan” means a multiemployer plan as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA. 
 “ERISA Plan” means any employee pension benefit plan (other than a Multiemployer Plan) subject to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code or
Section 302 of ERISA, and in respect of which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate is (or, if such plan were terminated, would under Section 4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an “employer” as defined in Section 3(5) of ERISA. For
purposes of this definition, (1) “ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that, together with the Company, is treated as a single employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code, or,
solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, is treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code and (2) “Multiemployer Plan” means a multiemployer plan as defined in
Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA. 
 “Event of Default” is defined in Section 11. 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect. 
 “Financial
Covenant Modification” and “Financial Covenant Modifications” are defined in Section 10.7(d). 
 “Financing Subsidiary” means a direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Company to which any Obligor sells, conveys or otherwise transfers (whether directly or indirectly) Portfolio
Investments, which engages in no material activities other than in connection with the purchase or financing of such assets and which is designated by the Company (as provided below) as a Financing Subsidiary, 

(a) no portion of the Indebtedness or any other obligations (contingent or otherwise) of which (i) is Guaranteed by
any Obligor (other than Guarantees in respect of Standard Securitization Undertakings), (ii) is recourse to or obligates any Obligor in any way other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings or (iii) subjects any property of
any Obligor, directly or indirectly, contingently or otherwise, to the satisfaction thereof, other than pursuant to Standard Securitization Undertakings or any Guarantee thereof, 

(b) with which no Obligor has any material contract, agreement, arrangement or understanding other than on terms no less
favorable to such Obligor than those that might be obtained at the time from Persons that are not Affiliates of any Obligor, other than fees payable in the ordinary course of business in connection with servicing receivables, and 

(c) to which no Obligor has any obligation to maintain or preserve such entity’s financial condition or cause such
entity to achieve certain levels of operating results. 
 Any such designation by the Company shall be effected pursuant to a certificate of a
Senior Financial Officer delivered to the Required Holders, which certificate shall include a statement to the effect that, to the best of such officer’s knowledge, such designation complied with the foregoing conditions. Each Subsidiary of a
Financing Subsidiary shall be deemed to be a Financing Subsidiary and shall comply with the foregoing requirements of this definition. 
 “First Lien Bank Loan” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Fitch” means Fitch Ratings Service, or its successors or assigns. 

“Foreign Holders” is defined in Section 14.3. 

“Foreign Pledge Agreement” means a pledge or charge agreement with respect to the Collateral that constitutes Equity
Interests of a Foreign Subsidiary in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Required Holders. 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 “Foreign Subsidiary” means, a Subsidiary that is organized under the
laws of a jurisdiction other than the United States of America, State thereof or the District of Columbia. 
 “Form
10-K” is defined in Section 7.1(b). 
 “Form 10-Q” is defined in
Section 7.1(a). 
 “Forms” is defined in Section 14.3. 

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles as in effect from time to time in the United States of America.

 “Governmental Authority” means 

(a) the government of 
 (i) the United States of America or any State or other political subdivision thereof, or 
 (ii) any other jurisdiction in which the Company or any Subsidiary conducts all or any part of its business, or which asserts jurisdiction over any properties of the Company or any Subsidiary, or

 (b) any entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of, or
pertaining to, any such government. 
 “GSA Joinder Agreement” is defined in Section 2.2.

 “Guarantee” of or by any Person (the “guarantor”) means any obligation, contingent or
otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any
obligation of the guarantor, direct or indirect, (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation or to purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any
security for the payment thereof, (b) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment thereof, (c) to maintain working capital, equity
capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation or (d) as an account party in respect of any letter of credit or letter of
guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness or obligation, provided that the term Guarantee shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business. 

“Guarantee and Security Agreement” is defined in Section 2.2. 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 “Hazardous Materials” means any and all pollutants, toxic or hazardous
wastes or any other substances, including all substances listed in or regulated in any Environmental Law that might pose a hazard to health and safety, the removal of which may be required or the generation, manufacture, refining, production,
processing, treatment, storage, handling, transportation, transfer, use, disposal, release, discharge, spillage, seepage, or filtration of which is or shall be restricted, regulated, prohibited or penalized by any applicable law including, but not
limited to, asbestos, urea formaldehyde foam insulation, polychlorinated biphenyls, petroleum, petroleum products, lead based paint, radon gas or similar restricted, prohibited or penalized substances. 

