(a) Purpose of the loan. Loans will be made to eligible and qualified microlenders to capitalize RMRFs that it will administer by making and servicing microloans in one or more rural areas.

(b) Eligible activities. Microlenders may make microloans for qualified business activities and use Agency loan funds only as provided in § 4280.322.

(c) Ineligible activities. Microlenders may not use RMRF funds for administrative costs or expenses and may not make microloans under this program for ineligible businesses or purposes as specified in § 4280.323.

(d) Cost share. The Federal share of the eligible project cost of a microborrower's project funded under this section shall not exceed 75 percent. The cost share requirement shall be met by the microlender using either of the options identified in paragraphs (d)(1) and (2) of this section in establishing an RMRF. A microlender may establish multiple RMRFs utilizing either option. Whichever option is selected for an RMRF, it must apply to the entire RMRF and all microloans made with funds from that RMRF.

(1) Microborrower project level option. The loan covenants between the Agency and the microlender and the microlender's lending policies and procedures shall limit the microlender's loan to the microborrower to no more than 75 percent of the eligible project costs and require that the microborrower obtain the remaining 25 percent of the eligible project cost from non-Federal sources. The non-Federal share of the eligible project cost of the project may be provided in cash (including through fees, grants, and gifts) or in the form of in-kind contributions.

(2) RMRF level option. The microlender shall capitalize the RMRF at no more than 75 percent Agency loan funds and not less than 25 percent non-Federal funds, thereby allowing the microlender to finance 100 percent of the microborrower's eligible project costs. All contributed funds shall be maintained in the RMRF.

(e) Loan terms and conditions for microlenders. Program loans will be made to microlenders under the following terms and conditions:

(1) Funds received from the Agency and any non-Federal share will be deposited into an account that will be the RMRF account and shall not be mingled with other MDO funds. The Agency will hold first lien position on the RMRF account, the LLRF account, and all notes receivable from microloans using Agency funds.

(2) The RMRF account will be used to make fixed-rate microloans, accept repayments from microborrowers and reimbursements from the LLRF, to repay the Agency loan and, with the advance written approval of the Agency, to supplement the LLRF with interest or fee earnings from the RMRF.

(3) The term of an Agency loan made to a microlender will be 20 years. If requested by the applicant MDO, a shorter term may be agreed upon by the microlender and the Agency. If a repayment workout is required after loan closing, the term of the loan may not exceed a 20-year period from the loan origination date.

(4) Each RMAP loan made to a microlender during its first five years of participation in the program will bear an interest rate of 2 percent for the life of the loan. After the fifth year of an MDO's continuous and satisfactory participation in the program, each new loan made to the microlender will bear interest at a rate of 1 percent. The interest rate on previous loans will remain unchanged. Satisfactory participation requires a loan default rate of 5 percent or less, a pattern of delinquencies of 10 percent or less in the MDO's RMRF account(s), and timely submission of reports to the Agency as required by § 4280.311(h).

(5) Each loan made to a microlender will automatically receive a 2-year deferral during which time no repayment to the Agency will be required. The deferral period will begin on the day the Agency's loan to the microlender is closed. During the initial 2-year deferral period, each loan to a microlender will accrue interest only on funds disbursed by the Agency. Interest accrued during the 2-year deferral period will be capitalized to the loan's principal balance during the 24th month of the loan unless the microlender chooses to make a voluntary payment of the accrued interest. The required monthly payments to amortize the loan after the 2-year deferral period will be based on the full loan amount plus capitalized interest, not just the amount disbursed to the microlender, even in cases where the Agency's loan has not been fully advanced to the microlender.

(6) Except in the case of liquidation or early repayment, loans to microlenders must fully amortize over the life of the loan. The first payment will be due to the Agency on the last day of the 24th month of the life of the loan.

(7) The microlender is responsible for full repayment of its loan to the Agency regardless of the performance of its microloan portfolio. Partial or full repayment of debt to the Agency under the program may be made at any time, including during the deferral period, without any pre-payment penalties being assessed.

