# What is the largest SBA microloan you can get?

**Short answer:** $50,000, and no borrower may owe one intermediary more than that at any one time. A microloan above $20,000 requires showing you cannot get credit elsewhere at comparable rates and have good prospects for success (13 CFR § 120.707(b)).

Canonical page: https://www.sbaexpress.loans/answers/sba-microloan-maximum-amount/
Last checked: 2026-11-08

The legal ceiling is $50,000, and the rule sets lower steps below it (13 CFR § 120.707(b)).

## The three steps

- **Up to $10,000.** Generally, an intermediary should not lend more than this to one borrower.
- **Above $20,000.** An intermediary may not lend above $20,000 unless you show two things. You cannot obtain credit elsewhere at comparable interest rates, and you have good prospects for success.
- **$50,000.** The absolute cap. No borrower may owe an intermediary more than this at any one time.

The rule sets no separate test for loans between $10,000 and $20,000, beyond the general guideline.

## What is typical

SBA says the average microloan is about $13,000. SBA gives no date for that figure (sba.gov/loans/microloans, read November 8, 2026). Actual amounts vary by intermediary, since each one sets its own terms.

## What is not settled

The cap applies to what you owe one intermediary. 13 CFR § 120.707 does not say whether you can borrow from two intermediaries at once. Ask before you apply to a second one.

## If you need more

For a larger need, look at a 7(a) Small loan, SBA Express (up to $500,000) or a 504 loan for fixed assets. Those come from SBA lenders and Certified Development Companies (CDCs), not microloan intermediaries.

## Sources

- [13 CFR § 120.707](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/section-120.707)
- [sba.gov/loans/microloans (read November 8, 2026)](https://www.sba.gov/loans/microloans/)
- [SOP 50 10 8.1, Sec. B, Ch. 2, Para. B.1 (p. 126)](https://legacy.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2026-10/SOP%2050%2010%208.1%20Technical%20Policy%20Updates%20effective%20%2010.1.2026.docx)