“Hedging Agreement” means any interest rate protection agreement, foreign currency exchange protection agreement,
commodity price protection agreement or other interest or currency exchange rate or commodity price hedging arrangement. 

“High Yield Securities” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“holder” means, with respect to any Note, the Person in whose name such Note is registered in the register maintained by
the Company pursuant to Section 13.1. 
 “Indebtedness” of any Person means, without duplication,
(a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money or with respect to deposits or advances of any kind, (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments, (c) all obligations of such
Person under conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating to property acquired by such Person, (d) all obligations of such Person in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services (excluding accounts payable
incurred in the ordinary course of business), (e) all Indebtedness of others secured by any Lien on property owned or acquired by such Person, whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby has been assumed, (f) all Guarantees by such
Person of Indebtedness of others, (g) all Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, (h) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person as an account party in respect of letters of credit and letters of guaranty and (i) all
obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person in respect of bankers’ acceptances. The Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any other entity (including any partnership in which such Person is a general partner) to
the extent such Person is liable therefor as a result of such Person’s ownership interest in or other relationship with such entity, except to the extent the terms of such Indebtedness provide that such Person is not liable therefor.

 “Independent” when used with respect to any specified Person means that such Person (a) does not have
any direct financial interest or any material indirect financial interest in the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates (including its investment advisor or any Affiliate thereof) and (b) is not connected with the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries or Affiliates (including its investment advisor or any Affiliate thereof) as an officer, employee, promoter, underwriter, trustee, partner, director or Person performing similar functions. 

“Industry Classification Group” means (a) any of the Moody’s classification groups set forth in
Schedule 9.11(a) hereto, together with any such classification groups that may be 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
subsequently established by Moody’s and provided by the Company to the holders of the Notes, and (b) up to three additional industry group classifications established by the Company
pursuant to Section 9.11. 
 “INHAM Exemption” is defined in Section 6.2(e).

 “Institutional Accredited Investor” means an institutional accredited investor as defined in
Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act. 
 “Institutional Investor” means
(a) any original purchaser of a Note, (b) any holder of a Note holding (together with one or more of its affiliates) more than 5% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding, (c) any bank, trust company, savings
and loan association or other financial institution, any pension plan, any investment company, any insurance company, any broker or dealer, or any other similar financial institution or entity, regardless of legal form, and (d) any Related Fund
of any holder of any Note. 
 “Investment” means, for any Person: (a) Equity Interests, bonds, notes,
debentures or other securities of any other Person or any agreement to acquire any Equity Interests, bonds, notes, debentures or other securities of any other Person (including any “short sale” or any sale of any securities at a time when
such securities are not owned by the Person entering into such sale); (b) deposits, advances, loans or other extensions of credit made to any other Person (including purchases of property from another Person subject to an understanding or
agreement, contingent or otherwise, to resell such property to such Person); or (c) Hedging Agreements. 

“Investment Company Act” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended from time to time. 

“Investment Grade” means a Rating of (a) “BBB-” or better by S&P, (b) “Baa3” or better
by Moody’s, or (c) “BBB-” or better by Fitch, as applicable. 
 “Investment Policies” means
the investment objectives, policies, restrictions and limitations set forth in the report of the Company to the SEC on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009, including any amendments, changes, supplements or modifications
thereto. 
 “LC Exposure” has the meaning assigned to such term in the Senior Secured Credit Agreement.

 “Lenders” has the meaning assigned to such term in the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. 

“Lien” means, with respect to any asset, (a) any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance,
charge or security interest in, on or of such asset, (b) the interest of a vendor or a lessor under any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or title retention agreement (or any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect
as any of the 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
foregoing) relating to such asset and (c) in the case of Securities, any purchase option, call or similar right of a third party with respect to such securities, except in favor of the
issuer thereof. 
 “Long-Term U.S. Government Securities” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Make-Whole Amount” is defined in Section 8.8. 

“Material” means material in relation to the business, Portfolio Investments and other assets, liabilities and financial
condition of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole. 
 “Material Adverse Effect” means a material
adverse effect on (a) the business, Portfolio Investments and other assets, liabilities and financial condition of the Company taken as a whole (excluding in any case a decline in the net asset value of the Company or a change in general market
conditions or values of the Company’s Portfolio Investments), or (b) the validity or enforceability of this Agreement, the Notes or any of the Security Documents or the rights or remedies of the holders of the Notes hereunder or of the
rights or remedies of the Collateral Agent under any of the Security Documents. 
 “Memorandum” is defined in
Section 5.3. 
 “Mezzanine Investments” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Modification” and “Modifications” are defined in Section 9.13. 

