United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2007-11-01 monographic deposited born digital 27 p. GA 1.13:GAO-08-226T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-226T P0b002ee18039b581 f:d08226t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-226T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-226T GAO-08-226T Cost analysis Government guaranteed loans Interest rates Lending institutions Loan interest rates Performance measures Program evaluation Program management Risk assessment Small business Small business assistance Small business loans Strategic planning Subsidies Program costs Program goals or objectives Program implementation SBA 7(a) Loan Program Testimony A77890 The Small Business Administration's (SBA) 7(a) program, initially established in 1953, provides loan guarantees to small businesses that cannot obtain credit in the conventional lending market. In fiscal year 2006, the program assisted more than 80,000 businesses with loan guarantees of nearly $14 billion. This testimony, based on a 2007 report, discusses (1) the 7(a) program's purpose and the performance measures SBA uses to assess the program's results; (2) evidence of any market constraints that may affect small businesses' access to credit in the conventional lending market; (3) the segments of the small business lending market that were served by 7(a) loans and the segments that were served by conventional loans; and (4) 7(a) program's credit subsidy costs and the factors that may cause uncertainty about these costs. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-226T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-226T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-226T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-226T.pdf GAO-08-226T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-226T Testimony GAO-08-226T; Small Business Administration: 7(a) Loan Program Needs Additional Performance Measures; Cost analysis Government guaranteed loans Interest rates Lending institutions Loan interest rates Performance measures Program evaluation Program management Risk assessment Small business Small business assistance Small business loans Strategic planning Subsidies Program costs Program goals or objectives Program implementation SBA 7(a) Loan Program