(8) The Agency may call the entire loan due and payable prior to the end of the full term due to any non-performance, delinquency, or default on the loan.

(9) The loan closing between the microlender and the Agency should take place within 90 days from the execution of Form RD 1940-1, “Request for Obligation of Funds.” Microlenders that are unable to close the loan within 90 days of obligation must provide justification for the delay or loan funds will be forfeited through a de-obligation of funds.

(10) Microlenders will be eligible to receive a disbursement of up to 25 percent of the total loan amount at the time of loan closing. Funds disbursed at loan closing exceeding 25 percent of the loan amount will only be made if and to the extent that the MDO has made a funding commitment to an eligible microborrower that will be closed within 60 days from the Agency loan date. Interest will accrue on all funds disbursed to the microlender beginning on the date of disbursement.

(11) Microlenders may request in writing and receive additional loan disbursements until the full amount of the loan to the microlender is disbursed, or until the end of the 36th month of the loan, whichever occurs first. Letters of request for disbursement should be made not more often than quarterly and must be accompanied by a description of the microlender's anticipated need. Such description will indicate the amount and number of microloans anticipated to be made with the loan disbursement.

(12) Funds not disbursed to the microlender by the end of the 36th month of the loan from the Agency will be de-obligated and no longer available for disbursement to the MDO. In such cases where loan funds are deobligated, the Agency will establish a revised payment schedule to fully amortize the loan balance by its maturity date.

(13) In the event a microlender fails to meet its payment or reporting obligations to the Agency, the Agency may pursue any combination of the following:

(i) Take possession of the RMRF and/or any microloans outstanding, and/or the LLRF;

(ii) Call the loan due and payable in full; and/or

(iii) Enter into a workout agreement acceptable to the Agency, which may or may not include transfer or sale of the portfolio to another microlender (whether or not funded under the program) deemed acceptable to the Agency.

(14) If a microlender makes a withdrawal from the RMRF for any purpose other than to make a microloan, repay the Agency, or, with advance written approval, transfer an appropriate amount of non-Federal funds to the LLRF, the Agency may take actions including the restriction of further access to withdrawals from the account by the microlender or declaring the loan in default due to improper use of loan funds.

(f) Loan funding limitations—(1) Minimum and maximum loan amounts. The minimum loan amount that a microlender may borrow under this program will be $50,000. The maximum amount any microlender may borrow on a single loan under this program, or in any given Federal FY, will be $500,000. In no case will the aggregate outstanding balance owed to the program by any single microlender exceed $2,500,000.

(2) Use of funds. Agency loan funds must be used only to establish or recapitalize an existing Agency funded RMRF account out of which microloans will be made, into which microloan payments will be deposited, and from which repayments to the Agency will be made.

(g) Loan loss reserve fund (LLRF). Each microlender that receives one or more loans under the program will be required to establish an LLRF account.

(1) Purpose. The purpose of the LLRF is to protect the microlender and the Agency against losses that may occur as the result of the failure of one or more microborrowers to repay their loans on a timely basis.

(2) Capitalization and maintenance. The LLRF is subject to each of the following conditions:

(i) The microlender must maintain the LLRF at a minimum of 5 percent of the total amount owed by the microlender under the program to the Agency. If the LLRF falls below the required amount, the microlender will have 30 days to replenish the LLRF. The Agency will hold a security interest in the account and all funds therein until the MDO has repaid its debt to the Agency under this program.

(ii) No Agency loan funds may be used to capitalize the LLRF.

(iii) The LLRF must be held in a Federally insured deposit account separate and distinct from any other fund owned by the microlender.

(iv) The LLRF must remain open, appropriately capitalized, and active until such time as any loans owed to the Agency by the microlender under the program related to such LLRF are paid in full.