“Modified Make-Whole Amount” is defined in Section 8.8. 

“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or its successors or assigns. 

“Mortgage” means a mortgage, deed of trust, assignment of leases and rents, leasehold mortgage or other security
document granting a Lien on any Mortgaged Property to secure the Secured Obligations. Each Mortgage shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Required Holders. 
 “Mortgaged Property” means, initially, each parcel of real property and the improvements thereto owned by an Obligor, and includes each other parcel of real property and the improvements
thereto owned by an Obligor with respect to which a Mortgage is granted pursuant to Section 9.7. 

“Multiemployer Plan” means any Plan that is a “multiemployer plan” (as such term is defined in
section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA). 
 “NAIC” means the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or any
successor thereto. 
 “NAIC Annual Statement” is defined in Section 6.2(a). 

  
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 “Non-Performing First Lien Bank Loans” is defined in
Section 9.12. 
 “Non-Performing High Yield Securities” is defined in Section 9.12.

 “Non-Performing Mezzanine Investments” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Non-Performing Second Lien Bank Loans” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Non-Performing Unsecured Bank Loans” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Non-U.S. Plan” means any plan, fund or other similar program that (a) is established or maintained outside the
United States of America by the Company or any Subsidiary primarily for the benefit of employees of the Company or one or more Subsidiaries residing outside the United States of America, which plan, fund or other similar program provides, or results
in, retirement income, a deferral of income in contemplation of retirement or payments to be made upon termination of employment, and (b) is not subject to ERISA or the Code. 

“Notes” is defined in Section 1. 
 “Obligor” means, collectively, the Company and the Subsidiary Guarantors. 
 “Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate of a Senior Financial Officer or of any other officer of the Company whose responsibilities extend to the subject matter of such
certificate. 
 “Other Covered Indebtedness” means, collectively, Secured Longer-Term Indebtedness, Secured
Shorter-Term Indebtedness and Unsecured Shorter-Term Indebtedness. 
 “Other Permitted Indebtedness” means
(a) accrued expenses and current trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of the Company’s business which are not overdue for a period of more than 90 days or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate
proceedings, (b) Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness for borrowed money) arising in connection with transactions in the ordinary course of the Company’s business in connection with its purchasing of securities, derivatives transactions,
reverse repurchase agreements or dollar rolls to the extent such transactions are permitted under the Investment Company Act and the Company’s Investment Policies, provided that such Indebtedness does not arise in connection with the
purchase of Portfolio Investments other than Cash Equivalents and U.S. Government Securities and (c) Indebtedness in respect of judgments or awards that have been in force for less than the applicable period for taking an appeal so long as such
judgments or awards do not constitute an Event of Default under clause (j) of Section 11. 
 “Other
Short-Term Securities” is defined in Section 9.12. 
 “PBGC” means the Pension Benefit
Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA or any successor thereto. 

  
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 “Performing” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Performing Cash Pay High Yield Securities” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Performing Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Performing Common Equity” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Performing First Lien Bank Loans” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Performing Non-Cash Pay High Yield Securities” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Performing Non-Cash Pay Mezzanine Investments” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Performing Second Lien Bank Loans” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Performing Unsecured Bank Loans” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Permitted Board-Approved Affiliate Transaction” means any transaction between the Company or any of its Subsidiaries,
on the one hand, and any Affiliate of the Company, on the other hand (including any amendment, modification, supplement or waiver of an Affiliate Agreement), that (a) has been approved by a majority of the independent directors of the Board of
Directors of the Company and (b) has been consented to by the Required Holders (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed). 
 “Permitted Liens” means (a) Liens imposed by any Governmental Authority for taxes, assessments or charges not yet due or that are being contested in good faith and by appropriate
proceedings if adequate reserves with respect thereto are maintained on the books of the Company in accordance with GAAP; (b) Liens of clearing agencies, broker-dealers and similar Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business,
provided that such Liens (i) attach only to the securities (or proceeds) being purchased or sold and (ii) secure only obligations incurred in connection with such purchase or sale, and not any obligation in connection with margin
financing; (c) Liens imposed by law, such as materialmen’s, mechanics’, carriers’, workmens’, storage and repairmen’s Liens and other similar Liens arising in the ordinary course of business and securing obligations
(other than Indebtedness for borrowed money); (d) Liens incurred or pledges or deposits made to secure obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business under workers’ compensation laws, unemployment insurance or other similar social
security legislation (other than in respect of employee benefit plans subject to ERISA) or to secure public or statutory obligations; (e) Liens securing the performance of, or payment in respect of, bids, insurance premiums, deductibles or
co-insured amounts, tenders, government or utility contracts (other than for the repayment of borrowed money), surety, stay, customs and appeal bonds and other obligations of a similar nature incurred in the ordinary course of business;
(f) Liens arising out of judgments or awards that have been in force for less than the applicable period for taking an appeal so long as such judgments or awards do not constitute an Event of Default under clause (j) of
Section 11; (g) customary rights of setoff and liens upon (i) deposits of cash in favor 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
of banks or other depository institutions in which such cash is maintained in the ordinary course of business, (ii) cash and financial assets held in securities accounts in favor of banks
and other financial institutions with which such accounts are maintained in the ordinary course of business and (iii) assets held by a custodian in favor of such custodian in the ordinary course of business securing payment of fees, indemnities
and other similar obligations; (h) Liens arising solely from precautionary filings of financing statements under the Uniform Commercial Code of the applicable jurisdictions in respect of operating leases entered into by the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business; and (i) Liens incurred in connection with any Hedging Agreement entered into with a Lender (or an Affiliate of a Lender) in the ordinary course of business and not for speculative purposes.

