Advertiser disclosure: Some links on this page earn us a commission. Compensation never affects our data, our rankings, or which lenders we cover. How we make money.
NAICS 541715 · Professional Services
SBA loans for research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences
193 SBA loans worth $111.7M have been approved in this industry since FY2010 - the #550 most-financed NAICS code in the country.
Median loan
$250,000
+39% vs all industries
Typical range
$25K-$1.7M
Middle 80%
Median rate
8.25%
7(a) initial note rate
Median term
10 yr
Charge-off rate
3.0%
vs 7.6% all industries
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA 7(a) and 504 FOIA data, as of 2026-06-30. Approvals from FY2010 onward. How we calculate this.
Lenders
Most active in this industry
| Lender | Loans | Approved | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Oak Banking Company | 4 | $9.7M | |
| California Statewide Certified Development Corporation | 2 | $5.6M | |
| Florida Business Development Corporation | 3 | $5.1M | |
| Paradise Bank | 2 | $5.1M | |
| The Huntington National Bank | 18 | $5.0M | |
| Port Richmond Savings | 1 | $4.4M | |
| Harvest Small Business Finance, LLC | 4 | $4.2M | |
| Newtek Bank | 10 | $3.9M | |
| Webster Five Cents Savings Bank | 6 | $3.4M | |
| B:Side Capital | 2 | $3.3M |
Geography
Where these loans were made
| State | Loans | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 25 | |
| Florida | 18 | |
| Ohio | 17 | |
| Massachusetts | 16 | |
| Texas | 15 | |
| Utah | 7 | |
| Pennsylvania | 7 | |
| Colorado | 6 |
An SBA 7(a) lender for loans this size
54% of the SBA loans approved in research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences since FY2010 were under $350,000. SmartBiz makes SBA 7(a) loans up to $500,000. It is shown here as a separate, labelled option, outside the data rankings on this page. You apply on their site - we do not take applications and never see your information.
Check options with SmartBizWe may be paid if you apply through this link. It does not change what we publish, and no lender can buy a place in our rankings. Details.
Approvals by fiscal year
Loan count. Final bar is a partial fiscal year.
Loan sizes
- Under $50K15%
- $50K - $150K14%
- $150K - $350K26%
- $350K - $1M30%
- $1M - $2M7%
- Over $2M9%
Franchise brands in Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences
| Franchise brand | Loans | Approved | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARCpoint Labs | 3 | $561K |
Brands with the most SBA loans recorded under this NAICS code, among brands with at least 10 loans in the file.
Nearby
Other professional services industries
Common questions
- How much do SBA lenders typically lend to a research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences business?
- The median SBA approval in NAICS 541715 is $250,000, with the middle 80% of loans between $25,000 and $1,713,000. Across all industries the median is $180,000.
- Which lenders are most active in research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences?
- By dollars approved: Live Oak Banking Company, California Statewide Certified Development Corporation, Florida Business Development Corporation, Paradise Bank, The Huntington National Bank. A lender's experience in your NAICS code matters - underwriters who have seen a hundred deals like yours ask better questions and move faster.
- Is research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences considered a risky industry by SBA lenders?
- Of FY2010-FY2019 approvals in this industry that have reached a terminal status, 3.0% were charged off, versus 7.6% across all SBA lending. That is below average, which generally makes lenders more comfortable with the sector.
We are a publisher, not a lender or broker. We never take applications and are never paid by borrowers. Read the full disclosures.