Part B · Startup-relevant scheme
SBA Surety Bond Guarantee Program (Surety Bond Guarantee)
Small Business Administration
Market Access
Growth / ScalingMarket Access & IP
Running since 1971, this program guarantees surety bonds for small businesses that can't obtain them through regular commercial channels, covering contracts up to $9 million ($14 million for certified federal contracts).
Type of support
Market Access
Best suited for
Market Access
Headline amount
Contracts up to $9M ($14M federal)
How much
80-90% guarantee of surety's loss
Objectives
Increase small businesses' access to federal, state, local, and private-sector contracting that requires bonding.
Who can apply?
- Small business under SBA size standards unable to obtain bonding through normal commercial surety channels.
- Applies to contracts up to $9M generally, or $14M with a federal contracting officer's certification of necessity.
What do you get?
- SBA guarantees 80-90% of the surety's loss if the contractor defaults.
- In FY2024, SBA guaranteed 11,092 bonds worth $9.21B in total contract value.
- Makes sureties willing to bond contractors they'd otherwise decline.
How to apply
Apply through an SBA-participating surety bond agent/company, not SBA directly.
Key links
Details as most recently confirmed against the official source linked above. Deadlines, amounts and windows change — verify on the official portal before applying.