SBA evaluates license applicants, giving first priority to applicants headquartered in Underlicensed States with below median SBIC Financing dollars per State, as determined by SBA and published periodically in a notice on the SBIC website. Once priority is established, such applicants will continue to receive priority throughout the licensing process. SBA reviews and processes applications in two review phases (initial review and final licensing), as follows:

(a) Initial review. Except as provided in this paragraph (a), SBIC applicants must submit a Management Assessment Questionnaire (“MAQ”) c and the Initial Licensing Fee, as defined in paragraph (c) of this section. An applicant under Common Control with one or more Licensees must submit a written request to SBA, and the Initial Licensing Fee, to be considered for a license and is exempt from the requirement in this paragraph (a) to submit a MAQ, unless otherwise determined by SBA in SBA's discretion. Eligible “Expedited Subsequent Funds” as described in § 107.305(e) are permitted to submit a streamlined “Short-Form” Subsequent Fund MAQ.

(b) Final licensing. An applicant may proceed to the final licensing phase only if notified in writing by SBA that it may do so. Following receipt of such notice, in order to proceed to the final licensing phase, the applicant must submit a complete license application with all required appendices, within the timeframe identified by SBA and the Final Licensing Fee, as defined in paragraph (c) of this section. If you are seeking to be licensed as a Leveraged Licensee and SBA approves your License, SBA will also approve your Total Intended Leverage Commitment amount and ratio as defined in § 107.50 based on the target fund size stated in the MAQ, which means the total Leverage commitments available to you for the life of your SBIC, subject to the provisions of §§ 107.320 and 107.1150. A Licensee is permitted to hold multiple fund closings within and for up to 12 months of receiving a License to reach the target fund size. SBA will then determine the final Total Intended Leverage Commitment which is either the dollar amount or ratio to targeted Private Capital provided at the Green Light. SBA will determine the Total Private Capital Commitment (defined as the total Private Capital committed to a Licensee within 12 months after licensure or upon the Licensee's final closing, whichever occurs first) amount for the Accrual Debenture SBA Share calculation.

(c) Licensing Fees. SBIC Initial and Final Licensing Fees are non-refundable fees determined as set forth in paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of this section.

(1) Initial Licensing Fee. The Initial Licensing Fee is based on the applicant's fund sequence, where the fund sequence means the order of succession of private equity or private credit funds for the same fund management team and same strategy. SBA will determine the applicant's fund sequence based on the management team's composition and experience as a team. The Initial Licensing Fees are as follows:

Example 1 to paragraph (c)(1): If the management team members of applicant DEF I consists primarily of the same team members of fund ABC II and ABC II represented the second fund for those team members, SBA will consider the fund sequence of DEF I as a Fund III, regardless of the number in the applicant's name.

(2) Final Licensing Fee. The Final Licensing Fee is calculated as the Final Licensing Base Fee plus 1.25 basis points multiplied by the Leverage dollar amount requested by the applicant, where the Final Licensing Base Fee is based on the applicant's Fund Sequence as follows:

(3) Resubmission Penalty Fee. The Resubmission Penalty Fee means a $10,000 penalty fee assessed to an applicant that has previously withdrawn or is otherwise not approved for a license that must be paid in addition to the Initial and Final Licensing Fees at the time the applicant resubmits its application.

(4) Inflation Adjustments. SBA annually adjusts the Initial Licensing Fee, Final Licensing Base Fee, and Resubmission Penalty Fee using the Inflation Adjustment and will publish notification prior to such adjustment in the Federal Register identifying the amount of the fees.

[88 FR 46007, July 18, 2023]