 “Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, association, trust,
unincorporated organization, business entity or Governmental Authority. 
 “Placement Agent” is defined in
Section 5.3. 
 “Plan” means an “employee benefit plan” (as defined in section 3(3)
of ERISA) subject to Title I of ERISA that is or, within the preceding five years, has been established or maintained, or to which contributions are or, within the preceding five years, have been made or required to be made, by the Company or
any ERISA Affiliate or with respect to which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate may have any liability. 
 “Portfolio
Investment” means any Investment held by the Obligors in their asset portfolio (and solely for purposes of determining the Borrowing Base, Cash). 
 “Portfolio Pricing Practices” means the Company’s written Amended and Restated Portfolio Pricing Practices as of the date of the Closing attached hereto as
Schedule 9.11(b), together with any amendment, change, modification or supplement thereto, provided that any amendment, change, supplement or modification thereto that (a) is, or could reasonably be expected to be, material
and adverse to the Lenders and (b) was effected without (x) the approval of a majority of the independent directors of the Board of Directors of the Company and (y) the consent of the Bank Administrative Agent (with the approval of
the Required Lenders (as such term is defined in the Senior Secured Credit Agreement) (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be deemed excluded from the definition of “Portfolio Pricing Practices” for purposes of
this Agreement. 
 “Preferred Stock” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Private Placement Agent” means any company organized as a “broker” or “dealer” (as each such term
is defined in Section 3(a) (4) and (5), respectively, of the Exchange Act) of recognized national standing regularly engaged as an intermediary in the placement or sale to and among Institutional Investors of Indebtedness Securities exempt
from registration under the Securities Act. 

  
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 “property” or “properties” means, unless otherwise
specifically limited, real or personal property of any kind, tangible or intangible, choate or inchoate. 

“PTE” is defined in Section 6.2(a). 

“Purchaser” is defined in the first paragraph of this Agreement. 

“QPAM Exemption” means Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 84-14 issued by the United States Department of Labor.

 “Qualified Institutional Buyer” means any Person who is a “qualified institutional buyer” within
the meaning of such term as set forth in Rule 144A(a)(1) under the Securities Act. 
 “Rating” means, as
of any date of determination, the rating of the Notes by a Rating Agency. 
 “Rating Agency” means any of
S&P, Moody’s or Fitch. 
 “Related Fund” means, with respect to any holder of any Note, any fund or
entity that (a) invests in Securities or bank loans, and (b) is advised or managed by such holder, the same investment advisor as such holder or by an affiliate of such holder or such investment advisor. 

“Relevant Available Funds” means, as of any date of determination, the aggregate amount of (a) Indebtedness of the
Obligors (including Indebtedness under the Commitments (as defined in the Senior Secured Credit Agreement)) that is not required to be repaid, prepaid or terminated on or prior to the date six months after such date of determination and
(b) Relevant Available Commitments of the Obligors. 
 “Relevant Available Commitments” means, for any
Person, as of any date of determination, undrawn commitments (including the Commitments (as defined in the Senior Secured Credit Agreement)) to extend credit to or for the account of such Person that have a final termination date not earlier than
six months after such date of determination, the conditions for the availability of which have been satisfied other than with respect to the delivery of a borrowing request or similar notice (which such Person is permitted to deliver). 

