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 |
Approvals by fiscal year
’17
’18
’19
’20
’21
’22
’23
’24
’25
’26
Loan count. Final bar is a partial fiscal year.
Loan sizes
- Under $50K15%
- $50K - $150K14%
- $150K - $350K26%
- $350K - $1M30%
- $1M - $2M7%
- Over $2M9%
Nearby
Other professional services industries
Offices of Lawyers11,836 · $144,350All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services8,195 · $200,000Veterinary Services7,303 · $514,600Offices of Certified Public Accountants6,420 · $177,000Engineering Services5,789 · $200,000Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services5,634 · $93,000Custom Computer Programming Services5,171 · $150,000Other Computer Related Services4,654 · $160,000
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.
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