Microloan Program Outcomes Evaluation

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) contracted with Optimal Solutions Group, LLC to evaluate the relationship between the Microloan Program borrowers’ business outcomes of revenue, job creation, and business survival and inform the understanding of the training and technical assistance offered through intermediary lenders. The evaluation focused on participating Microloan borrowers and intermediary lenders in FY 2010 through FY 2019. In addition to examining the change in business performance and tenure from the baseline (pre-loan) to the loan initiation calendar year and 2019, the study examined borrower outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic (2019-2020). The evaluation describes the population of microborrowers, their businesses and experiences, and offers program improvement considerations related to the administrative burden, loan terms, and training and technical assistance.