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The Small Business Resiliency Loan (SBRL) pilot program was established in 2022 through Senate Bill 5693, expanding access to responsible, credit-building capital for nano-, micro-, and small-businesses that may not qualify for traditional financing. This program is no longer accepting applications. Read below to learn more about the project timeline.

• 2022 – State investment, barriers research
• 2023 – Identify program administrator
• 2023-24 – Community co-design
• 2024 – Pilot program launch, capital deployment
• 2025-26 – Repayment period
• 2026-27 – Pilot program close-out and learnings

Following the $15 million state investment, Commerce commissioned a study and report to better understand the needs and barriers Small Business Resiliency Network businesses face when seeking capital. The study identified key challenges, including limited credit history, lack of collateral, language access barriers, and distrust of traditional financial institutions. View and download the SBRN credit-building loan program report (PDF).

Using these findings, Commerce, GoWest Foundation and SBRN partners co-designed the SBRL through the network’s co-governance model. The program was developed in partnership with 13 participating credit unions (including 6 CDFIs) to directly address the barriers identified in the research.

• The Small Business Resiliency Loan (SBRL) program was designed to:
• Increase access to safe, affordable capital
• Provide a low-risk pathway to build or strengthen credit
• Pair lending with culturally responsive technical assistance
• Create a bridge for businesses to engage with traditional financial systems

Entrepreneurs secured loans from $500 to $25,000 at a 4% interest rate. After making at least 12 on-time payments, borrowers unlock a matched savings grant equal to the loan amount, plus interest earned. Community-based SBRN partners provide hands-on support throughout the application and repayment process.

In addition to expanding access to capital, SBRL introduces small businesses to responsible borrowing within a supportive environment. By pairing affordable loans with technical assistance and built-in safeguards, the program helps business owners learn how loans work, build confidence managing repayment, and establish positive credit history without the risks often associated with traditional financing.

These early results demonstrate strong demand among businesses previously excluded from traditional financing and show how research-informed, community-designed lending can responsibly connect entrepreneurs to the broader financial system while strengthening long-term small business resilience.

• $10M total loan capital deployed
• 640 loans issued statewide
• $16K was the average loan size
• 79% of loan recipients had never accessed a loan before

• SBRN Program overview (PDF)
• SBRN FY25 Program impact summary (PDF)
• Small Business Resiliency Network Loan Program report (PDF)
• SBRN Technical Assistance report (PDF)