§ 107.230 - Permitted sources of Private Capital for Licensees.

§ 107.230 Permitted sources of Private Capital for Licensees.

Cross Reference

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

Private Capital means the contributed capital of a Licensee, plus unfunded binding commitments by Institutional Investors (including commitments evidenced by a promissory note) to contribute capital to a Licensee.

(a) Contributed capital. For purposes of this section, contributed capital means the paid-in capital and paid-in surplus of a Corporate Licensee, or the partners' contributed capital of a Partnership Licensee, in either case subject to the limitations in paragraph (b) of this section.

(b) Exclusions from Private Capital. Private Capital does not include:

(1) Funds borrowed by a Licensee from any source.

(2) Funds obtained through the issuance of Leverage.

(3) Funds obtained directly or indirectly from any Federal, State, or local government agency or instrumentality, except for:

(i) Funds invested by a public pension fund;

(ii) Funds obtained from the business revenues (excluding any governmental appropriation) of any federally chartered or government-sponsored corporation established before October 1, 1987, to the extent that such revenues are reflected in the retained earnings of the corporation; and

(iii) “Qualified Non-private Funds” as defined in paragraph (d) of this section.

(4) Any portion of a commitment from an Institutional Investor with a net worth of less than $10 million that exceeds 10 percent of such Institutional Investor's net worth and is not backed by a letter of credit from a State or National bank acceptable to SBA.

(c) Non-cash capital contributions. Capital contributions in a form other than cash are subject to the limitations in § 107.240.

(d) Qualified Non-private Funds. Private Capital includes “Qualified Non-private Funds” as defined in this paragraph (d); however, investors of Qualified Non-private Funds must not control, directly or indirectly, a Licensee's management, or its board of directors or general partner(s). Qualified Non-private Funds are:

(1) Funds directly or indirectly invested in any Licensee on or before August 16, 1982 by any Federal agency except SBA, under a statute explicitly mandating the inclusion of such funds in “Private Capital”;

(2) Funds directly or indirectly invested in any Licensee by any Federal agency under a statute that is enacted after September 4, 1992, explicitly mandating the inclusion of such funds in “Private Capital”;

(3) Funds invested in any Licensee or license applicant by one or more State or local government entities (including any guarantee extended by such entities) in an aggregate amount that does not exceed 33 percent of Regulatory Capital; and

(4) Funds invested in or committed in writing to any Section 301(d) Licensee prior to October 1, 1996, from the following sources:

(i) A State financing agency, or similar agency or instrumentality, if the funds invested are derived from such agency's net income and not from appropriated State or local funds; and

(ii) Grants made by a state or local government agency or instrumentality into a nonprofit corporation or institution exercising discretionary authority with respect to such funds, if SBA determines that such funds have taken on a private character and the nonprofit corporation or institution is not a mere conduit.

(e) Borrowed funds exclusion. You may not accept any capital contribution made with funds borrowed by a Person seeking to own an equity interest (whether direct or indirect, beneficial or of record) of at least 10 percent of your Private Capital. This exclusion does not apply if:

(1) Such Person's net worth is at least twice the amount borrowed; or

(2) SBA gives its prior written approval of the capital contribution.

(f) Public sector contributions. The Act limits the extent to which funds invested directly or indirectly by local, State or Federal Government entities are eligible to qualify as Leverageable Capital. However, SBICs are not restricted from accepting funds invested directly or indirectly from local, State or Federal Government entities. The funds contributed by such entities may be included in an SBIC applicant's proposed formula to calculate management fees.

[61 FR 3189, Jan. 31, 1996, as amended at 63 FR 5866, Feb. 5, 1998; 64 FR 70995, Dec. 20, 1999; 89 FR 3547, Jan. 19, 2024]