Institutional and private credit from $1M to $5M for buyers who don't fit inside SBA: green card holders, roll-ups and holdcos, complex structures, and speed-critical closes where every day of exclusivity matters.
The gap between what SBA can do and what the deal needs.
Every week we turn away buyers who would have closed a great acquisition inside SBA, if the deal had cooperated. The buyer was a lawful permanent resident, no longer eligible for SBA post-March 2025. The target was a US-domiciled Amazon aggregator with three operating subsidiaries. The borrower was a holdco on its fourth roll-up and had already burned through the SBA 7(a) aggregate cap across prior acquisitions. The LoI expired in 30 days and a strategic was circling. None of those deals fit the 7(a) box. All of them needed to close.
Flex is the product we built for those transactions. We placed the file with institutional term lenders and private credit funds that underwrite the target's cash flow, that accept green card holders alongside US citizens, that are willing to move inside an exclusivity window, and that price for structural flexibility. The result is a facility that costs more than SBA and closes on a faster lender-driven timeline. For the right deal, that trade is the deal.
Lawful permanent resident buyers. Complex deal structures: earn-outs, seller rollovers, management buy-ins. Speed-critical closes. Holdcos and roll-ups stacking acquisitions of US-domiciled targets. If any of that describes the transaction on your desk, Flex is built for you.
Institutional senior debt secured by the target's assets and cash flow. Amortizing or bullet, covenant-lite where warranted.
One-lender solution collapsing senior and sub-debt into a single facility. Faster close, cleaner intercreditor, higher leverage.
Revolver against receivables and inventory for working-capital-heavy targets, paired with an acquisition term loan.
Day-one senior plus a committed deferred draw for earn-outs, add-ons, and working capital in the first 24 months post-close.
You submit deal thesis, CIM, and three years of seller financials. We return a written read on Flex fit, indicative pricing, and leverage.
We shop the file to the two or three Flex lenders most likely to win it and deliver a signable term sheet with pricing, leverage, and covenant package.
QoE, legal, background, and lien search run in parallel. A dedicated Flex closer coordinates data room traffic so the lender's credit committee has everything it needs.
Credit agreement, security documents, and intercreditor (if any) arrive redlined. Our closing team drives comments to final so signature pages are ready for execution.
Wires sent, UCCs filed, keys handed over. Close speed depends on how fast the seller, counsel, and credit committee can move. We run the process to remove every avoidable delay.
If you're a US buyer, the target is US-based, the deal sits inside the SBA 7(a) program range, and you're willing to sign a personal guaranty for senior-debt cost, SBA wins on cost. Plan for a multi-month close window.
Explore SBA 7(a)↗Above $10M, or when you need layered senior + mezz + preferred equity across a single closing, Capital Access assembles the full institutional stack with our sponsor-grade lender relationships.
Explore Capital Access↗Anonymized. Representative of Q1 2026 book.
A US holdco came to us with a signed LoI on a US-based Amazon aggregator: three DTC brands, $2.1M TTM EBITDA, $6.4M ask. The borrower had already hit the SBA 7(a) aggregate cap on prior acquisitions, and the LoI gave them 34 days of exclusivity with a strategic re-engaging the seller in parallel. We placed $4.8M of senior cash-flow debt with a specialty private credit fund plus an $800K seller note behind it. PG from the principal, SOFR + 625 bps, five-year bullet. Wires went out on day 98.
No. The Flex Program is a private acquisition financing solution designed to deliver SBA-like leverage with fewer structural constraints and a more predictable path to closing.
Yes. The program requires both collateral and a personal guarantee.
A minimum 10% buyer equity injection is required.
No. The buyer is required to inject 10% of the project costs into the deal.
Yes. Most earn-out structures are permitted, depending on the transaction.
The program is broadly industry-agnostic, with exclusions for franchises and certain restricted industries.
Minimum loan size is $750K.
5 to 7 year terms. If real estate is involved, 25 year terms are available.
Transactions can close in as little as 45 days, predicated on the expeditiousness of all parties involved.
The buyer should have direct or very strong indirect experience and strong personal liquidity to qualify.
Submit the file and we'll return a written Flex read: pricing, leverage, and fit. If Flex isn't right, we'll say so and point you to the program that is.
