And they’re actually making loans. Nearly $500 million moved through three little-known SBA financing options during FY2026—targeting manufacturers, food-supply businesses and companies that need serious working capital.
Three programs — but two different ideas
SBA marketing makes all three sound similar, but their mechanics are quite different.
Made in America Guarantee
For: Small manufacturers in NAICS sectors 31–33.
Main advantage: SBA guarantees up to 90% rather than the normal 75% on larger standard 7(a) loans.
Grocery Guarantee
For: Specific food-production, agriculture, distribution, trucking and storage industries.
Main advantage: Same 90% SBA guarantee.
MARC
For: Manufacturers in NAICS 31–33 needing working capital.
Main advantage: Up to $5 million in term or revolving financing designed specifically for manufacturers.
Made in America Guarantee: 90% backing for small manufacturers
Effective May 1, 2026, manufacturers whose primary NAICS classification falls in sectors 31, 32 or 33 became eligible for an expanded version of SBA’s International Trade Loan program.
The headline feature is simple: qualifying ITL loans can carry a 90% federal guarantee, compared with the 75% guarantee normally attached to a standard 7(a) loan above $150,000.
| Made in America feature | Current structure |
|---|---|
| Eligible industry | Manufacturing — NAICS sectors 31–33 |
| Maximum loan | $5 million |
| Maximum SBA guarantee | 90%, up to $4.5 million of SBA exposure |
| Structure | International Trade Loan / term financing |
| Typical purpose | Domestic production expansion and modernization |
What SBA says the money can support
- Upgrade or replace machinery and equipment.
- Modernize production facilities and production lines.
- Increase production capacity.
- Diversify supply chains and bring production back to the United States.
- Build stronger inventory positions.
- Expand through strategic acquisitions.
Grocery Guarantee: it goes much farther than grocery stores
The name is slightly misleading. This is not merely a supermarket loan.
SBA expanded the International Trade Loan program to specific businesses across the domestic food supply chain—from farms and ranches to wholesalers, refrigerated warehouses and specialized trucking companies.
Production
- Grain farming
- Vegetable farming
- Fruit / tree nuts
- Cattle
- Hogs
- Poultry / eggs
- Aquaculture
- Fishing
Distribution
- Food wholesalers
- Farm-product wholesalers
- Frozen-food wholesalers
- Farm-supply wholesalers
- Farm-equipment wholesalers
Retail / Logistics
- Supermarkets
- Specialized freight trucking
- Refrigerated warehousing
- Farm warehousing
The eligible NAICS groups SBA specifically listed
| NAICS | Industry |
|---|---|
| 1111 | Oilseed and Grain Farming |
| 1112 | Vegetable and Melon Farming |
| 1113 | Fruit and Tree Nut Farming |
| 1121 | Cattle Ranching and Farming |
| 1122 | Hog and Pig Farming |
| 1123 | Poultry and Egg Production |
| 1124 | Sheep and Goat Farming |
| 1125 | Aquaculture |
| 1129 | Other Animal Production |
| 1141 | Fishing |
| 1151 | Support Activities for Crop Production |
| 1152 | Support Activities for Animal Production |
| 423820 | Farm and Garden Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
| 4244 | Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers |
| 424420 | Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers |
| 4245 | Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers |
| 424910 | Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
| 445110 | Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers |
| 484220 | Specialized Freight Trucking, Local |
| 484230 | Specialized Freight Trucking, Long Distance |
| 493120 | Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage |
| 493130 | Farm Warehousing and Storage |
SBA says the guarantee is designed to finance investments in production, processing, distribution and storage. Like Made in America, the Grocery Guarantee carries a 90% SBA guarantee through the ITL program.
MARC: the one manufacturers may find most useful month after month
Manufacturers’ Access to Revolving Credit—or MARC—is fundamentally different from the first two programs.
