§ 107.150 - Management-ownership diversification requirement.

§ 107.150 Management-ownership diversification requirement.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 89 FR 3547, Jan. 19, 2024.

Cross Reference

Link to a correction published at 89 FR 5421, Jan. 29, 2024.

(a) Diversification requirement. (Also referenced in this part as the “diversity requirement.”) You must satisfy the requirements in paragraphs (b), (c) and (d) of this section:

(1) In order to obtain an SBIC license (unless you do not plan to obtain Leverage),

(2) If at the time you were licensed you did not plan to obtain Leverage, but you now wish to be eligible for Leverage, or

(3) If SBA so requires as a condition of approval of your transfer of Control under § 107.440.

(b) Percentage ownership requirement.

(1) General rule. Except as provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, no Person or group of Persons who are Affiliates of one another may own, directly or indirectly, more than 70 percent of your Regulatory Capital or your Leverageable Capital.

(2) Exception. An investor that is a Traditional Investment Companytraditional investment company, as determined by SBA, may own more than 70% of a Licensee's Regulatory Capital and Leverageable Capital. A Traditional Investment Company may also serve as the management company of an SBIC owning and control more than 70 percent of the Licensee's your Regulatory Capital and your Leverageable Capital. A For purposes of this section, a traditional investment company must be a non-profit entity which is a Traditional Investment Company may only serve as the management company of a Licensee and, unlike other Traditional Investment Companies, is limited to no more than 70% of the Licensee's Regulatory and Leverageable Capital. A Licensee must be a for-profit entity. , or a professionally managed firm organized exclusively to pool capital from more than one source for the purpose of investing in businesses that are expected to generate substantial returns to the firm's investors. In determining whether a firm is a Traditional Investment Company traditional investment company for purposes of this section, SBA will also consider:

(i) The degree to which the managers of the firm are unrelated to and unaffiliated with the investors in the firm or non-profit entity.

(ii) Whether the managers of the firm are authorized and motivated to make investments that, in their independent judgment, are likely to produce significant returns to all investors in the firm or non-profit entity.

(iii) Whether the firm or non-profit entity serving as the management company of a for-profit SBIC benefits from the use of the SBIC through the financial performance of the SBIC.

(iv) Other related factors.

(c) Non-affiliation requirement —

(1) General rule. At least 30 percent of your Regulatory Capital and Leverageable Capital must be owned and controlled by three Persons unaffiliated with your management and unaffiliated with each other, and whose investments are significant in dollar and percentage terms as determined by SBA. Such Persons must not be your Associates (except for their status as your shareholders, limited partners, or members). A single “acceptable” Institutional Investor may be substituted for two or three of the three Persons who are otherwise required under this paragraph. The following Institutional Investors are “acceptable” for this purpose:

(i) Entities whose overall activities are regulated and periodically examined by state, Federal or other governmental authorities satisfactory to SBA;

(ii) Entities listed on the New York Stock Exchange;

(iii) Entities that are publicly-traded and that meet both the minimum numerical listing standards and the corporate governance listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange;

(iv) Public or private employee pension funds;

(v) Trusts, foundations, or endowments, but only if exempt from Federal income taxation; and

(vi) Other Institutional Investors satisfactory to SBA.

(2) Look-through for Traditional Investment Company investors. SBA, in its sole discretion, may consider the requirement in paragraph (c)(1) of this section to be satisfied if at least 30 percent of your Regulatory Capital and Leverageable Capital is owned and controlled indirectly, through a Traditional Investment Company, by Persons unaffiliated with your management.

(d) Voting requirement.

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, the investors required for you to satisfy diversity may not delegate their voting rights to any Person who is your Associate, or who Controls, is Controlled by, or is under Common Control with any of your Associates, without prior SBA approval.

(2) Exception. Paragraph (d)(1) of this section does not apply to investors in publicly-traded Licensees, to proxies given to vote in accordance with specific instructions for single specified meetings, or to any delegation of voting rights to a Person who is neither a diversity investor in the Licensee nor affiliated with management of the Licensee.

(e) Requirement to maintain diversity. If you were required to have management-ownership diversity at any time, you must maintain such diversity while you have outstanding Leverage or Earmarked Assets. To maintain management-ownership diversity, you may continue to satisfy the diversity requirement as in effect at the time it was first applicable to you or you may satisfy the management-ownership diversity requirement as currently in effect. If, at any time, you no longer have the required management-ownership diversity, you must:

(1) Notify SBA within 10 days; and

(2) Re-establish diversity within six months. For the consequences of failure to re-establish diversity, see §§ 107.1810(g) and 107.1820(f).

[65 FR 71055, Nov. 29, 2000, as amended at 88 FR 46007, July 18, 2023; 89 FR 3547, Jan. 19, 2024]