WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has revealed a record-setting performance in its Surety Bond Guarantee Program and announced significant updates to its Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program, highlighting its continued support for small businesses across the nation.
The agency reported that its Surety Bond Guarantee Program achieved a historic milestone in fiscal year 2025, with $10.6 billion in guaranteed contracts supporting over 2,200 small businesses nationwide. This marks the highest annual total in the program’s history, surpassing the previous record by 15%. The program is instrumental in helping small contractors and manufacturers with limited financial resources compete for contracts, as it guarantees bonds issued by private surety companies, ensuring project completion.
"In addition to surpassing the $100 billion mark in 2025 for small business lending and SBIC investment, the Trump SBA guaranteed a record $10.6 billion through our Surety Bond Guarantee Program to support small manufacturers, contractors, and other job creators across our industrial base", said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. "With historic backing from the SBA, this Administration is empowering small businesses as they meet new demands for hiring, growth, and investment made possible by the America First economic agenda."
The program’s performance also included generating $3.4 billion in contracts for small businesses, a 19% increase from the previous record. Notably, guarantees for manufacturers and fabricators saw a 36% year-over-year jump, reflecting increased confidence in the program’s capabilities.
SBA Reforms SBIC Rules for Greater Efficiency
Building on this momentum, the SBA unveiled a comprehensive modernization of its SBIC program, aimed at streamlining investments and removing outdated regulatory barriers. The final rule, effective February 2, 2026, updates decades-old requirements to align with the country’s evolving industrial priorities, including manufacturing, energy, food production, and advanced technologies.
In fiscal year 2025, the SBIC program achieved a record $53 billion in combined private capital and SBA leverage. The new rule simplifies the licensing process, reduces regulatory friction, and clarifies eligibility criteria to ensure that capital flows more efficiently to small and emerging businesses.
"Confidence in President Trump’s pro-growth, America First agenda is driving private capital into America’s small businesses at record levels", Loeffler stated. "By modernizing decades-old regulations, this final rule strengthens our public-private partnership and ensures capital can flow more efficiently to qualified emerging growth companies."
The updated framework is designed to reduce barriers for follow-on SBIC funds seeking expedited reviews and better align investment incentives with national priorities, such as advanced technologies and critical minerals. The SBA emphasized that these changes will maintain rigorous oversight while eliminating unnecessary complexity in the process.
sbb-itb-a3ef7c1
A Broader Push for Small Business Growth
These developments come on the heels of broader gains across SBA programs. In fiscal year 2025, the agency approved $45 billion in lending through its 7(a) and 504 loan programs, benefiting over 85,000 small businesses. When combined with investments from the SBIC and Small Business Innovation Research programs, total SBA-supported capital exceeded $100 billion for the year.
Together, the record-breaking bond guarantees and SBIC updates reflect the SBA’s commitment to expanding access to capital, strengthening domestic supply chains, and positioning small businesses as a cornerstone of the nation’s industrial strategy. These efforts aim to provide critical support to small enterprises, enabling them to thrive in a competitive economic landscape.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