“Relevant Investment Commitments” means, for any Person, all commitments of such Person to acquire, make or enter into,
any Investments (other than Investments constituting Cash Equivalents or, to the extent entered into for risk reductions in the ordinary course of business, Hedging Agreements), in each case as determined by reference to the value of such
Investments as if the same were actually consummated. 
 “Required Holders” means, at any time, the holders of
at least 51% in principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding (exclusive of Notes then owned by the Company or any of its Affiliates). 

  
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 “Responsible Officer” means any Senior Financial Officer and any other
officer of the Company with responsibility for the administration of the relevant portion of this Agreement. 

“Restricted Payment” means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property) with
respect to any shares of any class of capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption,
retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such shares of capital stock of the Company or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such shares of capital stock of the Company. 

“Revolving Credit Exposure” has the meaning assigned to such term in the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. 

“Revolving Loans” has the meaning assigned to such term in the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. 

“RIC” means a person qualifying for treatment as a “regulated investment company” under the Code. 

“S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Rating Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Company, or its
successors or assigns. 
 “SEC” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States, or any
successor thereto. 
 “Second Lien Bank Loan” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Section 8.3 Proposed Prepayment Date” is defined in Section 8.3(c). 

“Section 8.4 Proposed Prepayment Date” is defined in Section 8.4(b). 

“Secured Longer-Term Indebtedness” means, as at any date, Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness hereunder and
Indebtedness outstanding under and pursuant to the Senior Secured Credit Agreement) of the Company (which may be Guaranteed by Subsidiary Guarantors) that (a) has no amortization prior to, and a final maturity date not earlier than,
January 18, 2018, (b) is incurred pursuant to documentation containing other terms (including interest, amortization, covenants and events of default) that are no more restrictive in any material respect upon the Company and its
Subsidiaries than those set forth in this Agreement and (c) is not secured by any assets of any Obligor other than pursuant to the Security Documents and the holders of which have agreed, in a manner satisfactory to the Required Holders and the
Collateral Agent, to be bound by the provisions of the Security Documents. 
 “Secured Obligations” shall have
the meaning assigned thereto in the Guarantee and Security Agreement. 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 “Secured Party” shall have the meaning assigned thereto in the
Guarantee and Security Agreement. 
 “Secured Shorter-Term Indebtedness” means, collectively, (a) any
Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary that is secured by any assets of any Obligor and that does not constitute Secured Longer-Term Indebtedness and (b) any Indebtedness that is designated as “Secured Shorter-Term
Indebtedness” pursuant to pursuant to Section 6.11(a) of the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. 

“Securities” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect. 
 “Security Documents” means, collectively, the Guarantee
and Security Agreement, GSA Joinder Agreement, all Uniform Commercial Code financing statements filed with respect to the security interests in personal property created pursuant to the Guarantee and Security Agreement and all other assignments,
pledge agreements, security agreements, control agreements and other instruments executed and delivered on or after the date of the Closing by any of the Obligors pursuant to the Guarantee and Security Agreement or otherwise providing or relating to
any collateral security for any of the Secured Obligations under and as defined in the Guarantee and Security Agreement. 

“Senior Financial Officer” means the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer or comptroller of
the Company. 
 “Senior Secured Credit Agreement” means, that certain Amended and Restated Senior Secured
Credit Agreement dated as of December 28, 2007 (as amended by that certain Amendment No. 1 thereto dated as of April 20, 2010), among the Company, the lenders party thereto from time to time, the Bank Administrative Agent and Merrill
Lynch Capital Corporation, as syndication agent, as the same may from time to time be modified, supplemented, amended, renewed, restated or replaced. 
 “Senior Secured Indebtedness” means all Indebtedness of the Company which is not expressed to be subordinate or junior in rank to any other Indebtedness of the Company and which is
secured equally and ratably under and pursuant to the Guarantee and Security Agreement. 
 “Series A
Notes” is defined in Section 1. 
 “Series B Notes” is defined in
Section 1. 
 “Shareholders’ Equity” means, at any date, the amount determined on a
consolidated basis, without duplication, in accordance with GAAP, of shareholders’ equity or net assets, as applicable, for the Company and its Subsidiaries at such date. 

  
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 “Short-Term U.S. Government Securities” is defined in
Section 9.12. 
 “Source” is defined in Section 6.2. 

