{"id":1833222,"date":"2026-11-02T17:21:55","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T16:21:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/articles\/sba-franchise-directory\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T16:55:11","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T15:55:11","slug":"sba-franchise-directory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/articles\/sba-franchise-directory\/","title":{"rendered":"SBA Franchise Directory: What It Is and How to Use It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The SBA Franchise Directory listed 3,590 entries in its edition dated October 28, 2026. Lenders in the Small Business Administration’s 7(a) and 504 programs use it to check whether a franchise brand<\/a> is eligible for SBA financing. This guide covers what the directory is, how brands get listed, how to read a listing, and what a listing does not mean.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Small Business Administration (SBA)<\/strong> does not lend directly in its main programs: it guarantees part of loans made by approved banks and lenders. When the borrower runs a franchise, SBA lending adds a question about the brand itself, on top of the usual credit review. The SBA Franchise Directory<\/strong> answers that question in one place. Many searchers still call it the SBA franchise registry<\/strong>, after the tool it replaced in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is the SBA Franchise Directory?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The SBA Franchise Directory is the agency’s list of franchise and other brands eligible for SBA financial assistance. According to the SBA<\/a>, it only includes business models that the agency has reviewed and found eligible. Lenders can rely on a listing instead of reviewing each brand’s documents themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That review focuses on two points. The first is eligibility under SBA rules. The second is affiliation<\/strong>: whether the franchisor’s control over the franchisee<\/a> is strong enough for SBA to treat the two businesses as one. This matters because SBA eligibility depends on the size of the applicant together with its affiliates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three kinds of brands appear on the directory:<\/p>\n\n\n\n