(3) Use of LLRF. The LLRF must be used only to:

(i) Recapitalize the RMRF in the event of the loss and write-off of a microloan;

(ii) Accept Non-Federal deposits as required for maintenance of the fund at a level equal to 5 percent or more of the amount owed to the Agency by the microlender under the program; and

(iii) Prepay or repay the Agency program loan.

(4) LLRF funded at time of closing. The LLRF account must be established by the microlender prior to the closing of the loan from the Agency. At the time of initial loan closing, sources of funding for the LLRF must be identified by the microlender and funds equal to 5 percent of the initial loan disbursement, if made at loan closing, must be made to the LLRF by the microlender. The amount in the LLRF can be built over time and must be maintained in an amount greater than or equal to 5 percent of the amount owed to the Agency by the microlender under the program. After the first disbursement is made to a microlender, further disbursements will only be made if the LLRF is funded at the appropriate amount. After the initial loan is made to a microlender, subsequent loan closings may require a deposit of additional funds to the LLRF to maintain an amount equal to 5 percent of the total loan balance owed to the Agency under the program. Federal funds, except where specifically permitted by other laws, may not be used to fund the LLRF.

(5) Additional LLRF funding. In the event of exhibited weaknesses, such as losses that are greater than 5 percent of the microloan portfolio or a microborrower delinquency rate in excess of 10 percent, the Agency may require the microlender to deposit additional funds into the LLRF; however, the Agency may never require an LLRF balance of more than 10 percent of the total amount owed to the Agency by the microlender.

(h) Recordkeeping, reporting, and oversight. Microlenders must maintain all records applicable to the program and make them available to the Agency upon request. Microlenders must submit quarterly reports as specified in paragraphs (h)(1) through (4) of this section. Portfolio reporting requirements must be met via the electronic reporting system. Other reports, such as narrative information, may be submitted as hard copy in the event the microlender or grantee does not have the capability to submit or accept such reports electronically.

(1) Periodic reports. On a quarterly basis, within 30 days of the end of each Federal FY calendar quarter, each microlender that has an outstanding loan under this section must provide to the Agency:

(i) An Agency-approved form containing such information as the Agency may require, and in accordance with OMB circulars and guidance, to ensure that funds provided are being used for the purposes for which the loan to the microlender was made;

(ii) Listing of each microborrower under this program, their loan balance and payment status; and

(iii) A discussion reconciling the microlender's actual results for the period against its goals, milestones, and objectives as provided in the application package.

(2) Minimum retention. Microlenders must provide evidence in their quarterly reports that the sum of the unexpended amount in the RMRF, plus the amount in the LLRF, plus debt owed by the microborrowers is equal to a minimum of 105 percent of the amount owed by the microlender to the Agency, unless the Agency has established a higher LLRF reserve requirement for a specific microlender.

(3) Combining accounts and reports. If a microlender has more than one loan from the Agency, a separate report must be made for each loan except when RMRF accounts have been combined. A microlender may combine RMRF accounts only when the Agency approves the combining of accounts and reports in writing before such accounts are combined and reports are submitted, and:

(i) The underlying loans have the same rates, terms and conditions, including the method of determining matching funds for a microborrower's project; and

(ii) The combined report allows the Agency to effectively administer the program, including providing the same level of transparency and information for each loan as if separate RMRF and LLRF reports had been prepared.

(4) Delinquency. In the event that a microlender has delinquent loans in its RMAP portfolio, quarterly reports will include narrative explanation of the steps being taken to cure the delinquency.

(5) Other reports. Other reports may be required by the Agency from time to time in the event of poor performance, one or more work-out agreements, or other such occurrences that require more than the usual set of program servicing.

(6) Access to microlender's records. Upon request by the Agency, the microlender will permit representatives of the Agency to inspect and make copies of any records pertaining to operation and administration of the program. Such inspection and copying may be made during regular office hours of the microlender or at any other time agreed upon between the microlender and the Agency.

(7) Changes in key personnel. Before any additions or changes are made to key personnel, the microlender must notify, and the Agency must approve, such changes. Such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld by the Agency.