Calculator
How much do you have to put in?
The most-asked question in SBA lending, and the one with the most bad answers online. Includes what a standby seller note can and cannot do.
Purchase price plus closing costs, working capital and fees — not just the price.
Full standby means the seller receives nothing, not even interest, for a set period.
Where the injection comes from
A seller note only counts toward your injection if it is on full standby, and only up to half of what is required. Beyond that it is simply debt — useful for funding the deal, useless for clearing this test.
Money has to be yours, and it has to sit still
Borrowed money does not count. Expect to hand over two months of statements, and expect every transfer in that window to generate a question. Move your down payment early and then leave it alone — see seasoned funds.
Common questions
How much do I have to put down for an SBA loan?
For business acquisitions and startups the SBA generally requires at least a 10% equity injection (as of SOP 50 10 8). Some real-estate and expansion loans differ. This tool estimates what your specific deal needs.
Can the down payment come from a seller note or a gift?
Partly. A portion of the required injection can be met with a seller note on full standby (no payments for a set period), and gifted funds can qualify if properly documented. Lenders will not let the entire injection be borrowed.
Why do lenders require an equity injection at all?
Skin in the game. Borrowers who put their own money in default less often, so the injection is both an SBA rule and a real risk signal — which is part of why smaller, thinner-capitalised loans charge off more.
Read the guide
Want the rules behind this calculator? SBA equity injection rules walks through it in plain English — the SBA requirements, the data, and what lenders actually look for.