Find the intermediary serving your business
An SBA microloan is a smaller business loan delivered through an approved nonprofit intermediary, not a loan application sent directly to SBA. The program ceiling is $50,000. To find a useful provider, match your operating location, financing purpose and business stage to an intermediary's current product, then ask what it needs for an initial screen. SBA's borrower overview explains the program and application route.
This guide gives you a practical starting directory and a way to qualify it. A recognizable lender name matters less than whether its service area, loan product and preparation process fit the job you need the money to do.
Use the right product for the right purpose
SBA describes uses including working capital, inventory, supplies, furniture, fixtures, machinery and equipment. It excludes paying existing debts and purchasing real estate from this program. Intermediaries make credit decisions and set loan terms. A listed maximum is not the amount a particular borrower will receive. Check the current program guidance before treating a project as eligible.
Do not use 'microloan' as a universal product definition. A community lender may also offer its own small-business loan, a state-supported product or another SBA route. Ask for the actual product name in every conversation. For the distinction in New York, see the New York microloan guide.
Twenty intermediary starting points
The examples below come from the first two alphabetical pages of SBA's official intermediary directory, checked October 1, 2026. They are not a ranking or a nationwide market sample. A state listing is a discovery filter; confirm county coverage, current intake and the specific product with the provider.
| Intermediary | SBA-listed state starting point |
|---|---|
| Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs | Georgia |
| Accompany Capital | New York |
| Adirondack Economic Development Corporation | New York |
| Advocap | Wisconsin |
| African Development Center | Minnesota |
| African Economic Development Solutions | Minnesota |
| Alliance for Multicultural Community Services | Texas |
| AltCap | Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas |
| AmPac Tri-State CDC | California |
| Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments | Maine |
| Ascendus | Multiple eastern states; use the directory's full list |
| Assets Lancaster | Pennsylvania |
| Baltimore Community Lending | Maryland |
| Black Business Investment Fund | Florida |
| BOC Capital | New York and New Jersey |
| Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation | Vermont |
| Bridgeway Capital | Pennsylvania |
| California Coastal Rural Development Corporation | California |
| CAP Services | Wisconsin |
| Carolina Community Impact | North Carolina |
Open directory page two for those entries and use the state filter to find others. The directory, rather than this article, should be your source for current contact details.
Three useful provider differences
ACE: financing alongside business preparation
Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs presents Georgia lending alongside business coaching and connections. Ask which loan fits your amount and whether preparation help should come before a full application. Its broader loan menu should not be mistaken for the SBA microloan product alone.
AltCap: start with the loan-readiness route
AltCap separates microloans from larger business financing and directs prospective borrowers to a loan-readiness quiz. That gives you a concrete first action: describe the project and complete the provider's current screen, rather than emailing the same generic package to every lender.
Ascendus: confirm the product and geography together
Ascendus combines financing with business support, while SBA lists multiple states for its intermediary service. Ask about your location, current product and support route. A multi-state listing does not mean every applicant receives the same offer or document checklist.
The location, purpose, preparation shortlist
| Pass | What to record | When to advance |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Operating address and confirmed service area | The provider confirms coverage |
| Purpose | Amount, uses and actual product name | The provider considers that use |
| Preparation | Required evidence and available assistance | You know the next document or conversation |
This is an original research-organizing framework, not a lender's underwriting model. Keep 'directory-listed,' 'fit confirmed,' 'application submitted' and 'approved' as separate states.
Worked example: a small workshop expansion
Illustrative example, not a borrower outcome. A Wisconsin maker needs $14,000 for equipment and $6,000 for materials. The owner uses the SBA directory to identify intermediaries, confirms the operating county, and sends a short project brief with supplier quotes and available business records. The brief explains when the equipment becomes productive and labels future sales as assumptions.
One conversation produces a document checklist; another suggests preparation assistance first. The owner records those different next steps instead of assuming both are offers. When a written quote arrives, the comparison includes interest, fees, repayment, security, guarantees and conditions, not just the advertised ceiling.
Keep a small request moving
Use Finta CRM to keep intermediary contacts, requested evidence and next actions together. The first lender-conversation workflow helps turn the directory into preparation. If your project is larger or does not fit this program, compare the SBA 7(a) lender route and CDFI business lenders.
Methodology and limits
Finta authored this educational directory using SBA and provider pages. We did not test lenders or obtain offers. The twenty examples are an alphabetical directory slice, not the best or only providers. Confirm service area, intake, eligibility, costs and obligations with the intermediary; jurisdiction-specific and individual decisions remain yours. An intermediary's assistance is not a guarantee of credit.