The Made in America Guarantee helps a lender make a long-term capital loan. MARC is built around working capital.
| MARC feature | Current rule |
|---|---|
| Eligible industry | Manufacturers in NAICS 31–33 |
| Maximum loan | $5 million |
| SBA guarantee | 85% up to $150,000; 75% above $150,000 |
| Structure | Term loan or revolving line of credit |
| Revolving maturity | Up to 20 years: as much as 10 years revolving plus 10 years term |
| Term-only maturity | Up to 10 years |
| Collateral | At minimum, lien on business assets, with specified exceptions for vehicles and trading assets |
SBA says MARC proceeds may be used for manufacturers’ short-term working-capital needs, including:
- Inventory purchases.
- Materials needed for new orders.
- New projects.
- Working capital needed while production scales.
- Liquidity required to take on larger customers.
Which program solves which problem?
| Made in America | Grocery Guarantee | MARC | Standard 7(a) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing 31–33 | Specified food/ag/logistics NAICS | Manufacturing 31–33 | Most eligible small businesses |
| Maximum loan | $5M | $5M | $5M | $5M |
| Typical guarantee over $150K | 90% | 90% | 75% | 75% |
| Revolving line? | No — ITL term structure | No — ITL term structure | Yes | No under Standard 7(a) |
| Best use | Plant, equipment, capacity, reshoring | Food production, processing, storage, distribution | Inventory / orders / recurring working capital | Broad general-purpose financing |
| Biggest advantage | 90% lender protection | 90% lender protection | Reusable manufacturer credit line | Broad eligibility and flexibility |
The extra 15 percentage points are aimed at your lender
Suppose a bank is considering a $3 million SBA-backed loan.
| Standard 7(a) | 90% ITL Guarantee | |
|---|---|---|
| Loan | $3,000,000 | $3,000,000 |
| SBA guarantee % | 75% | 90% |
| Guaranteed portion | $2,250,000 | $2,700,000 |
| Unguaranted portion | $750,000 | $300,000 |
That difference can materially change the lender’s risk position.
FY2026 approvals show actual lender adoption
| Program | FY2026 loans | Approx. approved capital |
|---|---|---|
| Made in America Guarantee | 149 | Nearly $300 million |
| Grocery Guarantee | 79 | $145 million |
| MARC | 59 | $54 million |
The Grocery program had already approved its first $30 million across 19 loans within roughly its first month of operation. Made in America approvals had reached $110 million by August before finishing the fiscal year near $300 million.
You may not have to choose only one
SBA itself points borrowers and lenders toward combinations of its term-loan and working-capital tools.
Step 1
Use Made in America financing for machinery, facility modernization or production-capacity expansion.
Step 2
Use MARC or another working-capital facility for inventory, orders and recurring production needs.
Step 3
In some situations, a borrower may also pair 7(a) financing with 504 financing for major fixed assets.
Do not walk in asking vaguely for “an SBA loan”
Ask the lender to compare the actual SBA delivery methods that fit the transaction.
| If your situation is… | Ask about… |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer buying a major production line | Made in America Guarantee |
| Manufacturer renovating / expanding production facilities | Made in America Guarantee |
| Manufacturer needs $2M that gets drawn and repaid as inventory turns | MARC |
| Manufacturer wins a large new customer and needs materials immediately | MARC or another SBA working-capital structure |
| Refrigerated warehouse expanding capacity | Grocery Guarantee |
| Food wholesaler adding distribution capacity | Grocery Guarantee |
| Ordinary service company buying another company | Standard 7(a) |
| Business buying owner-occupied real estate | Compare 7(a) and 504 |
Which financing option deserves the first look?
Answer four questions. This screens the broad program fit; it does not determine SBA eligibility or lender approval.
Enter your financing need
Your broad program match will appear here.
This tool does not check SBA size standards, citizenship/residency requirements, credit-elsewhere rules, lender underwriting, collateral, debt-service coverage, exact NAICS eligibility or every permitted-use rule.
