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We’ve all been aware that October 1st was the official effective date of SBA SOP 50 10 8.1. You’ve undoubtedly been revising your processes and checklists and training (oh my!). But did you catch the updates SBA released on September 25th, less than a week before that October 1st effective date? SBA issued Technical Policy Updates that include several important changes and clarifications that you will need to include in your procedures, underwriting tools, and your checklists

In SBA 7(a) Lending, you obviously have to focus on the factors that make a loan eligible. Business acquisition, partner buyout, equipment purchase, working capital – these criteria matter for compliance and eligibility. But those criteria, while important, aren’t the only factors that determine whether a deal succeeds. As SBA Lender service providers and consultants, we recognize that all loans are unique unto themselves.

Effective March 1st, 2026, SBA will no longer allow the use of FICO®’s Small Business Scoring Service to screen 7(a) small loans (loans up to $350,000). Instead – as has been an observable trend for over a year now – SBA is re-emphasizing that Lenders must return to traditional commercial credit analysis in alignment with how their non-SBA commercial loans are evaluated and underwritten, as outlined in the SBA SOP 50 10 8.