“Special Equity Interest” means any Equity Interest that is subject to a Lien in favor of creditors of the issuer of
such Equity Interest, provided that (a) such Lien was created to secure Indebtedness owing by such issuer to such creditors, (b) such Indebtedness was (i) in existence at the time the Obligors acquired such Equity Interest,
(ii) incurred or assumed by such issuer substantially contemporaneously with such acquisition or (iii) already subject to a Lien granted to such creditors and (c) unless such Equity Interest is not intended to be included in the
Collateral, the documentation creating or governing such Lien does not prohibit the inclusion of such Equity Interest in the Collateral. 
 “Standard Securitization Undertakings” means, collectively, (a) customary arm’s-length servicing obligations (together with any related performance guarantees),
(b) obligations (together with any related performance guarantees) to refund the purchase price or grant purchase price credits for dilutive events or misrepresentations (in each case unrelated to the collectibility of the assets sold or the
creditworthiness of the associated account debtors or loan obligors) and (c) representations, warranties, covenants and indemnities (together with any related performance guarantees) of a type that are reasonably customary in accounts receivable or
loan securitizations 
 “Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person (the
“parent”) at any date, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity the accounts of which would be consolidated with those of the parent in the parent’s consolidated
financial statements if such financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP as of such date, as well as any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity (a) of which securities or other
ownership interests representing more than 50% of the equity or more than 50% of the ordinary voting power or, in the case of a partnership, more than 50% of the general partnership interests are, as of such date, owned, controlled or held, or
(b) that is, as of such date, otherwise Controlled, by the parent or one or more subsidiaries of the parent or by the parent and one or more subsidiaries of the parent. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the term
“Subsidiary” shall not include any Person that constitutes an Investment held by the Company in the ordinary course of business and that either (i) is not, under GAAP, consolidated on the financial statements of the Company and its
Subsidiaries or (ii) is a “blocker” corporation created by the Company to hold an Investment made by the Company in the ordinary course of business and which engages in no business other than holding and disposing of such Investment
and matters incidental thereto. Unless otherwise specified, “Subsidiary” means a Subsidiary of the Company.  
 “Subsidiary Guarantor” means any Subsidiary that is a Guarantor under the Guarantee and Security Agreement. 
 “SVO” means the Securities Valuation Office of the NAIC or any successor of such Office. 

  
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 “Taxing Jurisdiction” is defined in Section 14.3.

 “Term Loan” has the meaning assigned to such term in the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. 

“Uniform Commercial Code” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in the State of New York.

 “Unsecured Bank Loan” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Unsecured Longer-Term Indebtedness” means any Indebtedness of the Company (which may be Guaranteed by Subsidiary
Guarantors) that (a) has no amortization prior to, and a final maturity date not earlier than, January 18, 2018, (b) is incurred pursuant to documentation containing other terms (including interest, amortization, covenants and events
of default) and, in each case, no more restrictive in any material respect upon the Company and its Subsidiaries than those set forth in this Agreement, and (c) is not secured by any assets of any Obligor. 

“Unsecured Shorter-Term Indebtedness” means, collectively, (a) any Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary
that is not secured by any assets of any Obligor and that does not constitute Unsecured Longer-Term Indebtedness (including Unsecured Longer-Term Indebtedness modified as permitted hereunder) and (b) any Indebtedness that is designated as
“Unsecured Shorter-Term Indebtedness” pursuant to Section 6.11(a) of the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. 

“U.S. Government Securities” means securities that are direct obligations of, and obligations the timely payment of
principal and interest on which is fully guaranteed by, the United States or any agency or instrumentality of the United States the obligations of which are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States and in the form of conventional
bills, bonds, and notes. 
 “USA Patriot Act” means United States Public Law 107-56, Uniting and Strengthening
America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in
effect. 
 “Value” is defined in Section 9.12. 

“Wholly-owned Subsidiary” means, at any time, any Subsidiary one hundred percent (100%) of all of the equity
interests (except directors’ qualifying shares) and voting interests of which are owned by any one or more of the Company and the Company’s other Wholly-owned Subsidiaries at such time. 

“Withdrawal Liability” means liability to a Multiemployer Plan as a result of a complete or partial withdrawal from such
Multiemployer Plan, as such terms are defined in Part I of 

  
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	BLACKROCK KELSO CAPITAL CORPORATION	 	NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 
Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA. For purposes of this definition, “Multiemployer Plan” means a multiemployer plan as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA.

  
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