SOP 50 10 8.1 (to Take Effect on October 1, 2026)

SBA has issued version 8.1 of SOP 50 10, Lender and Development Company Loan Programs. The revised SOP was announced by SBA Policy Notice 5000-880695, Issuance of SOP 50 10 8.1 (published August 14, 2026, and effective October 1, 2026). The changes in SOP 50 10 8.1 will be effective for loans receiving an SBA loan number on or after October 1, 2026.

The new version of the SOP includes a number of major changes to 7(a) program requirements. Among the key changes are:

  • Incorporating, with some revisions, requirements in notices issued since the issuance of Version 8 of the SOP. [Of special note are the incorporation, with changes, of the requirements relating to citizenship and residency, and the Manufacturers’ Access to Revolving Credit (MARC) and Working Capital Pilot (WCP) programs.]
  • Moving (with some changes) some previous requirement that were repeated in various places within SOP 50 10 8 to seven new separate appendices – Appendix 14, Debt Refinancing Requirements; Appendix 15, Changes of Ownership; Appendix 16, 7(a) Maximum Guaranty Amounts and Percentages; Appendix 17, Loan Maturity Requirements; Appendix 18, 7(a) Interest Rate Requirements; Appendix 19, 7(a) Collateral Requirements; Appendix 20, Submission of Application for Guaranty.
  • In new Appendix 15, revising requirements for 7(a) change of ownership (COO) loans, including, establishing four categories of COO transactions – Initial Acquisition, Business Expansion, Owner Buyout, and ESOP and Co-Op with specific credit and other criteria for each category, including establishment of a new requirement for Quality of Earnings reports for some COO loans. 
  • Making some revisions to underwriting requirements for both Standard 7(a) Loans (over $350,000) and 7(a) Small Loans ($350,000 and less), including, among other changes, allowing lenders to refinance their own debt using delegated authority. 
  • Revising SBA Express requirements to, when the original amortization of an SBA Express loan is found to be too restrictive, allow the loan to be reissued before amortization begins to provide a longer revolving period. 
  • Revising requirements when the borrower has ownership by a Trust, including requiring the Trust to guarantee a loan at any ownership percentage and clarifying that a Trustor must personally guarantee the loan regardless of whether the Trust has revocable or irrevocable status. 
  • Allowing loans to be sold on the secondary market that use SOFR or Treasuries as alternative base rates. 

The list above is not all-inclusive of the changes and does not include revisions being made solely to the 504 Program. Please read the notice in its entirety and refer to the SOP for complete information on these, and all other, changes included in the SOP.

SBA’s Office of Capital Access (OCA) will be hosting several Connect sessions, August 25, 26 and 27, to discuss the SOP changes. In addition, beginning the week of August 31, OCA also will hold a series of lender “Office Hours sessions” to discuss the changes and answer lender questions.

To help you prepare for these new changes before they take effect, beginning August 27, NAGGL will offer three individual webinars exploring various aspects of the coming changes: a comprehensive overview of the SOP changes, a deeper dive into the new change of ownership requirements, and an exploration of the newly introduced Quality of Earnings requirements. Watch your inbox on Monday for details about these important training opportunities.

SBA Notice Further Expanding ITL
Friday, August 14, 2026

SBA also released Policy Notice 5000-881477, 7(a) International Trade Loan Program Industry Update (dated and effective August 14). This notice expands International Trade Loan (ITL) program eligibility to include certain small businesses that operate in NAICS Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction that meet the statutory threshold eligibility requirement of “having been adversely affected and injured by international trade and increased import competition”. Per the notice, potential ITL eligibility is now extended to eligible businesses that operate in subsector 211, Oil and Gas Extraction; subsector 212, Mining (except Oil and Gas); and subsector 213, Support Activities for Mining. This expansion is effective immediately and is included in SOP 50 10 8.1 which will take effect on October 1, 2026.

The notice updates and revises guidance previously provided in SBA Policy Notice 5000-877629, 7(a) International Trade Loan Program Updates (published April 2, 2026, and effective May 1). Please review both referenced notices for complete details on the ITL expansion, including the implementing SOP revisions. You can read the press release issued by SBA Administrator Loeffler on this ITL expansion here.