SBA FURTHER INCREASES SMALL BUSINESS SIZE STANDARDS FOR INFLATION -- FINAL RULE

The U.S. Small Business Administration has finalized a rule that further adjusts the monetary-based size standards for small businesses to account for inflation. Building on a previous interim final rule from December 2005, this update adds an additional 8.7 percent increase to those inflation-adjusted size standards, reflecting inflation accrued since the earlier adjustment. This rule maintains the interim final rule’s two-step evaluation process to determine eligibility for SBA’s Business Loan and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Programs. Additionally, it revises the date used to determine business size status for EIDL applications in disaster-affected areas from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, ensuring more accurate and current qualification criteria. Effective as of August 18, 2008, this rule aims to keep SBA size standards in line with economic changes, thereby better defining which businesses qualify for small business support programs. Interested parties can contact Carl Jordan at the SBA’s Office of Size Standards for more details. This adjustment enhances SBA’s ability to support businesses by refining eligibility requirements based on up-to-date inflation data, making the loan programs more accessible and relevant to affected small businesses.