SBA Loans
Government-backed loans with the lowest rates available
$50K – $5MFunding Range
60–90 daysSpeed
Government-backed loans with the lowest rates available
SBA loans are the gold standard of small business financing. Backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration, these loans offer the longest terms and lowest interest rates available to qualifying businesses. Bay Street Capital navigates the complex SBA application process for you, matching your business with the right SBA program — whether it’s a 7(a) loan for general purposes, a 504 loan for real estate and equipment, or an SBA Express loan for faster funding. Our team has closed hundreds of SBA deals and knows exactly what lenders look for.
SBA 7(a) loans typically price around 10–13% APR for qualified borrowers, with long repayment terms and government-backed underwriting.
Terms up to 10 years for working capital and 25 years for real estate, keeping your monthly payments manageable.
Borrow up to $5M with an SBA 7(a) loan. Bay Street handles the paperwork and lender matching so you can focus on your business.
Business expansion, Commercial real estate purchase, Equipment acquisition, Refinance existing debt, and Franchise acquisition.
Don’t meet every requirement? Apply anyway — we evaluate the full picture.
We review your business financials and credit profile to determine which SBA programs you qualify for.
Bay Street prepares your full SBA loan package, including business plan, financials, and all required documentation.
We submit to the best-fit SBA lender, manage the underwriting process, and guide you through closing.
SBA 7(a) variable rates use an approved base rate plus a lender spread, and the SBA caps that spread by loan size. Using the current 6.75% base rate, the published variable-rate ceilings run from 9.75–13.25% APR. Qualified borrowers may be offered less than the maximum.
| Loan size | Maximum spread over base rate | Effective cap today |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 or less | Base rate + 6.5% | 13.25% |
| $50,001–$250,000 | Base rate + 6.0% | 12.75% |
| $250,001–$350,000 | Base rate + 4.5% | 11.25% |
| More than $350,000 | Base rate + 3.0% | 9.75% |
Representative SBA 7(a) pricing for qualified borrowers is typically 10–13% APR, while the official cap depends on loan size. SBA 504 debenture rates are fixed at funding and priced off the 10-year Treasury; the CDC portion currently runs roughly 6%–7%, producing a blended effective rate around 7%–8% on owner-occupied real estate.
Rates are not the only cost. Expect an SBA guaranty fee (a percentage of the guaranteed portion, scaled by loan size and term), plus packaging and closing costs. For a full program-by-program breakdown, see our current SBA loan rates and terms guide.
| Program | Max amount | Best for | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7(a) | $5M | General purpose — working capital, acquisition, refinance, expansion | 60 – 90 days |
| 504 | $5.5M (CDC portion) | Owner-occupied real estate and heavy equipment | 90 – 120 days |
| Express | $500K | Speed over size; 50% guaranty, higher rate | 30 – 45 days |
| Microloan | $50K | Startups and thin-file borrowers; startups qualify | 30 – 60 days |
The 2026 change worth knowing: the SBA doubled the combined cumulative loan limit to $10 million, which materially changes the maths for multi-unit and multi-location operators who had previously maxed out. If you have an existing SBA loan and assumed you were capped, that assumption may no longer hold — see our breakdown of the new $10M cap.
SBA lending is credit-and-documentation lending, not revenue lending. The bar is genuinely higher than revenue-based products, and there is no way to shortcut it.
Documents to have ready: two to three years of business and personal tax returns, interim financials, a debt schedule, a personal financial statement, business licences, and — for acquisitions — the purchase agreement and the target's financials. Our full SBA requirements guide covers each in detail.
An SBA loan takes 60–90 days and a great deal of paperwork. Whether that is worth it comes down to how much you are borrowing and for how long.
On $250,000 over five years, the difference between an SBA loan at ~10% and a revenue-based advance is not marginal — it is tens of thousands of dollars in total cost. On $40,000 needed this week to make payroll, the SBA is simply the wrong instrument regardless of price, because the money arrives two months after the deadline.
A pattern we see work well: use revenue-based working capital to solve the immediate constraint, and run the SBA application in parallel for the planned expansion. The advance covers the next 60 days; the SBA loan funds the next three years and can often refinance the advance at closing.
Bay Street packages the application, matches you to the right SBA-approved lender out of 50+ funding partners, and manages underwriting through to closing. Lender selection matters more than most borrowers realise — approval rates and turnaround vary widely between banks for the same file. For the step-by-step timeline, see our SBA application process guide.
SBA loans typically take 60–90 days from completed application to funding. SBA Express loans can be faster at 30–45 days. Bay Street expedites the process by pre-packaging your application.
The main programs are SBA 7(a) for general business purposes up to $5M, SBA 504 for real estate and equipment, and SBA Express for faster processing up to $500K. We’ll match you with the right program.
The SBA requires lenders to collateralize loans to the extent possible, but loans under $50K generally don’t require collateral. For larger loans, business assets and sometimes personal assets may be pledged.
Most SBA lenders require a minimum credit score of 680. However, a strong business performance and revenue history can sometimes offset a lower score. We’ll assess your full profile.
One application, no credit impact, and a dedicated specialist to walk you through your options. See what you qualify for in minutes.